Tinto's Theory Of Student Persistence

success.

Tinto developed a theory to explain student retention called Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure. Tinto’s (1993) theory of student departure, will also serve as the theoretical framework of this study. Student persistence is in the forefront of higher education concerns (Reason, 2009). Persistence occurs when students successfully integrate into the college setting academically and socially (Tinto, 1975). Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure states that the more students integrate into the life of the college, the more successful they will be and the more likely the student will remain in school until graduation. According to Tinto (1975), he argued that students depart higher education without earning a degree because of the

What student demographics and Student Support Services program services at Johnston Community College can be used to predict academic success?

2. What student demographics and Student Support Services program services at Johnston Community College can be used to predict persistence?

Significance of the Study

Academic success and student persistence will be the primary focus of this study. Identifying services that predict student academic success and persistence among TRIO student is important for staff and higher education leaders at Johnston Community College. Jones and Watson (1990) noted that retention or persistence issues are critical to institutional planning and funding. Planning and funding have been greatly affected by the student retention rates. The findings from this study will also help to provide pertinent information on how to improve services that foster student success and leadership skills. This study is significant in that it will examine the factors that critically influence academic success and persistence of students enrolled in the TRIO program at Johnston Community College in Smithfield,

Department of Education (2014a) defined academic success as the relative grade point average on a four-point scale at the end of an academic term.

Academic performance: Grade point average (GPA) is the standard measure for students’ academic performance.

Community Colleges - Community colleges are defined as “any institution regionally accredited to award the associate of arts or the associate of science as its highest degree” (Cohen & Brawer, 2008). This definition includes all technical, vocational and junior colleges, whether public or private.

Disability - A person with disability has a physical or impairment that limits one or more of the major life activities of that person. A person is also considered disabled if they have had a record of such an impairment or are regarded as being impaired (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2008).

First-generation – A student whose parents has not been awarded a baccalaureate degree. (U.S. Department of Education, 2017).

Low-income - A low-income participant is one whose family’s taxable income is less than 150% of the poverty level. The United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, sets guidelines for determining the poverty level for each cohort year (U.S. Department of Education,