A Study of the Student Retention Programs at Two Different Institutions of Higher Learning in the State of Arkansas

The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to determine how two universities in the state of Arkansas with differing student demographics approach the problem of student retention in order to increase their graduation rates. College student retention has long been a concern in the United States and in the state of Arkansas. Providing a well-educated workforce is the only way either can thrive in the future knowledge-based economy. The research of Astin (1993), Tinto (1993, 1999, 2005, 2006), Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, Whitt & Associates (2005), Pascarella & Terenzini (2005), and others has shown that students choose to discontinue their postsecondary studies for many reasons over which institutions have little control. Even high admission standards cannot guarantee that the students matriculated will remain until they attain their degrees. Institutions do, however, have a great deal of control over a student’s quality of experience while attending the institution. This quality of experience has been shown to increase student satisfaction, and as a result, student persistence and graduation rates. Data used for this study included information from focus groups moderated by the researcher, individual interviews with members of the institutional retention teams, and institutional information found at the universities and on the university websites. Focus group interviews were held on both campuses, from which the data were collected and analyzed for emerging themes. The focus groups used for this study were made up of institutional staff members directly involved with student retention on their respective campuses. Individual phone and face-to-face interviews were also used to collect data and to clarify information that had been collected. The programs, practices, and procedures of both university’s retention efforts were first analyzed according to an analysis checklist of institutional best practices as determined by research. Then the two retention programs were compared using a cross-case analysis. Findings show that both universities use at least some of the strategies recommended by present research to increase student retention and graduation rates to their advantage. This qualitative study provides a description of both retention programs, including how and why the programs were begun, what major events occurred during the program building process, what barriers to the process were encountered, and where both programs are now in their move toward greater student retention. This study also describes how the two universities have attempted to put assessments in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their student retention efforts. The research findings indicate that many factors influence the student retention efforts of institutions of higher learning, not the least of which is student demographics. These unique student demographics were at the heart of both retention programs, and while some problems were easily and quickly addressed, other problems were identified as more difficult to address due to time, staffing, and funding issues. One university’s program was more systematic in its approach to retention, while the other’s program was only beginning to consider a systemized approach to retention. Despite the difficulties, however, both universities expressed determination to continue and expand their student retention efforts. The descriptions of the two retention programs included in this study may provide other universities with ideas to help them expand their own student retention programs. Educational researchers may use the findings of this study as the basis for future qualitative or quantitative research to add to the existing knowledge base concerning college student retention

Predictive Effects of Poverty, Gender, Native Language Spoken, and ELPA21 Proficiency on Reading Performance

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the predictive effects of poverty, gender, native language spoken, and English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21) proficiency on reading performance measured by the ACT Aspire Summative Reading Assessment for Grades 4, 7, and 10 English language learners in a Northwest Arkansas school district. Through Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the influence of poverty, gender, native language spoken, and ELPA21 proficiency were studied for influences on reading performance. Through a multiple regression analysis I examined the Spring 2019 state assessment and demographic data collected from over 20,000 student records. The findings revealed a significance in gender and ELPA21 proficiency in determining reading performance for Grades 4 and 7, with native language spoken and ELPA21 proficiency having significance in Grade 10. ELPA21 proficiency had the most significance in determining reading performance with a large effect size in Grades 4 (24.4%), 7 (21.6%), and 10 (23.4%). The large effect demonstrated the understanding of language comprehension as a key to literacy. Based on the findings, language instruction should be a base for literacy development and support educators in focusing professional development efforts toward examining the need for language development as a key to foundational literacy

Root-emitted volatile organic compounds: can they mediate belowground plant-plant interactions?

peer reviewedBackground Aboveground, plants release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that act as chemical signals between neighbouring plants. It is now well documented that VOCs emitted by the roots in the plant rhizosphere also play important ecological roles in the soil ecosystem, notably in plant defence because they are involved in interactions between plants, phytophagous pests and organisms of the third trophic level. The roles played by root-emitted VOCs in between- and within-plant signalling, however, are still poorly documented in the scientific literature. Scope Given that (1) plants release volatile cues mediating plant-plant interactions aboveground, (2) roots can detect the chemical signals originating from their neighbours, and (3) roots release VOCs involved in biotic interactions belowground, the aim of this paper is to discuss the roles of VOCs in between- and within-plant signalling belowground. We also highlight the technical challenges associated with the analysis of root-emitted VOCs and the design of experiments targeting volatile-mediated root-root interactions. Conclusions We conclude that root-root interactions mediated by volatile cues deserve more research attention and that both the analytical tools and methods developed to study the ecological roles played by VOCs in interplant signalling aboveground can be adapted to focus on the roles played by root-emitted VOCs in between- and within-plant signalling

Large-scale production of pseudotyped lentiviral vectors using baculovirus GP64.

Unlike oncoretroviruses, lentiviral vectors can insert large genes and can target both dividing and nondividing cells; thus they hold unique promise as gene transfer agents. To enhance target range, the native lentiviral envelope glycoprotein is replaced (pseudotyped) with vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSVG), and the genes of interest are packaged in nonreplicating vectors by transient transfection with three plasmids. However, because of cytotoxic effects of VSVG expression in producer cells (293T cells) it has been difficult to generate a packaging cell line, required for even modest scale-up of vector production. Here we introduce a pseudotyped lentivirus vector using the baculovirus GP64 envelope glycoprotein. Compared with VSVG, GP64 vectors exhibited a similar broad tropism and similar native titers. GP64-pseudotyped vectors were usually highly concentrated without much loss of titer. Because, unlike VSVG, GP64 expression does not kill cells, we generated 293T-based cell lines constitutively expressing GP64. Our results demonstrate that the baculovirus GP64 protein is an attractive alternative to VSVG for viral vectors used in the large-scale production of high-titer virus required for clinical and commercial applications