Correlates of Performance in the Dental Hygiene Program

The effectiveness of measures used in the admissions process to predict performance in and/or graduation from a University of Minnesota dental hygiene program is examined. Students in classes entering from Fall 1977 through Winter 1979 were studied, and predictor and performance measures to be studi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inOSA Research Bulletin Vol. 22; no. 5
Main Authors Roesler, Jon S, Armstrong, Roberta A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 11.11.1981
Subjects
Admission Criteria
Allied Health Occupations Education
College Admission
Dental Hygienists
Grade Point Average
Higher Education
Institutional Research
Multiple Regression Analysis
Performance Factors
Predictor Variables
Standardized Tests
State Universities
University of Minnesota
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Summary:The effectiveness of measures used in the admissions process to predict performance in and/or graduation from a University of Minnesota dental hygiene program is examined. Students in classes entering from Fall 1977 through Winter 1979 were studied, and predictor and performance measures to be studied were identified by the program. Predictor measures included American College Testing Program scores in English, mathematics, social science, natural science, and the composite score; age; Dental Hygiene Aptitude Test score; high score percentile rank and class size; Minnesota Scholastic Aptitude Test score; high school natural science credits and grade point average (GPA); college GPA; and Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test scores. Performance measures include national board test score; a course completion index; overall GPA; measure of dental hygiene program completion; and college life science GPA. Correlations between predictor and performance variables were analyzed, and predictors not meeting pre-established criteria were eliminated. Chosen performance measures were analyzed with their valid correlating predictor measures in stepwise multiple regression. Three potentially useful regression equations resulted: two predicted GPA and one predicted a dichotomous variable indicating success or failure in the program. A discussion of a possible seven-step admission procedure using both clinical and statistical approaches is presented. (Author/MSE)