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Academic Profile: SSU Freshmen and Upperclassmen Average Scores Compared to Reference Group Average Scores

 Prepared by: Kimberly A. Lata, Institutional Research Analyst

 

June, 2005

  

The data presented in this report shows SSU Freshmen and SSU Upperclassmen average scores on the Academic Profile as compared to the reference group average scores established by ETS for a self-selected reference group of institutions. The score data is based on students taking the Academic Profile between December 1995 and August 2004. Freshmen include entering freshmen and other freshmen. Upperclassmen include juniors and seniors.

 

The following institutions are included in the reference groups. These institutions were self-selected as being near to SSU in composition, size, and having an open admission policy, thereby making them more appropriate for comparative purposes.

 

 

Freshmen Reference Group:

 

Bartlesville Wesleyan College, OK

LSU – Alexandria, LA

Central Virginia Community College, VA

Mesa State College, CO

Howard Community College, MD

Montcalm Community College, MI

Kishwaukee College, IL

So. Ohio College Northeast, OH

Lamar Community College, CO

Southwestern Adventist College, TX

 

 

Upperclassmen Reference Group:

 

Black Hills State University, SD

National University, CA

East West University, IL

Northern Kentucky University, KY

Ferris State University, MI

Southeastern Louisiana University, LA

Grambling State University, LA

University of Southern Indiana, IN

LSU – Shreveport, LA

Wayland Baptist University, TX

Mount Saint Clare College, IA

 

 

 

The charts on the following pages show SSU Freshmen and SSU Upperclassmen average scores, compared to the reference group average score for Freshmen and Upperclassmen, in the areas of: Humanities, Social Science, Natural Science, Reading, Writing, Critical Thinking, Math, and Total. Each chart shows the SSU average scores compared to the reference group average scores over time.

 

The data presented in the table beneath each chart shows SSU Freshmen and SSU Upperclassmen Academic Profile average scores compared to Reference Group average scores in each particular area. One-sample t-tests were done to determine whether the mean differences were significant at the .05 level of probability.

 

As can be seen in the tables, there were significant differences found in several areas for both Freshmen and Upperclassmen. Positive differences reflect areas where SSU Freshmen or SSU Upperclassmen average scores were higher than the average scores for the reference group. Negative differences reflect areas where SSU Freshmen and SSU Upperclassmen average scores were lower than the reference group average scores.

 

            An important note regarding the data in the charts and tables that follow must be made. Because ETS did not provide average scores for the freshmen reference group in any of the test areas for June 2000, an average score was calculated from the average scores provided for other test times. Average scores for both the freshmen and upperclassmen reference groups were also calculated for all test areas from June 2001 to August 2004 since no new average scores were provided by ETS for the reference groups. Since calculating an average from the other averages available works on the assumption that the reference group performed about the same as usual, the calculated average does not reflect the true average score. Great care must be taken when making any interpretation of how SSU students did compared to the reference group based on t-tests from the calculated averages.

 

            Another change from previous versions of this report is that the score data for each year was calculated for the entire year, instead of for June and December for each year. Because of this, the score data for the reference groups were averaged together also. Having data for the year should make the results easier to read, since the tables and charts are less congested with data.

 

            For the purposes of this report, Teacher Education students were excluded from the comparisons of profile averages from December 2001 to August 2004. Because Teacher Education students can use the results of the Academic Profile in lieu of taking the Praxis exam, it is believed these students attempt to try harder and thus will skew the results of the exam.

 

  

 

Freshmen

Humanities

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

111.57

112.45

-0.88

-3.41

*

1996

111.84

112.11

-0.27

-1.31

 

1997

112.29

112.67

-0.38

-0.75

 

1998

111.02

112.36

-1.34

-6.01

*

1999

110.77

112.61

-1.84

-8.82

*

2000

109.52

112.39

-2.87

-11.94

*

2001

111.05

112.43

-1.38

-5.41

*

2002

111.04

112.43

-1.39

-5.51

*

2003

110.8

112.43

-1.63

-5.72

*

2004

111.84

112.43

-0.59

-0.76

 

 

Upperclassmen

Humanities

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

115.13

115.55

-0.42

-0.71

 

1996

115.94

115.41

-53

1.95

*

1997

115.35

115.57

-0.22

-0.58

 

1998

115.34

115.16

0.18

0.64

 

1999

114.87

114.69

0.18

0.64

 

2000

113.98

115.49

-1.51

-5.19

*

2001

112.82

115.29

-2.47

-7.36

*

2002

113.58

115.29

-1.71

-3.73

*

2003

114.43

115.29

-0.87

-1.18

 

2004

113.85

115.29

-1.44

-2.97

*

           

 

 

Freshmen

Social Sciences

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

110.64

111.79

-1.15

-5.21

*

1996

110.79

111.14

-0.35

-2.01

*

1997

110.54

111.83

-1.29

-2.74

*

1998

110.12

111.55

-1.43

-7.55

*

1999

109.87

111.87

-2

-10.98

*

2000

108.86

111.68

-2.82

-13.33

*

2001

109.84

111.63

-1.8

-7.61

*

2002

109.55

111.63

-2.08

-8.8

*

2003

109.18

111.63

-2.45

-9.2

*

2004

111.24

111.63

-0.39

-0.53

 

 

Upperclassmen

Social Sciences

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

114.02

114.93

-0.91

-1.83

 

1996

114.19

114.64

-0.45

-1.8

 

1997

114.03

114.67

-0.64

-1.86

 

1998

114.17

114.53

-0.36

-1.35

 

1999

113.17

113.98

-0.81

-3.17

*

2000

112.44

115.08

-2.64

-10.17

*

2001

111.47

114.61

-3.14

-10.35

*

2002

111.76

114.61

-2.85

-6.93

*

2003

113.13

114.61

-1.49

-2.06

*

2004

111.72

114.61

-2.89

-6.79

*

 

 

Freshmen

Natural Sciences

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

112.56

113.85

-1.29

-5.32

*

1996

112.95

113.47

-0.52

-2.6

*

1997

113.1

114.02

-0.92

-1.91

 

1998

111.96

113.82

-1.86

-8.51

*

1999

111.76

114.06

-2.3

-11.49

*

2000

110.37

113.76

-3.39

-13.99

*

2001

111.05

113.83

-2.78

-10.64

*

2002

110.96

113.83

-2.87

-11.61

*

2003

110.66

113.83

-3.17

-11.38

*

2004

112.34

113.83

-1.49

-2.04

*

 

Upperclassmen

Natural Sciences

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

116.5

116.8

-0.3

-0.59

 

1996

116.49

116.54

-0.05

-0.2

 

1997

116.4

116.55

-0.15

-0.43

 

1998

116.23

116.62

-0.39

-1.4

 

1999

115.78

116.22

-0.44

-1.62

 

2000

114.8

117.19

-2.4

-8.84

*

2001

113.03

116.64

-3.61

-11.07

*

2002

113.18

116.64

-3.47

-8.04

*

2003

114.55

116.64

-2.1

-3.1

*

2004

113.11

116.64

-3.53

-7.47

 

 

 

Freshmen

Reading

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

114.14

115.5

-1.36

-4.61

*

1996

114.74

115.56

-0.82

-3.43

*

1997

114.96

116.14

-1.18

-2.06

*

1998

113.59

115.76

-2.17

-8.41

*

1999

112.99

116.2

-3.21

-13.21

*

2000

111.4

115.65

-4.25

-14.76

*

2001

113.16

115.83

-2.67

-8.89

*

2002

112.92

115.83

-2.91

-9.61

*

2003

112.33

115.83

-3.51

-10.03

*

2004

114.33

115.83

-1.5

-1.67

 

 

Upperclassmen

Reading

 

 

 

 

 

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

118.33

119.95

-1.62

-2.53

*

1996

119.12

119.55

-0.43

-1.48

 

1997

118.61

119.42

-0.81

-1.94

*

1998

118.74

119.49

-0.75

-2.33

*

1999

117.62

118.89

-1.27

-3.95

*

2000

116.26

120.16

-3.9

-11.85

*

2001

114.76

119.54

-4.78

-12.27

*

2002

116.1

119.54

-3.44

-6.93

*

2003

117.4

119.54

-2.14

-2.46

*

2004

116.25

119.54

-3.29

-6.28

 

 

 

Freshmen

Writing

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

112.37

113.18

-0.81

-3.48

*

1996

112.35

112.2

0.15

0.79

 

1997

112.24

112.98

-0.74

-1.59

 

1998

111.6

112.62

-1.03

-5.11

*

1999

111.64

113.17

-1.53

-8.16

*

2000

110.27

113.08

-2.81

-12.49

*

2001

110.85

112.84

-1.99

-8.75

*

2002

110.61

112.84

-2.23

-10.33

*

2003

110.63

112.84

-2.21

-8.22

*

2004

111.93

112.84

-0.91

-1.51

 

 

Upperclassmen

Writing

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

115.83

115.62

-21

0.41

 

1996

115.87

115.49

0.38

1.58

 

1997

115.42

115.75

-0.33

-1.03

 

1998

115.48

115.11

0.37

1.51

 

1999

115.01

115

0.01

0.05

 

2000

114.46

115.27

-0.81

-3.25

*

2001

112.93

115.35

-2.42

-8.48

*

2002

112.91

115.35

-2.44

-6.68

*

2003

113.91

115.35

-1.44

-2.23

*

2004

113.21

115.35

-2.14

-5.41

*

 

 

Freshmen

Critical Thinking

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

108.28

109.48

-1.2

-5.91

*

1996

108.49

108.95

-0.47

-2.7

*

1997

108.73

109.54

-0.81

-1.7

 

1998

107.91

109.41

-1.5

-8.12

*

1999

107.77

109.2

-1.43

-8.52

*

2000

107.08

109.15

-2.07

-10.66

*

2001

107.43

109.27

-1.85

-7.89

*

2002

107.35

109.27

-1.93

-8.72

*

2003

107.23

109.27

-2.04

-8.39

*

2004

108.97

109.27

-0.3

-0.41

 

 

Upperclassmen

Critical Thinking

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

111.48

111.85

-0.37

-0.73

 

1996

111.62

111.65

-0.03

-0.12

 

1997

111.75

111.75

0

0

 

1998

111.52

111.84

-0.32

-1.18

 

1999

111.19

111.14

0.05

0.19

 

2000

110.5

112.53

-2.03

-7.8

*

2001

109.53

111.78

-2.25

-7.78

*

2002

109.5

111.78

-2.28

-5.31

*

2003

110.7

111.78

-1.08

-1.49

 

2004

109.42

111.78

-2.36

-4.97

*

 

 

 

Freshmen

Math

AY

Average SSU

National Norm

Difference

t

significant at .05 or greater

1995

111.29

111.82

-0.53

-2.45

*

1996

111.68

111.35

0.33

1.78

 

1997

110.78

111.97

-1.19

-2.57

*

1998

111.25

111.5

-0.25

-1.3