Predicting the Academic Success of Adults from Diverse Populations

Abstract

This study assessed the predictive validity of the Risk and Promise Profile©¹ with a diverse sample of 542 two-year and four-year older college students at six educational institutions. The profile is a seventy-eight-item, self-report, paper and pencil questionnaire that can be used to outline a profile of personal and social influences that are related to persistence. Hierarchical multiple regression and ANOVA indicate that the profile explains significant portions of the variance associated with academic success. The results also suggest that different measures are related to the success of Caucasian students and African-American students. Further, the study suggests that race per se should not be used to identify students “at risk.” Instead, combinations of personal and social measures are more appropriate predictors of academic performance.

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