ABSTRACT
Success and contemporary socioeconomic status (SES) is tied to academic achievement. Typically, the more education an individual has the higher their SES. Individuals with less than a high school degree are at high risk to lower SES. Far fewer first-generation students and students with documented learning disabilities go to college. Those that do pursue post secondary education graduate at lower rates and take longer than regularly admitted students. Employment and earnings are highly associated with academic achievement.
This exploratory study examined two predictor variables (self-efficacy and the characteristics of resiliency) with respect to academic performance of college students admitted to college under special criteria. A sample of 117 college students (89 women and 28 men) at a large Research I university in the southeastern United States participated in the study, and completed the Perceived Academic Self-efficacy Scale (GSE; Jerusalem & Schwarzer, 1992) and the Personal Resilience Questionnaire (PRQ; Connor, 1992). One hundred six students were registered with the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) and eleven students were registered with the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC). The major findings were that: self-efficacy combined with parental involvement was found to be an important predictor on the academic performance of college students admitted through special criteria.
