Assessing Student Abilities and Enhancing Value Added in Higher Education for Disadvantaged Students: Evidence from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

Institutions of higher education confront a common set of challenges: assessing the capabilities of applicants and selecting those best suited to the mission of the institution, fostering diversity, inculcating knowledge, and placing graduates in productive careers. This research provides methods to help colleges and universities evaluate how well they are meeting these challenges and also help them become more effective. The investigators study the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (USMA). The USMA is an excellent setting to study these issues for several reasons: The USMA awards degrees in a range of academic majors comparable to those offered in many colleges and universities. The USMA undertakes comprehensive assessment of capabilities of applicants. Likewise, the measures of progress made over the course of a student's studies are more comprehensive than those obtained by other academic institutions. Finally, assessment of career accomplishments of graduates is enhanced by the fact that the graduates of the service academies all initially work for the same employer. With this comprehensive data, this project assesses current practices and prescribes policies to attract, retain, and improve performance of disadvantaged students. This research will be valuable not only to USMA but also to researchers and policy makers seeking to improve the effectiveness of our nation's colleges and universities. All colleges and universities confront common challenges: assessing capabilities of applicants, deciding which to admit, fostering diversity, inculcating knowledge, and placing graduates in productive careers. Responsibility for these activities is typically dispersed, with little coordination, across different administrative and teaching units. The investigators undertake an integrated analysis of these activities for a selective college, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The USMA offers a range of majors comparable to that of other undergraduate institutions. It undertakes comprehensive assessments of applicants and comprehensive assessments of performance as students progress through college, obtaining more extensive measures than are obtained by other academic institutions. It has retained these measures for a large number of cohorts as well as measures of career performance. This project assesses the extent to which achievement gaps across demographic groups are narrowed by the college. This research characterizes the relevant dimensions of skills and estimates a model of admission, attrition, and achievement. The investigators examine potential changes in admission and retention policies that may improve achievement, graduation rates, and career success, with particular emphasis on improving access and success in higher education by disadvantaged groups.