In addition to the Bettinger & Long background paper which all panelists are asked to read, we have identified four scholarly articles that may be of value to participants as they prepare for our upcoming Technical Review Panel. While these papers will not be specifically referenced during the NPSAS TRP, we strongly encourage panelists to find time to review each. Consider them “food for thought” as we work together to refine BPS base-year instrumentation.
St. John et al. and Stage & Hossler are largely theoretical in nature,
designed to help reacquaint panelists with foundational theories of student
persistence. (Note that many of these theories also incorporate facets of a
student’s college choice process, which is not a research interest of
BPS:12/14/17). Both pieces are portions of a larger volume, Rethinking the
Student Departure Puzzle, edited by Braxton in 2000, which presents an
even broader array of theoretical perspectives on the process of college
entry, persistence, and success.
Rouse and Beekhoven et al. are research pieces, designed to demonstrate how authors have sought to employ economic and non-economic lenses to analyze student persistence behaviors. Both are quite readable and demonstrate the strengths—and weaknesses—of the extant literature.