Using archived data spanning from 2004 to 2010 from a large, public, Texas university's formal study skills program, the relationships between program participation and grade point averages (GPAs), 1-year retention rates, and graduation rates (i.e., they did or did not graduate) were analyzed. Employing a proportionate stratified random sampling scheme within a causal-comparative research design, the authors conducted an independent samples t test and chi-square tests-after applying the Bonferroni adjustment to control for inflations of Type I error-to investigate the differences between the experimental group (n = 2,074) and control group (n = 2,074) with respect to these three outcome measures (i.e., GPAs, 1-year retention rates, and graduation rates). Findings indicated a small but statistically significant difference in GPA between students in the experimental group and the control group. However, no statistically significant difference in retention rates emerged between students in these two groups. Finally, although a statistically significant difference emerged in graduation rates between students in these two groups, the effect size was negligible. As such, further research is suggested.Keywords: Study Skills, Academic Performance, Student Success, Graduation Rates, RetentionInternational Journal of Education ISSN 1948-5476 2015 www.macrothink.org/ije
248In the 1990s, the United States led the world in higher education graduation rates (Abel, 2000). However, almost two decades later, the United States ranked 16th in the world in college graduates (Chalian, 2012). This drop in rankings has had a negative effect on the United States' political, social, and economic standings, prompting U.S. President Barack Obama to issue a mandate to the U.S. educational system to regain its place at the forefront of the world's higher education graduation rates by 2020 (Johnson, 2010). Due to this call-to-arms, community colleges and universities across the United States are searching for methods to boost retention and graduation rates.This push to excel in education has led to an increase in the research of methods and strategies to boost students' academic understanding and to improve their success (e.g., graduation) rates. Research has shown that programs and methodologies designed to aid in the development and improvement of students' study skills can lead to an increase in academic success (Kartika, 2007;Proctor, Prevatt, Adams, & Reaser, 2006;Robyak, 1978;Sanoff, 2006;Urciuoli & Bluestone, 2013). Many researchers have advocated study skills because of the positive relationship between success in college and students' knowledge of and ability to apply study skills (Al-Hilawani & Sartawi, 1997;Crede & Kuncel, 2008;Kartika, 2007;Larose & Roy, 1991;Metzner & Bean, 1987). Supporting this connection, a recent meta-analysis, conducted by Crede and Kuncel (2008), indicated that study skills were not only an important predictor of academic success in higher education, but rivaled grade point average (GPA) and stan...
