TPC-Journal-V6-Issue2

189 Daniel T. Sciarra, NCC, is a Professor at Hofstra University. Holly J. Seirup is an Associate Professor at Hofstra University. Elizabeth Sposato is Assistant Director of Career Services at New York Institute of Technology. Correspondence can be addressed to Daniel Sciarra, 160 Hagedorn Hall, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, daniel.t.sciarra@hofstra.edu . Daniel T. Sciarra, Holly J. Seirup, Elizabeth Sposato High School Predictors of College Persistence: The Significance of Engagement and Teacher Interaction This study investigated factors from high school that might predict college persistence. The sample consisted of 7,271 participants in three waves of data collection (2002, 2004 and 2006) who participated in the Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS; U.S. Department of Education, 2008). A multinomial logistic regression mode was employed to distinguish those who persisted from those who did not. Results indicated that number of hours engaged in extracurricular activities and interaction with the math teacher outside of class distinguished those who persisted in a four-year college from those that did not. Implications for school, community, mental health and college student development counselors are discussed. Keywords: persistence, high school, college, teacher, extracurricular activities Over the past few decades there has been a dramatic paradigm shift in both focus and attitude among postsecondary institutions regarding the importance of student persistence, retention and academic success (Hu, 2011; Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges, & Hayek, 2007), in contrast to the past where an institution’s prestige was tied to its ability to exclude students (Coley & Coley, 2010). U.S. News and World Report solidified this sea change, as its report of college rankings now includes retention and graduation rates as a measure of institutional quality (Morse, 2015). In addition, colleges and universities are under increased pressure from public policymakers to improve retention and graduation rates (Hossler, Ziskin, & Gross, 2009). The matter of college graduation rates and persistence has in fact taken on national prominence. In a speech at the University of Texas at Austin, President Obama (2010) commented that over a third of America’s college students and over half of our minority students don’t earn a degree even after six years. So we don’t just need to open the doors of college to more Americans; we need to make sure they stick with it through graduation. (Obama, 2010, para. 34) The importance of completing a college degree has been magnified because of the high correlation with economic self-sufficiency and responsible citizenship (Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzie, & Gonyea, 2008). In this regard, the college degree has come to replace the high school diploma. Students, parents, high school counselors and college counselors expend much time and energy on the college admissions process with high expectations that the student will be successful and persist (Seirup & Rose, 2011). Yet, the statistics regarding college persistence are surprisingly low, while the cost of attrition to the student, the college and the community is quite high. Forty-one percent of students who begin their college careers at a four-year college will not graduate within six years (U.S. Department of Education, 2013), while 35% will drop out completely (Tinto, 2004). The costs associated with students dropping out of college are sobering and impact multiple stakeholders who would potentially benefit from individuals who persisted and graduated from college. The American Institutes for Research (2010) found that the cost of students dropping out of their first year of college The Professional Counselor Volume 6, Issue 2, Pages 189–202 http://tpcjournal.nbcc.org © 2016 NBCC, Inc. and Affiliates doi:10.15241/ds.6.2.189