Investigating Sophomore Student Success: National Survey of Sophomore-Year Initiatives and the Sophomore Experiences Survey, 2014
Author(s): Young, D. G., Schreiner, L. A., & McIntosh, E. J.
Citation: Young, D. G., Schreiner, L. A., & McIntosh, E. J. (2015). Investigating Sophomore Student Success: National Survey of Sophomore-Year Initiatives and the Sophomore Experiences Survey, 2014. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.
Abstract
In comparison to the first college year and the senior year, there continues to be a dearth of research on the sophomore year—a pivotal college transition. This report, a joint effort by researchers from the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition and The Thriving Project at Azusa Pacific University, aims to fill that gap by exploring how institutions support students in the second college year and how sophomores experience higher education. Findings from two studies are presented: the National Survey of Sophomore-Year Initiatives (NYSSI) and the Sophomore Experience Survey (SES). Framed by Astin’s (1991) Input-Environment-Outcome (I-E-O) model, the report helps educators isolate and evaluate how educational experiences shape student learning and development in the sophomore year. There are three sections present in this report: (a) an overview of the NYSSI, (b) an overview of the SES, and (c) an integrated discussion of the results from both research efforts and their implications for practice and ongoing research on sophomore student success. Additionally, appendices provide a list of the various participating institutions, survey questions, frequency of responses to NYSSI questions, and national norms for the SES.
View Publication