Overview of the association between retention and graduation

Association Between The Retention Rate And The Graduation Rate

The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between the percentage of the retention rate and the percentage of the graduation rate among the accredited online universities.

The growth of online universities is increasing tremendously (Young, 2011) and this has been a great challenge to the institution of higher learning majorly on the retention rates and graduation rates. The association between the graduation rate and the retention rate according to (Anon, 2014) is positive. The study further reveal that the growth of online universities have posed a greate challenge to the institution of higher learning and students experience difficulties in collaborating with the online universities. However, online accredited universities are much concerned with the retention rate and how the factor is associated with the graduation rate. The study by (Stefano et al, 2012) presents the advantages of online universities on people with disabilities, but does not show the retention rate and how it is associated with the graduation rate. Economist are interested in the results of the association between the retention rate and the graduation rate in order to make informed judgement and come up with the recommendation that will help boost the percentage of the graduation rate. This study therefore, focuses investigating the association between the retention rates and the percentage of the graduation rate.

Research design

Descriptive and inferential design research was employed for this study.

Data collection

The study utilizes quantitative secondary data that was obtained from the online education database.

Data analysis

Quantitative techniques were used for analyzing the data. Data was analyzed for both descriptive and inferential statistics.

Analysis was carried out using Excel.

• Descriptive analysis
  • Retentionrate and the graduation rate

The table below gives the descriptive summary of the retention rate and the graduation rate

RETENTION RATE (%)		GRADUATION RATE (%)
Mean	57.4137931	Mean	41.75862069
Standard Error	4.315602704	Standard Error	1.832018976
Median	60	Median	39
Mode	51	Mode	36
Standard Deviation	23.24023181	Standard Deviation	9.865724115
Sample Variance	540.1083744	Sample Variance	97.33251232
Kurtosis	0.461757455	Kurtosis	-0.882399313
Skewness	-0.309920645	Skewness	0.176364432
Range	96	Range	36
Minimum	4	Minimum	25
Maximum	100	Maximum	61
Sum	1665	Sum	1211
Count	29	Count	29

Scatter plot of the retention rate and the graduation rate

 

The scatter diagram reveals the Percentage of the graduation rate (dependent variable) and the percentage of the retention rate (the independent variable) vary together, in the same way, portraying an existence of a positive association between the two variables (REISENBACH, 2011)

Estimation of the regression equation

SUMMARY OUTPUT
Regression Statistics
Multiple R	0.670244797
R Square	0.449228088
Adjusted R Square	0.428829129
Standard Error	7.456104604
Observations	29

ANOVA
	df	SS	MS	F	Significance F
Regression	1	1224.286	1224.286	22.02211	6.95491E-05
Residual	27	1501.024	55.5935
Total	28	2725.31

	Coefficients	Standard Error	t Stat	P-value	Lower 95%	Upper 95%	Lower 95.0%
Intercept	25.42290363	3.746284	6.786166	2.74E-07	17.73616416	33.10964	17.73616
X Variable 1	0.284526003	0.060631	4.692772	6.95E-05	0.1601221	0.40893	0.160122

The regression equation to be used for estimation of the graduation rate percentage given the percentage of the retention rate is estimated as follows;

Graduation rate = 25.42290363+ 0.284526003* retention rate

 

The estimated equation is

y = 0.2845x + 25.423 where y represents the percentage of the graduation rate (dependent variable) and x represent the percentage of the retention rate (independent variable).

Data and empirical approach used to examine the association between retention and graduation

Graduation rate = 25.423 + 0.2845 * retention rate

This is interpreted as;

There is a positive relationship between the two variables. An increase in one unit of the percentage of the retention rate (independent variable) will result in the corresponding increase of the percentage of the graduation rate (dependent variable) by 0.2845 units

• Association between the retention rate and the graduation rate

We postulate a hypothesis as follows;

Null hypothesis: There is no association between the percentage of graduation rate and the percentage of the retention rate

Alternative hypothesis: There is an association between the percentage of graduation rate and the percentage of the retention rate

At 1% level of significance,

	RETENTION RATE (%)	GRADUATION RATE (%)
RETENTION RATE (%)	1
GRADUATION RATE (%)	0.670245	1

Since the p-value 0.01, is less than the α = 0.05, we reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is enough evidence for the existence of an association between the percentage of graduation rate and the percentage of the retention rate. The correlation between the two variables is 0.670245

The percentage of the retention rate and the percentage of the graduation rate have a positive association. The two variables move in the same way or direction. Therefore, an increase of the independent variable (percentage of the retention rate) results in an increase of the dependent variable (percentage of the graduation rate) and vice versa.

• Fitness of the regression model

SUMMARY OUTPUT
Regression Statistics
Multiple R	0.670244797
R Square	0.449228088
Adjusted R Square	0.428829129
Standard Error	7.456104604
Observations	29

From the excel output, R- Square is 0.449221354. Which shows an average good fit. The regression model with the regression equation; Graduation rate = 25.423 + 0.2845 * retention rate is fit for predicting the percentage of the graduation rate as shown by the R square which is 44.92%. This implies that about 44.92% of the variation in the percentage of the graduation rate (dependent variable) is being explained by the percentage of the retention rate (independent variable).

Concerns of the performance of the South University after results review

The equation to predict the percentage of graduation rate is

Graduation rate = 25.423 + 0.2845 * retention rate

In the University the percentage of the retention is 51 and the percentage of the Graduation is 25

Graduation rate = 25.423 + 0.2845 * retention rate

                         = 39.9325

As the president, I would not have any concerns regarding the performance of the University, compared to other online universities because of the continuous increase of the percentage of the percentage of graduation rate from 25 to 39.93

In the University, the percentage of the retention is 4 and the percentage of the graduation is 28

Graduation rate = 25.423 + 0.2845 * retention rate

Key results, strengths, limitations, and policy implications

Graduation rate= 25.423 + 0.2845 * 4

                         = 26.561

As the president, I would have concerns regarding the performance of the University compared to other online Universities because of the decrease of the percentage of the percentage of graduation rate from 28 to 36.56 due to the decrease of the percentage of the retention rate.N

The mean of the percentage of retention rate and graduation rate are 57.41 and 41.76 respectively. This implies that universities mean percentage of graduation is less compared to the mean percentage of retention. A study that was conducted by (Sneyers, 2017) which focused on the graduation rates in the universities provide consistent results. It reveals that out 63.78% of students who graduate; 28% are from online universities. Sneyers further says that the mean percentage for the online universities is increasing tremendously across the world resenting a great challenge to the institution of higher learning.

The mean percentage of the retention and graduation rate is 57.4138 and 41.7586 respectively. The results reveal that the percentage of the minimum and maximum retention rate is 4 and 100 respectively while the minimum and maximum percentage of the graduation rate is 25 and 61 respectively

The two variables vary together in a similar way. This means that an increase of the percentage the retention rate results in a corresponding increase in the percentage of the graduation rate (Einstein, 2013). Therefore, the online universities growth rate is increasing as the retention rate increases

The estimated regression equation is

 Graduation rate = 25.423 + 0.2845 * retention rate

This implies that an increase of the percentage of the retention rate by one unit will result to an increase in the percentage of the graduation rate by 0.2845 units. (Rodenbusch, 2016) Studies on the ways of increasing graduation rates by employing a course-based research reveal that the graduation rates increased by 16% from 2015 to 2016. He says that the course-based research, retention rate is positively correlated with the graduation rate; which is a consistent result to these study

The correlation between the independent variable (percentage of the retention rate) and the dependent variable (percentage of the graduation rate) r =0.670245 justifies the existence of a positive correlation between the variables (Heiko et al, 2009).

A study conducted by (Murray, 2014) reveals that graduation rate and the retention rate are positively correlated and they vary in a similar way which supports this study. Murray says that dropouts in the universities is a great challenge and factor that affect the graduation rate.

Three well-considered recommendations

The online universities percentage of graduation rate is increasing with the increase of the percentage of the retention rate (Dagley, 2015). Dagley further says that the retention rate and graduation rate should be improved through the community stem learning.

R- Square is 0.449221354. Which shows an average good fit. The regression model with the equation; Graduation rate = 25.423 + 0.2845 * retention rate is fit for predicting the percentage of the graduation rate as shown by the R square which is 44.92%. This implies that about 44.92% of the variation in the percentage of the graduation rate (dependent variable) is being explained by the percentage of the retention rate (independent variable).

Strength

The study utilized two basic statistical tools;

1. Regression model which clearly expressed the linear relationships between the two variables through an equation.
2. Correlation which measured the strength of the relationship between the two variables.

The study only reveals the relationship, the association and estimate of the equation for predicting the percentage of the graduation rate but does not give ways of improving the retention rate in order to increase the percentage of the graduation rate

The results obtained through regression and correlation analysis have positive implication to policy making as it provided the relationship framework between the retention and the graduation rate. The results will see more online universities adopting methods of improving the retention rate and subsequently increasing graduation rate.

1. The percentage of the retention rate should be improved in the institutions of higher learning to increase the percentage of the graduation rate.
2. Implementation of tuition-paying classes will see the retention rate increasing, which will increase the percentage of the graduation rate

• Higher education sector should set a standard criterion of accrediting online institutions of higher learning and develop the mechanism of evaluating the potentiality of the graduates.

References

Anon, k. (2014). Students’ seen challenges in a web collaborative learning environment: A case of higher learning teach in Nairobi, Keny. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 15(6), pp. 78-88.

Dagley, M. (2015). Expanding Maintenance and Graduation Rates Through a STEM Learning Community. Journal of student College retention : Practice & Research, 5(1), pp. 1-8.

Einstein, 2013. LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSIS WITH STANDARDIZED. LOGISTIC REGRESSION, 3(1), pp. 50-62.

Heiko et al., (2009). Versatile plans with correlation test insights. Insights in Medication, 28(10), pp. 1429-1444.

Murray, M. (2014). Variables influencing graduation and understudy dropout rates at the College of KwaZulu-Natal. South African Journal of Science, 110(12), pp. 1-6.

REISENBACH, S. (2011). Affiliation Between Two Factors Measured as Extent of Loss-Reduction. Instructing Measurements, 6(2), pp. 76-86.

Rodenbusch, S. (2016). Early Engagement in Course-Based Research Increases Graduation Rates and Completion of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Degrees. Cell Science Education, 15(2), pp. 1-8.

Sneyers, E. (2017). The interaction between dropout, graduation rates and quality appraisals in colleges. Journal of the Operational Society, 68(4), pp. 45-49.

Stefano et al., (2012). Impact of cooperation, facilitator styles, and metacognitive reflection on information building in online college courses. Computers & Education, 58(3), pp. 874-884.

Young K. (2011). Online college students’ fulfillment and determination: Looking at seen level of nearness, convenience and ease of utilize as indicators in a basic model. Computers & Education, 57(2), pp. 1654-1664.