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The Effects of Academic Probation on College Success: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from Four Texas Universities

Author

Listed:
  • Fletcher, Jason M.

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Tokmouline, Mansur

    (Yale College)

Abstract

While nearly all colleges and universities in the United States use academic probation as a means to signal to students a need to improve performance, very little is known about the use of this designation and the programs that accompany it on college success. This paper uses a regression discontinuity approach to estimate the effects of these programs at four universities of varying selectivity in Texas. Results suggest that academic probation status following the first semester of college may serve as a short term "wake up call" to some students, in that second semester performance is improved. However, our findings also suggest that this short term boost in performance fades out over time and students who are on academic probation following their first semesters of college do not have higher rates of persistence or graduation. We also find important differential responses to academic probation based on pre-determined student characteristics as well as high school of origin. However none of the heterogeneous effects are consistent across universities, limiting the application of simple models of education standards.

Suggested Citation

  • Fletcher, Jason M. & Tokmouline, Mansur, 2017. "The Effects of Academic Probation on College Success: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from Four Texas Universities," IZA Discussion Papers 11232, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp11232
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Eric P. Bettinger & Bridget Terry Long, 2009. "Addressing the Needs of Underprepared Students in Higher Education: Does College Remediation Work?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 44(3).
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    4. Jason M. Lindo & Nicholas J. Sanders & Philip Oreopoulos, 2010. "Ability, Gender, and Performance Standards: Evidence from Academic Probation," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(2), pages 95-117, April.
    5. Susan Dynarski, 2008. "Building the Stock of College-Educated Labor," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(3), pages 576-610.
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    Cited by:

    1. Aaron Albert & Nathan Wozny, 2024. "The Impact of Academic Probation: Do Intensive Interventions Help?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 59(3), pages 852-878.
    2. Nicholas A. Bowman & Nayoung Jang, 2022. "What is the Purpose of Academic Probation? Its Substantial Negative Effects on Four-Year Graduation," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 63(8), pages 1285-1311, December.
    3. Wright, Nicholas A., 2020. "Perform better, or else: Academic probation, public praise, and students decision-making," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    4. Nicholas A. Bowman & Nayoung Jang & D. Martin Kivlighan & Nancy Schneider & Xiaomeng Ye, 2020. "The Impact of a Goal-Setting Intervention for Engineering Students on Academic Probation," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 61(1), pages 142-166, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    academic probation; regression discontinuity; higher education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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