THE G.P.A. CRITERION AND SELECTIVE RETENTION IN TEACHER EDUCATION

TO DETERMINE WHETHER ARBITRARY GRADE-POINT AVERAGE CUT-OFF POINTS (E.G. 2.25) FOR ENTRANCE INTO TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE UNFAIR TO PRESENT-DAY STUDENTS, NINETY 1966 COLLEGE SOPHOMORES WITH FRESHMAN-YEAR GPA'S BETWEEN 2.00 AND 2.09 WERE COMPARED TO THE SAME NUMBER OF 1961 SOPHOMORES WITH FRESHMAN-YEAR GPA'S BETWEEN 2.25 AND 2.34 USING (1) POSITION IN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATING CLASS AND (2) FRESHMAN SCAT AND ACT SCORES AS CRITERION MEASURES. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE 1966 SOPHOMORES WOULD HAVE HIGHER RANKS AND SCORES BECAUSE PRESENT-DAY SELECTION AND ADMISSION POLICIES MAY HAVE MADE THEM BETTER PREPARED THAN THEIR PREDECESSORS. CONTRARY TO EXPECTATIONS, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE 1961 STUDENTS RANKED HIGHER IN THEIR GRADUATING CLASSES AND HAD HIGHER FRESHMAN TEST SCORES, ALTHOUGH THE DIFFERENCES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT. IT IS THOUGHT THAT THE DISCREPANCY MIGHT BE ACCOUNTED FOR BY THE FACT THAT GRADING POLICIES MAY HAVE REMAINED INVARIANT OR MAY HAVE BECOME SOMEWHAT MORE STRINGENT WITH RESPECT TO THE FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE POPULATION OF 1966. (AW)