Date of Award
1-23-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Topeka Singleton
Committee Members
Peter Ghazarian; Ross Larsen
Abstract
Minority students at community colleges often face lower retention and success rates in online courses, a concern that is particularly critical at Predominantly Black Institutions. This study examines the issue of low retention and success among minority students enrolled in online courses at a two-year Predominantly Black Institution in Arkansas. These outcomes impact equity, institutional effectiveness, and funding, therefore making these issues a concern for students, faculty, and administrators. The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to examine the predictive relationships between high school GPA and online percentage semester load with both retention and success in online classes for minority students. The study was led by Rovai’s Composite Persistence Model, which integrates student skills and student characteristics to explain student retention and success in online learning environments. Institutional data from August 2022 to August 2024 were studied for 102 first-time college students who satisfied the inclusion criteria. Multiple logistic regression was employed to identify predictors of retention, and multiple linear regression with robust standard errors was used to identify predictors of success. The results indicated that high school GPA was a statistically significant predictor of student success, however no variables significantly predicted retention. Minority status and gender approached significance regarding success, suggesting possible disparities that warrant additional examination. The interaction terms between minority status and online percentage semester load, as well as high school GPA and online percentage semester load, were not statistically significant. These findings support the use of high school GPA as a data-informed instrument for advising and course scheduling. These findings also emphasize the necessity for ongoing investigation of non-academic and institutional factors that may affect retention. Recommendations involve refining early alert systems and strengthening academic advising practices to better support at-risk students. Future research should explore additional predictors and replicate the results across several Predominantly Black Institutions to enhance generalizability.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Gordon, Erin Kathleen, "Minding The Gap – Exploring Predictors of Retention and Success for Minority Students in Online Classes at a PBI" (2026). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1119.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1119
