Implications of Entrance Requirements for Success in Graduate Teacher Education Programs.

The implications of entrance requirements for success in a graduate teacher program were studied. Success was defined as maintaining a 3.0 grade point average with no more than 12 semester hours of "C" or lower. Entrance requirements were those of the University of Houston, Texas. The subjects were 139 1985 spring and summer graduates of the Master of Education program at a large public urban university and 106 current enrollees. Because there were few minority students, a disproportionate number was chosen for study. There were weak associations between entrance requirements and indicators of success, particularly among minorities. Although students reported that certain professors gave lower grades to minority students, overall, the pattern was not statistically significant. Although entrance requirements are not the primary indicators of grades among students admitted to this graduate program, minority students are less likely to meet entrance requirements, a discriminatory situation with implications for the education of minority students. Six tables and two flowcharts are appended. (SLD)