Characteristics and Trends of Attrition from the United States Naval Academy

摘要

The purpose of this research was to examine attrition at the United States Naval Academy and analyze factors that affect attrition there. Specifically, the research attempted to identify characteristics that may signal a student's propensity to attrite from school. The intention was to determine if there are common characteristics among those who attrited from the Academy and to determine what role organizational factors and Academy experiences had on attrition. The desired end-state was to identify a partial list of characteristics the Company Officer may use to flag at-risk Midshipmen and, when appropriate, intervene to reduce attrition. This research examined attrition for six graduating cohorts, the classes of 2000 to 2005 (N=6,905), and was conducted in three steps. First, trends and consistencies among the graduating cohorts were identified. This macro view of attrition gives the reader an overall feel for how attrition affected the different graduating groups. Next, relationships between factors identified through the literature and attrition were analyzed using chi-square tests. Finally, those factors identified as having a significant effect on attrition were used in a hierarchical logistical regression. The results of the regression indicate that students who fail one or more physical readiness tests, females, and minorities have a greater probability of attriting from the Academy. This study summarizes the results, makes recommendations to the United States Naval Academy, and makes recommendations for future research.