An evaluation of an exploratory intervention to improve progression in a first-year accounting course

South African universities face pressure to increase the throughput of accounting students, with a special emphasis on expanding the number of female and black graduates. To improve the progression of at-risk first-year second-semester accounting students, an intervention known as JumpStart was implemented at the Faculty of Commerce at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2010. JumpStart involved the allocation of skilled instructors, additional workshops, student mentors and a study skills course, thus employing a wide range of factors known to influence student success: academic, psychological and social. The intervention was evaluated using analyses of student academic performance and responses to a programme evaluation. In 2008 and 2009, only 23% and 29% of at-risk students performed well enough to progress to second-year accounting. By contrast, in 2010, 71% of JumpStart students were eligible to progress. For each gender and ethnic category, progression rates for JumpStart students were superior to those for non-JumpStart students, with the most significant improvements being made by female students and white students. An unexpected finding was a significant improvement in the progression rates of non-JumpStart at-risk students when compared with previous years, which may be at least partially explained by the weakest at-risk students choosing to join JumpStart. The responses to the programme evaluation indicated that students valued the allocation of skilled instructors and the provision of additional workshops above the other components of the intervention. A considerable difference existed between the way in which black and white students valued the study skills course and the mentor groups, with black students valuing these components of the intervention much more.