The problem of student and teacher absenteeism is examined in terms of costs and the effect on academic performance, and solutions are suggested. A description of the major research to determine causes and to describe the nonattenders is included. (JMF)

A survey investigated dental school student and faculty attitudes toward poor attendance. Teaching faculty (N=174) and all four student classes (N=482) were surveyed, with upper-level students asked about patient care. Findings indicate substantial differences in faculty and student opinion, particularly in perceptions of lecture attendance.…

Discusses problems of sample selection in explaining student performance in economics classes. Reports on a study of student performance correlated with class attendance, course dropouts, and homework. Concludes that any researcher gathering data about instructional effectiveness must account for students who drop the class. (CFR)

Reports on a study of two introductory sociology courses to determine whether informal writing assignments can aid learning. Finds that requiring students to keep journals did not significantly improve performance on essay tests. Asserts that teachers may be justified in requiring attendance as a strategy for increased learning. (CFR)

This booklet presents a collection of seven practitioner research reports conducted by individuals employed through adult basic education (ABE), Graduate Equivalency Diploma (GED), and English as a second language (ESL) programs and funded by the Iowa State Staff Development Committee. The practitioner research presented in the collection gives…

Reports on a study of absenteeism and truancy in 36 secondary schools in 4 large Dutch cities. Found that students in vocationally oriented schools had higher rates of truancy. Also found that non-Dutch (ethnic minority) pupils had higher rates of absenteeism and truancy. (CFR)

Retention research in the four-year college setting has traditionally assumed that students intend to achieve a degree, and that when a student leaves school, either the college or the student has failed. In an effort to demonstrate that such assumptions do not apply when examining retention among two-year college students, Brookdale Community…

A study examined a national sample of over 20,000 college students, decided and undecided on a career, on 9 variables: persistence, college grades, full-time versus part-time enrollment, housing arrangement, honors participation, student-student academic involvement, student-student social involvement, leadership/political involvement, and…

This report presents findings of a two-part evaluation study of the 1984-85 High School Intervention Center Program operational for 11 Detroit, Michigan, schools. Evaluation of program impact on students' attendance and scholarship and a process evaluation of program strengths and weaknesses were conducted by data comparison and by participant…