"Black Men in College" provides vital information about how to effectively support, retain, and graduate Black male undergraduates. This edited collection centers on the notion that Black male collegians are not a homogenous group; rather, they are representative of rarely acknowledged differences that exist among them. This valuable text suggests…

Much social science research proceeds as though ethnic self-identification (the ethnic category to which persons assign themselves) is a stable characteristic, as true at one time of measurement as another. The purpose of this study was to test this assumption using longitudinal data acquired from the provincial Ministry of Education for every…

This study compared attitudinal data on students who had dropped college preparatory science (academic terminal) in high school (N=55) with those who continued to enroll (academic continuing) in college preparatory science courses (N=108). Eight attitudes that have been hypothesized to be related to learning cognitive performance and enrollment in…

Reports on a four-year longitudinal study of 2,544 college students to determine the relationship between academic self-concept and withdrawal from school. Finds that the most significant predictor of school withdrawal was the students' self-concept of their overall academic ability. (CFR)

A longitudinal study was conducted to determine the factors influencing college student persistence in remaining in school. Persistence was examined at two points: after the first year and 4 years after enrollment. The study was conducted at an urban university using the American College Testing's Entering Student Survey and Student Opinion…

This publication from Australia reports on an investigation directed at possible explanations of why students in the state of Victoria remain to complete secondary school, and why schools themselves vary in their capacity to retain students to year 12. Chapter 1 provides perspectives on this topic from past research and identifies three domains of…

This study assessed gender differences in student satisfaction with college to further understand what contributes to student persistence and student outcomes. The study gathered data from 494 first and second year honors students (1,000 were originally surveyed) at a large midwestern research university. Of these, 175 were male and 319 were…

This study examined the relationship of self-concept to intelligence, anxiety, and academic persistence and achievement among young adolescents in a rural school division in Saskatchewan. Eighty-five students in grades 7 and 8 were administered the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, Sarason's Test Anxiety Scale, Sarason's General Anxiety…

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)

In response to a request by the Anchorage Native Caucus and the Anchorage Native Education Coalition, this study by the Anchorage School District Community Relations Department focuses on the Alaskan Native dropout problem. The study indicates that between September 1976 and March 1981, Native Alaskans, who compose approximately 4% of the total…

This paper presents a theoretical discussion of how students make educational behavior decisions including attending a given institution, transferring, or dropping out. The theory is seen to apply to students of all ages and both sexes with implications for all areas of postsecondary education. The theory holds that educational decisions are based…

Presents results of a study examining gender differences in measures of academic aptitude and achievement that predict persistence in introductory economics courses. Concludes that females need more validation than male students to persist in the study of economics. Suggests that the need for female students to overcome classroom climate may…

A study with 2,453 college students investigated the construct validity of the student commitment to institution as a factor in academic persistence. Results suggest factors such as institutional quality, practical educational utility, student-institution fit, and loyalty to institution were more predictive of persistence than similarity of…

Five hundred incoming students attending Mount Saint Vincent University (Nova Scotia) were selected to participate in a study designed to compare the expectations and experiences of traditional students (who entered immediately after high school or transferred from another university or college) and nontraditional students (who entered part-time…

A survey of 466 students in a large, urban commuter college investigated the relationship of student finances to academic persistence. Results suggest that financial aid (1) equalizes opportunities for students, thus decreasing attractiveness of alternatives, (2) facilitates academic and social integration, and (3) increases student commitment to…