Although an increasing number of first-generation students are beginning tertiary education, many are not completing their degrees. In an attempt to improve retention and graduation rates, learning communities responsive to the unique needs of first-generation students are becoming more common. This paper explores the implementation of ePortfolios…

Over the past few decades, institutions of higher education have experienced an increase in the enrollment of women, people of color, and those of lower socioeconomics. The literature suggests that some students from these populationsfirst-generation college students (FGCS)have contributed to a decrease in college retention. To address persistence…

In 2009, the U.S. Department of Education distributed $2,500,000 via a competitive grant program, the Technical Assistance for Student Assignment Plans, to 11 school districts. The grants and their local effects provide an opportunity to examine the new politics of diversity in public education. Participants cited a wide range of conceptions of…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine factors of persistence for two African American men involved in the Project Empowerment (PE, pseudonym) student organization at a predominantly White institution. The participants are undergraduate student members of PE, a campus-based organization designed to enhance African American male…

Training naval combat pilots is expensive and time consuming, it follows that attrition from flight training is costly to the government and traumatic for the individual. Flight training is considered high-risk training, and therefore strictly voluntary. Voluntary withdrawal from naval flight training is the largest unexplained reason for Student…

Colleges are struggling to retain students of color at four-year academic institutions (Kuh, 2005). The result is that while African-American and Latino students are entering college, fewer successfully complete their programs of study and obtain an undergraduate degree (ACE, 2006). For this reason, institutions are establishing supportive…

Research on persistence in higher education identifies the importance of social and academic integration, involvement, and engagement and highlights the importance of the student's beginning years at a college or university in developing institutional commitment. This commitment increases student integration and therefore persistence.…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether the availability of qualifications through work-based traineeships in Australia assists social inclusion. Design/methodology/approach: Industry case studies, of the finance and cleaning industries, were undertaken as part of a national research project on quality in traineeships. The two…

This article presents a case study of a child with autism educated in a regular education classroom. It identifies key factors in the child's successful inclusion: (1) knowing the child's needs; (2) having a positive attitude; (3) inservice training for staff; (4) the involvement of teachers, therapists, and support staff in team planning; and (5)…

This study examined effects of participation in an integrated play group on the social skills of two 6-year-old twins with autism. Following intervention with adult coaching, typical peers implemented the play group techniques in weekly play group sessions. The autistic subjects showed dramatic increases in shared attention to objects, symbolic…

A case study is presented of a girl (age six) with multiple disabilities including moderate to severe mental retardation who was fully included in a regular first-grade classroom. The experience indicated that students with multiple disabilities can learn to follow classroom routines, follow directions, acquire new skills, and improve their…

After presenting background on the British colonial period, 1786-1957, the author examines recent Malaysian educational policy for national integration of this multicultural society, through provision of equal opportunities for all ethnic groups and the use of Malay as the official language. Successes and problems are noted. (SJL)

This study follows up a study examining use of self-monitoring to remediate social skills of a young man with Down syndrome in supported competitive employment. The study demonstrates the efficacy of the follow-along component of supported employment and the use of a criterion-referenced assessment and treatment package to retrain technical job…

This report describes a province-wide study in Alberta (Canada) to explore the integration of students with special needs. In Phase 1 (1991-92) of the study, a telephone survey of all superintendents was conducted to provide an overview of integration practices. In Phase 2 (1992), a mail survey of superintendents and their special education…

This case study describes the educational history and current program of Mike, a mainstreamed sixth-grader with deaf-blindness. It addresses the boy's successes and the ongoing challenges faced by his family, his educational team, and his peers. Background information notes his diagnosis of total blindness and moderate to severe hearing loss, his…