Existing research demonstrates a strong relationship between the prevalence of irregular enrollment patterns among community college students and their low rates of degree attainment (Adelman 2006; Bahr 2009; Berkner et al. 2000; Goldrick-Rab 2004, 2007; Horn and Nevill 2006). However, very little is known about the features and processes that…

Student retention is an important issue for all university administrators and faculty due to the potential negative impact of student attrition. In this study, retention rates will be studied with data from sophomore students who initially enrolled in the 2002 academic year at Arizona State University, following these students through their junior…

This study reviewed dropout research in online learning, particularly focusing on nontraditional students and examined what progress has been made since Garrison's 1987 review. This study categorized factors identified from literature into student characteristics, student prior skills, external factors, and internal factors, all of which are based…

This paper describes the design and function of Louisiana's statewide student-level database, the Student Information System (SIS). In Louisiana the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education adopted the dropout definition of the National Center for Education Statistics for use by all Louisiana public schools in the 1989-1990 school year.…

Dropout classification systems must be standardized, updated, and simplified to accurately reflect conditions of student departures from school; current, nonstandardized systems allow gathered data to be biased and of poor quality. Improvements will inform administrators of the specific causes behind students' early withdrawals--whether students…

Using Attribution Theory, this study examined the effect of exam failure on attrition. Previous Attribution Theory studies indicate that while ascription of failure to lack of ability leads to abandoning the activity, ascription to lack of effort does not necessarily lead to the same outcome. It was, therefore, hypothesized that lower-ability…

The General Equivalency Diploma (GED) program is designed to help high school dropouts earn an equivalent credential. However, by helping teenage dropouts, the GED program may encourage enrolled youth to leave high school. This paper examines the issue using data on GED policies from the GED testing service and data on high school continuation…

This study explored the phenomenon of dropping out of high school from the perspective of those who strayed. The voices of four recent dropouts were audiotaped and examined through an interpretive ecological lens designed to explore dropping out within the context of the school community. Informants were asked to describe their school histories,…

Investigated longitudinal effects of being a first-generation college student on attrition. Results indicated that first-generation students were more likely to depart than their counterparts over time. After controlling for factors such as race, gender, high school grade point average (GPA), and family income, the risk of attrition was 71 percent…

This paper proposes a longitudinal study of Eastern Massachusetts secondary students from two culturally diverse locations beginning in the fall of 1986 and ending with their high school graduations in 1991 and 1992. After discussing dropout prevention strategies, the paper offers the following justification for the study: By following these…

Inconsistent use of contraceptives or discontinuance of family planning services places women at risk of unintended pregnancies. Dropping out of family planning clinics also could mean interrupting gynecological care. Nonetheless, approximately 20% of adolescent family planning patients and nearly 25% of adult patients do not return for a second…

Analysis of data from four courses shows that (1) female open learning students complete their courses more often than male counterparts, (2) open learning students who register at certain campuses complete their courses more often than students who register at others, and (3) students who complete and return assigned questionnaires are more…

College student retention has become the area of research that has done the most to integrate various administrative factors and academic disciplinary concerns in the research agenda of higher education. V. Tintos model has long been cited as the major theory in explaining dropout behavior. As his theory is so intertwined with path analysis,…

The methods and formula developed by the National Center for Education Statistics for the collection of dropout counts and the formula have been topics of some discussion among various states, including Nevada, and especially Arizona. This paper highlights, from a state's perspective, some of the conceptual, methodological, and statistical…

Findings from a study of administrators' perceptions of student dropout causes and possible interventions are presented in this paper. Current dropout literature was categorized into four sources of student withdrawal from school--schools, parents, peers, and students. A national survey of 650 secondary principals and 650 superintendents produced…