This study identifies student characteristics that predict participation in Transition Year, an optional developmental year (Grade 10) offered midway through secondary education in Ireland. One thousand eighty five students (51% female; mean age = 15.4 years) completed a questionnaire in Grade 9, providing information on demographic, attitudinal…

Describes WILL (Women Involved in Living and Learning), a 4-year developmental program for liberal arts students designed to help undergraduate women define goals, and develop self-knowledge. A series of tests, interviews, and questionnaires indicated that WILL students are more outgoing, flexible, and open-minded about themselves as women than…

These "Stories From the Field" describe five Wallace-funded programs working to expand learning and enrichment for disadvantaged children, so they can benefit from the types of opportunities their wealthier counterparts have access to, from homework help to swimming classes. The report details each program's approach, successes and…

The Pupil Role Interview was developed and administered to students in Follow Through and non-Follow Trhough programs. Data was gathered concerning the instrument's reliability and construct validity, and comparisons were made among programs on the basis of interview responses. Findings confirmed the hypothesis of a relationship between Follow…

Describes the development of job search workshops that emphasize student development. Outlines stages of cognitive and career development and discusses how these theories were applied to the workshops, which combined support and challenge. Presents guidelines for developmental workshops. (JAC)

Studied the effectiveness of the Vocational Exploration Group (VEG) in increasing the vocational maturity of economically disadvantaged Black students. Found VEG participants improved significantly and were more able to appraise their job-related capabilities. They were also more knowledgeable about the world of work. (Author/JAC)

Three levels of development for a student affairs staff are proposed. The levels reflect the orientation and sophistication of the staff as a collective unit, with the effectiveness of a staff being related to its level of development. (Author)

In order to study the appropriateness of different structured classroom settings for children's learning and development, the Columbia Classroom has constructed IRIS (Involvement Ratings in Settings) and PRIN (the Pupil Role Interview). IRIS, a seven dimensional scale of affectivity by non-verbal indices, has been employed in two classrooms for…

This study attempted to determine the effect of a self-development seminar on the learning of 27 randomly selected college freshmen as measured by grade point averages (GPA), academic units completed, and retention rate (the percentage of students returning for a second term) for one semester beginning fall 1977. Both experimental and control…

In addition to traditional study skills, the Master Student (MS) course at Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC), in Pennsylvania, includes subjects related to career decision making, human development, and psychology. A study was conducted to track the academic achievement, including grades, number of semesters enrolled, and total credits…

Reports on the need for developmental education to prepare students for success in higher education. Looks at the performance of developmental students and their characteristics. Describes the role community and technical colleges play as providers of developmental education, characteristics of a successful developmental program, and ways to…

The purpose of this study, funded by Jobs for the Future through a grant to the Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office, was to: (1) provide an update on the status of developmental education within Massachusetts community colleges; (2) shed light on the alignment between research-based best practices to advance success among…

Studies differences between learning-disabilities (LD) programs at five Midwest colleges and universities to determine differences between programs at community colleges and four-year institutions, levels of satisfaction with LD programming, and services most important to students. Reveals that the types of LD services offered among institutions…

This report documents student outcomes in developmental English and mathematics courses at Germanna Community College (Virginia) for the academic years 1994-95 through 1999-2000. It provides data to answer three questions: What proportion of students enroll in developmental courses? What is the success rate for students enrolled in developmental…

A survey of (N=423) community colleges showed 44 percent had human development/human relations classes. Results found a strong impact on improving self-concept, and modest impact associated with increasing retention and student employability. Little improvement of opportunity for student input into curriculum development was noted. (JAC)