Recent research suggests that, on the whole, school discipline problems are not as widespread as the public believes. In 1975 the Bayh report depicted schools as hotbeds of violence and vandalism. Restudies of the Bayh data show the report was skewed toward large schools, where violence is more likely. The National Institute of Education's Safe…

In 1983-84, the Center for the Study of Community Colleges developed and field tested an instrument, the General Academic Assessment (GAA), to assess community college students' knowledge of several liberal arts areas, including mathematics. The GAA was completed by a sample of 8,024 students at four large, urban community college districts. The…

This booklet addresses the difficulties of comparing and drawing meaning from dropout data prepared by different agencies, and examines the characteristics of students--and of schools--that place students at risk for leaving school prematurely. The booklet describes prevention programs and presents evidence on their effectiveness. It reviews…

The research literature on types of student retention, correlates of retention, and action strategies to improve retention is reviewed. Retention or student persistence can be assessed in terms of completion of a degree of certificate, a program but not a degree, or a term or course. Retention may also be persistence to attain a personal goal but…