The study was designed to identify and define the factors which contribute to undergraduate navigator training (UNT) attrition and to present recommendations to reduce the effects of those factors. Longitudinal data were collected from six UNT classes and augmented with cross-sectional data from a sample of 15 UNT classes. The student data are…

The 2003 British Columbia (BC) College and Institute Short Stay Pilot Survey was designed to collect data on the outcomes of former students who leave public colleges, university colleges, and institutes after completing a relatively small number of courses. It is important to understand why these students are leaving their institutions early,…

Many volunteer literacy tutors in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, have not completed their 1-year tutoring commitment. Consequently, an action research project was undertaken to determine the causes of the high tutor turnover and to identify ways of improving the tutor retention rate. All tutors involved in the program from 1998 onward were asked…

Examines conditions that foster and hinder participatory research using examples from a student research project aimed at drop-out reduction undertaken with students in a "last chance" high school. Concludes that students need to be taken seriously as researchers and potential agents of change. (ACM)

Understanding and preventing high school failure is a national priority. Structural strain and general deviance theories attempt to explain late high school failure. The authors tested the hypotheses that general (vs. specific) deviance and academic competence mediate the relationships between structural strain factors (gender, ethnicity, and…

The achievement gap, traditionally measured by test scores, also can be documented by dropout behavior. Examining dropout behavior among Black, White, and Hispanic students, with a particular focus on gaps within groups and not just between Whites and minorities, shows a clearer picture of the achievement gap. The results of our study show…

This book describes how "at-risk" Hispanic youth defy the odds and stay in school to earn a high school diploma. Information about success is needed because Hispanic youth drop out at about twice the rate of non-Hispanic Whites. The discussion is based on the results of a 4-year longitudinal study of 100 Hispanic youth labeled at-risk by…

This volume contains selected papers presented at National Black Student Retention Conferences between 1988 and 1991, that examine ideas concerning educational access and retention. The volume and papers are divided into three groupings which address: (1) The Psycho-Social Implications; (2) Model Strategies and Programs; and (3) Impacts of Faculty…

A study was done to determine whether there were notable differences in the characteristics of Hispanic American students who completed the baccalaureate degree at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University as compared to Hispanic American students who enrolled but did not complete the baccalaureate degree. The study examined…

In recent years, concern over students dropping out of school has increased. A primary focus is the size of the dropout population, a question that has been addressed in two National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) longitudinal studies. Both studies provide the data needed to consider the dropout experiences between the sophomore and senior…

This volume contains five reports of practitioner research projects within adult education programs in Virginia. "Learning in Everyday Life" (Susan Erno, Diane Foucar-Szocki) explores use of a monthly calendar as a time management and goal-setting tool for adult learners in a workplace setting. "Factors Related to Student Retention…

This report examines personal, cultural, school, and family factors that contribute to the decision of American Indian students to remain in school until graduation or to drop out. A 140-item questionnaire, the Native American School Study, was completed by 165 participants who had either graduated or dropped out of school during 1989-91.…

An Idaho task force of Hispanic Americans, industry representatives, and education leaders studied the reasons Hispanic students were not enrolling in and completing vocational education programs. The task force sponsored a series of community meetings to identify reasons and solutions. Approximately 40-60 parents, students, and other interested…

In response to state legislation specifying criteria by which schools should identify elementary school and secondary school students at risk of dropping out, schools in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District reported students who were at risk in 1990-91. The operational definitions for the state criteria for grades 7-12 include age,…

Dropout research reveals that students attending two-year institutions persist at significantly lower rates than students enrolled in four-year schools. In addition, the research indicates that student involvement in campus life at any institution increases the likelihood of persistence. Therefore, a major challenge for student services staff in…