The design and conduct of a national evaluation study is discussed, demonstrating that a control group may not provide the no-cause baseline information expected. Resolution of this problem requires reexamination of paradigms, research practices, and policies, as well as the underlying real world constraints and views that generate them. (PN)

Examines the relationship between locus of control and participation/completion among 553 clients in adult basic education classes. Findings only suggest a relationship between locus of control and completion. Findings do indicate variations among ethnic groups, educational levels, and age groups regarding completion and locus of control. (Author)

Correspondence course students who did more than half the assignments were more likely to complete the course and do better on the final examination. Questions are raised concerning the motivation of those enrolled in correspondence courses. (Editor/JD)

In testing the hypotheses of relationship between failure to complete an athletic program and a delinquent psychosocial profile, it was concluded that interaction of a delinquent disposition with structured pressures in an organized sports program may have been the cause of high dropout rate. (JD)

Describes how concern about Black male college attendance and retention has become a front and center public policy research priority in Georgia. (EV)

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…

Interviews over 3 years with 94 Canadian adult literacy students found that about half dropped out, with a higher drop-out rate among Canadian-born than among immigrant students. Dropout/persistence were related more to past school and home experiences than to educational level or motivation. Drop-out/persistence reasons were multifaceted and…

Investigates the learning styles of English students identified as school refusers and compares their style distribution to that of students in regular attendance in mainstream English secondary schools. Indicates that, compared to those attending school regularly, the learning style of refusers was skewed toward the Wholist end of the…

First-year college students rated their attachment styles and perceived stress and social support; persistence in college was tracked for two semesters. Found that students with one type of insecure attachment (fearful) perceived the most stress, were least satisfied with available support, and had the highest dropout rate. Females perceived more…

Study elaborates on Tinto's (1975) theory of student departure by focusing on the concept of social integration. Examining freshmen at a Research I institution using three quantitative instruments, study finds that how students deal with stress impacts their level of social integration, institutional commitment, and intent to reenroll. (Contains…

The Latino population continues to have extremely high dropout rates compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Article provides an overview of the literature on Latino dropouts and contains a brief discussion of key policy issues that can be addressed with the development of research and data sources focusing on Latino dropouts. (Contains 97…

Describes what qualitative research is in theory and how mid-level student affairs administrators can best use it to enrich their understanding of the deep complexities of the student clientele. Aids administrators in initiating a qualitative research process appropriate to their own departmental needs. (EV)

A problem-based methodology was used to explore why three students withdrew from a transition to postsecondary education program. The method treats dropout as students' solution to a problem and investigates their problem-solving processes, beliefs, motivations, and contextual conditions. For two students, withdrawal was a habitual response to…

Analyzes the effectiveness of widely used risk factors for identifying potential dropouts, using data from the School Dropout Demonstration Assistance Program. Findings indicate that most risk factors are not effective predictors of dropping out, and that dropout prevention programs often serve students who would not have dropped out and do not…