A follow-up study sought to determine what happened to the 1990 noncollege-bound graduates of all the high schools in Somerset County, New Jersey. Data were gathered through a mailed survey and telephone follow-up (approximately 45 percent response) of the 408 graduates of the 12 of 13 high schools providing names. Some of the findings from…

The Second Follow-Up Field Test (SFUFT) of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) was conducted in 1990 and 1991 by the National Opinion Research Center and the Educational Testing Service. The SFUFT evaluated free response items (FRIs) for possible inclusion in the Second Follow-Up Main Study (SFUMS) and tested survey…

Results of a survey of 1981 bachelor's degree recipients at Maryland's public four-year institutions, which was conducted about 1 year after graduation, are presented. Information is provided on post-graduation educational activities, their employment and occupational status, and their achievement of goals. Findings include the following: 57…

Accomplishments of St. Mary's University Student Retention Task Force are addressed. After reviewing the literature on the correlates of retention and approaches to improving student retention, statistical results of the 1982 administration of the Student Opinion Survey of the American College Testing program are provided. This survey explores…

The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study collected data for sample students from registrar and financial aid offices at postsecondary institutions. The data were collected for students enrolled in a postsecondary institution in fall 1986. Since substantial numbers of students are not enrolled in fall and are therefore not represented in the…

Student tracking systems are enabling increasing numbers of community colleges to respond to external demands for accountability with tangible measurements of student progress and institutional outcomes. Several recent trends in marketing, accountability, communications with students, and internal competition for resources have prompted interest…

A 1985 study of students at Ferris State University (Michigan) found that the majority of freshmen improve their writing abilities from their beginning English course to the end of their freshman year, with ability levels changing little after that. In the current study, graduating seniors were studied to evaluate growth in writing throughout the…

During spring 1988, an initial survey was conducted among two- and four-year colleges in New York State to identify the primary reading test used for diagnosis and placement. In order to address several questions raised by the study, a follow-up survey of participating two-year colleges was conducted during fall 1989. Of the 28 two-year colleges…

A wide gap exists between available information on community college students and the questions which are often posed about them. Since most available data focus on cross-sectional measures of enrollment and degrees awarded, they provide few insights into what happens to students who enter the colleges. The question-and-answer gap owes its…

A study examined the long-term effects of three training projects sponsored by the Employment Training Panel that were established in California in 1983. The three projects, which were all designed to prepare participants for entry-level jobs, were implemented in 1983-1984, with placements into new jobs generally occurring in early- to mid-1984.…

In September 1986, a graduate follow-up survey was conducted at Mesa (Arizona) Community College (MCC) to determine graduates' perceptions of the college, and transfer and employment experiences. Study findings, based on responses from 336 graduates, included the following: (1) graduates gave the highest ratings to quality of instruction, class…

This four-part report describes Directions for Success, a school-college collaborative project between Middlesex Community College and 15 area school districts designed to provide learning disabled students and their parents with career assessment services and access to information which will enable them to make workable, long-range career plans.…

In fall 1984, the first group of potential Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) graduates took the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) as a requirement for obtaining an associate degree or being admitted to the upper division at a state university. Of the 997 first-time test takers, three quarters passed the test. A study was conducted to…

The Community Education Center of Meade 46-1 School District studied the effectiveness of adult basic education (ABE) programs throughout South Dakota. The study coordinators reviewed and computerized 359 case histories submitted from 23 different programs throughout the state. From this database, numerous conclusions about the ABE delivery system…

In order to evaluate the M.Ed. in Reading Program at William Paterson College (New Jersey), a study surveyed 56 recent graduates of the program for their responses to three questions: (1) How do graduates evaluate the total program and its components? (2) How "professional" are the graduates? and (3) How well do graduates do in the…