Dropouts were interviewed and the results are tabulated. (SP)

Undecided freshmen persisting to college graduation were compared with undecided freshmen who left college by the end of their fourth quarter. At the time of their departure, 72 percent of the leavers were not in good academic standing; stayers had higher ACT scores than leavers. It was concluded that the undecided, though diverse, represent a…

Discusses the problem of British students (1) not electing foreign language courses and (2) electing the courses, but dropping out after a year or two. Examines some reasons that more girls than boys study languages. Questions whether the 16+ examination system might be discouraging students from language study. (EKN)

Discusses attrition research in terms of student characteristics predictive of persistence and reasons students drop out. Itemizes the steps of planning a retention program and suggests retention strategies in three categories: administration, faculty, and student personnel. (DD)

The results of a replication study are described that tested the predictive validity of a 34-item instrument designed to assess the fundamental constructs of Tinto's model of college student attrition. Potential institutional differences in faculty members' influence on retention were identified. (Author/MLW)

Study of 1,233 Australian dropouts who reentered high school showed that unsuccessful reentrants were often homeless and unemployed, were more likely to be at traditional rather than innovative schools, and had practical, interpersonal, or discipline-related problems at school. Three best predictors of repeat dropout were extent of interpersonal…

Discusses factors which lead to attrition from adult distance learning courses. Learning barriers included situational, institutional, dispositional, and epistemological factors. Comparisons between persisters and withdrawals are presented, and the study's impact on future distance learning programs is discussed. (Contains 26 references.) (SLW)

Disadvantaged Mexican dropouts aged 16-22 (n=25) and 25 Hispanic elementary students completed dropout-prediction instruments. Elementary students were unable to consider their future and self-report was not viable for them. Among dropouts, pregnancy and moving around were salient predictors. Modifications of the instruments were recommended. (SK)

Extends previous findings on association between school dropout and injecting drug use among African Americans by testing the association with a sample of White non-Hispanic Americans. Results determined that White non-Hispanic American high school dropouts were more likely to have injected a drug at least once. Dropout prevention programs may…

A review of studies examining dropping out of high school prior to graduation demonstrates that grade retention is one of the most powerful predictors of dropout status. Addresses the discrepancies regarding the effectiveness of grade retention and deleterious long-term correlates. Presents the transactional model of development, which emphasizes…

Examines the role of anxiety in predicting student attrition in college-level foreign language courses. Reports that students who dropped out of their foreign language classes were significantly more likely to report higher levels of input, processing, and output anxiety. Provides recommendations for instructors. (Contains 28 references.) (CAK)

This study empirically explores the comparability of traditional survey-based retention research methodology with an alternative approach that relies on data commonly available in institutional student databases. Drawing on Tinto's [Tinto, V. (1993). "Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition" (2nd Ed.), The University…

We use data from the 1990/1994 Beginning Post-Secondary Survey to determine whether the factors associated with long-term attrition from higher education differ for students who initially enrolled part-time as compared to for students who initially enrolled full-time. Using a two-stage sequential decision model to analyze the initial enrollment…

Several studies have been conducted related to dropouts from on-campus and distance education courses. However, no clear definition of dropout from academic courses was provided. Consequently, this study proposes a clear and precise definition of dropout from academic courses in the context of e-learning courses. Additionally, it is documented in…

Since 1971 the South Carolina Department of Education has collected data on school dropouts. However, the system did not reconcile the number of students who drop out repeatedly, leave for the summer, re-enroll in the following school year, or move to other educational programs. The new data collection system accumulates more accurate data and…