Results indicate that in differentiating dropouts from successful clients on the basis of significant mean differences, work behaviors and occupational interests proved to be more important than IQ's or cognitive skills. (Author)

A continuing study of an advisory service to students who need to change courses or universities or want to drop out. (IR)

Factors related to staff turnover in a camp for mentally retarded persons were examined during 1971-1977. Staff were live-in college or graduate school counselors with special education or related majors. Not being able to cope and poor performance occurred in small proportion to total number of reasons documented. (Author/RD)

Examined the differences between the home environment and college environment and the personal and academic characteristics of persisting (N=201) and nonpersisting (N=165) students at a major midwestern university. Develops recommendations and guidelines for colleges and universities to help curtail the college dropout problem. (PAS)

The Open University set out ten years ago to solve the problem of dropouts in external degree programs. The importance of its success for itself and other institutions is discussed, although there is caution due to the lack of unanimity in terminology in dropout research, and the danger of using dropouts to compare institutions. (MSE)

Investigated the extent to which school policies and practices influence minority student dropout behavior. Variables which correlated highly with dropping out included: (1) perception of a lack of employment opportunities; (2) discrimination, suspension and expulsion in particular schools; and (3) negative expectations and attitudes of teachers.…

Numerous studies describe dropping-out behavior, but few explain it. Examines the themes of retention literature within the context of a theoretical framework and seeks to identify research problems which may be encountered by investigators seeking to examine the phenomenon of persistence in higher education. Further work is suggested. (Author/BEF)

A potentially useful program-evaluation approach obtains information from program dropouts. This method was applied to university students who dropped out of four developmental programs. Results indicate many students recognize the value of the program for others, yet resist participating themselves. This approach was a useful supplementary…

Discusses a study which investigated effects of student characteristics and measures of social and academic integration on voluntary college freshman withdrawal decisions. Findings indicated that student-faculty relationships were the most important factors influencing whether students remained in college. (Author/DB)

States early school leaving is a protracted educational problem throughout the world. Examines early school leaving from the position of young Australians (n=209) who left school or were considering leaving. Provides tentative theorizing traversing aspects of the cultural geography of high school as partial explanation of what is occurring. (BT)

Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 with hierarchical linear modeling, this study identified individual-level and school-level variables influencing the decision to drop out of middle school. At the individual level, grade retention is the single most powerful predictor. (SLD)

Reviews studies of Native American dropout rates conducted in the past three decades, highlighting the difficulties in obtaining accurate statistics resulting from small sample size of the group. Emphasizes structural disadvantages, rather than "cultural discontinuity," as the major influence to drop out. Studies of the transfer rate…

The records of 4,886 students in 18 Ontario high schools revealed that, compared to traditional full-year schools, dropout rates in matched semestered schools were lower for general-level students and much lower for basic-level students. There were no differences for advanced-level students. Contains 21 references. (SV)

A study of two adult basic education centers compared 17 reluctant learners (early dropouts) with 20 persisters and found that, although reluctant learners value education, they have negative attitudes and experiences of schooling and drop out because of dissatisfaction with the lack of challenge and attention they receive. (SK)