In September 1969, a study of dropouts was initiated in the Quincy, Massachusetts public school system. The aims of the research were to determine actual numbers of students leaving school prior to graduation; to analyze factors involved in the decision to leave school; to compare dropouts with a random sample of non-leavers; and to follow up…

At Vancouver City College (British Columbia) research was conducted to determine any significant differences between dropouts and the total student population. Data collected from samples of persister and non-persister (withdrawing from all classes before semester completion) students consisted of three types: (1) educational, such as grade point…

Examines the relation of race, sex, financial aid, grades, and American College Test composite scores to college freshman attrition/persistence (dropping out vs continued enrollment). (RL)

Identifies basic issues relevant to the development of dropout prevention programs. Considers (1) risk factors leading to dropout, (2) nine possible target groups for dropout intervention, and (3) four possible constraints (cost, burden, directions, and laws) that will influence the consideration and selection of new policies or programs. (IW)

The relation between residence arrrangement and college attendance patterns was studied. The degree to which the nature of the group with whom a freshman college student lives may influence that student's decision to continue enrollment into the sophomore year was assessed. (MLW)

This report includes state summaries of the annual dropout rate used in the accountability system, along with state attrition rates. It offers a series of longitudinal secondary school completion/student status rates. Out of 1,794,521 students attending Texas public secondary schools during 1999-00, 23,457 dropped out, a decrease of 15.0 percent.…

This paper uses data from the October Current Population Surveys, which involved 167,400 youth age 14-24 years who were subject to the risk of high school dropout, to examine the effects of race, ethnicity, and social background on high school students' dropout rates. Research indicates that between 1972 and 1998, the dropout rate was least among…

This study examined the progress toward school completion of students who entered ninth grade in fall 1998 and were scheduled to graduate on time in spring 2002 after 4 years of high school, offering outcomes for the class as a whole and for specific groups of students categorized by gender, native language, race/ethnicity, and immigrant status.…

This is Rio Hondo College's (California) institutional report on the retention and graduation behavior of the fall 1995 new student cohort. These students were tracked through 2001 using a longitudinal student-tracking database. The report presents information concerning the assorted variables associated with term-to-term persistence and associate…

The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify factors related to dropout/retention for distance education students in order to identify variables that might promote participation through completion. The major focus of the study was to document the distance education students' learning progress and to identify variables that relate to their…

Paper suggests some possible solutions for the problem of school leavers in Africa which may benefit persons responsible for developing programs of non-formal education in Africa. (Editor/GB)

Students in six advanced mathematics courses at the Open University were surveyed to identify and analyze reasons for withdrawal from the courses. Specific recommendations for preventing dropout advising and readily available counseling, clarifying course sequences, avoiding assumptions about student sophistication, and developing new curriculum.…

Reports results of a study to determine to what extent enrollees in adult evening classes perceived how their future student role would relate to class attendance. The author found that few students really appreciated the degree of commitment required and suggests that school staff should provide more pre-enrollment information. (MF)

A self-assessment scale was administered to adults in a high school equivalency program. After ten weeks, the scores of those who persisted were compared to those of dropouts. The self-concept of dropouts was found to be significantly different from that of persisters, providing a personality portrait useful in the identification of potential…

Johnes and Taylor refute the criticisms of McPherson and Paterson on their paper about undergraduate noncompletion rates. Criticism centered on the use of the mean A-level scores of entrants as a measure of academic ability, definition of noncompletion, and omission of student/staff ratios. (MLW)