Studied American College Test (ACT) scores, sex, race, financial aid, and attrition/persistence as predictors of grades for college freshmen (N=208). Found for grade average predictions with attrition/persistence excluded, ACT or race was the first variable. Other stepwise predictors were generally not viable. (Author/ABL)

Surveys of 350 teacher trainees from Singapore's teacher training institution were used to examine relationships among quality of work life, career commitment, job satisfaction, and withdrawal cognition. Career commitment and job satisfaction were important predictors of withdrawal cognition. Perceptions of the social status of teaching strongly…

Describes a study conducted to investigate the impact of faculty collaboration upon the transfer shock commonly experienced by students transferring from two- to four-year colleges. Suggests that faculty collaboration reduced transfer shock to a nonsignificant level, with grade point average increases experienced by half of the subjects. (19…

A national survey of 84 American Indian undergraduate and graduate social work students revealed three factors contributing to low retention rates: difficulties in acculturation; problems associated with being a nontraditional student; and absence of faculty support. Suggestions for improving retention include establishing support groups,…

The principles of supplementary instruction (SI), a college-level student academic assistance program that increases academic performance and retention in traditionally difficult courses, are examined. Several aspects are discussed, including the role of proactive assistance, staffing, institutional awareness and support, and traditional and…

One college professor finds that while supplemental instruction (SI) sessions in the humanities resemble those in social, physical, and biological sciences, there are also qualitative differences that derive from discipline-specific expectations. These are rooted in the epistemology and axiology of the humanities, the expansive nature of…

Among 150 Mexican immigrant students followed throughout their careers in a Los Angeles high school, those who had entered U.S. schools after 2nd grade had lower graduation rates than those entering in grades K-2, but this was not related to differences in English proficiency, at-risk status early in high school, or family or peer factors. (SV)

Strategies for recruiting and retaining summer camp staff include promoting meaningful relationships among staff, communicating to staff the importance of their job, providing opportunities for challenge and growth, encouraging staff to have fun, making camp an affordable employment option, and giving staff a voice in camp operations and…

Survival analysis was used to examine and follow the career paths of 6,642 special education teachers hired in Michigan and North Carolina between 1972 and 1983. Educators most likely to leave teaching included those serving students with speech, hearing, or vision disabilities; teachers with high test scores; and teachers paid comparatively low…

Analysis of longitudinal data on Native American students using structural equation modeling found a weak fit with Tinto's model of postsecondary departure. After model revisions, family background, educational intentions, and academic integration emerged as significant predictors of college graduation. Discusses research problems such as small…

The widely accepted theory that college participation is a "rite of passage," where academic and social integration is required for student persistence, is criticized as misinterpreting anthropological notions of ritual and holding consequences harmful for racial and ethnic minorities. An approach focusing on emancipation and empowerment is…

A study of the influence of student aid awards and tuition charged on year-to-year persistence by college students in the high school class of 1980 shows persistence decisions in the early 1980s more responsive to aid than tuition increases, suggesting persistence might improve with increased need-based aid alongside tuition increases. (Author/MSE)

A White reporter describes how she changed careers to teach poor Black and Hispanic New York City public intermediate students, focusing on her top math class. After one difficult year, she left teaching but hopes to return some day because she felt she made a difference for a few students. (SM)

This article offers a model of college student integration that emphasizes how students shape their college experiences by pursuing specific life tasks over others. A study of 311 first-year college students found that school persisters tended to focus more on academics during their first semester and social and personal needs during their second…

Graduation rates for scholarship athletes at 32 colleges in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association are presented in tabular form, including data on proportions graduated by gender and race. (DB)