Presents seven statements synthesizing the literature on the relationship between educational advising and student retention. Provides an advisement model designed to increase institutional holding power through ethical recruitment, honest orientation, continuous dissemination of information, and a developmental approach to the advising process.…

A survey of 219 Ohio State University students before and after freshman year investigated the relationship between retention and changes in freshman perspectives on social and academic issues. Results indicate faculty contact may play a significant role in student attitudes but may not affect retention. Retention may be only indirectly related to…

Analyzes first-year retention rates for the 16 colleges of the South Carolina Technical College System, focusing on first-time freshmen enrolling full-time during the fall 1990 and 1991 semesters. Reveals that regional employment and the ratio of instructional and support expenditures per student to regional income per job are the most predictive…

Discussion of the agenda for research and practice in graduate and professional education identifies and discusses five arenas for assessment; demand; admission criteria; program quality; persistence; and student learning outcomes. Specific questions to be addressed and additional considerations are noted for each arena. (MSE)

Stresses the need for research examining the critical shortage of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in rural Canada. Results of a survey of 87 speech language pathologists in rural British Columbia and Saskatchewan (Canada) were similar to earlier American studies in that employment practices, employment benefits, lifestyle, and other personal…

Explores the empirical evidence that explains the increasing attrition rates of first year college science, math, and engineering (SME) majors. Results suggest that the interaction of instructional factors, differing high school and college faculty expectations for entering SME undergraduates, and epistemological considerations contribute to…

In interviews with 86 rural special education teachers, issues of mobility and opportunity were cited most often as reasons why teachers left their jobs. Although results indicated that both leavers and stayers were dissatisfied with employment conditions, teachers who chose to extend their teaching contracts were more closely tied to the…

Describes a study comparing the characteristics of college-ready and academically underprepared community college students. Reports that underprepared students demonstrated higher levels of test anxiety and a more external locus of control, but did not differ from college-ready students in self-esteem, grade point average, or learning-study…

A descriptive model is proposed to describe the path of adult problem solving and thinking that leads to reentry into college, retention, and eventual completion of a college degree. Intrinsic and extrinsic facilitators and inhibitors to degree completion, theories of motivation, and persistence are explored. (SLD)

Examined effects of an individualized faculty advising program, study-skills training, and a tutorial center on the academic performance and retention of Black freshmen enrolled at a predominantly White university. Data suggest that nonresidency, off-campus employment, and organizational involvement adversely affect academic performance and…

Presents findings of a preliminary review of research literature on learners and learning in distance education. Comparative analyses of distance education methods and research on student outcomes are highlighted, including students' reasons for dropout or persistence, student profiles, and the impact of institutional interventions on student…

Research into student attrition in college science education has identified fundamental differences between the way students in the physical sciences are taught and the way students in the social sciences or humanities are taught. Implications for academic advising include having advisors attend science classes and informing science faculty about…

Four kinds of resources for the study of graduate student progress and retention are outlined: general information on the history of and issues in graduate education; methods, strategies, and techniques for conducting research; information on specific policy issues; and organizations offering publications and advice. (MSE)

Describes three precollege programs at the University of Virginia (i.e., the Research Assistantship, Introduction to Engineering, and Summer Transition programs), which facilitate the academic and social integration and increase the retention of at-risk students. Suggests that hands-on experience has helped students acquire the requisite academic…

Describes, from one teacher's experiences, the difficulties of teaching Shakespeare in a Chelsea (Massachusetts) high school and how these problems were eventually overcome. The narrative presents students' reactions. (GR)