This paper reports findings from three studies on attrition of special education teachers, with particular focus on teachers' responses concerning their own preservice preparation in both general and special education and evaluations of their levels of preparation to perform various components of their jobs. Major findings were: (1) the four skill…

This study attempted to determine the personal and workplace variables which predict a special educator's decision to stay, transfer, or leave the classroom. A stratified random sample of 1,576 special education teachers in Florida was surveyed, resulting in 1,152 usable responses. Two models were estimated with forward stepwise logistic…

In 1991, a study was conducted at Johnson County Community College (JCCC), in Kansas, of "leavers," those students who were once enrolled at JCCC, but did not graduate, transfer to another institution, or complete a career program. Questionnaires were mailed to 1,860 students identified as leavers who had been enrolled at JCCC during…

A study was conducted at the Cumberland Campus of Nova Scotia Community College to determine the effect of a computer-based learning system on the academic and personal growth of adolescents with learning disabilities. Eleven learning disabled students, with an average age of 16.1 years, and one observer were chosen to participate in an 8-week…

In an effort to understand how higher education institutions can retain women faculty members, this study examined the attitudes of eight tenured women faculty who chose to leave one research university. Some went to other tenured academic positions, others to research agencies. Interviews included open-ended questions as well as focused probes…

In 1990, as part of an effort to assess the effectiveness of the transfer function, Johnson County Community College (JCCC), in Kansas, conducted a follow-up study of former students who had transferred in 1989. Questionnaires were sent to a sample of 1,277 JCCC transfer students identified through a list of all active and former students who…

A study was conducted to identify a comprehensive set of attributes that differentiate occupations and occupational groups. It also determined the feasibility of linking counselee preferences for those attributes to the World-of-Work Map (WWM), a career exploration tool used in DISCOVER, a computer-based career planning system. A literature review…

A follow-up study was conducted of students who had attended Olympic College (OC), in Washington, in fall 1990. A questionnaire was sent to a stratified random sample of 647 students, 3 years after their 1990 enrollment. A total of 390 responses were received for a 60.3% response rate. Respondents were divided into the following four groups, based…

A random sample of 700 current and former continuing education (CE) students were surveyed by mail in May 1992 to identify ways to improve programs and services. Responses from 333 confirmed that CE enrolled a diverse group of students. They chose Ohio State University primarily for its location and program availability. Almost 40 percent of the…

Every 5 years, Johnson County Community College (JCCC), in Overland Park, Kansas, conducts a study of community perceptions to measure the level of community satisfaction with the overall mission of the college. Specifically, the studies seek to measure constituents' awareness of JCCC's role, their support of the college's activities to fulfill…

This guide to leadership for college department chairs addresses three major challenges: (1) developing understanding and clarity about the motives and role of a department chair; (2) understanding the strategic planning process for creating a productive department; and (3) developing key leadership skills required for effectiveness. The first…

Developed to assist individuals and institutions in the evaluation of staff development programs, this guide reviews strategies to determine desired program outcomes, to include evaluation in ongoing planning, and to implement evaluation results. Following an introductory review of societal and educational trends affecting community colleges, the…

In spring 1992, a group of faculty and staff at East Central College (ECC) in Union, Missouri, met to reconsider the school's orientation process, which had had limited success since its inception in 1987. The group developed a list of objectives for the orientation process and grouped them under the headings of skills, awareness, involvement, and…

As part of the program evaluation and review process at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) in Palatine, Illinois, a follow-up study was conducted of students who had successfully completed four or more courses in the college's Food Service Management Program between 1985 and 1990. Questionnaires were mailed to 176 former students. Study…

This study examined variables which may be important in the design of instructional environments adapted to accommodate individual differences. Purposes of the study were: (1) to determine whether matching or mismatching subjects with their tendency toward field dependence or field independence had any effect on achievement in a hypermedia…