This study explains early school-leaving in lower secondary education in the Netherlands, taking into account background characteristics, family resources and school composition factors at the same time. We distinguish four groups of school-leavers: "dropouts" (those without any qualification), those who leave school with a diploma in…

Students often drop out of university because they were not yet ready for higher education studies. This article reports on research done on the perceptions of a group of students of the role that their gap year had played in preparing them for higher education studies. The research approach was qualitative. Data was gathered by means of 34…

Although English language learners (ELLs) are currently the fastest-growing group among the school-age population in the United States, there is surprisingly little information on their participation in postsecondary education. Using the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), a nationally representative sample of eighth graders…

Stellenbosch University has a unique history in the South African higher education context and has made significant strides in attracting more students of colour. Taking in to account the University's strategic commitment to the expansion of its diversity profile among newcomer first-year students from 24 per cent in 2010 to 33 per cent by 2015,…

This dissertation addresses a continuing crisis in our nation's education system. Historically African American students have underperformed academically. This achievement gap is particularly pronounced for African American males. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), an academic support program for underachieving students, most…

The current research examined the relationship between two non-academic factors associated with retention: emotional intelligence (EI) and spiritual formation. The primary goal of this research was to determine whether using a combination of academic and non-academic factors could increase the researcher's ability to identify students most at risk…

This mixed methods study was designed to explore why students leave college before graduation and draws upon their phenomenological insights, educational experiences, and readmission reflections. This study used a convergent parallel design that matched the qualitative content from interviews and quantitative responses to questionnaires to…

Increasingly, school districts, schools, and their partners are incorporating technology into strategies that help engage young people who have fallen off track to on-time graduation get back on track and move into effective educational pathways. This is especially true in light of the continuing pressure to raise high school graduation rates and…

In this study we surveyed 98 migrant or minority students in the Oslo and Follo areas of Norway about their experiences of school. We also surveyed 50 teachers who were teaching in those schools about their background information and teaching practices and how that might impact on student learning. We then followed 32 of the 98 students 3 years…

The introduction of demand-driven funding following the Bradley Review has seen the progressive removal of constraints on the number of undergraduate places that universities can offer, therefore allowing universities to set their own growth levels. In South Australia, there is little unmet demand for university places. Traditionally, universities…

Staff members working at alternative schools must use best practices to effectively serve at-risk students and reduce expulsion rates. Expulsion is directly linked to high school dropout rates, with subsequent social costs. Today's alternative schools serve at-risk students who exhibit problematic behaviors, providing them an opportunity to…

This study examined the relationship between the leadership styles of secondary school principals, measured by the self-report "Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5X short" (Bass & Avolio, 2000) and the school's dropout rates, as reported by the Texas Education Agency in the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) report while…

The chance of an individual completing a traditional doctorate program is 50% (Bowen & Rudenstine, 1992; Council of Graduate Schools Ph.D. Completion Project, 2008; Ivankova & Stick, 2007). Student attrition in online programs is 10% to 20% greater than that of traditional, residential programs (Allen & Seaman, 2010; Carr, 2000; Diaz,…

Online social interactions differ from face to face interactions and lack the non-verbal cues leading a learner to procrastinate, decreased motivation, feelings of isolation and high drop out rates. Existing research illustrates a need for social awareness information in online education, and this research studied the impact of the visual presence…

Forty years ago, a teenager leaving high school--with or without a diploma--could find a job in a local factory. Twenty years ago, even as manufacturing jobs moved offshore, young people could still gain a foothold in the workforce through neighborhood stores and restaurants. Amid the housing boom of the past decade, youth with some training could…