This study of the persistence behavior of undergraduates at America's 4-year colleges and universities used data from the "High School and Beyond" study, a national survey of 28,000 high-school seniors. "Persistence" is described as the flow of students through college over a 6-year period. Four categories of persistence were…

The book provides an examination of research and practice related to enrollment management at institutions of higher education. Part 1 describes enrollment management in the context of strategic planning and presents four organizational approaches. Part 2 focuses on marketing and student recruitment, while Part 3 considers student retention.…

This study attempted to decipher what happens to African American students during their sophomore year to make them disenchanted with their academic experience in their subsequent years and tested whether a supportive mentoring relationship can be developed over the telephone. Fulltime African American students (N=27) entering their second year…

Five studies by teacher-researchers on teacher incentive programs are presented in this report. Offered are descriptions of the five programs, information on the teacher-researcher role, and the kinds of support necessary for facilitation. The case studies include the Professional Growth Fund of Elmhurst, Illinois; the Mentor Teacher Program of…

The problem of ill prepared college freshmen in remedial/developmental classes across the nation has significantly increased. At the same time, colleges and universities are increasingly concerned about college student retention. The study compared the belief structures of two groups: those enrolled in two remedial reading classes, and those…

Incentives to encourage teacher excellence for the purposes of teacher attraction, retention, improvement, and enhancement are examined in this report. Motivators involving monetary plans, career status, awards and recognition, professional responsibility, and workplace conditions are described, as well as the issues of cost, planning, and…

A study investigated the major factors--demographic characteristics, job characteristics, and work experiences--related to commitment to teaching as a profession among Ohio teachers of vocational agriculture. The population was a random selection from the Ohio secondary school teachers of vocational agriculture listed in the 1983-84 directory.…

San Diego City Schools completed a study to determine: (1) the number of school leavers (dropouts) from district schools during 1982-83 for grades 9 through 12; (2) characteristics associated with school leaving; (3) overall rates of attrition; and (4) attrition rates for students with certain characteristics. The study was intended to update and…

This essay is a companion document to a statistical study of student dropouts conducted by the San Diego City Schools. Various definitions of dropout are presented, as well as a discussion of types of dropout or attrition rates: (1) annual dropout rate; (2) enrollment ratio dropout rate; (3) cumulative tracking dropout rate; and (4) estimated…

A national survey of teacher attrition was conducted by means of interviews with a sample of former teachers who left public schools within the last five years to work in other occupations. Graphs and charts accompanied by narrative discussion are presented, covering the following topics: (1) profile of former teachers compared to current…

This study explored the affective needs of minority and economically disadvantaged college students enrolled in developmental education courses in various universities in Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas. Three hundred and fifty-seven responses were received from a survey questionnaire seeking information on why these students were entering…

A study examined factors that influenced students who were currently enrolled in a vocational training program to enroll and to continue to stay enrolled in the program. To gather data for the study, researchers administered a project-developed questionnaire to 389 of the 14,254 students enrolled in postsecondary vocational programs throughout…

This paper studies the variables that may be related to the length of time that black teachers stay in teaching and, if they do leave, to whether or not they return. Specifically studied are the career paths of 2,535 black teachers who began their careers in North Carolina between 1974 and 1982. Used to predict the timing of both an exit from…

Arizona is approaching educational reform through the establishment of a teacher incentive program which completely restructures the way teachers are classified and rewarded. The Center for Excellence in Education at Northern Arizona University was mandated by the state legislature to evaluate district plans over a 5-year test period and to report…

A tutoring and advisement model designed to enhance the academic achievement and retention of academically underprepared college students is described, along with results of assessing student outreach efforts, participation of students in services, and outcomes. A special objective of the program was to assist black college students. A total of…