Studies in education often report the differences between participants' and non-participants' test scores, course grades, retention, and other criteria. When participants' average performance is higher, it can be difficult to attribute the improvements to participation. Comparing participants and non-participants on other measures can strengthen…

The Australian literature suggests that students' academic success in tertiary education is principally influenced by their university entrance score. Personal, secondary school and university characteristics have more minor impacts on tertiary outcomes. Little research has been undertaken into the relationship between students' marks and the…

Many colleges continue to report high attrition rates among distance education students. This study included a survey of students at Coastline Community College to determine why they dropped or failed their distance-learning courses and to identify methods that might improve their success and retention. Questionnaires were sent to a group of…

An outcomes study for Eastern New Mexico University is proposed that would track every third freshman class from the time of arrival until about 3 years after leaving the university. After contact with the new freshmen, the contact again occurs at the end of the sophomore year and at the time of graduation. Students who do not return will be…

The paper examines issues in special education teacher attrition and reviews a variety of induction and mentorship programs to lessen the common isolation of beginning teachers. Statistics indicating the high attrition rate among beginning teachers, especially special education teachers are cited and related to lack of training and ongoing…

A study investigating the usefulness of a model of student persistence in external degree programs (developed from the Bean and Metzner 1985 model) is discussed. Sample students aged 23 or older who were matriculated in such a program were used, as it was noted that the attrition rate for nontraditional students is higher than for traditional…

Recruitment and retention of special education teachers and related services staff have been persistent problems of rural school districts nationwide. High teacher attrition rates have serious ramifications for personnel development and program stability. Effective recruitment strategies for rural areas have four main components: (1) emphasis on…

A student-oriented curriculum approach was developed at Edison Community College to encourage retention and sustain students' interest in classes. The five elements of the program are student tutoring, a tournament, attendance monitoring, relaxation training, and retention goals (STARR). The tutorial component involves study teams of four or five…

This document reports on a national symposium that constituted the first phase of a research study designed to determine how to use intrinsic motivation and self-empowerment concepts to retain special needs learners who are potential dropouts in postsecondary vocational education programs. The first chapter (by Brown and Wotruba) contains the…

The report focuses on students (a Representative Group and a Black Group) who persisted at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) to graduation and discusses some of the factors traditionally associated with persistence to graduation. The report showed that significant numbers of students who have departed the university did so while in…

The report is intended to provide educators, policy makers, legislators, and funding sources with the latest data on the progress of minorities in higher education. Included is information on high school completion and college participation rates for 18-to-24-year-olds. Data from the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education General…

Responding to a state legislative mandate establishing the Iowa Educational Excellence Program, a coalition comprised of the Iowa State Education Association, the Iowa Association of School Boards, and the Iowa Department of Education was formed to examine and address the growing needs and concerns of teachers, including teacher compensation. The…

Components of a student retention program at Eastern Michigan University are examined; for each effort to improve retention, project objectives and design, results, and recommendations are presented. Retention initiatives, decided upon as a result of a campus-wide mobilization of effort, include: a student-focused orientation system, a fast track…

A longitudinal study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to provide basic institutional data about student performance and achievement based on an analysis of student academic records. Samples of 200 full-time and 200 part-time students were selected from successive classes from 1973 through 1983. Study findings included the…

Two recent studies imply that there is a negative selection process at work which systematically attracts and then holds in the teaching profession young people with modest verbal and quantitative abilities. The Vance & Schlecty study compared "recruits"--those who had: (1) majored in education; (2) taught school; or (3) obtained a certificate to…