This is a study of the dropout rate during the 1998-99 academic year at Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST). A total of 1,025 of 7,174 students (14%) withdrew from their program of study before the end of the year. This report categorizes the reasons for leaving as follows: (1) exited by institute; (2) personal…

This study examined the academic, social, and institutional variables impacting the persistence and attrition rates of Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOP&S) students at Long Beach City College (LBCC) in California during the fall 1997 and spring 1998 semesters. EOP&S was a state-funded program to provide retention services to…

This report synthesizes information from the Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education on factors associated with special education teacher quality and teachers' intent to remain in the profession. It applies these findings to the school administrator's role in promoting teacher quality. Concerning teacher quality and career plans, it finds…

This study examines graduation rates at public two-year, public four-year and private four-year colleges in the United States. Its major purpose is to account for the variance in graduation rates taking into account several institutional and institutionally-related student financial aid predictor variables. United States colleges and universities…

Contemporary educational thought holds that one of the pivotal causes of inadequate school performance is the inability of schools to adequately staff classrooms with qualified teachers. It is widely believed that schools are plagued by shortages of teachers, primarily due to recent increases in teacher retirements and student enrollments. This…

The purpose of this program evaluation was to identify the effects of Small Learning Community (SLC) reforms on school climate, student attitudes and student performance. Eight SLC programs in five Albuquerque high schools were studied for one to four years, depending on each program's date of inception. Data were collected from students,…

A study was undertaken at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) to understand why some at-risk students are able to beat the odds and achieve educational success while others are not. The theoretical underpinnings for this research draw from psychological, societal, and institution-specific models of student persistence. All 1996 CCP…

The reasons for the phenomenon of guaranteed graduation are considered, as are criticisms of this approach. Guaranteed graduation programs have resulted in part as a result of an attempt to address issues and concerns about the cost of a college education, articulation of coursework, time to degree, and competency. While guarantees are designed to…

Research into the relationship of sex differences, gender and educational attainment has drawn upon biological, psycho-social and more recently, political theories to help explain results that differentiate the performance of boys and girls. This research report addresses the problem of gender differentiated achievement and retention, but…

This monograph is comprised of five papers originally presented at a symposium concerning degree completion or non-completion (ABDs--"all but dissertation") of doctoral students in colleges of education. The first paper is by Raymond Kluever and is titled "ABDs and Graduates from a College of Education: Responsibility, Barriers, and…

Each year, 14,500 to 16,500 students begin at a Washington technical or community college with the goal of completing a degree at that college. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges has developed a longitudinal reporting system to track the progress of these students. In the system, students are tracked even if they stop out and…

In an effort to improve retention and accountability at Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC), in Virginia, a study was undertaken to track first-time student cohorts entering in fall 1988 through fall 1992 and gather data on student demographics and outcomes. The study examined data for 721 students entering in fall 1988, 761 in fall 1989, 824…

The mission of the ENLACE Program at Evergreen Valley College and San Jose City College is to increase the educational success, retention, and transfer rates of Chicano/Latino students. Now in its 10th year, ENLACE is an academic program emphasizing the successful completion of the cognitive core areas of general/transfer education and provides a…

The mission of the ENLACE Program at Evergreen Valley College and San Jose City College is to increase the educational success, retention, and transfer rates of Chicano/Latino students. Now in its 10th year, ENLACE is an academic program emphasizing the successful completion of the cognitive core areas of general/transfer education and provides a…

Although the problem varies across the United States, overall there is a shortage of rural teachers, especially in the subject areas of math, science, and special education. Recruiting teachers for rural settings requires targeting persons with rural backgrounds, attacking the negative stereotypes surrounding rural schools, and stressing the…