This paper presents a study designed to determine the reason first and post-first year students (N=61) chose to leave Chicago Urban University (CUU) prior to graduation. Data were sought from a random sample of 100 students via either a mailed or a telephone survey, with a 61% response rate. The 54-question interview/survey instrument examined the…

The skills and approaches to study were investigated for 549 students from Hong Kong/Macau enrolled in undergraduate distance learning courses with the East Asian Open Institute. The sample included students at all stages in their studies, from those in their first year to graduates with an ordinary degree and honors graduates. Correlations…

To determine factors influencing attrition and retention at Pennsylvania College of Technology, a survey was conducted of the 767 students who were enrolled in spring 1992 but neither graduated nor enrolled in fall 1992. Study findings, based on responses from 373 former students, included the following: (1) only 11% of the minority non-returners…

A project was undertaken at San Juan College, in New Mexico, to examine findings from several studies of student persistence and retention to shed light on factors influencing persistence at the college. The project took into account several definitions of persistence, including re-enrollment in the subsequent semester (semester to semester),…

Two studies examined why many adults choose not to attend adult basic education (ABE) classes and ways of improving retention in ABE. In the first study, 17 adults from the Pittsburgh area who had recently quit attending ABE classes (termed "reluctant learners") and 20 adults who had persisted in ABE were interviewed. It was recommended…

This book offers suggestions to doctoral students, primarily in the social and behavioral sciences, the humanities, and such professional fields as education, counseling, and social work, to help them succeed in earning a doctoral degree. It is based on the observation that successful students not only have knowledge obtained from the books they…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of a 3-year federally funded project that developed and evaluated interventions aimed at increasing retention of special education teachers. The interventions developed and evaluated consisted of: (1) a series of stress management workshops aimed at preventing or alleviating teacher burnout,…

In order to provide information about community college student transfer behavior, this study examines results from a series of freshman cohorts. It describes trends in student transfer from Illinois community colleges to four-year institutions between fall 1990 and spring 1995. The primary transfer rate and selected secondary rates from the…

This report examines trends in the educational progress of women who attended Maryland institutions of higher education from 1978 to 1997. Data on the educational achievements of women are compared with those of men, organized under the general categories of enrollment, retention and graduation rates, degrees or certificates conferred, and…

This report examines how seven merit scholarship programs in six southern states help increase participation in postsecondary education. The programs are: Florida Bright Futures; Georgia HOPE Scholarships; Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarships; Louisiana Tuition Opportunity Program for Students; Maryland Science and Technology Scholarship…

This study, which includes a review of literature and a methodology description, investigates the persistence rates of 462 Native American first-time college students enrolled in community colleges throughout Washington State in the fall of 1988. Their progress was tracked over a six-year study period. Existing data from the State Board of…

Examination of factors that contribute to a sustained commitment to the teaching profession suggests that motivation is influenced by nationality, socioeconomic background, gender, and point in time. In general, minority teachers come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and have greater access to teaching than to some other professions. Rewards…

A comprehensive teacher demand, supply, and shortage (TDSS) model is proposed as a conceptual framework for analyzing and determining the teaching force in bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) education. Available data on the shortage of bilingual education teachers are reviewed, and new national data on their characteristics are…

The Public School Teachers Questionnaire from the 1987-88 Schools and Staffing Survey was analyzed to produce a descriptive portrait of vocational and nonvocational teachers of grades 9-12 in public schools. The sample consisted of 3,863 vocational and 14,315 nonvocational teachers. Almost 90 percent of each group classified themselves as white.…

This collection of readings covers critical issues related to transition of youth with disabilities from school to post-school experiences. The first paper, titled "'Cognitive Return' of Schooling for Students with Disabilities: Preliminary Findings from 'High School and Beyond'" by Delwyn L. Harnisch and Ian A. G. Wilkinson, applies…