This study analyzed the academic and demographic characteristics of 2,939 students admitted to the University of Louisville (Kentucky) Preparatory Division (an academic/enrollment unit for all students initially inadmissible to a degree-granting unit) who achieved eligibility to transfer to a degree-granting unit of the University. It also…

This study of the school-related factors that influence the persistence or withdrawal of Hispanic American high school students did not validate Tinto's model of dropout behavior. Tinto's model (1975) is based on a sequence of the following variable clusters: (1) background characteristics; (2) external factors; (3) academic integration; (4)…

Since attrition is often a problem in adult training programs, a study was conducted to investigate the relationship between locus of control and course completion of adults enrolled in a retraining program. Rotter's Social Learning Theory of Personality was used as a starting point for the study. The study population was a sample of 108…

Recent literature demonstrates the need for closer examination of general track curriculum students' experiences in order to increase high school graduation rates. General track students' reactions to school policies and practices governing extracurricular activities and attendance are described in this report. A case study methodology involved…

Since l984, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has been operating the California Mentor Teacher Program (MTP), initiated and supported by the state, to give special help to new or inexperienced teachers and encourage competent teachers to continue teaching. The study reported in these two volumes evaluated program effectiveness and…

The relationships between features of general education programs/services and student persistence rates and test score gains are examined, based on a study conducted during 1976-1982 by the College Outcome Measures Project. In addition, the costs of general education and measurement of its effectiveness are briefly addressed. The study of 44…

Two studies were conducted to examine teachers' and young children's perceptions of persistence in classroom settings. In the first, 35 elementary school teachers responded to interview questions about (1) the appropriateness of persistence in relation to other strategies children could use to accomplish difficult tasks, (2) children's…

A study was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of remedial mathematics and language arts classes in a rural northern California community college district. Data related to remedial class completion, following semester return rates, units completed, grade point average (GPA), and declared major were collected for all remedial students taking…

The influence of academic, demographic, and social characteristics of college freshmen on sophomore enrollment status was investigated, along with reasons for attrition. A total of 139 freshmen at St. Edward's University in Texas were surveyed at the beginning and end of the freshman year, using the Survey of Entering Freshmen and the End of…

Results of a 1983 evaluation of Pennsylvania's ACT 101 programs, which provide support services to educationally and economically disadvantaged college students, are presented. Attention focuses on: the achievement and persistence of this population of students in 1975, 1977, and 1979; the attitudes of currently enrolled students; the attitudes…

A small group of Boston Public School teachers met for a year to explore the question of what keeps teachers going, a question that bears asking because of the precarious situation of public education today. In this article, I describe the work of the What Keeps Teachers Going? inquiry group as a way to challenge current notions of what it means…

To appeal to a larger student base, institutions have utilized current online technologies to provide courses to those students who would not otherwise be served. Unfortunately, the online learning experience has not been a positive one for a substantial portion of participating students. Thus, a key issue for postsecondary institutions is that of…

In July 1988, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) initiated the Systematic Assessment of Leavers (SAL), a 2-year, 2-phase research activity to develop and implement a monitoring process to identify the personal, demographic, institutional, and environmental factors associated with leaving the college. The target populations of the study were…

Drawing from a review of the literature, input from experts on student retention, and the opinions of educators throughout Alabama, this manual provides guidelines for conducting institutional research on retention, implementing programs to enhance the quality of the educational experiences of two-year college students in the state, and developing…

This document describes a study of 5,000 minority undergraduate students whose SAT mathematics scores were 550 and above. Background information, high school program, college experience, and the results of two questionnaires were analyzed. Other information was drawn from a national longitudinal database, High School and Beyond (HS&B). Results…