This study examined first- to second-semester persistence of first-time, full-time college freshmen at a public four-year institution, focusing on Tinto's (1993) concept of separation. Data were collected from 689 first-time, full-time freshmen using the Cooperative Institutional Research Program 1995 Student Information Form, and from 411…

This monograph focuses on the first year of college and the need for structured first-year programs that help at-risk students make a successful transition to college. It provides a detailed discussion of the elements of a structured first-year program, including: (1) participation in the admissions process for at-risk students; (2)…

This study of the time-to-degree issue at institutions of higher education in Alabama reviewed existing reports on the problem, identified factors contributing to increases in time-to-degree, and surveyed baccalaureate programs in the state for the credit-hour degree requirements. Following an executive summary, Section 1 considers factors…

This study examined the impacts of student gender, academic achievement (cumulative grade point average), familial influence, and academic aptitude/characteristics on intentional persistence at Grambling State University (Louisiana). The sample consisted of 219 students (188 developmental and 31 nondevelopmental) who had persisted beyond the…

Mentoring is an effective tool for retaining minorities who are in higher education and on the path to productive careers. Within business organizations, the link between mentoring and career advancement is widely acknowledged. The stages of mentoring functions include the following: (1) teaching techniques in a guided apprenticeship; (2)…

"A Vision for the Future" is a comprehensive long-range plan to study, develop, implement, and evaluate an ambitious dropout reduction program in the Charleston (South Carolina) School District. The program entails: (1) improved data reporting on student performance, grade retention, and attrition to identify dropout indicators and risk…

This report summarizes two joint sessions held by the Indian Nations At Risk Task Force and the National Advisory Council on Indian Education to hear testimony on Native American issues in educator training and employment. Issues and problems related to recruitment of Native Americans into teacher education include raised admission standards, more…

In 1988, a National Dropout Statistics Task Force (comprised of representatives from 27 states, 3 U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia) was created to work with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to develop procedures for uniform counting of dropouts and dropout rate reporting. A standard definition was constructed for…

This paper describes a multi-faceted approach to improving student retention at an urban public university. It is noted that the students at this institution are older, working people; few live on campus and participate in what would be considered traditional student experiences. The paper examines the physical setting and external environment;…

The Mentor Teacher Program in the state of California is designed to retain capable teachers by expanding their rewards and opportunities. This report focuses on the character and quality of mentoring in an alternate route program sponsored by a large urban school district. A 30-hour required training course for mentors introduces them to their…

This paper on postsecondary outcomes illustrates a technique to determine whether or not mainstream models are appropriate for predicting educational outcomes of American Indians (AIs) and Alaskan Native (ANs). It introduces a prominent statistical procedure to assess models with empirical data and shows how the results can have implications for…

Harry S. Truman envisioned the community college as an institution that should reach into every community in America, not just in terms of providing the first two years of a baccalaureate education, but also of providing postsecondary vocational technical education. The community college, Truman believed, should also provide an acceptable re-entry…

A study examined a unique workplace literacy program designed for college preparation. Factors related to retention were studied in a group of paraprofessional health care workers who were attending the program as a step toward career advancement. The 153 participants were mainly women of minority backgrounds who spoke English fluently but not…

In 1985, Arizona initiated a 5-year pilot test of the Career Ladder Teacher Incentive and Development Program. The program provided alternate avenues for teachers to advance other than by accumulating years of experience and college credits. Data were collected annually through the Career Ladder Perception Assessment Scale Survey, which evaluated…

This paper describes an effort to find ways to respond to the challenges of supporting student and faculty diversity by providing data about the experiences of Latino undergraduates at the University of Michigan. Data were collected from a random sample of 73 Latino undergraduates and a comparison group of 24 non-Latinos. The Latino group…