Retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minority students were studied during 1985-91 with first-time freshman cohorts at 67 U.S. colleges and universities. Data were also collected from 17 institutions for science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM) majors by race and gender. Research areas included: headcounts, average admission test…

In spring 1988, Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC), in Palos Hills, Illinois, implemented "College Success," a course to increase student academic performance and improve college retention. Students in the course learned a variety of techniques to help them succeed in college, including note-taking skills, time management, memory…

In an effort to improve communication and interaction between students and instructors, improve the presentation of course material, and assess the cognitive development of students, a Quasi-Mastery Learning System (QMLS) of instruction was developed for a community college course in General Chemistry (GC). The QMLS incorporates eight features:…

To extend previous research on adolescent temperament, this study developed and tested the Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire (ATQ), a 70-item self-report questionnaire which used a Likert-like scale and a wider array of items than used in previous assessment instruments. The study examined the conceptual fit of higher order structures of…

This study of factors leading to early departure from institutions of higher education used case studies of five newly hired faculty members who left their institutions with five matched (for cohort, institution, and department) newly hired peers who remained. Survey data were gathered from newly hired faculty at five institutions during the 1991…

Retention strategies at New York's Bronx Community College (BCC) aim to keep students enrolled long enough to realize their educational or occupational goals. Actual practices, however, can be categorized into distinct patterns which can provide a basis for planning the future mission of counseling. Some strategies are designed to sort the student…

This paper describes two programs that work together to meet the educational needs of at-risk secondary students in small rural schools in Queensland, Australia. The goal of the Students At Risk program (STAR) is to increase retention rates of identified at-risk students. The Priority Country Areas Program (PCAP) assists schools and community…

This paper compares freshmen who enrolled in the College Seminar at Ramapo College (a 4-year liberal arts college in New Jersey) with freshmen who have not taken the seminar. The seminar course includes units on higher education in America; study skills (e.g., writing papers, research skills, taking notes, time management, computer skills);…

This report describes the 1994 postsecondary education assistance patterns, job experiences, lifestyles, and values of the eighth grade class of 1988. The data from the report are from the 1994 Third Follow-up of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 which collected information on postsecondary education participation, employment,…

This case study of a student retention program for at-risk students at Mount Hood Community College (Oregon) contends that student retention programs are seldom as holistic and comprehensive as intended. The study analyzed three areas: the design and implementation of a comprehensive program to improve student retention; the organizational…

This paper addresses issues in assessment of college students, outcome studies, and attrition research in the context of trends toward requiring greater accountability from institutions of higher education. First the paper considers how assessment, student outcomes studies, and attrition research terminology might be more clearly defined. It…

This proceedings consists of five research papers presented during the 1997 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The papers were presented during the sessions of the AERA Vocational Education Special Interest Group. "Predictors of Occupational Choice among Rural Youth: Implications for Career Education and…

Graduation rates are often used indicators of the performance of institutions of higher education. How institutions are represented can be profoundly affected by different approaches used to develop the data for the rates. The impact of variations in how these rates are constructed is illustrated by the example of the City University of New York…

This paper describes an alternative certification program that was developed to address the shortage of certified special education teachers in West Virginia. The goal of the program is to provide students from a noneducational background with opportunities at the master's degree level to become special education teachers in one of three…

This document presents findings of a General Accounting Office (GAO) study that identified approaches and Aid to Dependent Children (AFDC) program activities that help teenage mothers complete their secondary education. Data were obtained from visits to 13 local programs in New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin and…