This document contains 13 papers presented at a national forum on special education teacher satisfaction, retention, and attrition. The forum focused on results and implications of three studies: (1) the San Diego State University/American Institute for Research (California) study of variables related to the satisfaction, attrition, and retention…

This project was undertaken to gather data on the experiences and success of Latino students at Long Beach City College (LBCC), in California. Reviews were conducted of demographic trends and the educational status of Latinos nationally and at LBCC to determine barriers to success and strategies for improving educational equality and success.…

A study was conducted at San Diego City College (SDCC) in California to evaluate the college's Critical Thinking and Writing Center, one of the components of SDCC's comprehensive plan to improve student outcomes. Five indicators of student success were examined for two semesters using a student tracking system: retention, semester-to-semester…

This book provides over 300 summaries of joint-venture programs between secondary and postsecondary schools. The overall purpose of the partnership programs is to improve the chances for at-risk students to graduate from high school and have a successful college experience. The main portion of the book is divided into four parts, each focusing on…

This study looks at the relationship between athletic participation among middle grade African American students and academic achievement, particularly athletics, as an instrument through which students gain academic resilience and attachment to academic goals. The data for the analysis were drawn from the base year of the National Education…

Florida Community College at Jacksonville's (FCCJ's) "A Learning Enhancement and Retention Tracking" (ALERT) system is a computerized retention program which collects and utilizes a range of retention-related information to help students achieve their goals. Upon application for admission, students complete an ALERT Advising and…

Community colleges play a major role in improving the access of Hispanic students to higher education, with roughly 56% of all college-going Hispanics attending these institutions. Relatively few however, have attained a postsecondary degree of any kind. A study of 145 community colleges found that Hispanic student retention was influenced by such…

This publication describes the high teacher attrition rate in special education and the importance of teacher retention, and provides teacher retention strategies and activities for educators and administrators. Information for the guide was obtained through discussion groups, interviews, and a written survey. Three sections identify strategies…

This study investigated the employment status and earnings of students in the 58 institutions in the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) during the years 1993-94, 1994-95, and 1995-96. Data were derived from a state system that uses unemployment insurance files to track employment of students, the NCCCS registration files, and a…

This paper describes the development of the University of Georgia's Division of Developmental Studies--a program providing special developmental instruction to students who otherwise would not have been admitted to the school. It consists of four components: English, mathematics, reading, and counseling. The objectives of each of these components…

This phase of a longitudinal study being conducted at Iowa State University compares the career paths of teacher education graduates with mathematics and science majors to elementary and other secondary area graduates. Participating in the study were teacher education graduates (N=842), out of a population of 1,411, who responded to a…

Senior, high quality teachers can be retained in inner city schools despite limited resources and difficult conditions. Compared to teachers in suburban and rural school districts, teachers in urban systems often have lower salaries, work under greater bureaucratic constraints, teach more students per day, and lack basic materials. Good,…

The changing nature of immigration, the job market, and the world economy preclude today's immigrants from full participation in the culture because they are without adequate education. This paper provides insights into one group of students that is most likely to have problems in school: immigrant pre-literate adolescents. It describes the…

American River College's (California) Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) project is a 2-year project initiated in 1992 to improve the retention and performance of minority students and others in math, biology, and chemistry through increased contact and involvement with their peers. PAL involves a cadre of 24 student Learning Assistants (LA's) who have…

These proceedings report on a 1994 conference on the planning, implementing, and refining of programs designed to enhance the first-year experience of college students in urban settings. Early sections detail conference aims, background and policies. One section describes workshops on various topics, provides a profile on the keynote speaker, and…