This report combines syntheses of prior research with new analyses of previously collected data to address trends for minority group participation in higher education over the past 25 years. Two chapters focus on the aggregate impact of individual choices and behaviors in college attendance. Chapter 1 describes trends in minority enrollment and…

Each year, in order to determine the factors that influence student attrition, Vancouver Community College (VCC) selectively surveys former students who dropped out (discontinuants) of occupational programs on VCC's three main campuses. Former students were surveyed regarding their personal characteristics, main goals for coming to VCC, activities…

The observable effects of curricular tracking were investigated for a cohort of students in six Vermont high schools during the years 1981-89. The outcome variable was persistence in school as predicted by grades in academic subjects from grade 4 through 9, or time of withdrawal, and the level of courses in which students were enrolled. Three…

This report addresses the problem of retaining and graduating college students, particularly black students, in 4-year college programs. Seven key ideas are suggested: (1) colleges granting admission to students who lack adequate preparation should offer appropriate developmental or remedial support to these students; (2) colleges should ensure…

Ways to initiate or improve allied health education activities are discussed to assist faculty and administrators in colleges or universities that enroll significant numbers of minority students. The information was developed as part of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' (AASCU) Minority Allied Health Project, which…

This handbook is designed to help parents understand, encourage, and help their gifted children. A brief overview includes discussions of the meaning of the term "gifted," the identification of gifted children, and the goals of gifted education. Parents are advised to assist their children with time management, decision making about time…

Secondary content teachers want to accommodate their special education students. They know that their classrooms provide the "least restrictive environment" specified by Public Law 94-142. They understand that inclusion is federally mandated and, even more importantly, often seen as necessary for teens to reach their full potential as…

The tables presented in this report measure the effectiveness of Shelby State Community College's Academic and Developmental Services (ADS) Division, providing data on assessment and placement results, enrollment, retention, grade distribution, and progress of currently enrolled students who entered the college in fall 1987 or 1988. Highlighted…

In 1989, a study was conducted of the persistence and graduation rates of full-time, degree-seeking students who enrolled in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) for the first time in fall 1981 through fall 1986. Persistence was determined by the presence of the student in the enrolled student database, regardless of whether the student…

This study was conducted to investigate persistence rates and gender differences among science students at John Abbott College (JAC). Issues addressed in the study included the differences between students persisting in and those transferring out of science programs, female representation in science programs at JAC, and the differences, if any,…

Based on admissions, academic performance and persistence outcomes data provided by West Chester University, this report analyzes the performance and success rates of former Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) students who applied to or attended the university between 1986 and 1990. The first section contains information on application,…

This final report evaluates California State University's (CSU) Summer Bridge and Intensive Learning Experience (ILE) programs, which are remedial/developmental programs providing basic skills instruction, orientation, and advisement to entering CSU students at risk of dropping out. The underlying objective of both programs is to increase the…

The latest available data as of the end of 1989 is presented on the progress of African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and American Indians in postsecondary education. Statistics have been compiled on high school completion, college participation, and college completion obtained from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of the Census…

The recruitment, selection, induction, and retention of capable teachers are interrelated processes involving schools' personnel, policies, and organization. This report explores issues surrounding these processes and discusses methods to improve districts' programs. Part I, "Recruiting Teachers," describes the competition for capable…

Declines in high school and college attendance and completion for blacks, factors that contribute to this decline, and strategies for improvement are addressed by the Chancellor of the State University of New York. Black youth attend college disproportionate to their representation in the population, in large part because of the high school…