In winter 1995, Schoolcraft College, in Michigan, conducted a study to determine reasons why fall 1994 students withdrew from classes. Telephone interviews were conducted with 100 students who withdrew from at least one course and data on student characteristics were collected from student transcripts. Study results included the following: (1) the…

This study assessed the relationship between teacher efficacy and teacher conceptual level, teacher empowerment, and school culture. Teacher participants (N=430) were primarily Caucasian females who taught in grades K-12, with the majority at the elementary (83 percent) or middle school (11 percent) level. They were evenly represented in the…

This study investigated predictors of Harvard University (Massachusetts) student ratings of courses. Data were drawn from 33,180 evaluations of 1,114 undergraduate courses in 47 departments. Predictors examined at the student level included satisfaction with the course, perceived course difficulty, whether the course was in the student's major,…

This study explored teachers' behavior as related to effective teaching practices in 8th, 9th, and 10th grade English classrooms in Jordan. The study also examined some variables that could predict teachers' implementation of effective teaching practices and aimed at finding an estimate of the percentage of students in 8th, 9th, and 10th grades…

This study tested the predictive links between children's interactions with peers in early elementary school and their social and emotional adjustment at the end of elementary school. A sample of 231 boys starting kindergarten and first grade were observed during this longitudinal study, on three separate occasions: kindergarten and first grade,…

This policy brief reports on a study exploring state by state variation in placement rates for students with disabilities in either regular or special education settings and the relationship of economic, sociodemographic, and educational factors to these rates. The study analyzed data for the school year 1992-93 and compared the percent of…

A study was conducted at 12 community colleges in 6 states to determine the relationship between student and faculty characteristics and the colleges' transfer rates. Transfer rate was defined as the percentage of students with 12 or more credits who transferred to an in-state institution within 4 years, while findings were compared for 3 colleges…

This study compared the potential for child abuse among three ethnic groups, when age, educational attainment, and marital status were controlled for in a sample of ethnically diverse, low-income mothers residing in a large metropolitan area. Participants (n=195) were between 15 and 45 years and were enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children…

This study examined voluntary and involuntary withdrawal rates of students of various racial origins at York University in Ontario (Canada). Data were obtained from three surveys of first-year students conducted in 1993, 1994, and 1995, and involving 1,864 students. Information on Ontario Academic Credit (OAC) marks, first year grade point…

Issues related to assessing school-to-work transitions in the United States were discussed in the context of selected findings from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), a longitudinal data set characterizing 9,964 of 12,686 of young people who were 14-22 years old when first interviewed in 1979. The first section of the paper…

This study examined the racial dynamics of the undergraduate social system of fraternities and sororities. The study sought to determine: (1) how white student participation in social fraternities and sororities was influenced by racial dynamics, (2) under what conditions students of color were accepted by the dominant peer group, (3) what types…

A study examined the effects of specific literacy-related activities in preschool on subsequent language and literacy-related knowledge. All of the subjects were eligible for Head Start or comparable programs, with half of the classrooms being Head Start classrooms. When the subjects were 3 years old, a total of 63 children were visited in 48…

This study assessed whether or not the American College Test (ACT) is a good predictor of college success for students at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights (Illinois) for students entering as freshmen in the fall semesters of 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991. The total population of 477 included 188 males and 289 females. ACT scores, high…

This report examines the decline in the number of medical students choosing generalist or primary care specialties, along with the efficacy of strategies designed to encourage students to choose generalist and primary care training. Based on surveys of college and medical school students, residents, and medical schools, the study focused on: (1)…

In an effort to inform program assessment efforts and provide more accurate indicators of student outcomes, Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC), in Pennsylvania, conducted a study of student educational objectives. Responses to questions related to goals on the college registration form were analyzed for 9,927 students enrolling in spring…