Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) analyzes graduation and attrition rates of the 1982 graduating class from the district's 49 regular high schools as well as from continuation, opportunity, special education, and alternative and magnet schools. Graduates are senior high school students who earned a diploma, or passed the California High…

In fall 1985, a study was conducted at Broome Community College (BCC) in Binghamton, New York, to determine whether students who added a class on or after the first class meeting (i.e., late admits) were at greater risk of withdrawing or failing than students who registered on time (i.e., regular admits). Final grades awarded to students in ENG…

During fall 1983, a study was conducted of the 3,250 first-time freshmen registered at Queensborough Community College (QCC). An academic profile of these students was developed, focusing on demographic background, high school academic profile, results on the QCC placement tests and City University of New York Freshman Skills Assessment Tests,…

A study was conducted of the retention patterns of students enrolled in the Peralta Community College District (PCCD) in fall 1984 using college reports on withdrawals and grade distributions. The study focused on successful retention (i.e., all students who received a passing grade) and on total retention (i.e., all students who received any…

A study was conducted in the San Bernardino Community College District to discover why some students who were enrolled in the spring 1984 semester did not reenroll in the fall 1984 semester; and to determine to what extent the new enrollment fee affected students' ability to enroll. A sample of 1,011 students was randomly selected from the target…

This paper provides a review of three related literatures on urban education: the demographic characteristics of the students and communities served by urban schools; some notable urban educational policies and practices; and issues and trends in equity research. The following trends and issues in school programs and practices specifically related…

The premature closing of the Intermountain Intertribal School (IIS), a majority of whose students were referred because they were particularly difficult to serve and required special attention, represents a significant risk factor for the academic development of the students concerned. Of the 331 freshmen, sophomores, and juniors enrolled,…

In spring 1987, a survey was conducted of individuals who applied for admission at one of the colleges in the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) and did not subsequently enroll. A sample of 100 applicants was telephoned and the remaining 2,636 applicants received a direct-mail questionnaire. Study findings, based on an overall response…

This report analyzes economic and demographic characteristics of Arizona's Hispanic population. In 1980 Arizona ranked fourth among the states in Hispanic concentration (16.2%) and eighth in total number of Hispanics. More than 45% of Arizona's Hispanics lived in Maricopa County. Almost 90% had their ancestral origins in Mexico, but 82% were born…

Fifteen hundred high school students who had taken part in the Direct Instruction (DI) Follow Through Program in elementary school were studied to examine the impact of DI on their high school careers. Positive effects were found in each of the six sites studied. Two sites demonstrated positive effects in both achievement and graduation/dropout…

School finance reform--traditionally based exclusively on school districts' access to funding--has been made difficult by fiscal retrenchment on one hand and the educational excellence movement on the other. Stating that school districts must consider the use as well as the availability of funds, this paper proposes a new definition of equity that…

A research study explored how a group of adults who have had limited schooling (and therefore, would be expected to be nonparticipants in adult education programs) view their educational experiences and the opportunities open to them as adults. As an exploratory study, a focused sample of 40 members of the Northern Hotel Workers' Union in New…

This formative evaluation of the Atlantic Street Center's Pre-Teen Bridge Program (P-T Bridge) focused on the academic support and prosocial skill development components of the program. The academic component included one-on-one tutoring, and the prosocial skill component included activities and materials designed to improve social and…

Based on a study of the 1985 and 1987 freshman cohorts' responses to a freshman survey, it was found that freshmen who express the intention of transferring from the institution have significantly higher withdrawal rates after their freshman year. A comparison of those who planned to transfer and those who planned to graduate yielded only one…

This study of the correlation between the self-concept of black university students and their academic persistence supports previous research identifying the importance of self-efficacy in academic persistence. Forty of the 115 18-year-old, American-born black freshmen, who lived on campus at a large predominantly white university, volunteered to…