This master's thesis describes the relationship between effective principalship and student achievement, school climate, and discipline. It also examines the connection between self-esteem and a principal's effectiveness, student achievement, and student behavior. The conclusion is that "the performance of the principal is a strong determinant of…

Current school finance policy in Nebraska rests on the premise that higher costs due to small school size should not be subsidized by state funds unless there is no consolidation alternative. This report aims to reframe the school size debate by demonstrating the excellent performance of Nebraska's small schools in high school completion and…

Two studies evaluated outcomes of a University Experience (freshman seminar) course to ease the transition to college and enhance student retention at the University of South Florida. In the first study, course evaluations of "typical" USF students (N=540) who completed the course in fall 1998 were overwhelmingly positive in support of…

Over the years, larger and larger portions of high school graduates have enrolled in 4-year colleges. Although many people view college as essential to success in the labor market, the movement toward 4-year colleges also has its critics. These critics contend that the public has come to believe that almost all high school graduates should go to…

High schools in the United States face tremendous challenges involving changes in cultural and economic forces and necessities. They need to transform themselves into places of learning where knowledge is relevant to students' needs and aspirations. Because many traditional high school structures are large, compartmentalized, and impersonal, they…

Graduates and nongraduates of higher educational institutions have long been a focus of widespread research over the last two decades. Research findings reveal that graduating from a school of higher education is a bridge to better personal status, institutional progress, and national well being. (SSH)

It is difficult to evaluate the goals and effectiveness of programs to recruit and retain minority students in medical education by current methods. Management by objectives is proposed as an appropriate process for refining program goals and fairly evaluating the programs. (Author/MSE)

Statistical study of attrition and performance among external students of the University of Papua New Guinea found the most important factors in student attrition to be age, number of children, and to a lesser extent, housing conditions, sex, sponsorship, and region of residence. (EAO)

Identifies the distance education learner, examines the approaches and teaching models of various educational theorists to the satisfaction of learners' needs, and relates these approaches particularly to the field of distance education. An extensive bibliography is provided. (EAO)

Compared characteristics of students (N=180) who withdrew from a university after completing two years of a baccalaureate program. Dropouts, stopouts, and transfers reported that four factors were related to withdrawal decisions: academic environment, financial demands, career focus, and social/personal environment. Discusses implications of…

The differences between Black and White students are shown to be decreasing in both academic outcomes and in levels of participation in schooling. National data in five subject areas, high school completion rates, and dropout rates are compared. (Author/GPM)

Presents the findings of a study investigating student and teacher perceptions of the academic abilities of students enrolled in liberal arts courses; students' need for and use of support services; and course attrition rates. Suggests alternatives to promote student success. (WL)

Examines educator drop out rates in Illinois and reveals that this problem is not as great as has been reported in the media. (FL)

Provides and discusses a model for better understanding the critical relationship between academic advisement and student retention. Advisement is described as a developmental and student-centered activity. It is suggested that institutional retention efforts focus primary attention on improving those programs which increase the likelihood of a…

The extent to which enrollment rates are a good indicator of the extension of schooling in Italy is examined. These rates suggest that there has been a transition from elite to mass secondary education. The search for differences according to sex, social class, and regional variables is discussed. (MLW)