Reports a four year longitudinal study of the impact of communication apprehension (CA) on grade point average and persistence at the university level. Finds high CA students were significantly more likely to drop out and attain lower grade point averages compared to low CA students. (MS)

Reports family background continues to be closely related to educational attainment. Suggests that because there is a strong negative relation between the number of siblings and scores on tests measuring verbal ability, recent reductions in sibling number would be expected to contribute to enhanced verbal ability and increasing years of schooling.…

Describes a study of eight universities in England that investigated the size and characteristics of their part-time degree programs. Highlights include government policy; cost; competition between universities; admissions policies; completion rate and drop-out rate; instructional design, including modularity; continuing education; and program…

In an effort to recruit and retain Hispanic students in higher education, some policymakers are advocating a program using Hispanic faculty as role models. It is argued that, as currently conceived, such programs cannot be successful, and that the ideological and structural factors in academe that relegate Hispanic faculty to second-class status…

A multi-institutional study of 263 first-time college freshmen investigated the effects on students' social and academic integration of having expectations for college remain unmet. Results are discussed in terms of implications for enrollment management and the linkage of theories concerning college choice and student departure. (Author/MSE)

Managed by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakotah Nation, O'Inazin provides culturally relevant inpatient counseling for troubled adolescents with antisocial and self-defeating behaviors. Of 290 adolescent inpatients in 1991-92, those who completed the program were more likely to remain in school and improve their grades than were noncompleters. Both…

Reviews the current emphasis on quality in Canada and the United States, focusing on measures and the implications of attrition research on improving institutional quality. Reviews principles and practices of retention, including the use of freshman profiles, early warning systems, monitoring student progress/attitudes, and program analyses. (54…

The introduction and six chapters of this theme issue highlight phenomena in various ethnic and cultural contexts that illustrate what is really happening in terms of culture, ethnic identity, and the multicultural society. Field studies explore a variety of cultures and educational systems. (SLD)

Returning mildly mentally handicapped students to regular classrooms is not the least restrictive or most appropriate program. These students require a slower paced curriculum, more social behavior remediation, and a smaller pupil/teacher ratio than regular classrooms offer. Mainstreaming may lead to a higher dropout rate and subsequent need for…

Randomly assigned 60 adolescent girls at risk for school failure to payment program in which girls received $50.00/month to improve grades or attendance; case management program; or control group. Both experimental groups were superior to control with respect to positive changes in grades and attendance. Case management program showed much…

The article reviews the literature regarding the psychopathology of truant behavior, the implications of truancy, and truancy interventions, suggesting that the effectiveness of truancy intervention could be increased by implementing a multimodal approach combining student, family, and school factors. (SM)

A study investigated the effectiveness of intervention, by interview, with 111 first-year college students identified as at risk in their adjustment to college. Effects were analyzed in terms of score change on scales of adjustment, first-year grade point average, first-year course credits earned, and continuance of enrollment. (Author/MSE)

Explores, from an economic perspective, elementary school system adequacy in the rural, indigenous Guatemalan highlands. Estimates least-squares coefficients and elasticities separately for academic failure and school abandonment for each of four indigenous groups. The model explains academic failure better than school desertion. A national policy…

Each year, thousands of young people drop out of school, begin a life of unemployment, poverty, low self-esteem, violence, and even imprisonment. This article explains the sad effects of early school exits and the critical need for school-community collaboration to prevent dropouts. School leaders must be culturally sensitive and create school…

A model of direct communication in American Sign Language is presented for application in mainstreamed adult education courses. Comparisons of 12 hearing and 11 deaf students enrolled in a mainstreamed word processing class using the suggested client-centered, individual instruction format with limited lecture time showed no significant…