Techniques for conducting student-attrition studies using the Student-Outcomes Information Service (SOIS) are outlined. General concepts to effectively guide an institutional research effort are discussed, with attention to better defining student attrition and a summary of results of recent research on the reasons why students withdraw from…

In response to a request by the Anchorage Native Caucus and the Anchorage Native Education Coalition, this study by the Anchorage School District Community Relations Department focuses on the Alaskan Native dropout problem. The study indicates that between September 1976 and March 1981, Native Alaskans, who compose approximately 4% of the total…

In 1982-83, a study was conducted of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute's Recreation Leadership program to determine if program objectives were being met, to measure program success, and to identify aspects needing improvement. Surveys were sent to 36 students who graduated before 1978, yielding a 44% response rate; to 31 students…

This report is based on data from the 1979 and 1980 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth Labor Market Experience (NLS). These data were collected for a nationally representative sample of 12,686 youth in 1979 and 12,141 in 1980. Chapter One uses the longitudinal capability of the NLS to examine those youth who were unemployed at the…

A study was conducted at a rural community college to explore the process by which adult women who had returned to college decided whether to persist or drop out. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 women who had been identified as exceptional in that they either persisted and graduated even though they had been initially identified as…

The study used data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress report to examine the relationship for young adults between functional literacy skills and educational attainment. Educational attainment was classified into four categories: less than a high school graduate, high school graduate, some postsecondary education, and college…

A study was conducted at Olympic College (OC) in the State of Washington, to investigate the personal and academic characteristics of student dropouts and their reasons for leaving the college. Questionnaires were sent to 500 fall 1986 students who completely withdrew from OC during the term or received all F's, W's, or other unproductive grades…

Chicanos are underrepresented in U.S. institutions of higher education. Attrition and completion rates indicate that a significant number of Chicanos who do choose to enroll in institutions fail to complete their degrees at each successively higher level, and are subject to high dropout rates. The percentage of Chicano students completing the…

Drawing from literature and research conducted at Prince George's Community College (PGCC), this report discusses student retention in community colleges in the U.S.; outlines retention indicators and strategies; and presents a summary of findings from PGCC's retention studies. After a brief overview of the challenge of student retention in the…

Two or three selected rural regions in Western Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania were surveyed to find out what happens to school leavers in rural areas of Australia and how their perceived options and actual opportunities can be enhanced. The three-phase survey began with a questionnaire being administered to all Year 9-12 students in Western…

A study examined patterns of enrollment in adult education programs during incarceration. Vocational and academic programs in a single correctional facility in Massachusetts were studied over a four-month period in order to discern any existing differences between offenders who did and did not participate in educational programs and also to…

This report describes and evaluates the second year (1982-83) of the Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Project (TAPP) of San Francisco. The goals of this project, described in an introductory summary, are to improve maternal and child health, increase school enrollment for pregnant teenagers, increase the involvement of young fathers with their…

The study looks at the way in which survey research has helped at different stages in the life of the Open University in Great Britain. Since Open University students are studying at a distance, the major source of information about them and about the way they study has been from survey research. This research has provided an input to academic…

A study examined decisions involving private, postsecondary vocational schooling using three large, national sets of data (from the National Longitudinal Surveys) on males. Particular attention is paid to three target groups--inner-city and rural individuals and dropouts. Various equations were estimated using a life-cycle model of time allocation…

A study examined decisions involving private, postsecondary vocational schooling using three large, national sets of data (from the National Longitudinal Surveys) on males. Particular attention is paid to three target groups: inner-city and rural individuals and dropouts. Various equations were estimated using a life-cycle model of time allocation…