A study investigated the extent to which 104 community college students' experiences with key college processes during the first few weeks of school predicted their persistence or withdrawal from the college in the second semester. Results identified a small set of processes, both administrative and instructional, that differentiated between…

Designed to survey the effects of the current probation policy at Shasta College, this report estimates the student loss attributable to the policy and discusses means of identifying potential probationary students. After introducing the probation policy, which requires at least a 2.0 grade point average to avoid academic probation and the…

High school dropouts are usually academic underachievers who adjust to social environments with difficulty. When they leave school, they develop even greater behavior problems and have more trouble getting employment than do high school graduates. To prevent dropouts, schools try to find funds for dropout prevention programs, work with agencies…

A study of 352 social work students (predominantly from minority group backgrounds and admitted to an undergraduate social work program between 1980 and 1987) examined factors contributing to retention or attrition and possible strategies for reaching out to students at risk. The report is described, and the research methodology is presented as a…

Using discriminant analysis, a study examined (1) the extent to which the new Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire (SACQ) accurately predicts student departure for a private, comprehensive university (n=1,978 students); (2) SACQ items distinguishing nonpersisters; (3) use with an incoming class; and (4) evidence linking the SACQ with…

This report of the number and percentage of senior high school students who left school before graduating found that: (1) 7% of the fall 1981 high school enrollment left before the end of the 1981-1982 school year; (2) leavers accounted for 6% from regular high schools enrollment, 51% from continuation high schools, and 7% from other high schools;…

A tracking model was developed at Rancho Santiago College utilizing enrollment and student statistics to identify first-time students who entered the college in fall 1983 and to track them over the following years. Statistics on 6,151 new students entering in fall 1983 indicated: (1) only 45% of the students who entered in fall 1983 were enrolled…

A study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to develop a profile of students who withdrew from courses between 1982 and 1986 and to compare this profile with the results of a 1979-82 withdrawal study. For the past 4 years, each degree credit student who has officially withdrawn from a course has been asked to complete a survey…

Student attrition and retention have been familiar terms in higher education for a long time. Recently, however, there has developed an increased awareness of the cost of attrition, both to students and to community colleges. Although research has not provided any solutions to the complex problem of attrition, studies have identified some basic…

Introduces a method of examining college enrollment patterns that is unlike the traditional cohort models currently used. The student flow matrix model can track student retention and attrition within the institution, and can also help the administrator identify key relationships between and among specific student-flow characteristics. (MSE)

College administrators who suspend or dismiss students who do not meet the institution's minimum academic performance standards must identify and develop sound reinstatement policies based on clearly defined criteria which measure an individual's ability to succeed. Such policies are necessary to allow potential graduates to complete their studies…

Discusses a three-phase plan to improve retention rates in child care centers. Phase I covers pre-enrollment and involves teacher, student, and parent getting to know each other. Phase II covers the first eight weeks and entails careful treatment of student and parent. Phase III is the ongoing retention stage. (RJC)

A study examined the extent to which social and academic integration and student educational objectives were predictive of persistence for 1,142 community college students. Student educational objectives discriminated most powerfully between persisters and nonpersisters. Academic and social integration and employment status were also significant…

Reports on a four-year longitudinal study of 2,544 college students to determine the relationship between academic self-concept and withdrawal from school. Finds that the most significant predictor of school withdrawal was the students' self-concept of their overall academic ability. (CFR)

This resource handbook was developed to provide constituent school district personnel with a variety of strategies for improving student attendance and for reducing the dropout rate. A significant number of studies completed during the last 5 years have identified attendance as the critical issue confronting school administrators. Further, recent…