This study investigates factors contributing to dropping out and returning to school among urban high school students. The analysis is a preliminary attempt to determine whether state or local responses are more viable in preventing high-risk students from leaving school early, and the extent to which school practices and policies may influence…

Describes a study which contrasted the persistence rates of community college transfer students with those of native university students over a six-year period. Indicates that transfer students had lower persistence rates than native students during their second and third terms, though rates for the fourth term showed no differences. (DMM)

Despite the legal mandate for fulltime school participation between the ages of 6 and 18 and the mandate for high school completion, many youths do not fulfill these expectations and are viewed as dropouts. To investigate the characteristics of seventh and eighth grade students who leave school and the reasons why they do so, school personnel in…

Random samples of 1979 and 1980 entering freshmen were given the Non-Cognitive Questionnaire (NCQ), which was designed to assess noncognitive dimensions predicting minority student academic success. The validity of the NCQ in predicting graduation after five and six years was determined. The graduation rate was found to differ significantly for…

The study reported here employed a quasi-factorial ecological approach to explore the possibility of using economic and social indicators available from the 1980 census to construct a socio-economic status (SES) index. The study hypothesized that if an appropriate factor analysis model could be identified, factor score equations could be used to…

A survey was conducted to evaluate nationally the retention of undergraduates at institutions of higher education. In particular the survey sought to: determine the rates at which full-time students persisted in and completed higher education; identify factors that institutional representatives felt influence students to leave school; and describe…

Graduation rates are often used indicators of the performance of institutions of higher education. How institutions are represented can be profoundly affected by different approaches used to develop the data for the rates. The impact of variations in how these rates are constructed is illustrated by the example of the City University of New York…

Examines factors associated with persistence to a second term for 796 first time, two-year college students. Demographic variables correlated with low persistence were taking nondegree courses only, enrolling part time, working full time, and being over age 40. The only academic factor related to low persistence was a first term grade point…

This study focuses on school system characteristics that affect the dropout rate in the Chicago public high schools. Although the primary variable for investigation is attendance rate, other school system variables examined include type of school, percentage of low-income students in a school, and the overall level of student ability for a school…

Students failing to master minimum competency tests are categorized as dropouts in this description of the results of and remediation efforts for the statewide Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) Testing Program. TEAMS assesses minimum competency in basic skills at grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11-12 exit level. The first…

The Michigan Student Information System (MiSIS) is the student flow component of the Michigan Community College Occupational Education Evaluation System (MCCOEES), a comprehensive state-wide system for evaluating occupational education. This manual provides comprehensive guidelines for collecting local management information for program and…

This study describes the use of event history modeling as a tool for understanding student departure from college. Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics High School and Beyond (HS&B)/Sophomore Cohort longitudinal study a detailed history of individual students' college careers was constructed using a regression-like…

A framework is offered for institutions to use in identifying and overcoming obstacles to graduate student progress and retention. Seven aspects of graduate education that would have to be altered to reduce student frustration are examined: admissions, graduate curriculum, advising/mentoring, monitoring progress, financial support, institutional…