Recent research shows that variation in teacher quality has large effects on student performance. However, this research is based entirely on student test scores. Focusing on high-school math teachers, this paper evaluates teacher quality in terms of another educational outcome of great interest--graduation. I use a unique instrumental variables…

A COMPARISON WAS MADE OF THE RESULTS OF A STUDY IN SPRING 1962, OF EVENING STUDENTS WHO WITHDREW FROM CLASSES OFFICIALLY (THE "OCW" GROUP) AND OF A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR OF THOSE WHO WITHDREW FROM EVENING CLASSES UNOFFICIALLY (THE "UCW" GROUP). STUDENTS IN BOTH GROUPS USUALLY HAD HAD NO PREVIOUS COLLEGE…

This study of student attrition in a public junior college used personality measures and demographic data as independent variables. Student dropout, defined as failure to complete the semester or to transfer to another institution, was the dependent variable. Instruments used were the Omnibus Personality Inventory, the Adaptive-Flexibility…

As the high-profile Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) network of schools continues to expand, KIPP leaders are taking a close look at student attrition amid arguments from critics that the loss of students at some of those public schools of choice is alarmingly high. Attrition rates at a few KIPP schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, in…

A survey of 194 California high schools.

THE PROBABILITIES OF BEING IN SCHOOL AT EACH AGE, FOR ALL MALE CHILDREN AND FOR CHILDREN FROM FAMILIES WITH LOW INCOMES, ARE PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM FROM FIGURES OBTAINED FROM "THE UNITED STATES CENSUS OF POPULATION 1960--SCHOOL ENROLLMENT." ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES HAVE A SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER TENDENCY TO…

According to the 2000 census, high school dropouts had a 52% employment rate, compared to 71% for high school graduates and 83% for college graduates. According to NCSE, the national dropout rate is 30% of which 80% had been chronically absent from school ("School attendance tracking: Challenges and effective practices"), which puts the…

The Federal Racial/Ethnic Surveys of the Salinas Union High School District were examined to identify changes in ethnic proportions within a particular class from its entry in the 9th grade until the 12th grade. The 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade proportional distributions are reported by school (Alisal High School, North Salinas High School, and…

Results from the first two years of an effort in 10 high schools to replicate the California Peninsula Academies Program are reported. The combination of core academic curriculum with technical instruction in an occupational field has resulted in better grades and more course credits for participants than for non-participants. (SLD)

The typical high school has not changed significantly over the past 50 years. Faculty members are segregated into departments based on their subject, and students rush from one 50-minute class to another throughout the seven-hour day. Reform efforts, however, are growing both nationally and in California. Reformers say that high school students…

Compares characteristics of California high schools with low and high dropout rates for Hispanic students. Identifies programs and factors that positively influence student retention and keep students from dropping out. Schools with pleasing physical appearance, sound management, efficient and caring staff, and multicultural environments had…

Understanding why students drop out is important in developing effective dropout prevention strategies. Traditional research has focused on high school dropouts; recent interest uses a developmental approach and examines possibilities for earlier intervention. Each section of this report analyzes dropout prevention at the preschool, elementary,…

A study is proposed to attempt to answer the following: (1) How many and what kinds of Community College students drop out or do not return? (2) In what ways do non-persisters differ from persisters and what can colleges do to increase retention? (3) What is the employment experience of non-persisters who did not complete occupational programs or…

Reports findings from an exploratory investigation of a comparatively low dropout rate in a predominantly Mexican American school district (Calexico, California). Although many features contribute to the district's ability to retain students, these are best understood as interrelated parts of a complex system. The most important factor appears to…

Over the last 30 years, California has changed from a predominately white society, with small pockets of Mexican Americans and other minorities, to a society that is one-third ethnic minority. The State educational system has been unable to respond adequately to the needs of non-white students, especially those with poor or inadequate English…