Examines the relationship between participation in an institution's freshman year experience course and student retention and success. Participating students were found to continue their enrollment to the fall term of their second year at a higher rate, complete more of the first academic year, earn higher cumulative grade point averages, and have…

Ten years of participants in Ohio University's freshman "University Experience" course (an extended orientation course) were compared with comparable nonparticipants on academic performance, student retention, and student graduation. For most years, participants' GPAs, retention rates, and graduation rates were higher. (EV)

Discusses the benefits of a Web-based orientation for international students and suggests means by which academic institutions can best use the Web to support their specific programs and goals with respect to international education. (EV)

Discusses the origins, philosophy, and current status of student financial aid, asserting that this information is important for orientation personnel as they develop programs and promote a holistic view of student success, including how students pay for college. (EV)

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) is increasingly offering more Web-based, online orientation courses to students. Since the fall semester of 1999, the community college campuses throughout the VCCS have offered over 100 sections of online orientation courses. However, no assessment data or research for these courses or students exists.…

The introduction of the Internet has dramatically changed the process of information transmission as well as practically every other aspect of American society, including the higher education system. Many colleges and universities have taken advantage of the utility of the Internet and instituted online courses and online degree and certificate…

This publication discusses the value of orientation programs for new school board members and examines various possibilities for the structuring and presentation of such orientation programs. Approximately half of the publication is devoted to presenting examples of orientation programs and materials used by five state and local agencies that…

Describes a peer counseling program, the Oneonta Opportunity Program, for educationally and academically disadvantaged students. Its purpose was to provide academic advising and counseling, institutional orientation, and regular formal contact for the first-time college student (freshman). (Author)

Transition programs can be useful if the students can quickly find some stability in their relationship to the official structures of the school. This can be provided through teachers, whom they see often; through classroom activities; through class excursions; and through extracurricular activities, such as a school camp. (HOD)

Presents tips and a checklist to help primary teachers prepare for a new school year. Suggests that in August the teacher should prepare the classroom, decide on the schedule and class rules, meet parents, and prepare a teaching plan for the first day of school. (SJL)

Presented are 61 warm-up activities and games to help children get acquainted, review basic skills, and "get back in gear" after summer vacation. (SJL)

This article compares the standard structural categories of colleges with the "image factors" of the inventory of college activities as predictors of student orientations. The results are that it is difficult to obtain orthogonal "image factors" and, therefore, these factors cannot easily be used in regression equations.…

Investigated the leadership behaviors of 78 Orientation Advisors (OAs) to determine whether certain practices made any difference in the effectiveness of OAs or in the value of the orientation programs to new students. Results indicate significant and consistent relationships between leadership behaviors and perceived effectiveness and…

The ways in which admissions and orientation policies and practices help undergraduates form appropriate expectations for college are examined through examples of 14 colleges and universities, whose recruitment materials communicate the institution's educational purposes and orientation activities affirm institutional values and make students feel…

Presents a scheme for organizing the various dimensions of parent-school involvement. Discusses four aspects of the model: monitoring, informing, participation, and empowerment. (MG)