In this controversy piece, we portray online learning as growing too fast for existing regulatory structures to oversee and generally as having failed to live up to its potential. Operators, particularly for-profit operators, have generally not produced successful schools. We urge reforms of cyber schooling funding mechanisms, data systems, and…

An argument that precipitated withdrawal of two adult learners from a class is used to explore themes of the voluntary nature of participation in adult education, authority and control issues in the classroom, anxiety and resistance, and the community context of the classroom. The teacher's responsibility for the classroom climate is highlighted.…

This study attempts to define dropouts, focus on the reasons for dropping out, and suggest some ways to overcome perceived barriers to participation in adult literacy programs. (SK)

The history and status of research on college student attrition are reviewed, and research design and measurement deficiencies that have reduced the accuracy or usefulness of results or hindered appropriate policy formation are discussed. (MSE)

Attempts to explain the high rate of student attrition in first-year language courses. The author gained insight into the problem when he enrolled in a Chinese course, which he eventually dropped because of lack of incentive. He concludes that awareness of the need for language learning will curb attrition rates. (Author/PJM)

Finds that developmental reading students were as successful in college as low ACT nondevelopmental students but not as successful as the higher ACT students. Suggests that ACT scores and age were the best predictors of college success. Demonstrates the need for developmental classes for underprepared college freshmen. (RS)

An analysis of student decisions to withdraw from specific courses before assignment of grades but after the "add-drop" period at the University of Minnesota is presented. In a probit model, withdrawals appear to occur randomly, with notable exceptions. Student, class, and teacher characteristics are considered as variables related to…

Describes the outcome of a National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey (NPSAS), which found that two-year students were 0.18% less likely to persist for each $100 increase in tuition, more likely to persist if they received subsidies, and 15.96% more likely to persist for every $1,000 in student loan debt outstanding. (Contains 68 references.) (PGS)

Serious concerns are being raised by the poor and uneducated underclass in the United States. Four main points are given which expand upon these concerns. (1) The affluent and middle class white U.S. population does not have enough interest and commitment to the poor and undereducated population to pay the price it will take to educate the U.S.…

Offers an economics/business-management perspective on student attrition, focusing on the external macro-environment (including such factors as government funding of education, changing enrollment patterns, and the increased number of postsecondary institutions) and the internal micro-environment (exhibiting characteristics of intangibility,…

Offers suggestions for teachers of adult basic education and GED classes to help students feel comfortable in class. (FL)

Discusses demographic statistics that reveal a declining number of African American students entering American colleges and universities, along with a disproportionately high attrition rate for those who do. Suggests that the focus on retention of these students is insufficient; programs are needed to help minority students progress to degree…

This paper reviews whether students learn enough in high school to justify a law compelling attendance of all adolescents. It is concluded that those who haven't achieved a level of intellectual development allowing them to function responsibly should remain in an educational setting to raise their skill level. (Author/GK)

Under both the present and the proposed Individuals with Disabilities Education Act law there is no 10-day rule that keeps school administrators from taking strong measures to deal with students who pose a clear and present danger to the safety of others. (Author/MLF)

The U.S. Department of Education and various education commentators maintain that dropout rates have been decreasing for African-Americans and the school population as a whole. This paper presents evidence that dropout rates may be going up rather than down and identifies reasons for the conflicting data. The reasons include varied definitions of…