The effects of family background factors on the mobility aspirations of 70 black and white Chicago, Illinois male adolescents were investigated. Data on family socioeconomic status, family structure, parent aspirations for the son and parent-child relationships were obtained by interviewing the father, mother, and son in each family. Results…

Noting that research on long-term effects of attending preschool has found social as well as cognitive effects, this study explored the association between preschool participation and adolescent goals and activities in a sample of 80 urban eighth graders who had attended different types of preschool and kindergarten programs. The sample was 55…

A speech delivered at the National Association of College Deans, Registrars and Admissions Officers on March 16, 1980 in Alabama, presents a case for the continued existence of Black colleges. Suggests Black colleges have an important role in educating Black youth and recommends improvements for Black colleges. (RC)

This paper reports on research to examine the types of motivation related to school achievement. A total of 1428 students from an inner city high school in the Montreal (Quebec) area participated in the study, 714 males and 714 females. The students ranged in age from 12 to 18, and approximately 40 percent were minorities (Hispanic, Asian, Black).…

Gifted females have less frequently sought high-prestige and high-income careers due to a number of barriers. Some barriers are related to society's expectations of women, and others are related to the workplace itself. The most limiting and pervasive barrier is "sex role socialization's impact on the child's developing self-belief system"…

This study examined the predictive factors of demand for degrees and academic performance at the University of the Basque Country (Spain). The study followed two cohorts of university students from secondary education to the completion of the third year of higher education. The data analyzed included secondary school qualifications, selectivity…

This study explored factors contributing to the educational aspirations of African American students. An underlying assumption of the study was that the paradigm for looking at aspirations as a key predictor of later attainment in college students may work differently for black students than for the general population. The study involved data…

This paper explores the question of how and what a school can do to foster student discipline and effort. Personal experiences and observations are offered about the approaches and strategies used in schools and by parents in Taiwan, China to foster students' positive attitudes toward learning and school. This document focuses on the approaches…

This paper examines differences in educational outcomes among 1,792 students from small (fewer than 300 pupils), average (400-700 pupils), and large (900-1,200 pupils) rural high schools, and among 1,084 students from small high schools in urban, suburban, and rural settings. Data were drawn from the High School and Beyond database, a national…

The study attempted to determine the transfer patterns of students in four-year colleges and universities in order to understand the forces influencing transfer behavior and the choice of institutions. A short survey was mailed to 203 students selected from a large sample from which ambiguous results had been obtained in an earlier survey. After…

The relative participation of high ability male and female college students as natural science majors and attrition of these students from the sciences to other majors were studied at a highly selective, comprehensive research university. Of concern were the following major fields: biology, microbiology, biophysics, premedicine, astronomy,…

The relationship between community college transfer students' experiences at an urban, doctoral-granting commuter university and their enrollment intentions was studied using Bean and Metzner's conceptual model of attrition for nontraditional students. Of 300 community college transfer students at a state-supported urban university who were…

Student withdrawal from the University of Iowa was studied using an exit survey. Students' reasons for leaving the university, their future plans, and possible interventions that would have assisted the student to remain in school were assessed, along with the validity of the survey. Although there was only 62 percent agreement between the exit…

The components of academic advising and the educational benefits to students are outlined and ways in which the American College Testing (ACT) Assessment Program can help are examined. The ACT Assessment Program is designed for use by students planning to enter postsecondary education and provides a base of information about freshman advisees. The…

A random sample, predominantly black, of about 100 rural Louisiana residents was interviewed in 1979-80 to determine the extent to which rural residents' educational and occupational motivations were related to their adoption of agricultural technology. Published literature relevant to the subject was reviewed. With the exception of an…