Many school systems find that information routinely collected about dropouts on the national level is not useful for describing or studying the nature of their dropout problem. This report presents comparisons of local dropout characteristics with results from national studies. A profile of dropout characteristics was obtained from a large urban…

This article reports on findings from a research project that investigated the experiences and perceptions of final-year social science undergraduates enrolled on a dissertation module in a post-1992 UK university. The dissertation was designed to provide students with the opportunity to function autonomously and determine the content and focus of…

This study examines the relationships among a variety of secondary/postsecondary experiences and activities and postsecondary students' musical independence (MI). The paper reports on the impact Instrumental Performance Skills (IPSs) have on the students" MI development during private lessons, band rehearsal, and individual practicing. The study…

Background: In this article, we are going to present some details about the educational reform at the level of higher education (i.e. University level) taking the case of the University of Abderrahmane Mira, Bejaia. After a year of its application, we aim at mapping out the problems we have met during the last academic year and trying to find out…

The Student College Experience Survey of Santa Barbara City College (California) is intended to determine students' levels of satisfaction with various aspects of the college life, including environment, instruction, and services. The survey also aims at determining student characteristics not available from the data collected through the student…

A study assessed employer attitudes and employer demand for student interns. A questionnaire was mailed to each of the 813 employers who used the internship program of the Communication Studies department at the University of California, Los Angeles. A total of 237 questionnaires were returned by intern supervisors in journalism, television, film,…

This study examined instructional practices previously found to have improved student academic performance, the extent to which undergraduate students preferred these practices, how often they occurred in the classroom, and the relationship of these practices to grade point averages, motivation, educational preparation, and retention. A survey was…

Changes in the working and personal lives of adults as a result of completing a bachelor's degree as a mature-age student were studied in Australia. Also considered were students' progress through the degree, patterns of employment while enrolled, and additional formal higher education after completing (or withdrawing from) the program. The study…

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) regularly evaluates the experience of international students in Canada through a benchmarking survey. Canada First 2009 represents the fourth time CBIE has conducted this research. Previous editions appeared in 1988, 1999 and 2004. This year's survey used a revised questionnaire similar to…

Changes and continuities in adolescents' optimal experiences over two years are explored in this study, and related to the development of affective and motivational patterns. Optimal experience, or flow, occurs when people do intrinsically rewarding activities in which they feel optimally challenged relative to their level of skills. The major…

This study evaluated a first-year pilot program to improve retention, academic achievement, and student satisfaction of 49 academically underprepared freshmen at Assumption College (Massachusetts), a predominantly white, Catholic, liberal arts institution. Students were identified by low verbal, math, and total SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test)…

The theory underlying qualitative research design and a specific formative evaluation study that includes qualitative methods are discussed. The focus is the data analyses methods and procedures employed in the evaluation study, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the inquiry. Qualitative research focuses on the idiographic and operates on…

This report is the twenty-second in the series of surveys sponsored annually by MetLife since 1984. This year's report examines the essential aspects in student and educator transitions including the supporting relationships. The current study incorporates the perspectives of key stakeholders in exploring this issue: new public school teachers in…

This report provides the first detailed picture of the features of the rural school bus ride. Data were provided by principals in 696 rural elementary schools in Arkansas, Georgia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Washington--states chosen to represent diversity in region, locale, and ethnic composition. The literature commonly cites 30 minutes as…

As part of an effort to improve the image of Mercer County Community College, in New Jersey, a faculty member conducted interviews of 15 colleagues and 4 students to determine their perceptions of the college. Participants were asked about their present attitudes towards the college, their views when they first began, what the college does best,…