High-risk students, a new segment of the baccalaureate nursing student population, are being admitted in increasing numbers. Faculty must learn to identify this group, and institutions must search for strategies to decrease the attrition rate within it. (MSE)

As part of the campus concern with retention, California State University at Long Beach developed intervention strategies to work with students on academic probation. The students who participated in this mandatory, long-term, comprehensive program made more significant and steady progress compared with control populations who used other services.…

Studies Kennedy-King College's low level of persistence among African-American "nontraditional" male students, and the resulting high rate of departure before completing specified goals. Proposes a model of persistence to develop modes of action, program enhancements, and activities within the college to increase persistence level. (24…

Thirty-nine students in an undergraduate educational psychology course identified and organized their core goals into ten goal domains. They then identified semester subgoals and tracked their time in relation to their goals. Results suggest that courses intended to increase student retention should use activities that help students identify their…

Three retention and enrollment management experts share their most effective innovations and best practices that have achieved cost-effective results. Tables provide data on dropout rates, graduation rates, and results of a student satisfaction rating survey of four-year colleges and universities. (DB)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a solution-focused, alternative school in preventing students from dropping out of high school. A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest group design was used with 85 students to examine differences in credits earned, attendance, and graduation rates. Follow-up data on students in the experimental group were…

This book, based on a discussion at an interactive videoconference, examines student diversity issues and retention strategies in the context of the Sallie Mae National Retention Project that addressed state expectations for more accountability and federal reporting requirements on graduation and retention. The eight chapters focus on equity as it…

A review of research on dropouts from adult basic education (ABE) reveals several theoretical models relevant to the study of dropout and persistence in ABE, shows specific variables related to dropout behavior, provides insights as to who drops out and why, identifies some characteristics of disadvantaged adult learners, and reveals some problems…

High school dropouts are usually academic underachievers who adjust to social environments with difficulty. When they leave school, they develop even greater behavior problems and have more trouble getting employment than do high school graduates. To prevent dropouts, schools try to find funds for dropout prevention programs, work with agencies…

This practice-application digest addresses what vocational education can do to reduce the almost 30 percent dropout rate among U.S. students. The first section describes factors that place students at risk, focusing on factors included in the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's definition of the term "at-risk." In the next…

Colleges and universities are increasingly committed to achieving enrollment stability through raising student retention rates. The student retention model is designed to guide institutions toward enhancing both involvement and institutional fit for as many students as feasible, thereby increasing student retention. (MLW)

Learning-disabled students entering college may be uncomfortable about their abilities and disabilities and establish an "avoidance pattern" toward participation in class. Effective interventions combine support with realistic explanations of learning strengths and weakness, and include counseling, organizations supporting learning-disabled…

Salient findings of six studies assessing the construct validity of Tinto's model of college student attrition are described. The studies are based on three independent data collections over a three-year period and indicate the students' informal contacts with faculty are consistently related to subsequent persistence/withdrawal decisions.…

The experience of students withdrawing from a university in their first year is explored. Students' perceptions of the factors which influenced their withdrawal decisions are examined. Findings support the hypothesis that the main factor influencing withdrawal/persistence behavior is the degree to which students can adjust to the new academic and…

The effectiveness of a mentoring program for 53 at-risk college students was investigated. The results indicated that the mentoring intervention had a positive impact on retention and grade point averages for this student cohort. (EV)