A study examined the attrition rate in the Wichita Practical Nursing School in Wichita, Kansas, and the effectiveness of a study skills workshop in reducing the attrition rate. Using a quasi-experimental control group design, the researcher studied the attrition rates of three consecutive classes at the school. The first two classes served as…

This report presents retention rates of the 1964 through 1969 Hofstra freshman classes 5 years after entry. Data indicates: (1) Hofstra's persistence rate for the 1966 freshmen was comparable to the national retention rate. (2) There has been a downward trend in Hofstra's persistence rate as demonstrated by the figures for the 1964 throught 1969…

The typical high school has not changed significantly over the past 50 years. Faculty members are segregated into departments based on their subject, and students rush from one 50-minute class to another throughout the seven-hour day. Reform efforts, however, are growing both nationally and in California. Reformers say that high school students…

This paper presents a report on students who decided to drop out of the BSc program offered by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). This study was designed to determine the reasons leading to students' decisions to withdraw from the program. Identified and reported in this study are nine major reasons leading to drop out. Results of…

An analysis of spring 1983 retention rates and grade distributions within the Peralta Community College District (PCCD) revealed: (1) College of Alameda had the highest successful retention rate in the PCCD, defined as the total of all students who completed the term with a grade of A, B, C, D, or CR (credit); (2) the PCCD's successful retention…

Two of the most important indicators of the educational system's success are the rates that young people complete and drop out of school each year. The Common Core of Data (CCD) survey system of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) annually collects information about public school dropouts and completers. This report presents the…

One of the critical goals of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal legislation is to raise student achievement. The first thing to do, is ensure that the students are actually in school. If students leave school prematurely, schools will not be able to help them master the skills thought to be necessary in the workplace or in future education.…

This report presents the results of a five-year longitudinal study designed to examine the effect of career-based comprehensive school reform on creating a successful high school experience and preparing youth for the adult world of postsecondary education and work. The study included three feeder patterns of middle schools, high schools, and…

Although much is written about reasons why students drop out of online courses, little is said about what makes them stay. This article reports on an experiment whereby online students were exposed to a learning experience modelled on the US television series "Survivor." Twenty-four students were put into "tribes" and allowed…

This report explains using data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) to evaluate undergraduate persistence. A recent study (A. Astin and I. Oseguera) has found that two-thirds of the variation among institutions in degree completion rates is attributable to differences in their entering classes rather than to differences in…

This report describes the attrition rate at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) (Kansas). The overall attrition rate for classes starting in fall 2000 was nearly 12%--during the fall semester 4,652 students dropped classes. Useable drop surveys were completed for 93% of those classes. Findings indicated that: (1) the Science, Math, and Health…

This document addresses the problem of students withdrawing from courses before completion and in the process attempts to devise ways that Mendocino College can aid students complete their courses. The report uses findings from two research reports. The first report was completed at the Florida Community College (FCC), which discovered that 75% of…

Analyzed the effects of family income and financial aid on college students' persistence at Iona College, New York. Institutional data on family demographics, academic achievement, and financial variables indicated that financial aid did not significantly affect persistence. Although students from families with greater incomes tended to persist,…

Kenya has introduced policies to promote universal primary schooling at least three times since independence. Analysis of enrolments over four decades shows how these initiatives have resulted in gains in participation which have not always been sustained. This study illuminates the dynamics of efforts to increase access to education and acts as a…

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…