The University 101 course seeks to create an attitude among freshmen that helps them appreciate the value of higher education, to point the way to university resources that will allow them to develop to their fullest potential, and thereby to cause more of them to survive the freshman year. This study of first-term freshmen at Tennessee…

This report provides background and linkages necessary to bring state-level experiences of reporting graduation rate statistics to bear in implementing the Student Right-to-Know Act particularly regarding the reporting of student persistence and graduation rates at institutions of higher education. Section I provides: (1) an overview of the extent…

In fall 1982, a study was conducted in the Peralta Community College District (PCCD) using withdrawal and grade distribution data to analyze student retention patterns. Successful retention rates were based on the percentage of students who received a passing grade, while total retention rates were based on the percentage of students who received…

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…

Explores the effect of course relevancy and goal clarity, in concert with psychosocial variables, upon persistence/dropout. The interaction of scholastic ability and course relevancy added to the discrimination of persisters and dropouts. A self-confidence and ideal self discrepancy variable was also shown to be a good discriminator of persistence…

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…

To help inform policymakers and the public about the progress of education in the United States, Congress has mandated that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report, "The Condition of Education." This year's report presents 42 indicators on important topics and trends in U.S. education. These…

Tennessee Code Annotated (T.C.A.) Section 49-7-2 (c) (7) requires the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to "submit a biennial report to the governor and the general assembly, commenting upon major developments, trends, new policies, budgets and financial considerations which in the judgment of the commission will be useful to the governor…

The purpose of this study was to compare the retention, progression, graduation, and attrition rates of first time freshman enrolled in four-year undergraduate programs at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), and Pittsburg State University (PSU), Pittsburg, Kansas. The characteristics of both schools and the limitations of the study are presented…

This report of the number and percentage of senior high school students who left school before graduating found that: (1) 7% of the fall 1981 high school enrollment left before the end of the 1981-1982 school year; (2) leavers accounted for 6% from regular high schools enrollment, 51% from continuation high schools, and 7% from other high schools;…

This report serves as a progress report on the implementation of the Commission's longitudinal student data system. Recent data submission by the University of California and the California State University, along with the community college data already in-house, will make it possible for the Commission to conduct studies on time-to-degree,…

A self-assessment scale was administered to adults in a high school equivalency program. After ten weeks, the scores of those who persisted were compared to those of dropouts. The self-concept of dropouts was found to be significantly different from that of persisters, providing a personality portrait useful in the identification of potential…

Johnes and Taylor refute the criticisms of McPherson and Paterson on their paper about undergraduate noncompletion rates. Criticism centered on the use of the mean A-level scores of entrants as a measure of academic ability, definition of noncompletion, and omission of student/staff ratios. (MLW)

This article offers an exploration of the Asian Pacific American (APA) ethnic groups that show high rates of departure, and presents strategies and approaches to improving their persistence and graduation rates. A detailed examination of the APA population is presented to identify the subgroups that are underrepresented in higher education and who…

Findings of a study that examined the relationship between school climate and student persistence are presented in this paper. Two surveys were administered to teachers and students at 10 Austin, Texas, high schools. Three factors of school climate were investigated--teachers as professionals, goals for student learning, and school discipline and…