Existing research demonstrates a strong relationship between the prevalence of irregular enrollment patterns among community college students and their low rates of degree attainment (Adelman 2006; Bahr 2009; Berkner et al. 2000; Goldrick-Rab 2004, 2007; Horn and Nevill 2006). However, very little is known about the features and processes that…

To understand student attrition, Mercer County Community College has developed a complementary information system based on: (1) a computerized tracking system following enrollment patterns by semester of entering class; (2) surveys of the nonreturning student populations each semester; and (3) retrieval of demographic and biographic…

Information was collected in 1993 from students who withdrew from courses in mid-term at a community college either because they were dropping a course or departing from the college. This report documents withdrawal patterns of students during the calendar year of 1994. Self-reported reasons for course/college withdrawal were identified and…

This document from the Miami-Dade Community College Office of Institutional Research (Florida) briefly reports student retention rates at the college for the year 2000. Retention rates for degree-seeking students in 2000 increased from 1998 for all major ethnic categories. The year 2000 total college retention rate was 72.5%. Retention rates by…

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 paper presents a status report on efforts to assess institutional effectiveness at the Community College of Pennsylvania (CCP). Part I provides a description of the methodological and procedural considerations which have guided efforts to understand institutional effectiveness. First, a description is provided of the conceptual foundation for…

An investigation was made of the effects of drop policy changes at Pasadena City College on student attrition and final-grade distributions. Data on student attrition were obtained from data processing printouts for the years 1965-1973, and final-grade distribution data were obtained from Departmental Grade Distribution Reports produced annually.…

The importance of considering the students's goal for attending community college in examining attrition is addressed. A total of 282 new students (18% of all new students) entering a community college in fall 1990 were tracked. Four items from the Entering Student Information Survey were examined: the degree the student plans to work toward at…

As the entering-college population dwindles and competition to attract this population increases among colleges, student retention has become a primary concern for community colleges. Assessing the extent of the dropout problem is particularly problematic for community colleges, as they are institutions geared to the facilitation of ease of…

The reasons for withdrawal by students qualified to return to Bronx Community College (BCC) were studied. A short survey form consisting of three open-ended questions was sent to 153 of the dropouts, while a long form with about 30 objective questions was sent to 1,498 dropouts. Thirty-two responses to the short form and 250 responses to the long…

Research may be divided into two types, "empowering" research and "academic" research. Empowering research seeks to determine how a particular individual or organization can produce a desired result, while academic research is concerned with why a particular condition exists. While academic research might ask "Why do students drop out of school?"…

Attrition of 1978 first-time students at Tidewater Community College and student demographic and attitudinal characteristics were investigated to assist the college in decreasing attrition of new students. Nonreturnees were identified and distinguished from students readmitted to the college during the subsequent five quarters. Information is…

This paper describes the conceptual model of retention used as the framework for research on institutional effectiveness at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP). First, an overview of the literature on student attrition is presented, followed by a specific review of research based on Tinto's model of student attrition. This model maintains…

In 1989, a study was conducted of the performance of Redwood High School (RHS) graduates at the College of the Sequoias (COS), in California. The study analyzed information provided by the high school and data available from COS's student information system, including RHS grade point average (GPA), college GPA, units attempted and passed, first…

The Student Success Program (SSP) at Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology, in Ontario (Canada), combines institutional research, intervention strategies, and evaluation to form an effective model of student retention. The institutional research component is managed by the Retention Information System (RIS), which collects demographic,…