This paper reports the results of a major research effort by the Northern California Cooperative Research Group (Nor Cal) and the Coordinating Council for Higher Education (CCHE) in California to study junior college attrition. This study differs from the original Nor Cal attrition study in that it was designed to follow up those students who…

Nor Cal Phase III was the experimental portion of the 3-year attrition study. The general purpose of the study was to design and test treatments aimed at reducing attrition among first-time freshmen entering community colleges. Twenty-eight colleges (22 in Northern California, five in Southern California and one out-of-state) were involved in…

This paper proposes a longitudinal study of Eastern Massachusetts secondary students from two culturally diverse locations beginning in the fall of 1986 and ending with their high school graduations in 1991 and 1992. After discussing dropout prevention strategies, the paper offers the following justification for the study: By following these…

Findings from a study of administrators' perceptions of student dropout causes and possible interventions are presented in this paper. Current dropout literature was categorized into four sources of student withdrawal from school--schools, parents, peers, and students. A national survey of 650 secondary principals and 650 superintendents produced…

This position paper was written to answer a series of basic questions frequently asked about attrition and retention at Empire State College (ESC), New York. The questions addressed in the report are: (1) What is the attrition rate at ESC? (2) How does ESC's attrition rate compare to other colleges? (3) Who are the leavers? (4) When does attrition…

The committee is convinced that attrition is so interwoven with the entire college philosophy and operation that attempts to minimize it must be viewed as a total campus effort. The following definition of attrition was used for computing attrition at the class level: (1) all F's, (2) all withdrawals from class for students enrolled for 7 hours or…

This report describes the study, its findings relative to recidivism and school withdrawal, the implications of the findings for planning preventive intervention services, and the implications of the findings for further research. (Author)

The primary goal of a districtwide dropout-prevention program is to develop, implement, and enhance instructional and programmatic components that have proven effective in educational research and practice and thus resulted in fewer students dropping out of school prior to high school graduation. This paper describes the development and…

This report reviews the literature on early departure from school in America, both past and present, in order to ascertain why students drop out of school, what the consequences are for the students who do so, and what schools can do to reduce the dropout rate. After a brief historical perspective on the problem, the social and economic costs of…

A study was conducted at Shelby State Community College (SSCC) in Tennessee to determine the extent, causes, and solutions to the problem of student retention. The study involved: (1) a comparative analysis of headcounts to assess the extent of the dropout problem, which indicated that enrollments declined sharply from 5,289 in 1983 to 3,399 in…

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…

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…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate retention efforts in Ontario (Canada) secondary schools in order to develop policy and support initiatives designed to reduce dropouts and improve retention rates. The study had four parts: (1) an analysis of credit accumulation for four cohorts and academic achievement patterns over 4 years in 16 schools;…

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…

It is uncertain what a college reading program can do to enhance retention of college students who leave before graduating. Unfortunately, studies of college reading instruction's impact on grade point average (GPA) have not produced clear results. Additional content instruction, however, has been found to have significant impact on GPA's. Still,…