The study attempts to answer the following questions: (1) do the characteristics of a school with a low dropout rate differ significantly from the characteristics of a school with a high dropout rate; (2) does the dropout rate predict the quality of education received at the school? Methods and findings are summarized and suggestions are made for…

Of the 6,076 students enrolled at Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) in fall 1985, 2,389 (39.3%) were "leavers," i.e., they did not graduate and they did not return in winter 1986. Because new students made up 33.8% of the total fall headcount, but accounted for 41.7% of the leavers, a study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of…

The San Diego City Schools collected statistics about grades 9-12 students who withdrew from school during the 1979-80 school year. The study's purpose was to determine how many of these former students did not enroll in schools elsewhere and, therefore, should be considered school leavers. The following generalizations may be made from the…

This report examines the patterns of academic performance and withdrawal rate of first-time freshmen students at Santa Ana College (SAC) in the Fall 1972 semester and compares them to patterns found for the same kind of students at 32 other California community colleges during the same semester. Results indicate that SAC students had lower GPA's…

This study examined first-year attrition at a large, urban university in the United Kingdom, demonstrating the application of multilevel modeling to the issue of student attrition. A sample of 2,679 full-time, first-year students studying the 20 most common subject areas was identified. Students were divided into four groups depending on their…

This paper examines existing research regarding the problem of school dropouts. It examines the historical context of the problem and discusses current definitions and methods for identifying dropout characteristics and computing dropout rates. Few incentives exist for accurate record-keeping on dropouts. School finances are often linked to…

This report, compiled by the North Carolina State Board of Education's Office for Dropout Prevention, provides dropout data, reasons for students' dropping out of school, and approaches for keeping students in school until successful completion of their education. Facts and figures for dropout rates of high school and the extended day school…

A study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College to determine why off-campus students withdrew from courses at Hawthorne Center (HC) and Northeast Center (NEC). A total of 391 students who withdrew from degree credit classes and continuing education classes at HC in fall 1981, and from classes at NEC in fall 1982 and 1983 were sampled and…

In this study of student attrition rates at Prince George's Community College, three indicators were analyzed: (1) term-to-term attrition, (2) within-term attrition, and (3) course "inefficiency" (failure). Data from 1972-73 through 1976-77 indicated that fall to spring attrition (term-to-term) was approximately 34%. Spring to fall averaged 47%,…

Course completion rates, as measures of college performance and student success, have been computed at Prince George's Community College for the past 11 years. An analysis of Fall 1979 grades revealed that the college-wide course completion rate was 72%. While the Health Technology and Physical Education divisions continued to have higher course…

This report provides tables and commentary on student progress at Bronx Community College for all students entering with matriculated status from fall 1970 to fall 1974. Statistics on graduation, credits earned (in both college-level and noncollege-level courses), and grade point average (GPA) are included. Analyses are given for each entering…

The School District of the City of Saginaw (Michigan) has annually reported on the rate and nature of the dropout population; this dropout report is the eleventh edition of the state defined generation of dropout reports. One hundred and fourteen, or 5% of Saginaw's 2,292 students in grades 9-12, terminated their high school education between…

This document presents narrative data, tables, and graphs on exceptional education students who exited school in Florida during the 1993-94 school year. The first section provides background information and describes the types of exit data collected from school districts and agency programs. Definitions of terms are also provided. The next three…

A research project investigated 2,313 persons who attended Del Mar College (Texas) during fall 1990 but did not enroll for spring 1991. Four sets of data were collected: (1) limited demographic information on the total student body; (2) demographic information drawn from school records to describe all nonreturnees; (3) demographic information…

Glendale (Arizona) Community College (GCC) conducted a survey of students who attended the college in fall 1984 and did not return for the spring 1985 term to determine former students' perceptions of GCC, reasons for not reenrolling, educational goals, transfer and employment experiences, salaries, and characteristics. Study findings, based on…