Attrition for various demographic groups in the several major disciplinary areas represented by graduate students enrolled at New Mexico State University during the fall semesters of the years 1979, 1980, and 1981 are presented. Questions addressed include: overall rate of attrition; significant variance among students from year to year; sex ratio…

Effective spring 1993, California community colleges increased enrollment fees for students with baccalaureate degrees from $6 per unit to $50 per unit, with some exemptions for economically or physically disadvantaged students. Overall credit enrollments for California's community colleges declined an estimated 8.8% from fall 1992 to spring 1993.…

A survey was conducted of students who left John Tyler Community College (JTCC) after one or more quarters of attendance. The purposes of the study were to establish the students' primary goals for enrolling, evaluate whether their goals were achieved, identify the reasons for their withdrawal, ascertain their current activities, and determine…

A study was conducted in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) to identify changes in student retention rates since a marketing and retention initiative was undertaken in 1985. The study also sought to determine factors that may have affected retention and colleges that showed exceptionally high, low, or improved retention rates. The…

A study was conducted in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) to determine the retention rates and academic achievement of part-time, degree-seeking students. The enrollment files of the VCCS colleges were examined to identify each individual enrolled in the fall quarters between 1985 and 1987, to determine full-/part-time enrollment…

This paper summarizes a panel discussion that addressed exit-exam policies and dropout issues. It presents the panel members' conclusions about existing research and their recommendations on what kinds of further work are needed. Research on how exit exams affect dropout rates is limited and inconclusive, so policies continue to be made in the…

A study examined academic achievement and persistence of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) high school students in one urban Alberta (Canada) school district for 1991 to 1996, including analysis of student records and interviews with former students and ESL and mainstream teachers. Results indicate 46% of ESL students did not complete studies…

This report, which is the eighth in a series, presents data for 1995 on high school dropout and retention rates, and examines high school completion and graduation rates. In addition to extending time series data from earlier reports, this report focuses on three specific subpopulations that are at particular risk of dropping out of school: (1)…

This report describes the dropout rate for the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) School District for the year 1985-86. All students eligible to drop out--those between 15 and 21 years old in grades 7 through 12 or in Special Education or ungraded equivalents--were identified (N=70,025). The number of dropouts--not including runaways or those whose…

Assessed at eighth and tenth grades the prediction of school dropout from measures of antisocial behavior, social preference, and achievement. Found that social preference does not uniquely predict school dropout. The possibility exists, however, that youth who are both antisocial and rejected may be at heightened risk for school dropout.…

A study investigated factors in the dropout and progression of students from 33 programs in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in England and Wales. Data were gathered in student and teacher surveys. Results indicate a high level of student movement to and from ESOL classes. In intensive courses, more students were graded and more came…

In 1988, a study was conducted at John Tyler Community College (JTCC) to investigate patterns in student retention during the 1987-88 academic year. A survey was mailed to 124 full-time and 237 part-time students who enrolled in the fall quarter but did not return for the winter or spring quarters. Study findings, based on a 50% response rate,…

To make educational assessments and comparisons meaningful, dropout data must be collected according to the same definitions, by the same procedures, and over the same time periods. A 31-state pilot project represents an effort by the National Center for Education Statistics to standardize data collection about high school completion. (SLD)

This study focuses on school system characteristics that affect the dropout rate in the Chicago public high schools. Although the primary variable for investigation is attendance rate, other school system variables examined include type of school, percentage of low-income students in a school, and the overall level of student ability for a school…

A follow-up study of undergraduate student attrition at Indiana University is presented. It builds upon previous research on student attrition documenting high rates of attrition among Black and Hispanic undergraduates. It also builds upon the Conceptual Model of Black Student Attrition. One goal is to compare persisters and non-persisters within…