Examined factors associated with research attrition in a long-term follow-up study (48 months). Researchers attempted to contact all randomized participants, not just those who completed treatment. The analyses deal primarily with refusal, the main reason for attrition. Short-term outcome did not predict refusal. The findings, if generalizable,…

The subject mortality problems of an experimental design which covers the period of student recruitment through posttesting over a 13-month period, is detailed in this study. Out of an effective applicant pool of 72 students randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, only 38 students remained at the end of the study with complete test…

Simple methods for detecting attrition (nonresponse) in longitudinal evaluations are reviewed, focusing on regression-based analyses of data from a longitudinal evaluation. The approaches are illustrated with data from the Fort Bragg Evaluation, an evaluation of a major demonstration in children's mental health services. (SLD)

One of the six national goals in the United States is to achieve a 90 percent graduation rate by the year 2000. In the last 50 years, high school graduation has become the norm. Concurrent with the new expectation of high school graduation came the dominance of the word "dropout" to describe those without diplomas. Many Americans view…

An analytical framework is described through which voluntary attrition can be predicted. The approach incorporates Marshallian Utility Theory and a Maximum Likelihood Estimation procedure to evaluate a specific individual's propensity to attrit. The approach was tested twice at the United States Air Force Academy where it was able to correctly…

This research-subject attrition study evaluated differences between 45 subjects who completed a 22-month longitudinal study and 34 who dropped out. Subjects were blue-collar employees. Discriminant analysis proved to be a useful tool for determining some of longitudinal data bias. Attrition was predicted by situational rather than personality…

This study presents data and findings on student retention at South Texas Community College (STCC) and recommends steps to improve retention rates. STCC groups attrition into three categories: (1) positive attrition, due to graduation, completion or transfer; (2) neutral attrition, due to non-institutional conflicts; and (3) negative attrition,…

Methods used to follow, for 18 months after pregnancy resolution, 241 premaritally pregnant urban adolescents in a longitudinal drug use study are described. One respondent dropped out after the first interview. Temporary attrition at each data collection wave was between 1 percent and 3 percent. Sample recruitment and retention are discussed.…

In the single prediction of attrition/ persistence for experimental and control persons, GPA is primary and significant. No other single predictors appear viable. In the multiple prediction of attrition/persistence for experimental and control persons, GPA is primary and significant. Additional variates usually appear unnecessary. (Author)

The distributions of indices of academic abilities and achievements of entering freshmen classes and of classes at the end of the first year of college over an eight-year period are compared. Data show a decline in ACT test scores, increases in high school grades of college entrants, and the stability of test scores and increases in college grades…

This is a study of the dropout rate during the 1998-99 academic year at Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST). A total of 1,025 of 7,174 students (14%) withdrew from their program of study before the end of the year. This report categorizes the reasons for leaving as follows: (1) exited by institute; (2) personal…

A survey involving 125 students who voluntarily withdrew from the State University College at Oswego, was conducted to determine student characteristics and their reasons for withdrawing, as well as to examine suggestions for reducing attrition. Examination of the data suggests that seniors withdrew less frequently than did members of other…

Three basic designs for studying college student attrition are described and the comparative assets and liabilities of each are discussed. It is noted that administrators faced with declining enrollments and costs for students not completing degree programs are likely to call for attrition studies, yet methodological inadequacies exist in many…

Basic background information on college student attrition research studies is provided. This paper is divided into nine components that were prominent in the existing literature: (1) higher education and the concern for attrition; (2) factors involved in college student attrition; (3) demographic factors involved in college student attrition; (4)…

A general interest in attrition, or loss of units from a study, stems in part from the observation that the infrequency of attention to attrition exacerbates problems of data interpretation. As a substudy of the national evaluation of Project Follow Through, the potential biasing effects of attrition of subjects from the sites were investigated.…