Compared the characteristics of friends, the environments of the friendship network, and the nature of peer relations of students (N=191) at-risk and not at risk of leaving high school. Results indicate that at risk students had more dropout friends, more working friends, fewer school friends, and fewer same-sex friends. (RJM)

Examined 600 student and 300 faculty perceptions of the environment at the University of Wyoming as it relates to student retention and attrition. Results suggest that perceptions of persistors and subsequent dropouts differ less than expected. (TE)

Discusses the findings of a study of young people who had left post-16 education prematurely or had switched courses. Examines the main influences on the young people's decisions, the extent to which they felt prepared for their transitions, and their views of career guidance and education. (Author/GCP)

This paper presents a report on students who decided to drop out of the BSc program offered by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). This study was designed to determine the reasons leading to students' decisions to withdraw from the program. Identified and reported in this study are nine major reasons leading to drop out. Results of…

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 manual outlines the procedure for counting dropouts from the Nevada schools. The State Department of Education instituted a new dropout counting procedure to its student accounting system in January 1988 as part of its response to recommendations of a task force on at-risk youth. The count is taken from each secondary school and includes…

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…

In spring 1984, a three-part withdrawal study was conducted at Glendale (Arizona) Community College (GCC) to investigate reasons for course withdrawal, and official and unofficial college withdrawal. Study findings, based on responses from 138 students who withdrew from courses, 282 students who officially withdrew from GCC, and 9 students who…

This report, part three of a long-range study of persistence and performance in California's community colleges, presents rates of non-persistence for the sample of 35,000 students during 1972-73, their first year of enrollment. About 18 percent of the new students enrolled for credit withdrew from all classes before the end of the fall term. An…

This report, the fourth part of a long-range study of persistence and performance in California's community colleges, deals with the performance of the 82 percent of the 35,000 student sample who entered the California community college system in fall 1972 and completed at least one term. Sixty percent of the total sample continued beyond one…

This survey analyzes the characteristics of students who dropped all of their classes at City College of San Francisco (CCSF) before the college's census date. The survey finds that students who drop all of their classes are similar to students who remain enrolled, yet tend to be older, to hold a college-level degree, and to hold at least one…

Despite much research on dropouts, little information exists on the education of dropouts after they leave high school. That a substantial proportion of dropouts complete high school within a few years appears not to be widely known. Without understanding the nature and extent of this phenomenon, the severity and impact on society of the dropout…

This study of the persistence behavior of undergraduates at America's 4-year colleges and universities used data from the "High School and Beyond" study, a national survey of 28,000 high-school seniors. "Persistence" is described as the flow of students through college over a 6-year period. Four categories of persistence were…

In fall 1987, a study was conducted at Central Community College (CCC) to investigate patterns in student course withdrawals at the college's three campuses. At CCC, students may enroll in a "whole" course (i.e., all credits represented by one listing on the schedule) or in one or more parts of the course by individual units. For example,…

A study was conducted in the Marin Community Colleges to determine whether direct mail and telephone contacts with college dropouts would be perceived as demonstrating a caring attitude on the part of faculty and staff, and positively influence their rate of return. The study measured the rate of return of four groups of students who were enrolled…