The Center for Urban Research in Education (CURE), jointly conceived by the Portland (Oregon) Public Schools and Portland State University, was established in 1987 by the Oregon State Legislature to explore solutions to the educational problems of at-risk student populations, especially those in urban settings. This paper shares the results of…

This article reviews the literature on university student attrition and comments on general implications for secondary school counselors. The reasons that dropouts leave school are assessed, e.g., lack of interaction with faculty, a perceived lack of progress, and financial/family problems; and characteristics of non-returning students are…

The effects of four two-hour study skills seminars on study organization, study techniques, and study motivation were investigated for 1977 fall semester resident freshmen at York College of Pennsylvania. Forty-four interested volunteers were divided equally into a treatment and control group on the basis of pretest scores on the Study Techniques…

Describes a survey of 724 management students in New Zealand's Technical Correspondence Institute which was conducted to determine whether the introduction of educational technologies could decrease the dropout rate. The multiple linear regression model that was used to analyze the questionnaire responses is presented, and predictor variables are…

Attrition is defined and the importance of understanding factors affecting it at a particular institution are discussed. A retention model is presented, ways that each of the sets of variables affect attrition and methods to reduce attrition are discussed. (MLW)

As a response to the problem of adult-student retention at two-year and four-year urban colleges, a new structural model, "Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy, Perceived Stress, and an Integrated Model of Student Persistence" (Sandler, 1999), has been identified to better explain the integration, finances, behavior, and career development of…

An approach to fiscal accountability used at Emporia State University (Kansas) demonstrates how a student academic advising center can improve fiscal stability by increasing retention and graduation rates, thereby increasing enrollment-based appropriations. The method links retention and graduation figures and trends for each year and trends in…

A committee of the North Carolina Board of Governors will recommend that each state university create or enhance programs to improve campus race relations, engage minority students in campus life, increase numbers of black students and of black doctoral candidates, and achieve higher minority enrollment. Focus is on both recruiting and retaining…

A new program linking the Phoenix Union High School District with local community colleges and state universities identifies high-risk high school students, brings their work up to college level, counsels them, and monitors their progress to graduation. The high dropout rate forced institutions in the different segments to cooperation. (MSE)

Describes a project at Rockhurst College to address attrition problems called Freshmen in Science. The project goal was to build a support system for the curriculum that would encourage students to put forth their best effort. Describes the planning process, program, and results from a six-year effort to keep students interested in science-related…

A survey of 498 undergraduate students withdrawing from a Canadian university was used to develop a model of student attrition. Students frequently attributed withdrawal to personal characteristics, institutional factors, and societal variables. Student academic performance was a causal factor for university-initiated withdrawal, and student…

A comprehensive program for dealing with some of the key factors causing school dropout is described and evaluated. The Magic of the Mind program has four basic components, each addressing one of the following: (1) building self-efficacy in students; (2) teaching students learning skills; (3) teaching stress management to the students; and (4)…

This report offers a consolidated systemwide analysis of key issues and recommendations for improvement of minority recruitment and retention at Arizona State Universities and an evaluation of progress toward achieving Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) approved recruitment and graduation goals. A description of ABOR system goals notes three goals:…

Twenty-four papers are presented, which describe intervention programs and research reports and highlight the efforts of educators across the country to improve the education of at-risk students. Methods of providing quality educational experiences are profiled that range from a program for young children in Illinois to middle level education…

The report focuses attention on those areas of medical school education that may have a negative effect on women students' confidence and competence. It examines the different ways that male and female medical students experience their training and the particular stresses that women may face, including: role conflicts; questions about commitment;…