One of the critical goals of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal legislation is to raise student achievement. The first thing to do, is ensure that the students are actually in school. If students leave school prematurely, schools will not be able to help them master the skills thought to be necessary in the workplace or in future education.…

This report presents the results of a five-year longitudinal study designed to examine the effect of career-based comprehensive school reform on creating a successful high school experience and preparing youth for the adult world of postsecondary education and work. The study included three feeder patterns of middle schools, high schools, and…

In response to increasing student attrition rates, Topeka Technical College, Kansas, a proprietary school run by Education America, Inc., adopted a commercial retention program that included faculty and staff training and a success course for students. An evaluation was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of the program, involving a review…

This paper provides information about Newark (New Jersey) high school students who have officially dropped out of school. The report is divided into four sections. The first section is an overview of the dropout rate of two cohorts of students: freshmen in 1979-80, and freshmen in 1980-81. The second section includes 1984-85 data, based on monthly…

To evaluate the effectiveness, and value to the university, of the tutoring provided by the University of Cincinnati's Tutorial and Referral Services, data were collected on the success of students tutored during the 1978-79 school year and on their subsequent retention. Student success was analyzed by race, sex, age and college. Data for 487…

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,…

While the national study reported here reveals recent medical school attrition rates to be lower than for 1949-58 entrants, the rate for women and underrepresented minorities is still less than for white males, although the gap appears to be narrowing. Recommendations for optimum retention are included. (Editor/JT)

A THREE YEAR STUDY, WHICH WAS MADE OF DROPOUTS IN 49 SMALL SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE TEXAS SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECT, WAS MADE TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF DROPOUTS, THEIR AGE, GRADE, SEX, AND REASON FOR DROPPING OUT. THREE FIGURES AND THREE CHARTS SUMMARIZE THE RESULTS. THE STUDY REVEALED THAT (1) MORE MALES DROPPED OUT THAN FEMALES, (2) THE AVERAGE…

This bibliography of recent dissertations (1970 to March 1975) on the subject of attrition and retention of college students is intended to serve as a resource guide for administrators and for research in higher education. The arrangement is by type of institution for which the data were collected (public community colleges, public colleges and…

The demand for open, universal higher education is increasing, yet little is known about what happens to educationally disadvantaged youth who enter selective or even nonselective 2- or 4-year colleges, about the effectiveness of supplementary academic assistance, or the viability of compensatory programs. This study is based on a 1965 Census…

It's up to school board members to communicate they want schools to improve academic scores and standards while increasing their holding power. Outlines ways superintendents can act to reinforce such policy. (MD)

Although the national reports have not focused on the problem, effective schools must address the needs of potential school dropouts. The author rebuts some of the common arguments against dropout prevention programs, arguing that successful dropout prevention is one of the key indicators of overall school effectiveness. (Author/TE)

This report is about the one-third of our nation who do not complete high school, about the fact that this situation has gotten worse in most states during the last decade, and about the factors in students' lives that are closely associated with dropping out of school. The report identifies several approaches to increasing student retention that…

This report explains using data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) to evaluate undergraduate persistence. A recent study (A. Astin and I. Oseguera) has found that two-thirds of the variation among institutions in degree completion rates is attributable to differences in their entering classes rather than to differences in…

This document addresses the problem of students withdrawing from courses before completion and in the process attempts to devise ways that Mendocino College can aid students complete their courses. The report uses findings from two research reports. The first report was completed at the Florida Community College (FCC), which discovered that 75% of…