The critical relationship between students and their programs of study that affects student retention is examined. Current views of retention are reviewed, and the nature of retention studies that have been conducted during the last decade is analyzed. It is suggested that studies of persistence be conducted with the following possibilities in…

Postsecondary plans of over 16,000 freshmen and seniors enrolled in Pennsylvania's public and private high schools during 1983-1984 were studied. Attention was directed to the effect of community, school, family, and student personal factors and characteristics that influence student decisions to attend various forms of postsecondary education.…

As part of an effort to assess the postsecondary educational needs of the community of Apache Junction, surveys were administered to: (1) students in grades 9-12 at Apache Junction High School (N=420) with regard to their educational plans, the postsecondary institutions they anticipated attending, course and program interests of those planning to…

Surveys were administered to 609 students from 40 randomly selected classes at Johnson County Community College (Kansas) to update student demographic information and to assess interest in expanded student services and potential career programs. In terms of student characteristics, it was found that: the percentage of women students had increased…

A survey project was conducted from July 1977 through June 1978 to: (1) determine the occupational interests and academic plans of seventh, eighth, tenth, and eleventh grade Bergen County public and Catholic school students and their parents; (2) determine the perception of Bergen County public school superintendents regarding the status,…

Four hundred sixty-nine high school students in six high schools were surveyed in order to obtain information regarding their postsecondary plans and goals, career preferences, educational/training preferences, and opinions about Roane State Community College. Among the findings revealed by the survey were: (1) an overall trend of increasing…

Used data from a national survey of eighth graders to examine relationships between factors related to dropping out of high school and students' perceived likelihood of not completing high school, investigating urban and rural differences. Locus of control, self-concept, and educational aspiration inversely correlated with perceived likelihood of…

The evaluation of an elementary classroom self-regulated learning program aimed at the central causes of academic underachievement is recounted. The participants of the study were 36 Fourth Grade gifted underachievers in mathematics, who were identified in a sample of 1200 students. The training program developed by Zimmerman, Bonner and Kovach…

A survey investigated the attitudes and experiences that distinguish the low-income high school students who decide to attend college from those who do not. Data were gathered in a telephone survey of 900 seniors in the class of 1995 who took the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT); the primary sample was 300 of those students who reported family…

This study examined how tracking, among a number of other background and school experience variables, affects students' predisposition to pursue a college education. It hypothesized that background characteristics and experiences affect secondary school track placement, that tracking significantly impacts students' postsecondary plans, and that…

This study used naturalistic inquiry methods to examine reasons why some members of minority groups, despite discouraging odds, persist in the sciences or science related disciplines. Interviews were conducted with 10 African American upperclassmen majoring in natural science or science related disciplines at a predominately white coeducational…

An academic characteristics profile database for freshmen at the Pennsylvania State University is briefly described. The database was constructed through the Freshman Testing, Counseling, and Advising Program (FTCAP), which is designed to assist new freshmen in evaluating their educational plans by providing them, prior to initial registration, a…

The characteristics and experiences of college freshmen who entered private black colleges in 1976 and 1985 were compared, based on data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program's "The American Freshman: National Norms." Attention was focused on socioeconomic status (SES), academic preparation and confidence, reasons for…

An overview of the preliminary findings of a large-scale longitudinal (1974-77) survey of the educational needs and social problems of immigrant students in Sydney, Australia, is presented in this report. Four findings are treated as most significant: (1) Differences among immigrants of different non-English-speaking background are so great that…

Reactions of freshmen and transfer students to campus life during the first year at the University of California (UC), Davis, were studied, with consideration to the evaluation of support services for educationally disadvantaged students, specially-admitted students, and minorities. Comparative findings for the other undergraduate UC campuses are…