As interest in expanding the number of high quality charter schools available to parents and students has grown, policy makers have increased their focus on identifying and providing support to new charter programs that have the potential to improve student outcomes and satisfy parent and student needs. Since 1994, the U.S. Department of Education…

This study examines college course work, instrumental speciality activities, and artistic activities associated with music majors' and non-music majors' musical independence. A second purpose is to examine whether or not these experiences and activities influence musical independence. Postsecondary musical experiences and activities have been…

This study examines the relationships among a variety of secondary/postsecondary experiences and activities and postsecondary students' musical independence (MI). The paper reports on the impact of 10 Performance Fundamentals (PFs) on the postsecondary student's MI as measured by Colwell's Musical Achievement Test 3 (MAT3) and Musical Achievement…

This report investigates the relationship between child care quality and children's transition into kindergarten. It focuses on four issues: (1) the definition and measurement of child care quality in group settings; (2) the relationship between child care quality and child development; (3) the relationship between child care quality and…

The results of a study designed to develop an understanding of the background characteristics, motivations, and experiences of students enrolled in summer school at the University of Alberta, are presented. A questionnaire developed to gather information on personal characteristics; academic factors; enrollment motivations; and administrative,…

This study intends to contribute understanding to the relevant antecedents of student development by ascertaining what were salient influences on collegians' lives, or at least what are their perceptions of such influences. Influence may be those specifically tied to the university experience or those influences on their lives in a more general…

The University of Alberta conducted this survey of foreign students to determine (1) the need for an International Center; (2) the kinds of academic experiences foreign students have; (3) the students' perception of the Foreign Student Office; and (4) how foreign students adjusted to life in Canada and at the University of Alberta. The group…

A national sample of college students who initially aspired to be, or later became, physicians was used to determine the influence of precollege characteristics, college origins, and the academic and social experience of college. Major effects on attainment were college characteristics and academic experience. (Author/MLW)

University of Calgary pre-medical students were surveyed before and after completing a mandatory 4-week rural clerkship in family medicine. The rural educational experience increased student intentions to do a rural medical locum. Students from rural backgrounds were more likely than urban peers to intend to do a rural locum and practice in a…

Reports on the effects of tempo direction, listening mode, and level of musical experience on speed and accuracy in tempo change among 160 music majors and nonmajors. Finds that music majors more accurately detected tempo changes than did nonmajors. (CFR)

In this paper, we explore the learning climate and possible obstacles faced by mature students enrolled in Australian universities. More specifically, using the Experience Sampling Method devised by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, we chart the daily activities of Australian and international students and examine these for factors which may facilitate or…

This article develops a theoretical model for examining the interrelationship between ethnic identity and educational outcomes. The model is aimed at developing an understanding of why ethnicity may at times make a difference in academic performance and student empowerment. Ethnic identity is conceptualized as a product of multiple levels of…

The primary objective of this article is to examine and synthesize the research literature conducted on the factors that influence African-American students' retention in higher education. Recommendations for future research were discussed. Programmatic implications of this integrative review for higher education personnel and student affairs…

This chapter presents findings from a national research study with a sample of nearly twenty thousand first-year students on how students' experiences and campus programs affect key academic outcomes of the first year. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)