In this paper, research from several traditions is synthesized to discern causes of change in the level of formal educational attainment in the United States for cohorts during the first half of the twentieth century. Two sources of educational growth are considered: (1) changing population composition on family background factors that affect how…

Career experiences, plans, and academic characteristics of 30,000 college-bound seniors in the state of Washington in 1979 are detailed. Among findings were that a large number of college-bound seniors have been active in extracurricular activities, ranging from athletics to community service to special interest groups; that 67 percent held a…

The following hypotheses were tested in this study: (1) boys and girls have an even start at school entrance, but boys' performance and adjustment decline relative to girls by the end of third grade; (2) boys do not attach themselves to school and school tasks with positive affect as much as girls; and (3) thus, the factors related to achievement…

This report is a compilation of 1997 default rates for institutions participating in the Federal Perkins Loan Program based on the cohort of borrowers who entered repayment status in the 1995-96 reporting period. Data is presented by state and individual institution and includes: (1) number of borrowers who entered repayment status in 1995-96; (2)…

Results from a longitudinal study of the implementation of the Reading Recovery (RR) program in the Wake County Public School System (North Carolina) for 1990 through 1994 show achievement gains for RR students, although these gains lessen in recent years. Reasons for inconsistent benefits after the first year are discussed. (SLD)

A program designed to enhance children's prosocial development was conducted in three suburban elementary schools for five years. Findings for students from kindergarten through grade four emphasize the need for supportive teacher-student relationships and opportunities for student decision making, autonomy, and collaborative interaction. (TJH)

Describes a longitudinal study of 92 new students at South Mountain Community College (Phoenix, Arizona), focusing on educational goals and goal strength, grade point average, and postenrollment employment or educational patterns. Recommends that colleges establish matriculation plans and individual programs of study for students. (DMM)

As part of its ongoing process of formative evaluation, the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP) conducted a survey of four cohorts of recent graduates. The data from this survey are being used in concert with findings from other lines of inquiry to assess and improve the program. The discussion in this paper is centered on several research…

The UK Government's recent emphasis on the graduate workforce raises the profile of work placements within higher education. Anecdotally, the authors find that students on their optional bioscience sandwich degrees benefit academically from placement experience but there is little supportive evidence of this in the literature. To investigate…

Changing your Learning Management System (LMS) presents challenges not only to instructional faculty, but also to the students who depend on these systems to completely deliver or support their courses. In assessing the transition for students experiencing an upgrade in the campus LMS, a number of findings have real implications for developing a…

We explore the association between urban density and pupil attainment using three cohorts of pupils in schooling in England. Although--as widely recognised--attainment in dense urban places is low on average, this is not because urban environments disadvantage pupils, but because the most disadvantaged pupils with low average attainments attend…

The integrated Aimhigher programme was established in 2004 to widen participation in higher education by raising the aspirations and developing the abilities of young people from underrepresented groups. In order to explore the extent to which young people subsequently made a successful transition at 16 and intended, or had decided, to continue…

The purpose of this research was to relate perceptions of occupational discrimination to the actual occupational opportunity structure in American society. The latter refers to the relative openness of various occupations to individuals possessing certain characteristics that are, in fact, differentially distributed among occupations. Both cohorts…

Hundreds of prospective students engage the Owens Community College (OCC) three-step admission process each semester before voluntarily disengaging the institution. A study was conducted to assess student motivation to engage or disengage OCC based on factors related to student disposition, institutional motivation, and student situation, and to…

Based on 1982 and 1992 surveys sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, this report examines participation in seven core art forms by baby boomers, individuals born between 1946 and 1965. Art forms investigated were: classical music concerts; jazz concerts; operas; musicals; ballet performances; theatre; and museums. Findings indicate…