After the 1975 political upheaval in Indochina, many Indochinese refugees settled in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area. A number of them enrolled in Harrisburg Area Community College between January, 1976, and December, 1977, primarily in developmental courses because of their lack of formal training in English. A study was conducted to…

This report examines the postsecondary financing strategies of undergraduates, describing how they combine work, borrowing, and attendance to support their postsecondary enrollment and examines the relationship between various financing strategies and students' persistence in postsecondary education. The report uses data from the 1992-93 National…

To determine the factors that have contributed to persistence in successful Native American students, this study investigated student expectations, life experiences on campus, perceptions of support and lack of support for cultural identity, difficulties encountered, perceptions of how the Native American's college experience differs from that of…

A study explored behavioral factors to explain why non-completions were higher among trainees than apprentices. A survey of 797 apprentices and trainees who did not complete training and 462 of their employers was followed by focus groups with new apprentices, employers, and training providers. Findings indicated most new apprentices commenced…

A survey of 94 department heads and 112 graduate supervisors at 5 Canadian universities investigated organizational and administrative practices concerning graduate programs and factors affecting successful completion of/withdrawal from graduate programs. Factors identified include student motivation, quality of supervision, student selection,…

This is the first of several papers developed from a faculty and student perspective describing a new distance learning (DL) model. Integral to the model are four interrelated families of multi-variant issues, referred to here as (a) the academic divide, (b) student misalignment, (c) administrative influences, and (d) the use of student…

Students failing to master minimum competency tests are categorized as dropouts in this description of the results of and remediation efforts for the statewide Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) Testing Program. TEAMS assesses minimum competency in basic skills at grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11-12 exit level. The first…

During 1977-78 Pierce College undertook a study to (1) examine major reasons for attrition; (2) determine reasons for student attendance at Pierce; (3) determine the long-range effects of academic residence at Pierce for its students; and (4) experimentally determine the effects on retention of special treatment, through a "caring ombudsman." Each…

The independent study Math Resource Center (MRC) program at Lane Community College offers seven courses on an "open-entry/open-exit" basis: Math 1, 2, and 3; Elementary, Intermediate, and College Algebra; and Dosage Computation. Students may enroll at any time, learn at their own rate, and leave class when they have developed their…

The main purpose of a 1978-79 evaluation of the Jackson County E.S.D. (Educational Service District) Community Experiences in Career Education--(CE)2--program was to investigate the student turnover rate which for two years had exceeded fifty percent. The program provided experience-based career exploration opportunities for high school juniors…

Research on college student attrition and retention is reviewed. Overall dropout rates and the reasons students give for dropping out are examined, and an attempt is made to assess the outcomes of going straight through college, as opposed to dropping out, temporarily leaving school, and not going to college at all. The demographic, academic,…

To alleviate the economic problems of youth, the Australian Education Council has expressed the need for a comprehensive youth policy whose aim should be to provide young people with options in education, training, or employment. Facts show a declining rate of retention to completion of secondary schools for males due to the present low employment…

The major purpose of this study was to test the effects on later employment of having a high school diploma or having skill training but no diploma. This report is limited to the immediate effects of two experimental programs for dropouts. Four groups of students were utilized: (1) the diploma group of 115 students who had dropped out of school…

Since 80% of school leavers drop out with a "C" or higher grade average, poor performance is seldom the issue. This digest outlines a program that uses a comprehensive life-career focus to address youths' continuing learning needs. The program was developed to provide high-school-aged youth the skills, knowledge, and motivation necessary…

Data on students participating in transitional bilingual education programs (TBEs) in Massachusetts, in the 50 local education authorities (LEAs) with such programs, are reported and analyzed. Information presented, in graphic and narrative form, includes the following: an overview of the status of TBE programs in the state, including patterns of…