This report builds on previous studies of early attrition from postsecondary education by providing a more comprehensive look at students' reasons for early total departure from postsecondary education. Using the 1996/1998 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study to examine attrition in the first 3 years of postsecondary education, the…

It is well known that the number of community college students who complete an Associate's degree or even a certificate program is low. Among those who begin an Associate's degree program, fewer that 50% have earned their degree or are still enrolled after 5 years. For nontraditional students, the rates are even lower. For minorities, low income…

This report outlines the Commission's tasks and progress in fulfilling the goals of the "Comprehensive Statewide Plan for Postsecondary Education." The "Plan" identifies goals that lead to an educationally and economically sound, vigorous, and synchronized system of higher education. The "Plan," considered a "living document," defines the role and…

Discusses the introduction of writing-to-learn assignments in writing-across-the-curriculum (WAC) workshops for technology faculty at a two-year college. Argues that WRIT (Writing and Reading in the Technologies) seminars on the journal, the microtheme, lab report narratives, and holistic evaluation offer new approaches to discourse-centered…

Early College High Schools (ECHS) are defined as "small schools where students can earn both a high school diploma and two years of college credit toward a bachelor's degree" (Early Colleges, 2005). ECHSs are designed as places of learning to help young people progress toward the education and experience they need to succeed in life and in…

This document begins with a brief overview of what assessment is, including a definition, purpose, brief history, and important process considerations in creating a successful and effective assessment effort on each campus. The three key questions in creating an effective assessment for each school are: (1) what do faculty members expect students…

The federal Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, project strives to equalize low-income students' access to higher education by increasing their participation in rigorous coursework, providing expanded opportunities for low-income students and parents to learn about postsecondary educational opportunities…

The purpose of Career Development in Higher Education is to provide a broad and in-depth look at the field of career development as it applies to individuals involved in higher education activities, in a variety of educational and vocational training settings. The book will examine some of the field's major themes, approaches and assumptions using…

A report on two-year colleges is organized as follows: (1) introduction to the two-year colleges--why a report on two-year colleges, profile of two-year colleges (growth, enrollment, number and diversity), private two-year colleges, public two-year colleges, two-year college-business alliance, support and governance, role of two-year colleges, and…

The California Community College (CCC) system is the largest two-year higher education system in the United States, providing courses to over 1.7 million students and employing more than 85,000 persons (in 2002). At the request of Senator Alarcon, this report analyzes staffing patterns in California's community colleges. Based on data from 1994 to…

Provides a synopsis of the current approach to teaching a course on chemical information at Oberlin College. Reports on changes made during the past two years. (Author/CCM)

This manuscript, compiled by the National Center for Homeless Education, is the outcome of the first year of a two-year project designed to explore what works in reading instruction for students who are highly mobile. It summarizes the findings of a review of literature on teaching reading to highly mobile students. The target population included…

Long distance education has been a part of instructional delivery for more than one hundred years. Beginning as correspondence study accompanying the establishment of national postal systems, distance education has undergone dramatic change fueled by the rapid and recent explosion of technology. This exponential growth in technology has provided…

Anatomy teaching methods have evolved as the medical undergraduate curriculum has modernized. Traditional teaching methods of dissection, prosection, tutorials and lectures are now supplemented by anatomical models and e-learning. Despite these changes, the preferences of medical students and anatomy faculty towards both traditional and…

This study examines the within-field persistence rates of physical science/engineering (PS/E) students compared with those of students in life science, business, social science, education, and humanities. The data are drawn from a nationally representative sample of college matriculates and include students' high school and college transcript…