Findings from research on student retention and adult education participation can guide educators in improving the persistence of adult students. In order to increase student persistence, programs and teachers should: address real needs; create a supportive learning environment; minimize problems and barriers; communicate accurately; and monitor attendance and dropout rate so that a problem can be identified and dealt with quickly. Variables affecting participation in adult education have been identified: (1) factors having to do with the individual; (2) socioenvironmental forces; (3) individual expectations; (4) the learning experience; (5) continuous evaluation; and (6) satisfaction with the learning experience. Among the models which have been advanced to explain participation are the Congruence Model which states that congruence within the participant, and between the participant and the educational environment, can determine whether a person drops out; and the Chain of Response (COR) Model which is based on the premise that participation is not a single act but a chain of responses, each based on an evaluation of the individual's position in the environment. This fact sheet includes a bibliography of two references and three additional resources, some of which are available from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system. (DC)