This report presents fall 1996 data on enrollment distribution by racial/ethnic group in the Oregon State System of Higher Education (OSSHE). It finds that, in most categories, the OSSHE distribution is comparable to the distribution among public high school graduates and to the Oregon population overall. Exceptions include over-representation of…

The Texas legislature and the State Board of Education, recognizing the need for an alternative to student retention, established the Retention Reduction Pilot Program to provide additional days of instruction for students in first grade who would otherwise have been retained. The Optional Extended Year Program (OEYP) was initiated to expand…

A study examined outcomes for graduates and module completers who studied in associate diploma, diploma, and advanced diploma courses, using data from the 1999 Student Outcomes Survey, together with focus groups in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. One aim was to determine whether module completers had different training needs than graduates;…

This document reports on three focus groups comprised of state officials, local practitioners and supporters, and researchers who were convened to provide input on strategies for assessing and validating the effects of tech prep. Part I provides a brief summary of the groups' discussions, including major points and broad themes in these four topic…

Career and technical education (CTE) can benefit students directly by providing earning advantages before and after graduation. It can benefit them indirectly by increasing engagement, retention, and persistence and by directing them to postsecondary education and pursuit of lifelong learning. CTE programs motivate students to get involved in…

This study describes the use of event history modeling as a tool for understanding student departure from college. Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics High School and Beyond (HS&B)/Sophomore Cohort longitudinal study a detailed history of individual students' college careers was constructed using a regression-like…

This annual report on the performance of the three Arizona universities, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona, informs the general public, elected officials, business leaders, and consumers of higher education about the universities' progress and milestones. In preparing the report, the universities…

This study, which focuses on one college of the City University of New York (CUNY), is in two parts. The first part is a paper titled "Open Admissions and CUNY in Crisis: A Comparison of Remedial and Non-Remedial Students"; the second paper is titled "Factors Affecting Grading Practices." The first study examined the difference…

This overview of West Virginia's 16 public colleges and universities focuses on higher education's response to six statutory goals: (1) better preparing students to enter college; (2) improving access to higher education; (3) preparing students to compete in a global economy; (4) focusing resources in areas which offer students the greatest…

This study examines higher education reforms in the 15 European Union member states and 3 European Free Trade Association countries between 1980-98, identifying trends, convergences, and divergences between the countries and changes in the management and control of higher education institutions, particularly as they relate to financing and quality…

A framework is offered for institutions to use in identifying and overcoming obstacles to graduate student progress and retention. Seven aspects of graduate education that would have to be altered to reduce student frustration are examined: admissions, graduate curriculum, advising/mentoring, monitoring progress, financial support, institutional…

A study of 81 female graduate students over age 30 at a large urban research university investigated their experiences, problems, and demographics. Results indicate that variables important to persistence are marital status, quality of student/student and student/faculty interactions, and grade point average. Policy implications and possible…

Describes a study combining student records with a state-level follow-up system to track demographic, academic, and environmental influences on student attrition. Findings have helped the college investigate myths about students and their progress. (YKH)

Research regarding student cohorts entering the Georgia WebMBA[R] program (an online MBA program in the University System of Georgia) shows consistent demographic characteristics as well as students' reasons for joining the program, experience with online learning, and perceptions of teamwork. The program has a high retention rate, and in this…

The consequences of not graduating from high school are increasingly serious for both individuals and society as a whole. As a result, policymakers and the federal requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) have placed a new focus on increasing graduation rates and reducing dropout rates. While the dropout problem has generated research and new…