Provides a literature review on the use of entry assessment, citing those who consider assessment tantamount to tracking and those who see it as constructive assistance. Offers examples of two colleges that use assessment to provide remedial and nonremedial students with equal options, and an inducement-based model emphasizing early prevention.…

Describes a study of the relationship between student persistence in developmental mathematics programs and age, gender, parents' education, grade point average (GPA), goal commitment, institutional experience, academic integration, placement grades, and student performance. Finds no significant direct effect on persistence by age, gender, GPA, or…

Evaluates the mentoring component of the Business Students Success Initiative at the Community College of Philadelphia in terms of faculty and students' reactions to the program. Finds students less positive about mentoring achieving its goals than faculty. Compares student responses by sex, age, and racial/ethnic group. (DMM)

Describes a study of 525 students attending an Illinois community college having previously attended a 4-year college. Reports findings on reverse transfers' demographic and academic background, reasons for leaving the four-year institution and enrolling in a two-year college, primary educational goal, and evaluation of their educational…

Describes an ongoing investigation of student mobility from four-year to two-year colleges in Alberta, Canada, presenting a profile of the characteristics of community college students who had previously attended other postsecondary institutions. Includes interview findings related to students' university and community college experiences. (DMM)

Describes research on the intellectual impacts of education programs at a public two-year college and a four-year research university. Finds no significant differences in skill gains between the two- and four-year samples after controlling for precollege cognitive skills, age, and work obligations. (18 citations). (MAB)

Describes a study conducted comparing a composite of Asian students with a profile of the general student population in the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS). Indicates that, although Asian students in the NCCCS came from the same socioeconomic background as the general population, their educational goals were more transfer and…

Describes a study of the relationship between the family background, personal characteristics, and educational goals and achievement of 424 community college office occupations students in Illinois and their decision to terminate their education with the associate degree or to transfer to a 4-year college. Finds educational goals critical in…

Describes a study conducted at a large urban community college to investigate relationships among stop-out behavior and demographic characteristics, enrollment patterns, and external commitments. Compares college graduates who enrolled continuously with those who stopped out at least once while completing course requirements. (DMM)

Describes findings from focus-group discussions involving 18 2-year college students previously enrolled in other 2- and 4-year institutions, reviewing students' attitudes toward present academic setting, educational and career goals, and expectations for receiving transfer credit. Compares findings with previous interviews of two-year college…

Assesses the accuracy of Riverside Community College's entry-level assessment and placement practice, correlating reading and language assessment scores with grades in freshman composition and student demographics. Concludes that ASSET test scores alone were not strong predictors of student success and other data sources should be considered as…

Describes a study of the validity and reliability of a writing skills assessment test taken by 4,284 2-year college students in 1986-87. Assesses interrater reliability, influences of nonperformance factors (e.g., gender, native language, and form of test), predictive validity of test for future performance, and implications of findings. (DMM)

Describes a study applying the Tinto Model to predict student persistence/exit in a community college setting. A questionnaire assessing background, environmental, and integration variables was administered to full-time students during their first semester, successfully predicting subsequent persistence/exit behavior and affirming the utility of…

Data from a survey directed at reverse transfer students in the University of Kentucky Community College System was analyzed based upon the responses from two groups: 734 completers (those who had completed a baccalaureate) and 148 noncompleters. Profiles of reverse transfer students are compiled. Contains 28 references. (TGO)

After describing characteristics associated with student loan defaulters, the author provides supporting information from a qualitative survey that elicited perceptions about loan defaulters from 12 students, faculty and staff at a two-year college. Finds that student background characteristics play as great a role in loan default behavior as…