Discusses the development and uses of various aptitude tests in higher education from the 1920s through the early 1960s. Although seen as a gateway to educational attainment for returning World War II veterans, intelligence testing faced criticism in the early 1960s as a restrictive practice. (MJP)

Reviews the origins and development of the 20th-century term "drop-out." Asserts that the social construction of the drop-out problem explicitly marks the time when secondary education became a common expectation in the United States. Contends that secondary education's success created the concept of a drop-out "problem." (CFR)

Utilizes evidence from the 1860 federal census to determine rates of school attendance in Chicago (Illinois). Employs multivariate statistical techniques to establish the correlates of those rates. Considers the impact of the Irish immigration and the role of the Catholic Church. Includes eight tables of statistical data. (MJP)