The authors report the results of a phenomenological, qualitative research study involving 20 students who participated in a weekend poverty immersion experience. Analysis of the tape-recorded interviews included coding, checks for internal validity, and the generation of themes common to most of the research participants. Two overall results were…

Describes the design and methodology of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study First Follow-up, including overall outcomes of data collection and evaluations of the quality of data collected. (SLD)

Participatory exercises are standard practice in qualitative methods courses; less common are projects that engage students in the entire research process, from research design to write-up. Although the teaching literature provides several models of complete research projects, their feasibility, and appropriateness for large, compulsory,…

This report describes the methods and procedures used for the full-scale data collection effort of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Second Follow-up Student 1996-2001 (BPS:1996/2001). These students, who started their postsecondary education in the 1995-1996 academic year, were first interviewed during 1996, and subsequently interviewed in…

This document provides a summary and evaluation of the methodological procedures and results of the full-scale implementation of the Beginning Postsecondary Student Longitudinal Study Second Follow-up, 1990-94 (BPS:90/94). The study was conducted for the National Center for Education Statistics by Research Triangle Institute with the assistance of…

Increasingly, a majority of postsecondary students are following nonlinear paths in the pursuit of educational and career goals. Practical steps are described that can be taken to track and evaluate the success of such students. A particularly promising practice involves data sharing and exchanges with state agencies and other higher education…

This report describes the methods and procedures used for the field test of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study First Followup 1996-98 (BPS:96/98). Students in this survey were first interviewed during 1995 as part of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 1996 field test. The BPS:96/98 full-scale student sample includes…

The first statewide followup study of occupational/career education students in Illinois community colleges was developed through the efforts of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) Research Advisory Council and the special Occupational Followup Subcommittee. The Phase 1 data for the followup study consisted of reporting student…

To encourage dialog between institutional research workers in the junior colleges of California, a conference was called to discuss the development and use of a common data bank. The eight major addresses included (1) a review of the past year's activities of the California Junior College Association's Committee on Research and Development, (2) a…

A consortium program of eight private colleges in Southern California that focuses on student retention efforts is described. Each college has a retention task force consisting of faculty, administrators, student affairs staff, and students. A steering committee with one representative from each college, generally the dean of students, coordinates…

This guide to surveying college students, graduates, and dropouts accompanies The Student Outcomes Questionnaires developed by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. Student outcomes are defined as the results or consequences of a student's enrollment in a post secondary educational program. The Student Outcomes…