An analysis of student matriculation was conducted at Diablo Valley College, in California, using the cohort of 4,251 students identified as new in fall 1992. Data indicate that 22.3% of this cohort did not enroll in any courses after applying, being tested, and completing orientation and advising; 8.4% continued on in the semester, but dropped…

The development of an inventory to measure self-regulated learning is reported. The first step involved the generation of an item pool based on a literature review. A pool of items was developed based on the five identified factors of metacognition, learning strategies, motivation, contextual sensitivity, and environmental utilization and control.…

A study at Barry University (Florida), a private, urban comprehensive university investigated factors in student retention. Demographic data, standardized test scores, and academic performance data were gathered for almost 3,000 students entering the university between fall 1991 and spring 1995. In addition, the students were surveyed on…

The four reports collected in this document describe the characteristics and academic outcomes of the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients attending California's Los Rios Community College District as of the end of fall 1996. The first report describes the characteristics of AFDC recipients and legal immigrant AFDC recipients…

In spring 1997, a study was conducted to examine whether institutional contact with the student (in the form of a retention award) has a positive effect on student persistence. An experimental design was used to conduct the study. A sample of students was drawn based on their academic performance in Spring 1996. First-time students with long-term…

The possibility of using the grade differential statistic in college admissions decisions is explored. The grade differential statistic is the mean difference between the freshman college grade point average (GPA) and the high school GPA (HSGPA) for freshman college entrants from a particular high school. Rather than being an index of high school…

A study was conducted at the Community College of Allegheny County, in Pennsylvania, to compared the level of preparedness in an intermediate algebra course for students who placed directly into the course and those who had tested into and completed a basic algebra course. Placement test scores, algebra course grades, and repeat status were…

This paper presents and discusses longitudinal data collected through surveys completed by students (n=1,545) in the 9th and 11th grades to determine what factors influence a student's change in plans for postsecondary education. Twenty-one Indiana high schools were selected to ensure that the sample proportionally represented students from all…

The role of self-regulated learning in successful academic performance at the college level was studied. Using a literature review, items were developed for a self-regulated learning questionnaire, which was written as a Likert scale and pilot tested with a small group. Subjects for the study were 39 male and 121 female education majors at a…

An ethnographic study assessed the family constellations of ninth graders in an urban public school through cluster analysis. Survey data were collected from a random sample of 120 high school freshmen and were used to compute 4 variables for each student: (1) presence of the mother in the home; (2) presence of the father in the home; (3) presence…

This study, which includes a review of literature and a methodology description, investigates the persistence rates of 462 Native American first-time college students enrolled in community colleges throughout Washington State in the fall of 1988. Their progress was tracked over a six-year study period. Existing data from the State Board of…

The selection of students qualified for teacher education has many facets, only some of which are addressed by standardized tests and college grades. The purpose of the present study was to examine the American College Testing (ACT) Program Assessment, Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST), and college grade point average (GPA) as predictors of…

This research report examines 10-year results of the Illinois Valedictorian Project, a program that has followed 81 high-achieving high school valedictorians for 10 years following their high school graduation. It describes the study's sampling and study methods; presents the findings from the first 5 years and the status of the study group at…

The effects of working and attending high school simultaneously on the academic achievement of students had more absences, and the effects of absences on achievement. Subjects were 130 juniors and 110 seniors, of whom 57 percent were working during the school year. Forty-six percent were male and 54 percent were female, and 86 percent were white…

This report is a description of the findings related to 5-year graduation rates of student athletes who entered National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I institutions in the fall semester of either 1984 or 1985. The study is based on data collected in the NCAA Study of Academic Performance of Student Athletes. Overall graduations…