High attrition from programs for at-risk youth suggest that planners are not assessing interventions from the consumers' perspective. Some disadvantaged youth join and complete programs (persisters), while others from the same communities either fail to join or drop out (leavers). Participants in two in-school remedial programs and two…

Although a basic premise of higher education is that students must take the primary responsibility for their own learning, problems arise when the focus throughout elementary and secondary schooling is on passive, rote learning with the student totally dependent on the teacher and text, as in Islamic schools. The educational shock experienced in…

Premises and conditions necessary to foster the democratization of higher education, particularly in the context of lifelong education, are summarized. Attention is directed to: measures that have been followed in various countries to promote admission to and completion of higher studies; and achievements and obstacles confronted in these efforts.…

Learning improvement programs for underprepared postsecondary students are reviewed, and a Decision Guide for Effective Programs, which summarizes knowledge needed for decision making, is presented. Research data are analyzed to identify features of learning improvement programs associated with improved grade point average and retention.…

Characteristics of 521 Mansfield State College students participating in Pennsylvania's Equal Education Opportunity Program were studied during 1978-1982. The program, which was enacted by Act 101 in 1971, is designed to provide opportunities to educationally and economically disadvantaged populations. Findings include the following: 79 percent of…

A 3-year followup evaluation of the Personalized Education Program (PEP) of the General College, University of Minnesota, is presented. The program, which is designed to improve the academic retention and achievement of underprepared, freshman minority students, has served 273 students since the fall 1979 quarter, including 86 American Indians, 72…

A research guide on student access to the Arizona University System, with studies of retention and persistence, is presented as one working paper in the final report of the Arizona Board of Regents' Task Force on Excellence, Efficiency and Competitiveness. Six topics of discussion, covering areas to be investigated, are as follows: academic…

The National Association of State Scholarship and Grant Programs/National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs conference on student aid is reported. Following the conference agenda and lists of registrants and conference speakers, the following papers are presented: (1) "Reinterpretation of Hansen's Census Data" (John B. Lee); (2)…

As part of an effort by William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to determine the educational needs of minorities on campus and in the community, a study was conducted of the academic performance of different ethnic groups. Using student transcripts, the longitudinal performances of 100-student samples each of Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics were…

The research on graduate students that has appeared in 20 academic journals since 1976 is reviewed. Ninety-four articles are classified into topic areas, and representative articles of each area are discussed. The research designs of the 94 research studies are considered with attention to: the level of students (master's or doctoral); whether…

The federally funded Special Services for Disadvantaged Students (SSDS) program is examined for the 1979-80 academic year in 58 institutions; the program's short-term impact on participating freshmen is summarized. Up to 200 students at each site were studied to determine whether program participation levels correlated with outcomes and whether…

A survey was conducted of 1,343 community college students who transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in fall 1977 to determine the major factors influencing student withdrawal or persistence. In addition to requesting information on students' background, the survey questionnaire asked the students to contrast their…

This report summarizes the progress made between 1980 and 1981 in the implementation of a plan to gather a variety of information about community college transfer students in California. After background on the adoption of the plan is provided, its underlying assumptions and objectives are outlined. Next, progress made in ascertaining the number…

Proceedings of the 1980 National Conference on Academic Advising are presented. The more than 50 papers are organized as general sessions, preconference workshops, and paper sessions. For the paper sessions, summaries are presented, which are either written by the presenters or the publication editors. Articles and authors include the following:…

Results of a 1981 followup survey of a 1978 disabled freshmen group are presented, with attention directed to the current status of the students, their educational progress, and college experiences. Information is given on the research methodology, the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP), and the CIRP annual freshman survey. A…