Comparison of Canadian and United States school attendance patterns beyond age 17 reveals a lower rate of secondary school completion in Canada, and little indication of any trend in postsecondary or graduate study in either country. Analysis shows social factors not to be important in the high Canadian dropout rate. (MSE)

Investigation of the study habits and approaches to study tasks of 34 mechanical engineering students over the course of 1 week found that use of a surface approach to learning was positively correlated with high class attendance and greater study time, suggesting an inefficient approach. The research methodology used is found useful for…

Many college students are paying others to attend lecture classes and take notes, a practice that angers many professors and caused one university to sue a note-taking company over copyrights. Although students and some faculty say the notes are helpful in large, impersonal classes, others say they encourage poor attendance. (MSE)

A review of the history and literature of American Indian participation in colonial higher education looks at origins of Indian resistance to western education, design and objectives of the colonial mission schools, reasons for general academic failure in this group, native attitudes about missionary education, and problems that persist today.…

This nine-year database study examined factors related to the return rate of 316 nontraditional gifted students who participated in a summer program for academically talented youth. Grade point average, achievement test scores, final grade in the first summer of attendance, and socioeconomic status were not significant predictors of returnee…

Argues that little research has been directed toward exploring cognitive variables that characterize students with poor school attendance. Presents the findings of a pilot study that compared a small sample of truants and non-truants on locus of control and attributional style. Finds that attributional style is a significant factor in explaining…

This project determined asthma prevalence in a large school district, absentee rates, and potential effects of school nurse case management for student asthma over three years. Data were derived from an asthma tracking tool used by nurses in one school district for every student reported as having asthma by their parent. School nurses began…

This study is the first of its kind to concentrate upon the views of secondary staff towards attendance issues within two distinct, but similarly-sized, authorities in England. The fieldwork was sponsored by the two authorities in accordance with their specific needs and conducted in 2003. As part of this fieldwork, 40 headteachers, deputy heads,…

The effect of Catholic religiosity as indicated by church attendance on the demand for Catholic schooling at the primary and secondary levels is estimated. It is shown that parents' religiosity has a large effect on the probability that their children attend Catholic schools. Furthermore, estimates of bivariate probit models indicate that parents'…

This article highlights the importance of considering the flow of newcomers into church life and the inadequacy of relying solely upon changes in numbers of attenders in assessing the effectiveness of churches. Drawing upon data collected in four countries, Australia, England, New Zealand and the United States of America, this article looks at the…

This article reports a short-term longitudinal study focusing on popularity and social acceptance as predictors of academic engagement for a sample of 342 adolescents (approximate average age of 14). These youths were followed for 4 consecutive semesters. Popularity, social acceptance, and aggression were assessed with a peer nomination …

This report summarizes recent research on factors relating to excessive student absenteeism, the effects of absenteeism on pupil achievement, and the effects of instruction, positive reinforcement, and parent-school involvement on attendance. Actual proposals, policies, and programs from school systems across the country are also included. Much of…

This report summarizes recent research on factors relating to excessive student absenteeism, the effects of absenteeism on pupil achievement, and the effects of instruction, positive reinforcement, and parent-school involvement on attendance. Actual proposals, policies, and programs from 16 school systems in 12 states are included. Much of the…

This research examined the level of equity of the public school funding system in Texas that in September of 2004 was held to be unconstitutional by a state district judge. The study also introduces a mechanism, referred to as the Revenue-to-Population Index or RTP Index, which compares funding equity within the unconstitutional system among 1031…

We tested five course designs that varied in the structure of daily and weekly active-learning exercises in an attempt to lower the traditionally high failure rate in a gateway course for biology majors. Students were given daily multiple-choice questions and answered with electronic response devices (clickers) or cards. Card responses were…