Demonstrates that in a cohort of young, inner-city African-American adults (1) school reentry is a relatively common occurrence and (2) educational credentials are often acquired in a discontinuous fashion. Points to the relevance of the absence of age restrictions in U.S. schools. Aims to expand existing models of educational decision making to…

Describes a study of returning adult women students enrolled in distance education programs. Results of focus groups showed five general categories of needs: communication with the instructor; interactions with other students; technical assistance; campus support services; and personal needs, including the support of family and employers.…

Successful school reentry following traumatic brain injury (TBI) is critical to recovery. Physical, cognitive, behavioral, academic, and social problems can affect a child's school performance after a TBI. However, early intervention has the potential to improve child academic outcomes and promote effective coping with any persistent changes in…

Since Jennifer L. Gigliotti was in elementary school, the 70-acre Ford Motor Company plant in northwestern Ohio has been a constant in her life. Her mother and father have worked the production line at the Maumee Stamping Plant for almost 60 years combined, making bumpers and body panels for generations of Ford vehicles. So when her father's name…

A narrative, storied, or constructivist approach to the study of returning adult students is compared with an approach that is positivist, "scientific," or paradigmatic. The paradigmatic approach is an application to social science of the rules and assumptions that govern the scientific method in natural science. In the narrative…

This report provides statistical evidence that presents a picture at variance with the conventional portrayal of inner city youth. Using data from a national longitudinal study of high school students, the High School and Beyond survey, the study shows that young people display more resilience than they are usually given credit for. Comparison of…

This booklet is designed to help Pennsylvania's re-entry female students find the best ways to finance a college education. It presents a "To Do" list with the following steps: (1) prioritize what is wanted or needed from an enhanced educational opportunity; (2) familiarize oneself with different types of federal, state, and local aid…

A semester-long study examined the needs and goals of adult students. Subjects, 22 adults over the age of 25 years, were selected to represent, as much as possible, a cross section of the older students likely to be found in freshman English courses at a large but not highly selective university. Data included questionnaires completed by the…

A study examined how a group of non-traditional students approached the issue of multiple identities, i.e., those identities of gender, race, culture, ethnicity, region, nation, class, sexual orientation and so on that made up each individual self. In-depth interviews with eight returning adult women attending a Catholic women's college in the…

This book discusses how major changes in society have created significant implications for the delivery of higher education and reveals that it is not possible to educate students with any degree of success while operating under the same assumptions and the same models that were successful in the past. The author shows the significance of…

Special counseling and guidance, financial assistance, and flexible course scheduling are the most pressing concerns of women who want to resume their education. Brief summaries are given of nine different women's programs around the country, which demonstrate the ways in which institutions and organizations are solving the problem trilogy.…

The stress felt by older students in higher education should be addressed by educators and members of the helping professions. The word stress is related to "distress" and perhaps best describes what substantial numbers of adult learners experience when returning to school. For instance, researchers have found graduate students to be particularly…

Upon the breakup of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company in 1984, one of its component parts, Pacific Bell, utilized a number of organizational and communication strategies in responding to the change. The company formed the Telesis Management Institute in 1985 with the mandate to provide educational directions and navigate the changes in…

College attendance by Italian and American women over age 30 is compared, and attention is directed to whether mature Italian and U.S. women who continue their education do so for similar reasons and whether they experience similar problems. The analysis is based on two studies of women over 30 in post-compulsory degree programs: (1) a study on…

This report discusses the role that colleges can play in helping welfare mothers overcome cycles of dependence and improve their career and life prospects; and indicates the ways in which colleges can benefit from the entrance of welfare mothers by improving counseling, financial aid, career counseling, and other services. After an introduction…