CORRELATES OF RETENTION AMONG ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES: THE CASE FOR HAWAIIAN STUDENTS

This study examined Hawaiian students' persistence at the four community colleges on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The research covered a five-year period (10 semesters), fall 1991 - spring 1996, and focused on factors promoting persistence for students pursuing either liberal arts or vocational-technical degrees. Logistic regression was the statistical method used, and the analyses were performed separately for the two groups of students. The results indicated that four factors - cumulative grade point average,financial aid, average credit hours, and enrollment at Campus 4 - were significant for both liberal arts and vocational-technical majors,whereas another two variables - reverse transfer and attending an urban high school - were significant for liberal arts students only. Recommendations for policies, programs, and strategies to promote persistence for Hawaiian students were based on those results.     

A Survey of Athletic Participation and Scholastic Achievement

Abstract

Using actual referrals, this investigation identified teachers’ specific reasons for referring students, teachers’ attributions for students’ difficulties in school settings, and whether causes are related to reasons for referral. Major findings indicated that (1) reasons for referral were consistent with previous investigations, (2) although boys were referred twice as often as girls, teachers ascribed similar causes for boys and girls, and (3) teachers’ attributions were primarily due to factors other than adequacy of instruction. Several explanations for the complexity of factors influencing teachers’ decisions to refer students are discussed.     

An Experiment Attempting to Determine the Effectiveness of Frequent Testing as an Aid to Learning in Beginning College Courses in American Government

Abstract

While for many years a part of the student body of American university summer sessions, the “special” or credit-non-degree student has rarely been studied in terms of background, courses taken, and academic achievement while in summer school. A random sample of 289 such students enrolled in University of Wisconsin-Madison summer sessions in 1965, 1966, and 1967 was studied. Data were drawn from the admission applications submitted by the “specials” and from their end-of-summer grade reports.

The majority of students were found to be regular year students at other colleges and universities. A smaller number were teachers or school administrators during the rest of the year. Enrollment was concentrated almost exclusively in the College of Letters and Science and School of Education. Academic performance during the summer term was generally good.     

Personal Development and the Self in Work Experience

Abstract

This article explores the experience of a group of young people who experienced difficulty attending school. Young people's reasons for not attending school and the support provided for them by their teachers are examined. Finally, an analysis based on a shift in identity from school refuser to effective learner is offered as an explanation for the students' success in coping with school. The authors draw on Paul Klee's metaphor of art as a development that can go forwards, backward, up and down as similar to the processes of working with such young people. They argue that to expect linear progress is both unrealistic and sets unfair expectations on students and their teachers.     

学校管理视域下高校大四学生到课率低的成因分析

调查显示,高校大四学生到课率普遍较低。这种状况极大影响着高校的办学效果,影响着大学生的就业成功率。究其成因,可以予以多方面地合理归因。文章从学生管理、教师管理、学校管理人员三方面分析了其成因,以期引起学校管理者的重视,解决高校大四学生到课率低的问题。     

College prospects and risky behavior among Mexican immigrant youth: The effects of in-state tuition policies on schooling and childbearing

This paper examines how a reduction in the cost of college for undocumented students affects college enrollment and adolescent risky behaviors. Prior to 2001, undocumented students in the United States faced high out-of-state tuition costs at public colleges and universities. From 2001 to 2014, twenty-one states passed in-state tuition policies, reducing the average cost of college by more than half for these students. To the extent that teens are forward-looking and aware that lower tuition increases the likelihood of attending college, this price reduction should decrease the incidence of risky behavior during adolescence among the undocumented. Exploiting the variation in timing of in-state tuition policies across states and using Mexican foreign-born non-citizenship as a proxy for undocumented status, I find that these policies increase college enrollment by about 1.2 percentage points (12% of the sample mean), decrease high school dropout incidence by about 5 percentage points for female youth (27% of the sample mean), and decrease the likelihood of first birth before age 20 by 2 percentage points (9% of the sample mean).     

Does attending a deeper learning school promote student motivation,engagement, perseverance,and achievement?

The evolving economic landscape of the 21st century demands graduates who possess deeper learning (DL) competencies such as critical thinking and collaboration skills. Despite their importance, little work has examined the motivational mechanisms through which DL predicts essential academic outcomes. The current study (N = 1,288) used an ethnically diverse sample of students (53% Hispanic) to explore self-efficacy and mastery goal orientation as potential mediators of the relationship between (a) enrollment in a DL school and (b) academic engagement, perseverance, and mathematics achievement. Results showed that students who attended DL schools, compared with students in non-DL schools, reported higher self-efficacy, mastery goal orientation, and academic engagement. Path analyses revealed that attending a DL school was associated with higher academic engagement and self-efficacy. However, enrollment in a DL school was not directly related to mathematics achievement. Overall, results provide evidence that attending a DL school can lead to valuable motivation- and engagement-related benefits.     

Choice Modeling New Zealand High School Seniors' Preferences for University Education

ABSTRACT

Preferences for college education among year 12 and 13 high school seniors from throughout New Zealand were surveyed. Initial focus group researched students in the process of deciding on college education and/or on a particular college or university institution in their choice process. Quantitative research developed from the focus group responses and based on a stated preferences (choice) survey of school students (n = 526) followed. Students' preferences regarding university choice were predominantly influenced by the quality and flexibility of the degree and/or course options, likelihood that employers will recruit from the university, the extent that university accommodation is subsidized and the overall cost of attending the university positioned in comparison to other universities. Secondary students would prefer not to attend a university with access restricted to an “A” bursary examination mark (bursary is a New Zealand pre-college examination to gain fee subsidy), that has limited first year accommodation, or which offers sports scholarships. New Zealand secondary school students are relatively price insensitive, with the cost of attending university not perceived as a deterrent. Moreover, the research findings show a positive cost-value relationship exists in students' choice preferences. Students would prefer to attend a university where the cost was equal to or higher than other options.     

A longitudinal examination of students’ health behaviours during their first year at university

During the transition from school to higher education, young adults experience a substantial amount of change where they progress from the highly controlled setting of school to the autonomous and self-motivated environment of university. Time spent at university is considered a critical period during which young adults establish a clear sense of identity, which can include forming positive health behaviours such as regular physical activity. The transition from school to university also involves a number of changes that can impact on the mental well-being of students including financial concerns, academic pressures and a lack of social support. Our aim was to longitudinally examine the physical activity levels and mental well-being of Scottish students during their first year at university. Participants were 48 first-year students (males, n = 24; females, n = 24) aged 18–19 years enrolled at two Scottish universities in the UK. At entry to university (semester 1) participants completed a validated self-report measure of physical activity and measures of anxiety and depression. Participants’ physical activity levels were assessed for seven days via accelerometry. Participants completed the same measures six months later (semester 2). Daily moderate physical activity levels decreased across the semesters yet perceptions of mental well-being remained stable. There was a significant increase in hip and waist circumferences across the semesters. The first year of university is a critical period for establishing positive health behaviours and there is a need for universities to actively encourage physical activity as an integral part of university life.     

高校特殊群体学生危机及其成因与对策思考

高校扩招后,学生中"特殊群体学生"凸显,他们作为潜在不稳定因素,容易引发各类高校危机。引发高校特殊群体学生危机事件的成因既有学生个体成长过程中身心方面的内部原因,也有家庭、学校、社会等外在环境的影响,是内外合力的结果。处理高校特殊群体学生危机的对策为:居安思危,高度重视危机;以人为本,认真对待危机;专业援助,高效处置危机;多管齐下,化解平复危机。     

New Look at a Persistent Problem: Inequality,Mathematics Achievement,and Teaching

ABSTRACT

The authors examined the relation of school-year teaching practices to SES and race/ethnic score gaps in mathematics by fitting an individual growth model with a representative sample drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort data. There were mixed findings. Teaching practices had uniform effects for all students, increasing their scores equally during the school year. Teaching mattered in maintaining proficiency during summer, although modestly. Specifically, practices emphasizing analytical and reasoning skills, thought among mathematics reformers to be most effective, were positively associated with summer learning among low-SES students. The authors explore possible reasons for the weak association between teaching practices and mathematics scores.     

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF REVERSE TRANSFER,LATERAL TRANSFER,AND FIRST‐TIME COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

Among the “new” students attending community colleges are a large number of reserve and lateral transfers, students with previous college experience. This study was conducted to provide information on their characteristics and their reasons for attending and leaving colleges as compared to the first‐time college study. A sample of 10,196 students in the Los Rios Community College District (California) was studied and five student groups were identified: First Time Students (FTS), 54.7 percent; Noncompleter Lateral Transfers (NCLT), 19.2 percent; Completer Lateral Transfers (CLT), 7.5 percent; Noncompleter Reverse Transfers (NCRT), 12 percent; Completer Reverse Transfers (CRT), 7.6 percent. The CRT and FTS groups differed most significantly. The CRT were older, more often married with children, worked more hours, and were taking fewer units. In general, the characteristics of the other three groups were similar and at a mid‐point between the CRT and FTS. Factor analysis of the reasons for attending showed that factors related to job training, location, low cost, lack of admissions requirements, and the colleges' reputation were important for study groups. Preparation for transfer was not among the most important factors for any group. Students who left four‐year colleges listed reasons related to academic indecision, cost, and items critical of the previous institutions significantly more often than students who had left two‐year colleges. They reported reasons related to mobility and short‐range goals significantly more often. Results appeared to support previous studies with regard to students' characteristics. Further research on students' reasons for attending and leaving, as well as a reexamination of colleges' program formats, services and delivery systems were recommended.     

Rural Undergraduates at Elite Universities: Learning Experience and Identity

Abstract

The decline in the proportion of rural students at major universities has caused widespread social concern. Special enrollment programs in recent years have increased the proportion somewhat. However, the situation at elite universities in China’s transition period is different than before. There are few studies addressing the learning experiences of rural students in the new period. This study uses qualitative methods to research 32 case studies of rural undergraduates at four elite universities in Shanghai. Based on Bourdieu’s concepts of capital, field, and habitus, this study finds a mismatch between the habitus of respondents and that of elite universities, which leads to an awkward initial school experience. In accordance with the operating logic of the academic field, they are able to achieve an increase in cultural capital by virtue of their own efforts. This complex class experience also has a far-reaching impact on identity through the individual’s response to their own emotions. This conflicted identity is expressed as feeling like either a “country bumpkin” in the big city or a “city person” from the country.     

Opposite Sides of the Same Coin? Exploring the Connections between School Absenteeism and Student Mobility

ABSTRACT

Mobile students and absent students are important subsets of at-risk students in schools and districts nationwide. As such, student mobility and school absenteeism are two challenges in K-12 education with significant policy and equity implications. Although both issues are at the nexus of schooling and society and there is an apparent overlap in the attributes of these student subgroups, school absenteeism and student mobility are often discussed in separate conversations. This article connects the two disparate literatures in hopes of forging stronger ties that may benefit policymakers, researchers, educators, and students. The limited empirical evidence is mixed but suggests that school absenteeism and student mobility are correlated and absenteeism plays a small mediating role in the relationship between student mobility and student outcomes. The reasons underlying student mobility and student absenteeism are interrelated but not all reasons are common. The overlapping causes of student mobility and chronic absenteeism indicate that economic and social circumstances are important underlying factors. In particular, poverty is a key shared reason for missing or switching schools. Although both phenomena contribute to disparities in educational opportunities, experiences, and outcomes, this study posits that changing schools and missing school provide instructive examples of how inequality in society may be reproduced in districts and schools. Recommendations to address both phenomena and directions for future research are discussed.     

Correspondence Schools in Alaska: Enrollment and Cohort Graduation Rates, 2010-17

ABSTRACT

The State of Alaska, by some measures the United States’ most rural state, has long supported correspondence schools, a popular school choice option available to all students statewide and used primarily by homeschooled students. This paper first explores Alaska correspondence schools in historical context, and then quantifies capture rate, enrollment by race/ethnicity, grade distributions, and cohort graduation rates for the years 2010–17. Findings include a steady increase in the proportion of Alaskan students enrolled in correspondence schools between 2010 and 2017; disproportionate enrollment of Alaskan students identified as White in correspondence schools between 2010 and 2017; enrollment peaks in late high school during 2014–17; and significantly lower 4- and 5-year cohort graduation rates among students enrolled in correspondence schools compared to those enrolled in traditional public schools.     

Secondary school students who drop out of school in rural Pakistan: The perspectives of fathers

ABSTRACT

Background: The problem of students dropping out of school is one of the barriers to improving educational outcomes in poor and developing countries.

Purpose: This small scale, in-depth study sought to explore the phenomenon of students who drop out from secondary education, through the perspectives of fathers of such students in a rural district of Pakistan.

Method: Primary data were collected through detailed, individual interviews with 14 fathers whose sons had dropped out from secondary education. The study adopted a framework involving push and pull factors to analyse qualitatively the processes and examine the reasons for dropping out that prevailed inside and outside school.

Findings: The analysis suggested that, from the perspectives of the fathers, family poverty, poor academic performance and issues relating to teachers’ engagement with teaching at school were main factors involved in a student dropping out of school.

Conclusions: The findings from this small scale, detailed analysis of data draw attention to the issues arising from a tension in mainstream teachers’ educational roles in and beyond the school. It further highlights the need for greater investment in secondary education, in order to help to reduce rates of student drop out in the remote rural areas of Pakistan.     

Characterizing the Decision Process Leading to Enrollment in Master's Programs: Further Application of the Enrollment Process Model

ABSTRACT

As part of an ongoing market research function, the administration at a private university's business school implemented a project to better understand the composition of its master's students. This research was an extension of a similar study conducted for the school's doctoral programs. Like the earlier study on doctoral students, a behavioral approach that employed a theoretical model of the decision process leading to enrollment was applied to master's students. This enrollment process model was utilized to guide the implementation of a survey that sampled the school's current students. Application of this model to questionnaire development procedures is also presented. Based on the information collected, the decision process leading to enrollment in the master's business programs was characterized. Quadrant analysis was applied to selected data derived from the enrollment process model in order to develop a two dimensional profile of students. In practice, this depiction provided insight to student perception of ideal versus actual program characteristics. The usefulness and applicability of the enrollment process model in achieving enrollment management objectives is also discussed.     

A Technique for the Construction of a Teacher-Training Curriculum

ABSTRACT

Historically, students who fail to graduate from secondary school are considered as a single category of school dropouts. However, emerging literature indicates that there may be multiple subgroups of high school dropouts, termed a dropout typology. The authors’ purpose was to assess the extent to which a typology of dropouts was present in a large national dataset and to estimate the influence of the known covariates of dropping out on each of the subgroups. A growth mixture model was estimated using the Education Longitudinal Study 2002 (National Center for Education Statistics, n.d.) dataset and noncumulative grade point average during the first 3 semesters of high school. The model identified 2 main subgroups associated with dropping out, which accounted for 24.6% of the sample but contained 91.8% of the dropouts.     

Does high school quality matter? Evidence from admissions data

This paper examines the effect of attending elite private high school on college placement using admissions data from the most selective high school in a large metropolitan area. To overcome omitted variable bias, we limit the sample to admitted applicants and control directly for the scores assigned by admissions based on in-depth analyses of the applicants and their families. In addition, we control for a wide set of covariates including student and family characteristics and entrance exam scores. Results indicate that attending selective private high school rather than other public and private high schools causes students to attend more selective universities. Effects are driven by gains for girls and students from lower-income neighborhoods.     

Achievement Effects of the Cleveland Voucher Program on High Ability Elementary School Students

Abstract

The issue of school choice and its effects on student performance have become a prevalent part of the educational landscape. This longitudinal investigation examines a group of students not typically associated with the school choice movement: high ability or “gifted” students. The study analyzed whether attending a private school through participation in the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program, which is among the longest running experimental evaluations of a school voucher program in the United States, resulted in differential performance on standardized achievement tests for topperforming students. Analyses showed that no statistically or practically significant differences were found between gifted students participating in the program and control group students who attended public schools.