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The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which Tinto's model of the dropout process applied to a national sample of community college students. Strict definitions of persistence were used in applying a Tinto-based model to both 2- and 4-year student samples from the High School and Beyond (HSB) data set. The primary focus of the study was to determine the relative effects of social and academic integration, in relation to student background characteristics, on two measures of persistence: persistence in the institution, and persistence in higher education. The data were analyzed using path analyses procedures. Results only partially supported Tinto's theory. Major findings revealed that: 1) background variables directly affected persistence, no matter how defined, 2) the ability of Tinto's model to explain persistence may be highly dependent on the criteria used in defining persistence, 3) the model may better explain institutional persistence than persistence in the system of higher education, 4) student background characteristics may be more influential than institutional characteristics in explaining the long term persistence behavior of students, 5) results indicated that the Tinto model's ability to explain persistence was dependent upon the criteria used for defining persistence/dropout. / Ed. D.

The nighttime losses from an integral collector storage (ICS) system were investigated. The significance of the sky temperature, wind speed, and ambient temperature on the losses were examined. Outdoor data was taken on several nights to characterize the thermal performance of an ICS system under various environmental conditions. Indoor tests were then performed under an artificial "nighttime sky" environment, with a simulated wind, in an attempt to duplicate the heat losses which occurred outdoors. The standard rating procedure which specifies the conditions for the heat loss tests for ICS systems was analyzed to see how well it characterizes the collector performance at night. Experimental results indicate a synergistic effect between the sky temperature and wind speed. The effects of wind on the losses from the ICS system overshadow the effects of small changes in sky temperature, but larger changes of sky temperature, with a constant wind speed, have a pronounced effect. It is recommended that both of these parameters be taken into account in heat loss tests in standard rating procedures. Indoor tests can duplicate outdoor heat loss results within 8 per cent. The minimum requirement for SRCC rating tests should be to monitor, record, and report the sky temperature. / Ed. D.

The study of retention was approached by looking at selected characteristics of students and making a determination of the effects those characteristics had on retention status. Selected variables were ability, socioeconomic status, sex, race, high school program, high school grades, educational aspiration, curricular type, enrollment status, and entry status. Ability, socioeconomic status, sex, high school program, high school grades, and entry status were related to retention status in a positive direction. Race, curricular type, and enrollment status were negatively related to retention. Blacks were more likely to be retained, students in vocational curricular were more likely to be retained, and full-time students were more likely to be retained. The causal model compared favorably with other studies using similar determinants of retention. However, the model failed to account for 92 percent of the variation in retention status. The challenge for future researchers is to identify determinants which would seem to increase the explained variance and to focus attention on more institutional factors, as they seem to substantially contribute to the explanatory power of the causal model. / Ed. D.

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate and modify an instrument by which the prediction of high risk withdrawal students can be accomplished at an emerging state university. The study utilized 334 members of the freshman class at the state university. Study participants received no special programming or treatment prior to completion of the questionnaire. The subjects were required to complete Alexander Astin's Prediction Scale. Measures taken were: pre-college background, family background, educational aspirations, expectations about college, student characteristics, source of financial aid, work status and place of residence during student‘s freshman year. The statistical treatment of the data collected within this investigation required several techniques in determining its significance. An analysis of variance was employed to ascertain the differences existing between the independent and dependent variable established within the investigation. A multivariate regression analysis was used to designate the exact location of the differences revealed by the ANOVA program. An analysis of these computations revealed differences existing between males and females. Multiple regression revealed a difference in each of the four steps of each group when compared to the other group. The findings of this investigation warrant the following general conclusions: 1. That the freshman year is very crucial in the persistence of students at the university by the highest percentage of withdrawals coming from the freshman class. 2. That entering freshmen with grades higher than A had a better than 50% chance for retention; other research supports this position. 3. That dissatisfaction with the program or lack of money contributes significantly to reasons for student withdrawal. 4. That financial stability of parents of students who attended the university is important in the persistence of all students. 5. That cooperative efforts from the local, state, federal and institution's financial communities is a must in keeping the availability of work opportunities for students who desire and have the need to work. 6. That commitment to the educational goals of the university was a major concern of enrollees. 7. Finally, that being able to "fit" both academically and socially was very important to incoming enrollees. / Ed. D.

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The problem investigated in this study was which of three theories of withdrawal best explained why some community college students voluntarily disengaged from school. The theories examined were Clark's (1960, 1980) "cooling-out" theory, Ogbu's (1974, 1978) "job ceiling" theory, and Willis' (1977) "counter-culture" theory. Eleven white females who originally attended the same institution in the southeastern United States primarily as full-time students and later voluntarily withdrew were selected on the basis of those who would have ordinarily been expected to persist to graduation and those who would not have been expected to do so. These two groups were also sub-divided by lower and higher social class standing. Data were collected through four interviews to provide a life history of the educational and occupational experiences, attitudes, aspirations, and beliefs of each participant. Domain analysis, a method recommended for qualitative, text-based data, was used to analyze the transcribed interview responses. The findings indicate that the three theories providing the conceptual framework do not fully explain why the women in this study chose to withdraw from college. These women did not seem to perceive that the institution had encouraged them to lower their aspirations and to relocate in the curriculum (Clark). The women also did not seem to consider the job ceiling in making their own occupational decisions (Ogbu). Further, they did not seem to be attracted to a counter-culture set of beliefs and behaviors, and in fact, seemed to accept the beliefs and behaviors of the school (Willis). Rather, the women in this study demonstrated goal confusion and indecision, confusion about the relationship between education and work, and ambivalence about the identities and roles they wanted for themselves. Although they all wanted "something special" as an occupation, they gradually narrowed their options by acting upon the messages they received from significant others and from their observations about the role of education and work in people's lives. The decision to withdraw from college was but one of the choices they made as they narrowed their l options. Factors which remain unexplained by the three theories and recommendations for community colleges hoping to improve retention rates are discussed. / Ed. D.

The purpose of the study was to determine the direct influences of selected environmental, academic, and background factors as well as academic outcomes and expression of intent to leave on persistence or non-persistence of nontraditional students at a comprehensive community college in the Dallas County Community College District. The study applied a conceptual model of nontraditional undergraduate student attrition. Data for this study were collected during the Fall, 1987 semester from 312 first-year nontraditional students using the two-year institution questionnaires from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. In addition, follow-up surveys were administered to the 97 students who did not re—enroll for the Spring, 1988 semester. The data were analyzed using discriminant function, chi square, and product-moment correlation. For these nontraditional students, educational goal commitment, cumulative grade point average (GPA) and expression of intent to leave at the end of the semester had significant direct influence on persistence or non-persistence decisions. In contrast, environmental factors such as finances, employment status, and family responsibilities, and background factors such as high school academic performance, enrollment status and parents' education level did not directly influence dropout decisions. Nontraditional students reported receiving moderate to high levels of encouragement to remain in college from outside sources, especially employers. In spite of this encouragement, a frequent reason given for leaving college was the inability to cope with working and going to school at the same time. The results generally confirmed that the conceptual model used in this study provided a valid framework for research on nontraditional student attrition. Accurate prediction of persistence or non-persistence of nontraditional students in a community college appears quite difficult due to the heterogeneity of this student population and their diverse educational goals.

The purpose of the study was to identify factors affecting student retention at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia. It has been estimated that 35% of university students leave higher education before completing their studies (Al-Saud, 2006). This study was guided by Tinto’s (1975) Student Integration Theory. Berger and Braxton (1998, p. 104) have stated that Tinto’s integration model ‘has been the focus of much empirical research and has near-paradigmatic status in the study of the college student departure.’ This theory is longitudinal and dynamic and views student retention decisions largely as the results of interactions between the student and the academic and social systems of the institution (Tinto, 1975, 1993). This study used a mixed methods approach. Using the terminology of Creswell (2003), the appropriate description of the overall design of this study is a mixed methods concurrent triangulation strategy. This means that ‘qualitative and quantitative data are collected and analyzed at the same time. Priority is usually equal and given to both forms of data. Data analysis is usually separate, and integration usually occurs at the data interpretation stage’ (Hanson et al., 2005, p. 229). This strategy was selected because it allows the findings to be confirmed, cross-validated, and corroborated within a single study (Creswell, 2003). This strategy consisted of two phases. The first phase was the quantitative approach. Quantitative data were collected from 414 freshman students using two questionnaires administered on two occasions and from the university admission office. The quantitative data were analysed using a structural equation modelling (SEM) technique using the AMOS software package. The results of the SEM indicated that Tinto’s model were not useful in predicting the Saudi freshman student retention process. The variables in the model explained only 30 percent of the variance in student retention. The results of the SEM indicated that four of the nine hypotheses proposed in Tinto’s model were supported by statistically significant results. Moreover, only three variables had direct effects on retention. The largest direct effect on retention was accounted for by initial goal and institutional commitment (0.49), followed by later goal and institutional commitment and pre-college schooling as measured by high school scores (0.10). The second phase of this study utilised a qualitative approach. Qualitative data were obtained from three sources: non-persister students, persister students, and staff members. Seventeen non-persister students were interviewed over the phone; 15 persister students were interviewed using a focus group technique; while staff members were asked to complete a survey. Of the 200 surveys distributed, 37 were returned including responses from 16 lecturers, 12 administrators, 5 librarians and 4 academic advisors. A comparison was made between those students who persisted and those who dropped out using constructs from Tinto’s theory. In relation to students’ levels of goal and institutional commitment, it was found that persister students appeared to be more motivated and to have higher levels of goal commitment than non-persister students. Similarly, persister students appeared to have higher levels of institutional commitment than non-persister students, in part it is suggested, due to the fact that the majority of persister students had been able to select their desired majors whereas the majority of non-persister students had not. In relation to the students’ levels of academic integration, there was no significant difference between both groups of students. Persister and non-persister students both exhibited low levels of academic integration into the university system. In addition, there was no significant difference between both groups of students in terms of social integration. Both groups of students indicated low levels of social integration into the university system. In addition, the participants (persister students, non-persister students, and staff members) were all asked to indicate what they perceived to be the major factors affecting student retention at King Saud University. The findings from the qualitative data not only help to explain and confirm the quantitative findings but also identify why Saudi freshman students leave the university before completing their studies. The most important factors were: difficulties of selecting majors, difficulties of transferring between subjects, lack of academic advice and irregularity of monthly reward.

This study was designed to examine freshman students at North Texas State University and to determine some of the factors contributing to attrition and retention. The instrument used in the study was the Student Information Questionnaire (SIQ). The instrument was created to aid the objective assessment knowledge relating to student retention and attrition. The categories of knowledge selected included demographics, individual attributes, family background, and educational experience.