Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 199-211). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2005. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-139). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1974. / Typescript. Vita. Based on Kemper's paper, Reference groups, socialism, and achievement, published in American Sociological Review, February 1968. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

This study was purposed to extract, collate, and statistically format data contained in the national Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) Longitudinal Study: 1996-2001 database that pertained to persistence and attainment rates of GED recipients who began their postsecondary education at a community college during the 1995-96 academic year. The primary objective was to reckon the attrition rate of GED recipients during their first year of enrollment (FY 1995-96), and to measure degree or certificate attainment rates of that particular cohort of GED enrollees at the end of a 6-year study period (FY 2000-01). Several significant findings related to the academic prowess and characteristics of a cohort of GED students who enrolled in public 2-year educational institutions during the BPS:1995-96 study period are presented in this study. One of those findings is that the attrition rates of the GED recipients and the high school graduates who concurrently enrolled full-time at community colleges during the 1995-96 academic year were closely proximate by the end of their first year of enrollment (52.6% HS dropout rate versus 54.8% GED dropout rate). Another interesting finding is that accumulated GPAs of GED recipients who participated in the BPS:1996/2001 and who persisted through their first academic year as full-time enrollees in community colleges were slightly higher than their counterpart BPS:1996/2001 cohort of high school graduates who concurrently enrolled at community colleges. The statistical data reported in this study were garnered from a database administered by the US Department of Education; however, because this study presents its findings in the form of raw, unweighted data, it does not statistically reflect national representativeness. / Graduation date: 2004

This dissertation was carried out to try to describe the role of socio-economic factors in the successful completion of schooling up to matriculation level (matric), among young mothers in the Soutpansberg East Circuit in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The researcher used the social capital theoretical framework. A questionnaire was administered to 128 young mothers, aged 18 and above, after a pilot survey had been carried out. The data was captured, exported and analysed The data was then exported to the latest model of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 where it was analysed. The research used independent T-test analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation analysis. The independent T- test was used to determine if the views of young mothers differed by the number of children, form of support from father, school policy and presence of educators as counsellors. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done to determine whether the views on the role of socioeconomic factors in the successful completion of matric among young mothers in the Soutpansberg East Circuit, Limpopo Province, South Africa differed by age, grade, type of family and who takes care of the child. The findings showed that there were several socioeconomic factors that assisted young mothers to complete matric, among them were, family supports, child support grants, intra-school environment and policies. They provided critical support to the young mother in different forms among others taking care of children while they were at school, financial support, encouragement. The study also found other that schools in the Soutpansberg East Circuit also provided a significant amount of support to young mothers. The study also found a general trend of absentee fatherhood in the caring of children. The study found out that there was a complicated interplay of different socioeconomic factors to the completion of matric among the young mothers. The researcher, therefore, concluded that socio-economic factors are critical for the successful completion of schooling up to matric level in the Soutpansberg East Circuit. The study found out the need for more empirical study in the role of socioeconomic factors to the complication of matric among young mothers. / Sociology / M.A. (Sociology)