The Texas Hispanic population is projected to grow to 18.8 million, almost tripling its number within the state, in only 30 years. This rapid growth is a concern for Texas higher education because this group has traditionally been under-represented in colleges and universities. Also, according to national, state, and local data, Hispanic students are retained at a lower rate than are other ethnic groups. Because of lower retention rates for Hispanic students and because the majority of Hispanic college students are female, an increasing number of Hispanic women are heads of households. Studying the attrition rates of Hispanic females could provide a better understanding of how the state can improve both the participation and retention rates of this population. This study utilized descriptive statistics and regression analysis to identify the correlations between and among the dependent variable of attrition and independent variables derived from (1) pre-college survey responses measuring college expectations and (2) early-first semester survey responses measuring actual college experience. Institutional data were used to confirm enrollment status at the beginning of the second semester. The sample of the study was all female, full-time, first-time-in college student survey respondents attending a public 4-year institution in Texas. This number included Hispanic females (n = 176), Caucasian females (n = 278), and African American females (n = 209). Although not a focus of the study, Caucasian and African American females were included to enhance the understanding of Hispanic females’ responses. The dependent variable of attrition in college attendance for Hispanic females correlated negatively with each two independent variables: (1) joining one or more campus organizations (r = -.252, p = 0.045) and (2) campus social life providing many opportunities for participation (r = -.272, p = 0.030). The dependent variable correlated positively with one independent variable, satisfaction with academic progress at the end of the freshman year (r = .301, p = 0.016). To have a positive impact on the attrition rates of Hispanic females, educators at Texas institutions of higher education must better understand Hispanic females’ college expectations.

University attrition is a complex problem which may include different variables. This article seeks to describe the reasons behind university attrition in a private university in the city of Iquitos. The sample included 88 young people who dropped out the studies at University where the present study was carried out, whose ages range between 18-25 years, from which 42% are women and 58% males. The data from focus group was analyzed, as well as the interviews and the systematization of the existing information. The results show that the institutional characteristics would be the first factor that triggers attrition, followed by the vocational interests, academics, and finally the economic factor / El problema de deserción universitaria es complejo e incluye diversas causas. En este artículo se busca describir las razones que explican el fenómeno de la deserción universitaria en una universidad privada de la ciudad de Iquitos. La muestra estuvo conformada por 88 jóvenes que abandonaron los estudios en aquella universidad; sus edades fluctuaron entre los 18 y 25 años de edad; de ellos, el 42% fueron mujeres y el 58% fueron varones. En el presente trabajo, se analizan los datos obtenidos de los grupos focales, de las entrevistas y de la sistematización de la documentación existente. Los resultados muestran que las características institucionales serían el primer factor de deserción, seguido de los intereses vocacionales, los académicos y, finalmente, los económicos.

Approximately 50% of doctoral students in social science, humanities, and educational doctoral programs fail to earn the Ph.D. This number is 10% to 15% higher for students enrolled in online or limited-residency programs. Using in-depth interviewing and qualitative data analysis techniques, this study examined participants' recollections of their experience as students in a limited-residency doctoral program and their reasons for withdrawal. The study addresses the following question "What is the nature of the participants' experiences of doctoral attrition in a limited-residency doctoral program?" The use of a grounded theory analysis helped identify obstacles that ultimately cause students to withdraw from limited-residency programs. The elucidation of these barriers led to the development of a theoretical model comprised of three components; each clarified relationships between attrition and a support issue (i.e., advisor support, dissertation support and program support). These components were then combined into a single theoretical model that identified the nature of participants' experience of attrition. The theoretical model helps identify steps faculty and administration could take in order to reduce attrition. The study's findings are presented in a discussion of themes found throughout the participant's narratives. Recommendations for effective doctoral education practices from existing literature are supported in the findings of this study. The limited-residency doctoral program may consider offering several forms of support to improve doctoral retention. Additionally, the program should give close attention to the relationship between the advisor and the student. Recommendations were made regarding significant program factors, accountability measures for dissertation committees and chairperson, improved monitoring of attrition, and improving the overall communication with the dissertation students. The concluding chapter includes implications of the findings and recommendations for further research regarding doctoral student attrition.

This dissertation examines first language loss, or lack of first language development, in minority first language children, trying to answer the questions: (a) what have been the consequences (negative or positive) of losing a first language?, and (b) what does first language loss mean both personally and literally? Taking a multiple life history case study approach, this dissertation seeks to understand first language loss from a descriptive, narrative, retrospective, and personal point-of-view, one heretofore overlooked in language loss research. Linguistic life histories were collected through a series of interviews with each of 21 subjects. Five of the life histories are included in full edited form and are intensively analysed in this dissertation. Additionally, all 21 case studies are reviewed in an emergent theme analysis which examines the consequences of first language loss for family relationships, school relationships, school performance, and self image. A final section of the emergent theme analysis tries to determine the meaning of first language loss. A number of negative consequences of losing one's primary language are cited, including familial misunderstanding, loss of extended family, loss of parental closeness and guidance, anger and frustration toward the family, the school system and the community, poor scholastic performance in some subject areas, poor self image, loss of employment opportunity and marketability, and loss of cultural identity. It is concluded that first language loss has had a significantly negative impact on many aspects of the subjects' lives.

This dissertation examines first language loss, or lack of first language development, in minority first language children, trying to answer the questions: (a) what have been the consequences (negative or positive) of losing a first language?, and (b) what does first language loss mean both personally and literally? Taking a multiple life history case study approach, this dissertation seeks to understand first language loss from a descriptive, narrative, retrospective, and personal point-of-view, one heretofore overlooked in language loss research. Linguistic life histories were collected through a series of interviews with each of 21 subjects. Five of the life histories are included in full edited form and are intensively analysed in this dissertation. Additionally, all 21 case studies are reviewed in an emergent theme analysis which examines the consequences of first language loss for family relationships, school relationships, school performance, and self image. A final section of the emergent theme analysis tries to determine the meaning of first language loss. A number of negative consequences of losing one's primary language are cited, including familial misunderstanding, loss of extended family, loss of parental closeness and guidance, anger and frustration toward the family, the school system and the community, poor scholastic performance in some subject areas, poor self image, loss of employment opportunity and marketability, and loss of cultural identity. It is concluded that first language loss has had a significantly negative impact on many aspects of the subjects' lives. / Education, Faculty of / Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of / Graduate

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Frederick Burrack / The purpose of this study was to discover the reasons that led high-achieving high school orchestra musicians to discontinue formal participation in collegiate orchestra class. Using narrative analysis, the researcher examined the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influenced the student’s decision to not participate in orchestra. The researcher also sought to understand if and how these former high school musicians continued to make music on their own. Three current university students and their high school orchestra teachers were purposefully selected for the study. Data were collected through email queries, surveys, and personal interviews. Upon completion of the interview, the researcher summarized each interview into a narrative and shared it with the participant via email for member checking. Each participant was asked to provide feedback for the narrative and return it to the researcher. The researcher used Riessman’s (2008) adaptation of William Labov’s structural coding to analyze the data. Using Robichaux’s (2003) expansion of Labov’s coding, the researcher was able to establish a structural analysis of the narrative that reinforced the thematic analysis. The researcher coded each participant’s narrative along with that of his or her high school orchestra teacher. Coding was supported by NVivo software. Fact-checking of responses from the initial survey along with answers from the participants’ narrative and that of their high school director’s narrative allowed for a more robust and reliable narrative analysis. Definitive answers were not be sought or expected, but rather the collection of data led to a greater understanding and illustration of why the research participants chose to end their participation in orchestra rehearsals on the collegiate level. The participants offered diverse reasons for why they chose not to continue participating in college on the university level. Their reasons are described within six categories of intrinsic and extrinsic factors: (a) persistence; (b) self-concept of musical ability; (c) motivation for music; (d) parental musicianship and support; (e) director influence; and (f) socioeconomic status. Each participant could not name a single, defining factor that led him or her to discontinue participation in orchestra as each of the identified factors weighed differently for each person.

Syftet med denna magisteruppsats är att se hur svenskar bosatta på Island hanterar sin fler­språkighet, det vill säga hur deras språkvanor ser ut och hur de anser att respektive språk ut­vecklas alternativt bleknar. Detta undersöks med hjälp av en enkät innehållande frågor om i vilken utsträckning isländska, svenska och andra språk används i vardagen, hur den uppfattade språkutvecklingen ser ut, om svenskan påverkas av isländskan samt hur viktigt det anses vara att kunna tala isländska på Island, att bevara svenskan och att föra den vidare till nästa generation. Sammanlagt har 21 Islandssvenskar svarat på enkäten. Resultatet visar att isländska är det språk som används i högst utsträckning i informan­ternas vardag. Både vid arbete och studier och i kontakt med islänningar är isländska det dominerande språket. Informanterna umgås ofta med både islänningar och svenskar och tar del av medier på båda språken. Det faktum att vardagen till stor del levs på isländska tycks påverka informanternas svenska. Många upplever att de blandar isländska och svenska, särskilt i tal, och att isländskan påverkar när de talar svenska. Ungefär en tredjedel har någon gång upplevt att det varit pro­blematiskt att tala svenska. Svårigheterna finns på olika språkliga nivåer och kan exempelvis innebära att det är svårt att minnas svenska ord eller att isländska regler gällande syntax och böjning appliceras på svenska. Detta tyder på att Islandssvenskarnas förstaspråk utsatts för språkförlust, attrition. Slutligen visar denna studie att attityd och motivation påverkar både språkvanorna och den självskattade språkutvecklingen. De informanter som värdesätter kunskaper i isländska använder i högre utsträckning än andra isländska i vardagen, inte bara med islänningar utan också med andra invandrare. De informanter som anser sig ha gjort störst framsteg vad gäller kunskaper i isländska har dessutom alla en hög motivation till att lära sig språket. På samma sätt verkar en lägre motivationsgrad kunna bidra till att språket inte utvecklas i lika hög grad.

This thesis examines the administrative separation process and attrition documentation as well as the characteristics of recruits who attrite from the U.S. Navy's Recruit Training Command (RTC). A random sample of 754 "retained files" from Customer Service Desk RTC was examined for attrition documentation and the information obtained was compared with attrition documentation contained in the Corporate Enterprise Training Activity Resource System (CETARS). The comparison is used to determine the accuracy of CETARS in documenting the reasons for medical and psychiatric attrition and its relationship to Separation Program Codes (SPD) listed on the DD 214 discharge form. The results indicate that CETARS is 95.2 percent accurate in documenting medical reasons for attrition and 94.2 percent accurate for psychiatric reasons. It was unclear whether a relationship existed between SPD codes and CETARS in documenting attrition. The specific reasons for psychiatric attrition include the following: Personality Disorder, Adjustment Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In addition to the analysis of attrition documentation, we analyzed data on 216,028 recruits entering RTC between fiscal year 2000 and 2004 to determine the predictors of non-psychiatric attrites versus psychiatric attrites. Logit regression found that the predictors of both types of attrition were similar.

Background: Inability to retain participants in a clinical trial poses a threat to clinical research as it can lead to a number of issues ultimately affecting generalisability, validity and reliability of the study. Patients with schizophrenia have been reported as particularly difficult to engage and retain in research and psychiatric treatment. This thesis aimed to improve the current understanding of the retention of people with schizophrenia in trials evaluating complex interventions. Methods: This thesis adopted a mixed method design. Quantitative methodology was used to identify the scale of attrition and to explore potential predictors of dropout. This included a systematic review and meta-analysis and a separate meta-analysis of individual patient data. Qualitative methodology was used in two studies to explore the perspectives of both trial staff and former trial participants on the factors important for retention and effective practices and strategies. Results: The results of the systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated the rates of dropout from studies to be higher than from experimental interventions. Dropout from interventions significantly increased as the number of intervention sessions increased. The individual patient data meta-analysis found retention to be higher at the final follow-up assessment than at the penultimate one. The effect of arm allocation almost reached statistical significance pointing to the possibility of participants in the active arm having higher odds of completing the final follow-up than those in the control arm. Two qualitative studies identified barriers and facilitators to retention related to factors related to participant, researcher, study, and wider context. Some of the identified barriers were specific to schizophrenia. Conclusion: Attrition is a phenomenon that should be anticipated by trialists and prevented with the use of multiple strategies. The extent to which dropout can be minimised depends on a number of factors associated with the participant, researcher, study, and context.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2006. / Thesis Advisor(s): Mark J. Eitelberg, Stephen L. Mehay. "March 2006." Thesis (M.S. in Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2006. Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-165). Also available in print.