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Site-Based Dropout Identification And Prescription Process For Alternative Education In A Diverse School System, William P. Krupp

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study developed a school site-based dropout identification and prescription process for student placement in alternative education programs in a school system with diverse residential environments—urban, rural, and suburban. The dropout performance-based and measurable predictor variables selected through discriminate function analysis were total retentions, yearly average of absences, total out-of-school suspensions, the state competency tests passed on time, total administrative hearings, and yearly average of poor grades. The combination and nature of these variables allow for early detection of potential dropouts.

While subtle differences existed between the urban, suburban, and rural prediction formulas, the variables selected produced prediction formulas with …

A Power Structure Study Of An Urban Superintendent's Tenure In The City Of Virginia Beach, 1967–1986, Sophia V. Stubblefield

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study examined the 19-year tenure of Dr. E. E. Brickell, superintendent of the Virginia Beach City School System. Specifically, the study has further developed an understanding of the role, expectations, and challenges of the position to identify factors that contributed to Dr. Brickell's tenure longevity.

The literature review conducted in this study revealed that specific factors contributing to a long tenure (more than 2.5 years) for a superintendent is inconclusive. The available data suggest that an interaction of political, environmental, and individual factors could effect the length of a superintendent's tenure.

A qualitative research design was used in this …

Identification Of Noncognitive Factors As Predictors Of Freshman Academic Performance And Retention In A Community College Setting, Mark Fallon Freeze

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study identified noncognitive factors (via the use of discriminant analysis) that impact freshmen academic performance and retention in a community college setting. The study used a modified version of the Freshman Survey, that had been validated for use at an urban four-year institution, to determine the predictive validity of the instrument for use with first semester freshmen in a two-year college setting. Existing research suggests that cognitive factors can, at most, explain 10 to 20 percent of the variance in student retention and academic performance. The remainder (approximately 80 percent) of the variance in student academic performance and …

Community Social Disorganization Theory Applied To Adolescent Academic Achievement, Spencer Ross Baker

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Over the years, the public education system has been transformed by outside political and societal forces to provide an equal opportunity for all students. Investigations of the public education system were not consistent and yielded divergent results on how to improve adolescent academic achievement. These divergent results were caused by different operationalizations of variables, data analytical procedures that possibly provided biased parameter estimates, and a failure to use a comprehensive theory. Although these results were inconsistent, the latest transformation of the public education system currently involves holding schools, administrators, parents, and students accountable for learning.

The measurement of success in …

The Influence Of Selected Noncognitive Variables On The Academic Success Of Urban Black High School Males In An Enrichment Pre-College Program, Leon Rouson

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The thrust of this study was to examine the influence of selected noncognitive variables on the academic success of urban Black high school males in an enrichment Pre-College Program. The major research question was: Which of the selected noncognitive variables are most useful in predicting academic success for urban Black high school males?

This study reinvestigated Sedlacek and Brooks' (1976) proposed set of seven noncognitive variables related to academic success: (a) self-concept; (b) realistic self-appraisal; (c) understanding of and ability to deal with racism; (d) preference for long-term goals over more immediate, short-term needs; (e) availability of a strong support …