Primary Research Group has published Survey of College Policies to Retain Students at Risk of Withdrawal, ISBN 978-1-57440-252-0.

The 275-page study looks closely at how colleges are developing special programs to retain at-risk populations such as students in need of remedial help, immigrants, students with limited financial means, and other categories of student at risk of withdrawal. The study examines the effectiveness of programs in remedial mathematics and writing, English as a Second Language, special programs for at-risk veterans, financial literacy programs, specialized tutoring, and other programs and approaches designed to identify and help students at risk of withdrawal. The study helps administrators to answer questions such as: what are the most effective methods of helping such students? Tutoring? Counseling? Peer Advising? Specialized classes? How are such programs paid for? What kinds of programs get the most budgetary support? What is the role of grants and other forms of outside support? How are programs assessed?

Just a few of the report's many findings are that:

• 46% found that immigrant students were less likely to persist than other students after the first year while only 25% thought that immigrants were more likely to persist and 12.5% found no difference in persistence
• Colleges that charged higher tuitions tended to support such centers more than others but all reported relatively high levels of success
• More than 50% of public college survey participants found pre-college writing instruction to be an effective retention tool
• 37.5% of survey participants have conducted impact studies, such as those endorsed by What Works Clearinghouse, to establish a causal link between specific programs and student retention

Questionnaire assistance for this report was provided by Steven Graunke, Assistant Director for Survey Research and Standard Reports, Office of Information Management and Institutional Research, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. PDF and print versions of the report are available for $98.00. Site licenses are available for $239.00. All Primary Research Group studies are also available through major book and research report distributors. For a table of contents and excerpt, visit our website at www.PrimaryResearch.com.