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This report describes the outcomes of research that investigated school reform, school-linked services, parent involvement, and community school programs in schools in 36 states. Results found that services were often added on to school sites without any intent to integrate them with school reform; teachers were not directly involved in services; co-locating service providers did not guarantee better quality of services; and technical assistance, capacity-building, and time for teachers were in short-supply. A model comprised of 10 strategies, "The Family-Supportive Community School," is presented to enhance learning experiences for all students, including students with disabilities. The strategies include: (1) parent empowerment and family support; (2) paraprofessional jobs and career ladders for parents; (3) school readiness, parent education, and family support; (4) caring classrooms that improve children's learning while enhancing teachers' and parents' efficacy; (5) improved classroom supports for teachers and children; (6) collaborative leadership; (7) educational communities; (8) neighborhood development and community organization; (9) simultaneous renewal of higher education; and (10) technology enhancement and use. Appendices include family support premises and principles of family-centered practice, and examples of knowledge needs and orientations of teachers, principals, service providers and parents in three kinds of schools. (Contains approximately 200 references.) (CR)

A study was done to examine the impact of two different models of liberal education on students at Miami University (Ohio). Students enrolled in two general/liberal education programs completed a wide-ranging battery of instruments to assess the impact which their educational experiences had on their intellectual and personal development. The class of 1989 was administered a battery of tests during their first, sophomore, and senior years. Tests included the American College Testing COMP; the Test of Thematic Analysis; Analysis of Argument; Measure of Epistemological Reflection; and the American College Testing Activity Inventory. For cross-sectional studies students in both programs completed seven assessments and a structured interview. These instruments were used to evaluate the performance of students enrolled in an interdisciplinary, core curriculum as compared to that of students taking a disciplinary, distribution general education program. Results suggested a number of differences between the two groups. On measures of liberal arts skills, cognitive development, student culture/campus ethos, and academic behavior the groups had some notable differences in their responses. Extensive appendixes contain an overview of the testing schedule, results of student culture testing, a summary of program survey results, information on a program award, two proposals, and sponsor assessment comments. (JB)

The attitudes and values of the present generation of Miami University undergraduates were studied, and the shifts that have taken place in the viewpoints of incoming freshmen at the institution during this decade are traced. Five types of values were examined: personal values and commitments, political and economic beliefs, social attitudes, religious beliefs, and perceptions of student power. Two sets of data were used: selected results from the 1977 and 1971 surveys of freshmen sponsored by the American Council of Education (ACE) and the findings of a separate, more detailed survey of the opinions of the overall Miami University student body. The ACE-sponsored research is an ongoing longitudinal analysis of freshmen conducted by Alexander Astin and colleagues at the University of California at Los Angeles. At Miami University, a separate instrument was developed containing indices and questions that correspond to the values categories. A description of the indices, and the methodology used to construct them, is appended. Respondents' demographic characteristics are also considered. (SW)

A random sample of Miami University undergraduate and graduate students were surveyed to determine their opinions about health care at the university. Most of the questions dealt with the university's student health service and satisfaction with the quality of medical treatment at the facility, perception of the staff's performance and interest in patients, familiarity with the services offered, and interest in new programs and expanded operating hours. A solid majority of students expressed satisfaction with the overall quality of health care they received at the student health service, as well as with the facility's hours of operation. Most of the users felt that they had been regularly treated courteously and professionally by the doctors, nurses, and technicians at the student health service. The reception staff, however, received a lower rating. (Author/SW)

A study, as part of a larger report on attrition and retention of students at Miami University, was undertaken to determine the reasons for withdrawing from the university prior to earning a degree. A questionnaire was mailed to the 1,026 students in the 1978 class who voluntarily left the institution and for whom correct addresses could be obtained. The most revealing question in the survey was probably an open-ended item that asked students to describe their major reason for leaving Miami. Responses were organized into one of eight categories: curriculum, personal circumstances, motivation, student life, academic ability, financial concerns, environmental problems, and instruction. "Successful dropouts" (those who left the college in good academic standing) tended to leave because they found another institution offering a curriculum of courses more suited to their needs, because of personal reasons only marginally related to Miami University, and because they felt out of place with other students or with Miami University's conservative environment and conduct regulations. "Unsuccessful dropouts" tended to withdraw because of poor academic performance, loss of interest in attending college, and personal circumstances. Miami University was found to be a satisfactory experience for most of the dropouts. (SW)

A random sample of students living in university housing at Miami University were surveyed about their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with three broad features of hall life: hall relationships, policies and programs; facilities and services; and staff. A list of 42 factors that were thought to relate to overall satisfaction with housing were assigned to the above categories on the basis of content. The survey findings demonstrated that an overwhelming majority of residents were pleased with the general hall environment. There was little difference between the overall satisfaction level of freshman and upperclass residents, while women were slightly more pleased than men. In the area of hall relationships, policies and programs, students were most pleased with their roommates, their security (and that of their possessions), the sense of community and morale on their corridor, and the reasonableness of most hall rules. However, a sizeable number of students were unhappy with the university's visitation policy and conditions for sleep and study on their corridor. Residents were thoroughly satisfied with the performance of the hall advisory staff. In the section dealing with facilities and services, the items that earned the highest rating were related to janitorial and maintenance functions. Questionnaire items are appended. (Author/SW)

Participants in sorority and fraternity rush at Miami were surveyed about their experiences with that process, the factors important to the decision to pledge or not to pledge a Greek-letter organization, and the effect rush had on a person's self-image. Another study question was whether there were any differences in personal background characteristics between students who pledged and those who did not. The study group were men and women who participated in rush and pledged a fraternity or sorority and those who participated in rush but did not pledge. Students who did not pledge either withdrew voluntarily or were not preferred by sororities or fraternities. Anonymous questionnaires were administered after the formal rush period. A greater percentage of students of both sexes who pledged agreed that rush was a worthwhile addition to their college experience, felt comfortable in "being themselves" during rush, and believed that the activities of rush period provided them with sufficient information for making a choice about pledging. The milieu of the fraternal system and the people in it were the dominant influences on the decision to pledge. Students who pledged reported that rush had a neutral to positive effect on their views of themselves, while non-pledges indicated that it had a neutral to negative impact. (Author/SW)

The factors affecting the admission and enrollment of minority students at the 12 state universities in Ohio were studied through campus visits, questionnaire administration, and correlation and multiple regression analysis of the findings. Summaries are presented on minority recruitment and retention efforts at each university for the following offices: admissions, financial aid, affirmative action, minority affairs, student affairs, academic affairs, social and cultural activities, black/ethnic studies, and black/ethnic cultural centers. Predictor variables that were isolated for analysis were: cost, federal financial aid, distance from a cultural center, strength of black studies programs and black cultural centers, and strength of minority and special service programs. Figures were obtained for full-time, main-campus, entering undergraduate freshmen for each fall session from 1973 to 1976. The statistical analysis suggests that the major factors affecting minority student enrollment are geographic location and the strength of the tutoring, counseling, and social, academic, and cultural programming services available to minority students. Two other factors deserving attention by administrators are the availability of financial aid and the need for more minority group members in faculty, staff, and administrative positions. (SW)

Freshmen who received less than a 2.0 grade average during their first semester at college were asked to indicate on a written questionnaire the extent to which 68 factors were or were not a reason for their poor academic performance. Respondents were also encouraged to supply additional observations about their educational experiences that seemed significant to them in terms of their scholastic difficulties. The responses to the forced-choice items were factor-analyzed, and the report was organized according to a nine-category typology drawn from the analysis. The data are examined in terms of certain demographic characteristics of the survey participants. Freshmen placed the greatest responsibility for their low grades on their own lack of motivation, proper study habits, and attention to school work. Nonetheless, many students felt that institutional or environmental factors such as university and divisional requirements, faculty teaching and examination procedures, residence hall atmosphere, background in English, and the quality of academic advising also contributed to their problems. (Author/MSE)

Changes that occurred between 1972 and 1980 in the intended field of study and occupational aspirations of high school seniors were investigated, along with how successfully seniors attained their aspirations. Background, personal, and school variables associated with selecting each occupation and field among the 1980 seniors were analyzed in-depth. Data were obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (data on base-year and fourth followup available for 13,847 students at 1,318 schools) and the High School and Beyond Study (data on 28,240 seniors at 1,015 schools). Major findings include: decreased interest in education and teaching occurred between 1972 and 1980; increased interest in computer/engineering/architecture fields and managerial/proprietor occupations occurred; the percentage of females planning to enter higher status occupations increased substantially; successful pursuit of occupation was highest among those in the housewife, craftsman/operative, and clerical/sales categories and lowest among those in the teacher, technical, and professional categories; and successful pursuit of field of study was highest among those planning to study education and the humanities and arts, and lowest among those planning a preprofessional study field. Additional findings and policy implications are considered. (SW)

A study examined terminal degree graduates--high school graduates who do not pursue any type of postsecondary education in the two years following graduation. They were compared with those who did pursue postsecondary education. The study used the base year (1980) and first followup (1982) of seniors in the High School and Beyond Study. Findings showed 34 percent of high school graduates are terminal degree graduates; over half had postsecondary education plans. Most shifted their educational plans, generally downward. They came from lower social class backgrounds than postsecondary education students, had lower aptitude, came from larger families, and were less likely to have siblings in college. They had lower self-concept scores, experienced less parental and teacher influence, and had parents much less likely to expect their child to attend college. They were less likely to be in the academic curriculum, had lower grade point averages, did less homework, were involved in fewer extracurricular activities, and were more delinquent. Two years after graduation they were more likely to be employed, worked more hours, and earned more. They were more likely to be married and have children and to be in clerical, crafts, operative, service, and labor/farmer occupations. (Twenty-two tables are appended.) (YLB)

The Spectra+ program is a 4-year model arts initiative being conducted in four elementary schools in two southwestern Ohio cities. An empirical study compared students in a Spectra+ program with two groups of students in two alternate, non-Spectra+ programs in districts A and B to measure differences in creativity, academic achievement, self esteem, locus of control, and appreciation of the arts. Results showed that on creativity tests, Spectra+ children scored highest overall on the total test, originality, and resistance to closure. Reading and mathematics achievement scores were examined prior to and following program treatments. Spectra+ students showed no differences in reading improvement from Group A, but less achievement improvement than group B. Spectra+ males showed greater mathematics improvement than Group A as a whole, while the Spectra+ girls showed the lowest mathematics improvement. There was no difference in Spectra+ and group B students in total mathematics achievement. Grade and gender were more significant to self-esteem than either Spectra+ or other treatments. There were no significant differences among the groups in locus of control measures. In total arts appreciation measures, Spectra+ students scored highest. Recommendations called for: (1) continuance of Spectra+ program in the school districts employing it; (2) longitudinal evaluation of areas showing inconclusive results; (3) expansion of the Spectra+ program to use among older students; (4) and investigation of the gender inequities shown among Spectra+ students in terms of mathematics achievement and social self-concept functioning. (MM)