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This study was conducted to identify the continuing education (CE) elements nurses believed were most likely to influence their nursing practice and to examine R. Cervero's (1982) comprehensive model of continuing professional education. A total of 344 registered nurses returned questionnaires about CE. Using a researcher-developed 37-item instrument, 12 items were identified as most important in influencing change. The top three items were potential benefit to the patient, perceived value of the proposed change, and extent to which the change addressed a relevant practice problem. A unifying theme among the three items was their strong practice orientation. All four of Cervero's categories (nature of the learner, the CE program, the proposed change, and the social system) were represented in the top 12 items, with items related to the proposed change and the social system rated the highest. A principal components analysis with varimax rotation resulted in five subscales (CE Program, Difficulty in Implementing, Willing and Able, Experience and Education, and Application to Practice) and accounted for 47% of the explained variance in variables influencing the likelihood of practice change. The findings reinforce the usefulness of Cervero's notion of a multivariate framework when studying the relationship between CE and practice change. (Contains 2 tables and 38 references.) (Author/SLD)

This document reports on two studies by the Bridges to Inclusion project concerning issues surrounding runaway and/or homeless youth with disabilities. The first study surveyed emergency adolescent shelter providers funded by the Family and Youth Service Bureau. Findings addressed types of disabilities frequently identified or suspected in homeless and runaway youth, challenges in serving these youth, strategies utilized, staff training needs, and staff responses to working with this population. The second survey focused on the perspectives of a variety of disability organizations (N=202) on this issue. Findings addressed programs and policy, staff training needs, and potential for collaboration. Both studies found that neither the emergency adolescent shelter system nor the disability organizations are well designed to meet the needs of these youth, who may fall between the cracks and receive no services from either system. It is critical that both the disability support network and adolescent emergency service providers build relationships with each other and share resources. Implications are discussed in terms of program modifications to increase effectiveness, changes in their interventions and expectations from youth, and expansion of the outside resources used for support. The two surveys are appended. (DB)

This study explored how adult students define success in college and their perceptions of factors that either support or hinder achievement of this success. Thirteen returning adult students at two institutions were interviewed using a grounded theory approach. Data were analyzed inductively and iteratively to identify persistent themes. Students made clear and mutually exclusive distinctions between definitions of success in college and success in learning on the basis of two dimensions--the ownership of knowledge and the perceived potentiality or actuality of its use. Six themes emerged about factors identified as either contributing or hindering adults' success in college and learning: (1) experience, (2) maturity, (3) motivation, (4) self-monitoring ability, (5) reinforcement systems; and (6) classroom experiences. The study's findings support the need for new conceptualization of outcomes and the factors associated with these for increasingly diverse student bodies. The interview guide is appended. (Contains 33 references.) (Author/DB)

This study developed a statistical model to identify college students most prone to dropping out, testing the model to predict the retention status of black residential and white commuter students at an historically black institution with an open admissions policy. The model used 25 pre- and early-matriculation variables, including gender, age, ethnicity, citizenship, state and country of residency, enrollment status, high school class size, high school rank, high school grade point average, scores on the American College Testing(ACT) Service examination, grades in developmental courses, number of developmental courses required, first-semester credit hours attempted and completed, first-semester grade point average, and cumulative grade point average. Multivariate models (both direct and forward stepwise) using logistic regression analysis were developing using data from a sample of 1,949 first-time degree-seeking freshmen who entered the institution from 1990 through 1995. Compared to withdrawing students, returning students were significantly more likely to report better academic habits and goals, to have higher ACT scores and higher high school grades and class rank, to be a white commuter student, and to attend college full-time. Overall, the forward stepwise model was judged better for predicting retention status than the direct model. Results have implications for early identification of high-risk students. (Contains 49 references.)(DB)

This symposium paper reviews the literature on adult students in higher education and offers a model of their collegiate experiences. The review is organized according to the following themes: adults' experiences in higher education, social and psychological concerns, the role of the classroom, adult cognition, the adult-world surroundings, and adults' success in college. Also discussed are three alternative frameworks for conceptualizing and researching adult involvement. These include schema that examine learner involvement through adult life roles, learner participation in lifelong learning, and learner participation in a post-modern society. Also proposed is a comprehensive model that considers the relationships among six major elements related to adults' collegiate experiences: (1) prior experiences; (2) orienting frameworks such as motivation, self-confidence, and value system; (3) adult cognition, including declarative, procedural, and self-regulating knowledge structures and processes; (4) the "connecting classroom" as the central avenue for social engagement and for negotiating meaning for learning; (5) the life-world environment and the concurrent work, family, and community settings; and (6) the different types and levels of learning outcomes experienced by adults. A chart summarizing research is attached. (Contains 84 references.) (DB)

The Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS-2) will fly aboard the Landsat 9 spacecraft and leverages the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) design currently flying on Landsat 8. TIRS-2 will provide similar science data as TIRS, but is not a buildto-print rebuild due to changes in requirements and improvements in absolute accuracy. The heritage TIRS design has been modified to reduce the influence of stray light and to add redundancy for higher reliability over a longer mission life. The TIRS-2 development context differs from the TIRS scenario, adding to the changes. The TIRS-2 team has also learned some lessons along the way.