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The Student Transition and Retention Program (STAR), one of 10 federally-funded model dropout prevention programs, was created to address the high dropout rate in Santa Ana (California) public high schools. Students participating in the STAR program, complete a vocational course providing them with important job skills, and also receive support to help them successfully complete their high school studies. Over 191 students have participated in the program, which is housed at the Centennial Education Center (CEC) in Santa Ana. Recruiters from the STAR program visit area high schools and meet with counselors, teachers, and administrators who recommend students for the program. STAR accepts students age 17 to 21 who have a minimum English proficiency and who are motivated to complete vocational training and graduate from high school. Once accepted, students take a set of placement tests and meet with special counselors who assign a course load for the students. Enrollment requires 20-25 hours of class per week, a course in Vocational English as a Second Language, and participation in program activities. A number of support services are also provided, including part-time work, child care, transportation, and tutoring. Students near program completion receive special counseling to determine whether they want to continue their studies after STAR. Part 1 of this two-part report provides an introduction to the program and includes copies of test instruments, counselor evaluation forms, and a high school graduation requirements sheet. Part 2, the student guidebook, includes additional forms, schedules of activities, and maps of the CEC and other key sites. (JMC)

The Orange County (California) Human Relations Council exists to improve intergroup relations by enabling a representative group of school community members to work collaboratively toward creating and sustaining a safe, inclusive school climate that is respectful of society's diversity. The Council concentrates on training and encouraging students, parents, and teachers to use positive peer support to promote intergroup understanding. At the elementary school level, the Council's approach focuses on parent and teacher participation in planning and on parent and teacher education. In the middle schools, the Council works with parents, teachers, and school administrators. At the high school level, a student-centered program is presented, focusing on positive peer pressure, and continuing work with parents and teachers. Overall components include leadership team consultations, a task force for needs assessment, student inter-ethnic retreats, staff inservice programs, and schoolwide projects. Supportive projects in the schools include: (1) "Walk in My Shoes," student symposiums; (2) "Stop in Your Tracks," a video series presenting alternatives to violence; (3) the Building Bridges award for efforts at promoting safe schools that are respectful of diversity; (4) a Hate Crime Network for shared information and resources; (5) the Summer Youth Leadership Institute for students; (6) the School Inter-Ethnic Relations Round Table for student and teacher networking; and (7) a Parent Leadership Institute. (SLD)

In 1996, California's Rancho Santiago College (RSC) participated in the American Association of Community Colleges' Exploring America's Communities project, which works to strengthen the teaching and learning of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. To enhance instruction about American pluralism and identity, RSC's team developed a project to give students the opportunity to explore these issues in the local community. The project was also intended to provide students with a chance to learn experientially and cooperatively by visiting designated sites in the vicinity in teams and reporting their findings to their classes. The "City as Text" course was originally introduced to students in a U.S. History Honors course, and was subsequently applied in fall 1996 in two different classroom situations: English composition and Mexican American history. Students compared social and cultural phenomena at the classroom, campus, and city levels. Students in all courses shared how exciting it was to learn a subject matter under different and exciting circumstances. The project received full support from the college chancellor and the instructors. As the project developed, it became apparent that a certain level of consciousness-raising needed to be done. The project has helped to enhance both instructional approaches and inter-cultural relations on campus. (HAA)

In response to research indicating that Asian Pacific American (APA) students were considerably more dissatisfied with programs and services than any other ethnic group, Rancho Santiago Community College (RSCC), in California, conducted a series of focus group interviews with APA students to determine their characteristics and motivations. All 4,534 APA students enrolled in credit courses at the college's Santa Ana and Orange campuses in spring 1996 were invited to participate, with 168 students joining the focus groups held throughout April 1996. Of the participants, 59% were male, 66% had attended high school outside of the United States, and 72% had lived in the country for less than 5 years. Reasons cited by participants for attending RSCC included recommendations from friends, convenient location, and affordability, while elements of the college that they liked included the relaxed and comfortable environment, the diversity of the student body, knowledgeable faculty, and the variety of course offerings. What participants disliked most about RSCC included unwelcoming attitudes on the part of some faculty, the failure of the ethnic make-up of faculty to reflect that of the student body, discriminatory behavior exhibited by some employees and students, and being stereotyped. Offices, departments, and programs the students found helpful included the admissions department, the counseling department, the financial aid office, and the English department. However, some participants cited the financial aid office and the counseling department as unreceptive or unhelpful. (HAA)

Providing descriptions of program goals and procedures as well as sample materials, this document describes a counseling services program development model implemented at California's Rancho Santiago Community College (RSCC). Sections 1 and 2 describe the development of the program by RSCC's Counseling Department and provide a list of counselors. Section 3 describes the philosophy of the Counseling Department, while sections 4 and 5 provide an outline and chart of the objective free model, including the following steps: program- and student-based needs assessment; departmental philosophy development; the development of goals by educational, career, and personal/social domains; the development of program goals based on needs assessments, counselor judgments, and administrative directives; the assignment of goals to counselors; the development of workplans and activities to achieve the goals; program evaluation; and marketing to campus and community. Section 6 provides an organizational chart of the Counseling Department's philosophy developed at the college, while section 7 provides a list of baseline student outcomes for the educational, career, and social/personal domains. Sections 8 and 9 provide counseling goals developed the RSCC's main and Orange campuses for 1991-92, while section 10 describes specialty area goals related to probationary students and other special cases. Section 11 details delivery systems for counselor specialty areas and section 12 provides a glossary of terms. Finally, sections 13 and 14 provide sample worksheets related to the development and evaluation of the model. (KP)

The enrollment patterns of residents of the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) were evaluated by comparing data on students at Rancho Santiago College (RSC) to 1990 census information. For each city and zip code, the study analyzed ethnic distributions and participation rates. Populations over 18 years of age from zip codes and cities within the RSCCD were compared with students enrolled in fall 1991 from those zip codes and cities. Major study findings included the following: (1) Santa Ana zip codes were populated more predominantly by Hispanics (57%), and Orange zip codes were populated more by Whites (74%); (2) overall, students enrolled in RSC in fall 1991 from Santa Ana were younger, more often male, and more often Hispanic than White than the students from Orange; (3) in fall 1991, 43 out of every 1,000 adult residents of the district were attending RSC for an overall participation rate of .043; (4) participation rates for the City of Orange were generally higher (.055 overall) than those for Santa Ana (.042 overall); (5) participation rates by ethnicity were highest for Asians (.111) and Blacks (.138) and lowest for Hispanics (.033) and Whites (.041); and (6) participation rates for Hispanics were highest in zip codes farthest from the campuses. (JMC)

In an effort to determine the validity of placement tests used at Rancho Santiago College (Santa Ana, California), for placing students into mathematics courses, a study was conducted comparing the course performance of students who met test cut-off scores ("eligible" to take the course) with students who did not meet the cut-off scores ("ineligible"). Students were tested using the California State University/University of California Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project tests, and comparisons were made of the course success rates for eligible and ineligible students in Elementary Algebra (Math 50), Elementary Algebra Review (Math 60), and Intermediate Algebra (Math 80) in fall 1990 and spring 1991. Successful students were defined as those receiving grades of A, B, or C, or receiving course credit. Study results were as follows: (1) of the 454 students in Math 50, 83% scored above the placement test cut-off score, and 47% were successful in the course; (2) of the students in Math 50, 48% of those scoring above the cut-off scores were successful as compared with 41% of those scoring below the cut-off scores; (3) of the 266 students in Math 60, 94% scored above the cut-off and 61% were successful in the course; (4) of the students in Math 60, 62% of those scoring above the cut-off scores were successful in the course, compared with 47% of those scoring below the cut-off scores; (5) of the students in Math 80, 63% scored above the cut-off score and 63% were also successful in the course; (6) of the students in Math 80, 65% of those scoring above the placement test cut-off scores were successful in the course as compared with 58% of those scoring below the cut-off scores; and (7) correlations of placement test scores with course outcomes revealed the test cut-off scores were appropriate and should not be modified. Detailed data tables are included. (PAA)

In spring 1991, a survey was sent to all 937 1989-90 Associate in Arts/Science (AA/AS) graduate and certificate recipients of Rancho Santiago College (RSC) to identify their current activities and to obtain their opinions about the college experience at RSC. Study findings were based on 374 usable responses, 81% from AA/AS degree recipients and 19% from certificate recipients. Findings included the following: (1) 63% of the AA/AS degree recipients and 43% of the certificate recipients were enrolled at another school, and of these, 71% and 68%, respectively, stated that RSC prepared them well for upper-division work; (2) in terms of skills acquired while at RSC, "becoming acquainted with different fields of knowledge" received high ratings, while "using the library for research" received lower ratings; (3) of graduates still in school, 84% of the AA/AS recipients and 78% of the certificate recipients were working 20 or more hours per week, while among graduates who were not in school, 94% of the AA/AS recipients and 85% of the certificate holders were employed; (4) 68% of the AA/AS degree recipients and 76% of the certificate recipients reported being employed in areas related to their field of study at RSC; (5) 95% of the AA/AS degree recipients and 92% of the certificate recipients reported that instruction at RSC prepared them for work; (6) only 2% of the graduates were not pleased with their experiences at RSC; (7) highest satisfaction ratings for RSC services were for admissions and registration, while job placement received significantly lower ratings; and (8) graduates reported very low involvement in RSC extra-curricular activities; and (9) more women and younger students were among the AA/AS degree graduates, while certificate recipients were 62% male. (PAA)

In spring 1991, in-class surveys were completed by 1,495 students enrolled in a random sample of courses at the Santa Ana and Orange campuses of Rancho Santiago College (RSC) to determine their attitudes about RSC and its programs and services. Study results included the following: (1) most respondents were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the library (86%), admissions and registration (83%), the tutoring center and the recreational/athletic program (82%), and computer services (80%); (2) less than half of the respondents were "satisfied" with the financial aid office (23%), food services (23%), personal counseling (30%), and the health center (31%); (3) on the average, students were least satisfied with parking; (4) Asians and African Americans were more frequently dissatisfied with services than Hispanics and Whites; (5) the most infrequently utilized services were child care (21%) and veteran services (22%); (6) 95% of the respondents said they would recommend RSC to a friend; (7) 24% of the students reported a household income of below $15,000 annually, and of those, 60% were not receiving any financial aid; (8) 74% of the respondents were employed, and 51% were working full-time; (9) 15% of the respondents were unemployed and looking for work; (10) 43% of the respondents lived between one and five miles of campus, and 53% lived with their parents; and (11) the most frequently cited reasons for attending RSC were to take courses needed for transfer (61%), and to obtain an associate degree (28%). Appendixes provide frequency distributions of all survey responses, as well as written responses to open-ended questions. Detailed data tables are included. (PAA)

In February 1990, a study was conducted by the Rancho Santiago College (RSC) Research Committee and Planning Council to assess institutional effectiveness, using college climate as one correlate of RSC's success. A staff morale survey instrument, distributed to all full- and part-time faculty and staff, yielded an overall response rate of 36%, and a full-time staff response rate of 46%. Major findings included the following: (1) on a scale of one to eight, with eight being highest, satisfaction with position received an average rating of 6.4 (5.6 by full-time classified staff, 5.4 by supervisory staff, 6.8 by faculty, and 7.0 by administrators); (2) respondents generally expressed satisfaction with work environment, cooperation within their work units, interaction with their immediate supervisor, and college communication; (3) all respondents rated satisfaction with their salary at 5.5, though ratings varied by employee group; (4) respondents confirmed RSC's commitment to advancing affirmative action goals and to serving the needs of a diverse student body; (5) in response to the question "Generally, do you think the college staff has a unified commitment to student success?" 26% replied "definitely, all of us," while an additional 59% answered "yes, most of us"; (6) most respondents were aware of institutional mechanisms providing opportunities to participate in decision making; and (7) classified and part-time staff and occasionally supervisory staff tended to report less satisfaction than other groups. Tabulated responses and the survey instrument are appended. (JMC)

In 1989, staff from Rancho Santiago College's (RSC's) research office conducted telephone interviews with a random sample of 255 out of the 17,359 former students who attended RSC in spring 1989 but did not return for the next semester. The study was conducted to determine why students did not return, whether they accomplished their educational objectives while attending RSC, and how they assessed the college. Major findings of the survey were as follows: (1) 63% of the nonreturning students were White, 17% were Hispanic, and 15% were Asian; (2) the average age of the RSC students was 33; (3) 43% had a grade point average of 3.0 or higher; (4) 30% had only attended RSC for one semester, 19% had attended for two semesters, and 26% had attended for three or four semesters; (5) 67% worked 21 to 40 hours while at RSC; (6) only 13% of the respondents frequently used the library or student services, talked with an instructor, or went to the campus for some other purpose than to attend class; (7) 84% were not attending another college at the time of the survey; and (8) 19% did not return because of a conflicting work schedule, 16% due to family or personal problems, 13% for a medical reason, and 11% because they graduated or completed their objective. The survey instrument is appended. (JMC)

Following the implementation of a matriculation plan at Rancho Santiago College (RSC), a study was conducted to examine the appropriateness of student course placement as assessed by faculty and students and to investigate faculty's perceptions of changes in students' skill level preparation over the past few years. Questionnaires were completed in class by the 2,315 students enrolled in 61 classes during the sixth week of the semester, and by the instructor of each section. Major findings of the surveys were as follows: (1) 90% of the students felt that they had been placed appropriately in the courses investigated; (2) there was little difference among student ethnic groups regarding students' perceptions of course placement, although a slightly larger percentage of Asians (8%) thought they should have been placed in a course at a higher level; (3) faculty reported that an average of 78% of the students in their courses has been appropriately placed and that an average of 19% should have been placed in a lower-level course; (4) 12% to 23% of the faculty reported that students' skill levels had worsened over the past two years, with reasoning, writing, and study skills most often cited at lower skill levels; (5) 23% of the students reported feeling underprepared in study skills; (6) there was a significant difference between students' self-reported grades at the time of the survey and students' anticipated final grades; and (7) overall, students more often assessed themselves as prepared for success than did faculty. An appendix contains the responses to each survey question for each course by both students (by ethnic group) and by faculty. The survey instruments are attached. (JMC)

A study was conducted in the Rancho Santiago Community College District to track the academic performance of 238 English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) Asian students and 301 ESL Hispanic students for three semesters (fall 1987 through spring 1988). The students had entered English 101 classes by way of ESL 110, the highest level composition class for non-native students. The purpose of the study was to determine whether these students were more or less successful in English 101 than their native English-speaking counterparts, to compare the success rates of the Asian and Hispanic groups, to assess the predictive validity of ESL grades for English 101 success, to determine whether the non-natives failing English 101 were as likely to fail other classes requiring moderate to heavy writing, and to examine whether additional hours of ESL preparation would significantly improve student performance in English 101. Asian students represented 16% of the English 101 enrollments for the period under investigation, while Hispanic students represented 20%. Study findings included the following: (1) the no-pass rate was 20% for native students, 15% for Asian students, and 23% for Hispanic students; (2) grades in ESL 110 were not reliable predictors of success in English 101, with A and B students failing at almost the same rate as C and Credit students; (3) a majority of the students who failed to complete English 101 did succeed in other departments such as history, political science, sociology, and philosophy; and (4) of seven current and recent ESL 110 instructors, all felt that current ESL offerings did not provide adequate preparation for English 101. (AYC)

A telephone survey was conducted in Fall 1979 by Santa Ana College (SAC) to determine its service community's: demographic characteristics; familiarity with SAC and its course offerings; perception of the college's mission; satisfaction with and attitudes toward SAC; and educational needs and desires. Telephone interviews were completed with 600 individuals, comprising a representative sample of the school's district. Major findings indicate that while 94% of the respondents had heard of SAC and 40% reported that they or someone in their household had attended SAC, 31% did not know that tuition was free and 38% did not recall having received a class schedule in the mail. SAC was rated as doing a very good job in serving the community's needs by 53% of the respondents, but 26% did not feel familiar enough with the college to rate it. Respondents rated vocational education, transfer education, and personal interest education as the most important community college functions, and rated providing basic skills education and financial aid as "not very important." Over half (58%) said that they or a household member would be interested in taking classes at SAC; arts, crafts, business, and English courses were requested most frequently. Classes which meet once a week for three hours on week days in the mornings or evenings were felt to be most convenient. The 26-item interview guide is included in the survey report. (Author/JP)

This document presents a summary of major findings of the Hmong Resettlement Study, a national survey of the conditions, issues, and problems affecting Hmong resettlement in the United States. The summary is organized within the framework of three major questions: (1) what has been the resettlement experience of the Homng? (2) what resettlement efforts and economic strategies have provided effective results for the Hmong? and (3) how might current strategies be changed to result in more effective resettlement and long-term adjustment of the Hmong? Among the most important findings of the study is the variability of Hmong resettlement in different locales. It is generally concluded that economic prospects are most favorable for school-aged Hmong, for whom assimilation is much easier. The report emphasizes findings relating to secondary migration, the movement of Hmong away from their initial resettlement site. Other issues discussed include: (1) how Hmong are faring in terms of employment, dependence, and adjustment; (2) the areas of employment in which Hmong have been particularly successful; (3) impediments to effective resettlement; (4) problem-solving approaches; (5) external and internal regulation and public policies affecting the Hmong; (6) economic development and employment projects; and (7) the Hmong's concerns for their future lives. (KH)

This document, part of a national study of the resettlement experience of the Hmong in the United States, describes a variety of exemplary resettlement projects and strategies. They cover six major aspects of resettlement: (1) employment; (2) education and training; (3) income supplementation and economic development; (4) housing; (5) provision of health and legal services; and (6) Hmong community formation. The projects described are not exhaustive, but are examples of innovative or noteworthy efforts during the time research was conducted (December 1982 to June 1983). Each project description contains information about the project's objectives, the history of its development and organization, the source of funding, the number of Hmong served or affected by the project, any outcomes and plans for further work or expansion of efforts, and the name and address of the person to contact for more information. (KH)

This volume is the final report of a national project which examined the resettlement of Laotian Hmong refugees in the United States. The study methodology included a review of literature about the Hmong; in-depth case studies of seven Hmong resettlements across the nation; discussions with informants in over 40 other Hmong communities; and interviews with national Hmong leaders and spokespeople. The report is divided into four major sections. The first presents an overview of the Hmong, including their traditional lifestyle and economy, the impact of the 1954-75 wars, experiences in Thai refugee camps after 1975, and resettlement in other countries. Section II examines the settlement patterns of Hmong in the United States, and discusses factors influencing where Hmong were initially placed and why many have continued to migrate within the country. Section III focuses on how the ongoing Hmong resettlement appears to be faring and identifies some problems and solutions (including economic adjustment, English acquisition, education of children, and groups with special needs). Finally, section IV presents a summary and recommendations. Four appendices include: brief case study site descriptions; community informants' estimates of Hmong community characteristics; estimated statistics on Hmong population and public assistance rates in the United States; and a transcript of a group meeting with Hmong high school students. (KH)

In 1986, a study was conducted by the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) to evaluate the relationship between reading placement scores and classroom performance. The study sample consisted of students from fall 1985, spring 1986, and fall 1986 who had been tested using the College Board Assessment and Placement Test upon registering. An analysis of the relationship between course grades, the percentage of students who were successful, and placement scores indicated that there was only a modest relationship between placement scores and grades and that a fair number of students who had reading scores below the 25th percentile were successful (grade of "C" or better) in transfer-level courses. These findings suggested that placement scores were not a reliable predictor of classroom success for many courses and challenged the predictive-validity of such measures. A second part of the study utilized a series of discriminant analyses to determine the ability of reading scores to differentiate between successful and unsuccessful students in transfer-level courses. The results showed that only 46% to 79% of the students could be correctly classified on the basis of reading placement scores alone. Based on study findings, it was concluded that the use of cut-off scores was inappropriate since many students who would have been predicted to fail actually earned a grade of "C" or better. An appendix contains a series of tables of individual courses sampled with Spearman correlations and grade distributions. (Author/UCM)

A description is provided of Rancho Santiago College's institutional research program, which uses a traditional centralized research model, augmented with alternative, decentralized approaches. First, background information is presented on the college and the role of the research office in management, decision-making, and educational support. Next, the organizational structure of the district is explained, with particular emphasis on the role of the director of research and planning within the college's Planning Council and Research Committee. After exploring the relationships between the research office and other college departments, the paper discusses the researcher's role as campus and team leader. The next section explains the operations of the centralized research model on campus, highlighting: (1) the annual development of a research agenda of specific priorities and studies to be conducted; (2) staffing of the research office by a full-time director and administrative secretary and up to 12 part-time or grant-funded staff members in various positions; and (3) reporting, disseminating, and utilizing research findings. After acknowledging that the research study process has differed slightly for each study conducted, the paper offers examples of two studies that exemplify the standard structure. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of the centralized model are reviewed, highlighting the elimination of redundancy, the easy identification of gaps in research knowledge, and the potential for the isolation of the researchers from the programs and services they are studying. (AYC)

California's 50% law requires that at least half of a community college district's expenditures per fiscal year be spent on instructional costs. These costs include the salaries of certificated instructors, salaries of such classified instructional personnel as aides and assistants, and employee benefits. A district's general expenditures include salaries of certificated and classified noninstructional personnel, employee benefits for these two groups, books and materials, contracted services, and equipment replacement. Funds from lottery revenues and expenses incurred from the leasing of the plant and equipment, the leasing of computers, and instructional agreements may be excluded from the total expenditures to help districts meet the 50% requirement. In 1987, a study was undertaken to identify new approaches to meeting the requirement; to determine the fiscal impact of any new approaches; to compare the methodology of these approaches with guidelines set forth in the California Education Code (CEC); and to identify factors that significantly affect compliance with the 50% law. Selected findings include the following: (1) most of the 39 districts that spent under 52% of their funds on instructional costs in fiscal year 1985-86 would not have met the minimum 50% requirement without the utilization of exclusions; (2) inconsistent accounting practices have developed over the years, which combined with the uniqueness and magnitude of the newly introduced lottery revenues, have resulted in a loss of consistency and comparability in the 50% law; and (3) some of the factors that have the most influence on 50% law compliance are high or low faculty salary schedules, the percentage of faculty contract hours taught by part-time instructors, a centralized or decentralized district organization, and the use of non-public vocational training schools. Percentages of selected districts' instructional costs for 1985-1987 and excerpts from the CEC are appended. (JMC)

In response to recent increases in the enrollment of Hispanic students at Rancho Santiago College, a study was conducted to examine the grades and course completion rates of students with Hispanic surnames enrolled in English classes. Three English courses were studied: English 060, which provides a thorough review of English grammar and punctuation and emphasizes short papers; English 061, which provides instruction and practice in writing well-developed paragraphs in a variety of modes; and English 101, Freshman Composition. All students with Hispanic surnames were identified on the spring 1987 rosters for these courses, and their final grades were determined. Study findings included the following: (1) 40% of the 415 students on the rosters for English 060 had Hispanic surnames; of these 45% withdrew from class, 24% received credit for the class, and 31% received no credit; (2) 34% of the 476 students enrolled in English 061 were Hispanic; of these, 33% withdrew from class, 46% received credit, and 21% received no credit; (3) a section of English 061 with special support services for Hispanic students had a 100% completion rate, with 86% of the students receiving credit; (4) 23% of the 686 students enrolled in Freshman Composition were Hispanic; of these 34% withdrew; and (5) rates of persistence were comparable for Hispanic and non-Hispanic students in English 060 and 061, but success rates were lower for Hispanic students in all three courses. (AYC)

The 1988-89 California state budget provided funding to support the development of pilot programs extending high school-community college career articulated programs to the baccalaureate level. By 1990-91, 24 of these "2 + 2 + 2" programs had been funded, including 14 projects in career education, 8 in teacher education, and 2 in home economics. Findings of a third-party evaluation of the projects included the following: (1) the curriculum articulation objectives of the projects were met in most all projects; (2) the three most common methods of curriculum articulation were course-to-course articulation; program articulation; and general education, college preparatory, or basic skills program development; (3) faculty participants indicated that communication among the three educational levels was the most rewarding project outcome; (4) the majority of the projects included coordination with student support services at the community-college level; (5) many programs reported difficulties in tracking students through the 2 + 2 + 2 process because of inconsistent student identification methods; (6) by spring 1991, there were 3,190 student participants statewide; and (7) characteristics of successful projects included an entrepreneurial director, administrative support, and an advisory council of representatives from all educational segments. This two-part evaluation report examines career education and teacher education projects separately. Brief report summaries for each of the projects, a series of recommendations, and student tracking tables are included. (PAA)

In 1991, a study was conducted using the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (CTA) to determine how well students at Rancho Santiago College (RSC), a large, multicultural community institution in Santa Ana, California, demonstrated critical thinking abilities. Written at the ninth grade reading level, the CTA attempts to assess an individual's abilities in the areas of inference, recognition of assumptions, deduction, interpretation, and evaluation of arguments. A sample of 470 students took the CTA, and scores were analyzed in terms of sex, age, ethnicity, educational level, college units, educational goals, and courses and prerequisites taken. Study findings included the following: (1) 61% of the RSC students scored below the 50th percentile, including 79% of the ethnic minorities in the sample and 41% of the whites; (2) older students scored significantly higher than younger students; (3) 91% of the students with high school diplomas from foreign countries and 86% of the students without a high school diploma scored below the 50th percentile; and (6) course comparisons indicated that students who took honors speech and communications scored higher than did students in such courses as criminal justice, counseling, and political science. Overall, the RSC study group fell below the norms of other college students from similar institutions. (JMC)

In 1991, a study was conducted of semester-to-semester persistence patterns at Rancho Santiago College (RSC). The study involved tracking the attendance patterns of all RSC students entering as new students in fall 1983 and each subsequent fall until 1990; and comparing the persistence rates of matriculated and non-matriculated students in the fall 1988 cohort. Major study findings included the following: (1) of the students who initially enrolled in any fall semester, 37% to 50% returned the following spring, and 23% to 33% remained active one year later; (2) students who reported that their goal was to transfer with an associate of arts degree had a persistence rate of 61% to 66% one semester later, while students who enrolled for personal interest had a 27% to 39% persistence rate one semester later; (3) Asian students had the highest persistence rates, followed by Hispanic, White, and Black students; (4) beginning with the 1986 group, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services and financial aid students were tracked separately, showing persistence rates of 87% to 98%, the highest of any group; (5) compared to the general student population, matriculated students demonstrated much greater persistence over two and three semesters after initial enrollment; and (6) students enrolled only in evening courses showed the poorest persistence whether they were matriculated or not. (JMC)

Drawing from 1990 U.S. Censes data, a study was conducted of population trends in the Rancho Santiago Community College (California) District (RSCCD). Study findings included the following: (1) the population of the RSCCD increased by 32% from 1980 to 1990, larger than the statewide increase of 26%; (2) the 1990 RSCCD population was 482,224 and is projected to be 578,700 by the year 2000; (3) the city of Santa Ana comprises 61% of the population of the RSCCD; (4) 72% of the district population is over 18 years of age, compared with 74% for the state of California, making the district's population younger than that of the state's; (5) 1980 to 1990 enrollment trends of the RSCCD parallel those of community colleges statewide; (6) Hispanics comprised 48% of the RSCCD in 1990, up from 15% in 1970, and projected to reach 61% in the year 2000, while Hispanic community college enrollment statewide grew from 15% in 1970 to 26% in 1990; (7) the population of Santa Ana is 65% Hispanic, while Orange and Garden Grove are predominantly White; (8) Garden Grove has the largest percentage of Asians in the RSCCD (20%); (9) the Hispanic population within the RSCCD has grown by 107% from 1980 to 1990, while the White population has declined by 11%; (10) the percentage of college "eligibles" (individuals over the age of 18) is growing for all areas of the state examined, indicating an aging population; and (11) in comparison with their representation in the district population, Hispanics are underrepresented in Rancho Santiago College's fall 1990 enrollment (22%) and in the faculty (6%). Detailed data tables, charts, and bar graphs are included. (PAA)

In 1989, a consortium of four community colleges in Southern California (i.e., Cerritos College, Mt. San Antonio College, Rancho Santiago College, and Rio Hondo College) received a Title III grant of $2.5 million to support the development of innovative teaching and learning programs. The specific goals of the project are to increase the academic success and persistence of diverse students and to develop a model to train, pilot, and assess new classroom teaching and learning strategies. During the second year of the 5-year project, over 200 faculty were trained to pilot test and assess classroom methods; and pilot curricula were developed for computer-assisted instruction, cooperative learning, critical thinking, learning logs across the disciplines, classroom assessment and research, and library research with new technologies. Following a review of second-year project activities, the bulk of this report consists of narratives by faculty describing their application of various classroom research, assessment, and instructional techniques. Divided into six sections, the following reports are presented: (1) eight reports on the application of the Cross-Angelo classroom assessment technique; (2) six reports on cooperative learning efforts; (3) six reports on the use of learning logs; (4) three reports on multicultural instructional efforts; (5) two reports on computer-assisted instruction; and (6) nine reports on various techniques including multiculturalism, writing portfolios, and critical thinking. Applications for participation in the project and related discussion groups, and copies of consortia newsletters are included. (PAA)