ANALYZING ATTRITION IN A COMMUNITY-BASED LITERACY PROGRAM

Attrition presents a challenge for research, especially wizen it affec ts groups differentially,. The present study used the strategy propose d by Cook and Campbell (1979) to investigate attrition in a community- based literacy program. The relationship of attrition to person-center ed and program-centered variables, and the interactions between person -centered and program-centered variables were examined in 287 Head Sta rt families. Thus, data from this program were used to illustrate meth ods for examining attrition and determine its effects. This examinatio n revealed differences among the intervention groups in the pattern of attrition. There were interactions between intervention program-cente red characteristics and person-centered characteristics of the partici pants that could affect the validity of the study and limit the genera lizability of the results. Suggestions Soi dealing with these problems and preventing attrition are discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd . All rights reserved.