I know the importance of this topic, but I have always stuggled with it. We teach adults, yet have to have them sign-in each hour to prove they were in class. We have to follow the course discription and requirements of the college, but we as instructors are pentalized for students not completing our courses. I don't mind being pentalized for things I can control, but when a student gets put in jail or just quits coming to class; I can only do so much to get that student back in the classroom. Prep classes are the worse or if students are placed in courses that they are not ready for. How do you improve retention when you are faced with so many variables?