For many students, conforming to the traditional K-12 education system is not always compatible with their life circumstances. Map Academy in Plymouth, Massachusetts, now in its second year of operation, aims to provide an education that adapts to the needs and interests of its students while maintaining high expectations. This profile of Map…

To stem the tide of students dropping out, many schools and districts are turning to early warning systems (EWS) that signal whether a student is at risk of not graduating from high school. While some research exists about establishing these systems, there is little information about the actual implementation strategies that are being used across…

This technical brief describes updates to a database of dropout prevention programs and policies in 2006/07 created by the Regional Education Laboratory (REL) Northeast and Islands and described in the Issues & Answers report, "Piloting a searchable database of dropout prevention programs in nine low-income urban school districts in the…

This publication is a series of in-depth case studies to examine how three programs which serve a disconnected youth population are utilizing data as a tool for continuous program improvement and ongoing accountability. The report features the following programs: (1) Roca, an organization in Massachusetts which engages the highest-risk youth in…

Schools are often criticized for their role in creating the dropout problem. This article illustrates that with the right resources and approach, educational programs could become sites of transformation rather than reproducers of social inequality. Narrative and thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with graduates of a nationwide program that…

This article features Worcester (MA) Technical High School, a school that has achieved significant gains in Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) scores. The school opened as Worcester Boys' Trade High School on February 9, 1910, with 52 student ironworkers and woodworkers attending on weekdays and Saturday mornings--the beginning…

Regular school attendance is a key contributor toward student success. Lack of attendance by its very nature removes the student from time on learning that is essential for academic success (Estridge, 2009). The reality is an absence, whether it is excused or not, means that a child is not in benefiting from educational opportunities on that day.…

A SYNOPSIS IS OFFERED OF SIX DIFFERENT OUTWARD-BOUND PROGRAMS, EACH OF WHICH IS AN ADAPTATION OF THE BASIC OUTWARD-BOUND PHILOSOPHY OF HAVING YOUNG PEOPLE RECOGNIZE FOR THEMSELVES THEIR PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SPIRITUAL CAPABILITIES SO THAT THEY WILL DEVELOP A STRONG SENSE OF SELF-RELIANCE AND INNER STRENGTH. THE ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO,…

In the Rockland, Massachusetts, Adult High School Diploma Program, nearly 400 adults are being given credit for the skills, knowledge, and talents they have acquired in the nonschool world. (Author)

Intended for federal policymakers, this study examined four aspects of the Chapter 1 migrant education program: program administration, program services, students served, and program expenditures. Case studies were conducted in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Texas between November 1986 and March 1987. State agencies and…

Educators and community activists in Boston are talking together about academic achievement and persistence. However, they are also asking questions that are foreign to white suburban discussions of school success and college readiness. In this article, the author relates the range of concerns raised at the "Education of Black Youth in…

Connecting Activities was launched more than ten years ago to expose students to the world of work and help them see the relationship between what they are learning in school and their career aspirations. By linking education to worksite learning experiences, Connecting Activities provides a real-world context for teaching a more relevant…

The term "continuation school," while commonly used in England for some time has not been generally employed in this country and may need some further explanation. As use in this bulletin, it refers to any type of school which offers to people while they are at work opportunity for further education and training. It thus presupposes…

The "Dropouts in Massachusetts Public Schools" report is an annual report created by the Massachusetts Department of Education (MADOE) to provide districts and the public general information on dropouts in Massachusetts. The intention of this report was not to draw conclusions or make recommendations on the current state of dropouts in…