Migrant farmworkers are the most disadvantaged of minority groups, but their needs and problems go unnoticed and unmet in most communities. Mobility, language and cultural differences, and health and nutrition problems combine to produce negative effects on school achievement. An estimated 70 percent of adult migrants have not completed high…

This newsletter describes mentoring programs that have been successful in improving the academic achievement of at-risk African American youth. "Mentors Play Role in League's Education Push" (J. E. Jacob) describes the key role of mentors in the Urban League's Education Initiative. "Mentoring: Effective for Youth" (L. Sullivan)…

This report summarizes the findings of a national conference on mentoring. Mentoring involves a structured relationship between two people, with the first imparting support, insight, and experience to the second. The following varieties of mentoring are discussed: (1) mentoring from the business community; (2) career mentoring within specific…

Educational clinics, as defined by Washington State law, are private organizations that teach basic academic skills and provide employment orientation in an individualized way to high school dropouts aged 13 to 19. The Educational Clinics Program was authorized by the state legislature in 1977, after extensive lobbying by members of a private firm…

To combat their school dropout problems, Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools created an alternative high school for marginal and high risk students attending conventional high schools and for students who had already dropped out. Classes at North Education Center were scheduled from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and featured year-round, 42-day terms to…

Campus Partners in Learning (CPIL) encourages college and university students to act as mentors to middle school youth who are at risk of not completing a secondary education or making the transition to a productive adulthood. This national project, comprised of 202 colleges, offers information, technical assistance, and national visibility for…

The Department of Labor's Youth Incentive Entitlement Pilot Projects (YIEPP) was the nation's largest demonstration to test a new approach to solving the employment problems of disadvantaged youths. Sixteen- to 19-year-olds from low income or welfare households who had not yet graduated from high school were offered minimum-wage jobs, part-time…

Members of the educational community are increasingly concerned that the dropout rate is too high. However, concerned educators and researchers do not agree who should be included in the data to determine the dropout rate. National definitions are needed so that accurate comparisons can be made. There is also a need to assess the effectiveness of…

This pamphlet summarizes a conference in Boston on May 6, 1986. Its goal was to assess and plan strategies for the dropout problem in the Boston Public Schools. The Boston Compact, the draft plan contained in this document and prepared before the conference, served as the focus for discussion. Educators and administrators from across the country…

Project SAIL (Student Advocates Inspire Learning) is a Title IV-C Project located in Hopkins, Minnesota, designed to prevent students from dropping out of school by keeping them successfully involved in the mainstream environment. This study presents a review of other dropout prevention approaches, describes the intervention strategies involved in…

Compares and describes school leavers in Ontario, Canada, and Somerset, England. Notes functional illiteracy is common among school leavers. Decides that the best approach is a concentrated effort on reading in grades three and four. Describes such a program to be instituted in York, Ontario, in September, 1984. (BRR)

Describes the Store Front School project, a program of cooperative education aimed at rekindling students' interest in school and helping them earn their diplomas. The school conducts classes in an office in a shopping mall where the students work. (ABB)

Describes the Mercy Tutoring Services Program, which provides individualized instruction in basic academic and life skills for high school dropouts, suspended or expelled students, those assigned to the program by Juvenile Court, or students with chronic truancy or behavioral problems. Suggests ways of implementing the model elsewhere. (AYC)

Describes a South Carolina program, "Tender Loving Counseling," designed to identify potential dropouts for group and individual counseling. Describes focus of the program to be on building self-concept, motivation, and study skills. (TE)

Describes a New York City high school's experience with Outward Bound, a cooperatively funded experiential learning program. Rock climbing was used to teach youngsters how to deal with the metaphorical walls facing everyone. The program's success (a 90% graduation rate) depended on faculty commitment, administrative support, motivated student…