This study addresses the effect that grade retention has on dropping out of school. A structural model was developed to test the effect of grade retention on dropping out while controlling for the effects of other possible mediating variables, especially achievement. This model with slight modifications was applied across four different school…

This document summarizes a comprehensive planning effort for the Baltimore area aimed at developing a constructive new approach for dealing with a major manpower and community problem: the situation of young high school dropouts. The program is predicated on the hypotheses that: (1) dropouts do not routinely receive counseling and referral…

Based on surveys of 125 school trustees and administrators and 186 student dropouts and truants in California, this guidebook examines the causes of student attendance problems, discusses guidelines and ideas for programs to combat these problems, and presents exemplary programs in three California school districts. A profile of a hypothetical…

While the number of limited English proficient (LEP) students has grown nationwide, these students' academic achievement levels have lagged significantly behind those of their language majority peers. Dropout rates among LEP students are also high. The Newcomer Program within Kentucky's Jefferson County Public Schools is a full-day transitional…

Determined the effects of a concentrated vocational assessment and counseling program for high school dropouts. Approximately 60 percent of the dropouts were still employed six months after the program. Dropouts reported increased awareness of their own abilities and awareness of employers' needs. (Author/JAC)

Determined the prevalence of health-risk behaviors among Texas high school students attending dropout prevention/recovery alternative schools. Student surveys indicated that a substantial number participated in behaviors that placed them at acute or chronic health risk. There were differences in prevalence of risk behaviors by gender,…

The 71st Texas Legislature established several pilot programs for the 1989-90 and 1990-91 school years with the aim of improving the academic performance of and reducing the dropout rate of public school students. This report combines information about pilot programs from these 2 school years with cost surveys and descriptions of the programs.…

Examination of dropout trends in New York City for 1987-88 reveals the following: (1) the annual dropout rate was 7.5 percent for the high schools, and 8.4 percent system-wide; (2) the estimated 4-year dropout rate was 26.8 percent for the high schools, and 29.7 percent system-wide; (3) the 1987-88 4-year high school dropout rate was 5.7…

This document comprises part 1 of a two-part evaluation of the third-year implementation of the New York City Board of Education's 3-year high school Dropout Prevention Initiative (DPI). It describes the DPI and presents the evaluation findings and recommendations. (Part 2 comprises reports on 8 special substudies of the program in year 3.) The…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate retention efforts in Ontario (Canada) secondary schools in order to develop policy and support initiatives designed to reduce dropouts and improve retention rates. The study had four parts: (1) an analysis of credit accumulation for four cohorts and academic achievement patterns over 4 years in 16 schools;…

Compared aptitude, vocational, and personality measures of high school dropouts with those of a normative population. Also studied the relative contribution of selected variables to achievement. Suggests that achievement motivation, social class, and the institutional impact of the school must be examined to identify reasons for academic failure.…

Describes the ethnographic component of a multidisciplinary evaluation, conducted by the RMC Research Corporation, of the Career Intern Program for dropouts. Includes discussion of participant observations, interviewing techniques, triangulation, unobtrusive measures, data recording, and equipment. (Part of a theme issue entitled…

First-year outcomes of the 1990-91 Project Achieve in 32 New York City public high schools are presented in this paper. Project goals are to improve student performance outcomes and to increase successful school completions. Methodology involved analysis of quantitative data from all participating 32 high schools and central data files. Findings…

This report presents major drop-out prevention events in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) since these efforts were initiated in 1982 by the Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE). The following are the major findings of the report: (1) the ORE has been researching and studying the dropout problem since 1982-83, and the effort…

Half of all Hispanics living in the United States aged 25 or over have not finished high school. According to the 2-year longitudinal study from which this report is drawn, 64.4 percent of the 700 ninth-grade students in the sample reported that their fathers or stepfathers did not complete high school. For mothers and stepmothers, the percentage…