Questions the recent idea that students must stay in school through the 12th grade. Describes programs that have been developed in the Colorado Springs (Colorado) area to cope with the dropout problem. (Author/WD)

This paper examines available information on early identification of students at risk of prematurely dropping out of school. Many factors such as drug use, lowered educational achievement, delinquency, and unemployment appear to be consequences of dropping out, yet cause and effect is often difficult to define. A variety of school related,…

Reviews various alternative education programs. Argues that educators need to balance the alternatives offered within a school district, giving choices to a wide range of student abilities, not just to potential dropouts. (FL)

Programs to encourage dropouts to finish school need to overcome the roadblocks of credits, time, and support services. Highlights nine specific hallmarks of effective dropout prevention programs gleaned from a study of 479 programs titled: "School Dropouts: Survey of Local Programs." (MLF)

Describes the Meaningful Other Person (MOP) program instituted at a North Carolina ninth grade center that reduced the dropout rate by 50 percent. (FL)

Since the beginning of the American experience, labels have been used to describe generations. Among them are the "Puritan generation," the "greatest generation," the "baby boomer generation" and the "MTV generation." Today, people are creating a new generation--the "lost generation." The lost generation represents a large and growing population…

Introduces some possibilities for treating the condition of the misplaced and dislocated adolescent. Reviews the development of street academies as one attempt to address the problems of out-of-school youth. Concludes that systematic efforts are needed to serve an ignored population. (Author/WD)

Involving parents in a team approach by providing parent education and assistance programs can only strengthen dropout prevention strategies that are being developed and implemented throughout the nation. (JOW)

The school-leaving pattern of students aged 14 in 1978 was recorded by the Austin (Texas) Independent School District from 1978 to 1983, providing data on the socioeconomic, academic, and behavioral characteristics of dropouts and their reasons for dropping out. Several preventative measures are suggested. (PGD)

Reports on the personal experience of participating in an alternative high school, a project to reclaim at-risk, talented high school dropouts. Discusses the author's experiences, including fatherhood at a young age, on his way to discovering his artistic talent. Illustrations provided by author. (Author/JDM)

Whereas the nationwide dropout rate is 27 percent, in Hartford, Connecticut, 39 percent of high school students do not graduate. This factor limits residents' employability in the city's expanding economy. The problem is especially serious among Hispanic students, who comprise 39 percent of Hartford's high school population and account for 47…

Concept of "special education" focuses on schools' duty to develop programs that include and educate even the most difficult of the disabled. The concept of "school failure" puts the responsibility on the students, excluding them, though they also have a "disability.""Zero reject" concept, which includes all students, is recommended. (PS)

This report summarizes the key findings, conclusions, and recommendations of an analysis of 1985-86 outcomes of New York City's state-funded Attendance Improvement-Prevention (AI/DP) program and the city-funded Dropout Prevention Program. The central goal of the evaluation was to understand conditions which encouraged success in middle school…

Reports on high schools' efforts to break the academic failure cycle and prevent drop-outs. Describes and reports the outcomes of the peer tutoring/mentoring pilot program developed as part of a major collaborative effort between the City University of New York and the New York City Board of Education. (JK)

Discusses the social consequences of dropping out of high school, the behavioral patterns of dropping out, and predictors of dropping out. Suggests that counselors identify potential dropouts early, start programs targeted to meet potential dropouts' needs, and keep in contact with them. (Author/ABB)