This report is third in a series of informational briefings developed as part of "The Guardians Initiative: Reclaiming the Public Trust," an effort to educate and engage trustees as advocates on key issues in higher education. The compact between American higher education and the broader society has always been multifaceted. Colleges and…

This study reports on the implementation of Gateway to College, a program whose mission is to serve students who have dropped out of high school, or who are at risk of dropping out of high school, by allowing them to earn a high school diploma and credits toward a postsecondary degree. Gateway to College is uniquely ambitious in providing…

In the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District has achieved a startling success over the last two years: it has recovered and graduated over 600 dropouts and put them on a clear pathway to college. Just a few years ago, low graduation rates, struggling high schools, and poor staff and student morale…

The storefront school's value as change agent depends on its leaders attending to the key issues of ongoing funding, relationships with the public school system, cooperative arrangements with other alternative models, accountability, and power control. (JM)

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…

According to a study at the University of Wisconsin, the General Educational Development (GED) credential does not insure that students are prepared for college. The GED does not help identify those who will succeed in college. To raise the level of the equivalency certificate, GED preparations should focus on reading, writing, and mathematics.…

The Region XI Migrant Education Program, Pajaro Valley Unified School District (Watsonville, CA) serves approximately 6,300 students during the regular school year and 4,400 students during the summer. Virtually all students are Hispanics, and 47 percent are currently migrant. As a group, these students have at least three characteristics that put…

Recognizing the importance of strong working relationships with local high schools, Triton College (Illinois) has recently developed a series of initiatives which provide an ongoing avenue for students to experience Triton's programs and services while still in high school and thereby facilitate continuity of learning. One group of programs,…

The ScholarshipBuilder Program, an adopt-a-class program, began in November 1988 to encourage selected first-grade students to stay in school until graduation in the year 2000. Scholarships will be provided by Merrill Lynch, Incorporated, for students who go on to college, and a one-time stipend will be provided to students who enter the military…

The Further Education Unit (FEU) believes that young school leavers should be able to check their achievements against a core of entitlement. Therefore, the FEU is proposing a core curriculum to support the successful transition of the school leaver aged 16 or older to adult life. The core, which is intended to serve as a diagnostic and planning…

A case study was conducted of the Peguis Adult High School program (PAHS), a community-based adult education in a Manitoba First Nation community for repeat dropouts and students who did not fit into regular high school. A literature review of the historical relationship between federal/provincial governments and First Nation communities examined…