In current Western societies, the number of students dropping out of school is high. At the same time, the importance of education leads to an increase in Second Chance Education (SCE) initiatives as an alternative way to obtain a degree. Little is known about the roles SCE can play as a learning environment for students "'dropping in'"…

This paper examines the effects of school characteristics on both the probability of dropping out and the strongest predictor of dropping out -- absenteeism. The authors employ a sub-sample from the High School and Beyond (HS&B) database which contains results of background questionnaires and standardized achievement tests given in 1980 to…

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to understand the academic disengagement and reengagement process from the perspective of students enrolled in a dropout recovery charter school. Specifically, this study focused on students' perceptions of the factors that influenced their lack of success in the traditional school setting, the…

This paper was written in 2018 by NCWD/Youth [National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth] to inform the development of the Guideposts for Success 2.0, an update to the original Guideposts for Success published in 2005. Since it was created in 2005, the Guideposts for Success has become nationally recognized as a valuable…

The concept of student engagement is critical in the discussion of school reform. This issue is particularly important in dropout prevention programs such as the alternative high school, although little empirical work guides intervention efforts. In this qualitative research, ethnographic observations were combined with interviews with 24 students…

Hungary's "Belvarosi Tanoda" Secondary School offers an informal, flexible environment and alternative teaching methods for students who have had problems in other schools. The "Belvarosi Tanoda" (which translates as downtown school) is a second chance school for students who have dropped out of upper secondary education. It…

Describes research evaluating the success of the Pontiac I.I.P. in changing student behavior and in improving academic achievement of potential drop-outs. (AN)

What started as a summer arts and crafts program in the predominantly Mexican-American lower west side of St. Paul, Minnesota, has developed into a "dropouts" school accepted into the public school system. The small school emphasizes strictness, caring, basic skills, and student responsibility. (SJL)

The purpose of this article is to review a partnership between a teacher education department and a dropout prevention program. The partnership developed from a variety of communities' needs, no less of which was that of reconnecting marginalized youth at a local dropout prevention school with their community through cultural and civic…

Summarizes the major issues and perspectives related to dropout prevention. Reviews general strategies and school-based efforts, with emphasis on community involvement and the teacher-student relationship. Discusses related social and cultural issues, and examines the alternative school approach. Contains 23 references. (SV)

This study examines the impact of school structures on potential dropouts. Data from field notes, interviews, and school records are used to describe and discuss the effectiveness of interventions generated by a school committee which worked to prevent at-risk students from dropping out of high school. (IAH)

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…

Describes Meridian Academy, a small alternative high school for dropouts and potential dropouts near Boise, Idaho. Discusses the school's family-like supportive environment, teaching strategies that emphasize student projects and active learning, and discipline policies and practices. Sidebar presents a Meridian Academy teacher who was once an…

This document is the result of an Institute for Educational Leadership conference convened to brief Congressional staff on dropouts, dropout programs, and what information about dropouts merits consideration by policymakers. This report is intended to be a readable account of the dropout problem appropriate for the general public as well as for…

Alternative schools provide structured learning environment where students can continue their education and earn credit while learning academic and life skills. Survey of 45 at-risk students enrolled in alternative high school program showed greater satisfaction with alternative program than with a traditional high school program. Administrators…