This manual for dropout prevention planning was prepared to assist Florida schools in developing a comprehensive plan for effective dropout prevention programs in compliance with the state's Dropout Prevention Act. The manual is divided into three parts. Part A contains instructions for developing the comprehensive plan, as well as explanations of…

The Target 2000 legislation enacted by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1989 mandates halving the state's dropout rate by the year 2000. The statute requires that the State Board of Education, assisted by a select committee, devise and pilot-test dropout prevention programs during school years 1989-90, 1990-91, and 1991-92. In September…

Following up on the work of a task force that studied the dropout problem in the Los Angeles Unified School District and developed recommendations for addressing that problem, this report describes current dropout prevention efforts and proposals for expansion and presents recommendations for new approaches. Six major categories of programs are…

This policy brief presents an in-depth look at the dropout issue in Texas in the context of 1986 state legislation that mandated that the schools and state education agency ensure that at least 95 % of Texas youth complete high school. Findings from a study by the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), using a high school attrition…

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…

This directory on Iowa alternative programs for potential and actual dropouts begins with a brief summary of the state's dropout problem accompanied by nine references. Descriptions of some of the special programs and schools precede the full text of state legislation for funding and administering dropout programs. The next section, in outline…

Act 49 of 1987 requires the Secretary of Education to provide the General Assembly with an annual report on public school dropouts in Pennsylvania. The purpose of this report is to document the actual number of students who drop out each year and to provide various characteristics about these students. The type of data collected about each dropout…

State legislatures have become increasingly willing to experiment with school choice. Since 1985, more than half the states have passed school choice laws. This article reports on a survey conducted in the summer of 1991 and updated in the fall of that year that focuses on state choice statutes. Six categories of school choice laws are discussed:…

The reason that the school dropout crisis is now referred to as a "silent epidemic" is because, when we weren't paying attention, the graduation rate in our country slipped to a level that threatens the very health and well-being of our society. Each year, almost one-third of all public high school students--and nearly one-half of all…

Executive and legislative branches of the New York State government have made consistent efforts to address the dropout problem, which is particularly acute in urban schools, through new initiatives and increased funding. State aid programs are summarized, and suggestions for improvement are provided. (SLD)

State legislation requires that the Texas Education Agency write a plan to reduce the state's cross-sectional and longitudinal dropout rates to no more than 5 percent by 1997-98. This report presents the current plan, with current aggregate and disaggregate data on the dropout rate of students in grades 7 through 12 and projections for…

Examines outcomes associated with enactment of Colorado's Second Chance Pilot Program for high school dropouts. The satisfaction reported by 396 Second Chance students and the waiting lists for program enrollment demonstrate the potential for recovering students who have dropped out of school. Limitations of the program are discussed. (SLD)

Many at-risk student intervention programs are not affordable for small rural schools. The Cooperative Alternative Program (CAP), a cooperative dropout prevention program administered by six western Texas rural school districts, is described in this report. The program is designed to meet graduation requirements, teach vocational skills, provide…

Colorado's Second Chance Pilot Program allows dropouts to return to designated Second Chance centers to complete requirements for a high school diploma or equivalent certificate. The high degree of satisfaction of students at Second Chance centers, and the waiting lists for enrollment demonstrate the potential for recovering dropouts. (SLD)

This is the second of five volumes of essays in the form of recommendations for the improvement of programs, services, and activities offered through vocational-technical education in North Carolina. The volume explains the rationale for, and comments on, 18 recommendations prepared by the State Advisory Council on Vocational Education for fiscal…