The Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) obtained federal grant funds for a school dropout demonstration assistance program, which began operating in 1988-89 as Project GRAD (Grant Research About Dropouts). Project components included the following: (1) piloting the use of dropout intervention specialists at 10 high schools; (2)…

This report provides descriptions of strategies for dropout prevention at the secondary level and presents examples of programs that successfully utilize these strategies. The information is based on data from a review of nearly 200 programs at secondary schools across the four-state Western region that includes Arizona, California, Nevada, and…

It is the position of the Texas Council on Vocational Education that students at high risk of dropping out of school need an instructional approach that is comprehensive, individualized, and caring. Vocational education provides an important learning alternative that can serve as a powerful component of dropout prevention and recovery programs. In…

This paper reviews the literature on urban school dropouts and the experiences of superintendents in attempting to lower the dropout rate. The paper is divided into two major sections. Part I examines how a mixture of societal, community, family and other influences increase the chances that an at-risk student will experience little success in…

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.…

This study analyzes the non-academic impact of a program for at-risk students within an urban alternative high school. The Jefferson County Public Schools, Kentucky, work on the premise that prevention is a key part of safety net strategies for at-risk students. Liberty High School is an alternative safety net high school intended to develop a…

Describes the Cooperative Alternative Program (CAP), Coleman (Texas), an example of the way a rural high school for at-risk students has established a sense of community while improving the achievement of its rural students. This case study shows how CAP faced its economic and collaborative challenges. (SLD)

This study evaluated a career education program for 141 ninth grade students at Kemper County High School in rural Mississippi in an effort to reduce the dropout rate and increase career awareness. A mental health counselor gave students monthly instruction on career issues necessary for vocational life after high school graduation. A local…

This resource guide includes abstracts of 90 papers presented at the conference. Section 1, "Understanding Students At-Risk," includes 17 abstracts that emphasize the need for a comprehensive set of services that can respond to the diverse needs of at-risk students. Section 2, "Preventing and Reducing Incidence of At-Risk," includes 17 abstracts…

A study examined the effect of a whole-language-type program for learning sentence structure with high school students in a dropout prevention program. Subjects, 60 students in a Chicago, Illinois public school dropout prevention program, were randomly assigned to a control or experimental group and were administered a diagnostic pre- and posttest…

This study describes dropout prevention strategies used by social service and school personnel in the Stay-In-School Partnership Project (SSPP), analyzes longitudinal statistical data generated by the 3-year program, and proposes a model for conceptualizing and implementing a dropout prevention program for at-risk minority students. SSPP is a…

The multiple causes and complex nature of the dropout problem require a variety of program approaches to help both at-risk students and dropouts. Twelve-Together (Detroit, Michigan), Adopt-a-Student (Atlanta, Georgia), and the Summer Youth Employment Program (New Bedford, Massachusetts) are supplemental services providing counseling and job…

"A Vision for the Future," a comprehensive long-range plan to develop, implement, and evaluate a multipart program to reduce the dropout rate in the Charleston, South Carolina, school district, is described in this report. Goals and objectives are presented, followed by a description of 18 intervention strategies. Components of the plan…

This testimony was presented by the chairperson of the board of directors of one of the largest national Hispanic organizations before a Senate Republican Task Force on Hispanic Affairs. The following key points are presented: (1) low educational attainment and literacy severely limit the economic opportunities of Hispanics and place a strain on a…

This report highlights recommendations made in recent research reports concerning the role of vocational education in enhancing the success of students at risk of dropping out of school. It has been found that components of vocational education programs successful at retaining students include mechanisms for helping at-risk youth to follow…