Reviews dropout characteristics; identifies the components of an overall dropout prevention approach; and describes the role of legislation, school administration, and public-private collaboratives in developing dropout prevention strategies. Emphasizes the use of public and private resources to improve the opportunities of the disadvantaged. (FMW)

A project sought to determine if reluctant learners, about 30 percent of the adult basic education (ABE) population, can be retained in ABE classes through accommodations in the program structure and more effective teacher/counselor intervention. The project was based on earlier research findings that most ABE learners who drop out do so in the…

Indiana University of Pennsylvania provided a federally funded program at two area vocational technical schools (AVTSs) to alleviate the student dropout problem in northwest Pennsylvania. Two programs of different emphasis were arranged--a program for out-of-school youth aged 16 to 21 at Indiana County AVTS and a program for in-school growth at…

The Special Needs Unit of the Career-Vocational Education Division, California State Department of Education, began sponsoring a secondary school project in 1985 to combat California's high dropout rate. Eight secondary school sites in six districts were selected to develop schoolwide, integrated, career-oriented curriculum that would use the…

The Valued Youth Partnership of San Antonio (VYP) has been dramatically successful in improving educational opportunities for the highest risk students. In school districts with dropout rates of over 40%, the highest risk students over a 4-year period averaged dropout rates of 2.5%. This booklet provides program results for VYP for the period 1984…

This resource guide provides information on programs that serve at risk students in the Dade County (Florida) Public Schools. For each program the following information is provided: (1) description; (2) number of schools served; (3) number of students served; and (4) budget. The following types of programs are included: (1) dropout retrieval; (2)…

Evaluations of two Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) programs are contained in this report: (1) The School-Community Guidance Center (SCGC); and (2) The Transitional Academic Program (TAP). SCGC is a program serving incorrigible and delinquent students at two locations: the F. R. Rice Secondary School and the Travis County Juvenile…

Supported by Saint Paul and the Northern States Power Company, two Minnesota secondary teachers developed a pilot program, the Power League, aimed at returning 16- to 21-year olds to school. The City Academy grew out of students' requests for individual learning plans, an intimate learning community, and a sound school restructuring rationale.…

Discusses alternative programs and schools visited by the Hispanic Dropout Project. Notes a pervasive "disconnect" between alternative programs and "regular" schools, and outlines lessons alternative programs have to offer traditional schools. (SR)

Implementation and impact findings from a large evaluation of federally funded dropout prevention programs suggest that alternative middle schools for younger students and GED programs for older students are promising. Striving to understand the nature of academic, social, and personal problems affecting students and tailoring services to address…

This evaluation of the 1989-90 BRIDGE Project, a dropout prevention program in Hartford (Connecticut), found that grade 9 students felt a heightened sense of control over their lives after one year in the program. BRIDGE is a multifaceted program that focuses on reducing the disengagement of at-risk students facing the critical transition from…

The Junior High School Intensive Care and School Involvement Program (ICSIP) in Washington (District of Columbia) was designed to supplement the regular educational program in four junior high schools by providing academic support, delivering social services to at-risk students, improving the school climate, and mentoring potential dropouts.…

This paper describes a dropout prevention, residential summer program on university campuses in Arkansas. The Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) progam began in 1988 at Henderson State University and by 1990 five Arkansas universities hosted programs. Funds for the program are provided through state agencies, the universities, vocational funds,…

This paper discusses the evaluation of 4 of the 12 project sites that are participating in a U.S. Department of Education demonstration program to implement dropout prevention or reentry models that include vocational education as the key intervention strategy. The evaluation study includes the following: (1) identification of factors that affect…

A review of the literature related to the impact of vocational education on student retention determined that various types of vocational education programs and approaches have been successful in keeping students in school. Other research showed that vocational education played a role in student retention only when coupled with other components…