In light of the fact that students at risk of dropping out of school have become the focus of national attention, this paper examines one alternative program designed to work with a population considered to be at very high risk for dropping out. The population served by the School-Community Guidance Center (SCGC) in the Austin (Texas) Independent…

The Education Commission of the States' (ECS) survey of state initiatives for at-risk youth was conducted during 1987. The goal was to identify programs and planning efforts in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the 3 ECS member territories addressing needs of at-risk youth from preschool through high school. Descriptions of over 650…

Concept of "special education" focuses on schools' duty to develop programs that include and educate even the most difficult of the disabled. The concept of "school failure" puts the responsibility on the students, excluding them, though they also have a "disability.""Zero reject" concept, which includes all students, is recommended. (PS)

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 paper describes the first six months of activities and accomplishments of Commonwealth Futures, an initiative designed to provide services to at-risk youth in Massachusetts schools. Major activities are outlined chronologically, implementation problems and successes are briefly discussed, and projected future activities are listed. These…

This booklet addresses the issue of high school dropouts. The dropout problem is briefly reviewed and dropout statistics are presented. A section on identifying the dropout lists early warning signs of potential dropouts and examines reasons for dropping out. Seven profiles of dropouts are included which provide personal insights, describe…

This booklet for students is part of a series of program materials for a school-based intervention process to help at-risk students stay in school. It lists members of the helping process team, discusses what the helping process team does, and describes the eight steps in the helping process. The steps are as follows: referral, needs…

Oregon's annual dropout rate increased from 6 percent in the 1992-93 school year to 7.4 percent in the 1994-95 school year. Some schools, however, managed to reduce their dropout rate. This report explores the strategies that worked for 15 Oregon high schools that reduced their dropout rate. Interviews were conducted with representatives of Oregon…

To combat their school dropout problems, Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools created an alternative high school for marginal and high risk students attending conventional high schools and for students who had already dropped out. Classes at North Education Center were scheduled from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and featured year-round, 42-day terms to…

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…

Describes a South Carolina program, "Tender Loving Counseling," designed to identify potential dropouts for group and individual counseling. Describes focus of the program to be on building self-concept, motivation, and study skills. (TE)

A project identified as potential dropouts 53 Springfield (Ohio) South High School freshmen and 24 London (Ohio) High School juniors and seniors who demonstrated irregular attendance patterns and poor grade achievement. The 53 freshmen and 15 London High School students were enrolled in a career club, an intervention program to address their…

This document reports on the first year of operation of Project ARJO: Academic Recovery through Job Opportunity, a program developed by Sandy Union High School District #2 in Sandy, Oregon under a Title VI Excellence in Education grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The primary objective of Project ARJO is the academic recovery of…

This report describes the success of SWAS (School Within a School), an early dropout intervention program designed for average to above-average at-risk middle school students selected by the assistant principal. SWAS is a temporary self-contained institution within Davisville Middle School, North Kingstown, Rhode Island. As a prerequisite to…

Although successful dropout assistance programs depend on effective implementation, casework, and long-term followup activities, the literature only occasionally addresses these practices. This article reviews data collection problems, major risk factors, reforms aimed at actual and potential dropouts, and alternative school programs. Second…