Dramatic increases in the dropout rate, particularly among classified behavior disordered children, coupled with a decline in an Occupational Education enrollment project led to the creation of a "failure identity" for individuals and a loss of human resources to the national work force. The need to address this problem was the stimulus for…

This study examined characteristics of programs in which students were enrolled to determine which activities were most effective in dealing with dropouts. The study attempted to validate program components that have previously been associated with retentive capacity. Seventy-six exemplary programs for dropouts were selected to participate in the…

An evaluation was conducted of a 3-year demonstration program the purpose of which was to demonstrate the efficacy of projects that included vocational education as a key component in encouraging at-risk youth to remain in or return to school. Six of the 10 project grantees, funded under the Cooperative Demonstration Program of the Carl D. Perkins…

A review was conducted to assess early initiatives by Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) prime sponsors in knowledge development under the Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act of 1977. The review was based on two waves of site visits to a total of 19 prime sponsors, in May-June, 1979, and in November-January, 1979-80. From…

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…

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 document contains oral and written testimony from a Congressional hearing on dropout prevention and workplace literacy held in Flint, Michigan, in February 1991. Testimony was given by officials of the United Auto Workers/General Motors training programs, a Michigan state senator and a state representative, school system and college…

In an effort to identify the kinds of vocational experiences that appear to be the most promising in reducing the dropout rate, two distinct research strategies were used. The first strategy involved analysis of data available from the High School and Beyond Project, a nationally representative sample of students and schools surveyed in 1980 (when…

One phase of the curriculum demonstration program sponsored jointly by the Quincy Public Schools and Southern Illinois University is the Service Station Training School described within this report. The Service Station Training School was one of several sheltered work stations which were developed to provide preemployment experiences and training…

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the Center on Education and Training for Employment (CETE) at Ohio State University worked with six schools (two comprehensive high schools, two high schools served by an area vocational center, an area vocational center, and a junior high school) in the SREB region to keep potential dropouts in…

The exemplary high school dropout prevention programs funded by the federal Vocational Education Cooperative Demonstration Program that are profiled in this document reveal several elements necessary for success in an enhanced vocational education program: (1) highly qualified and emotionally stable staff; (2) curriculum and instruction that…

Research suggests that the high school dropout rate can be reduced through improved educational programming, especially in vocational education. Several studies have found that when students with similar backgrounds are compared, those who participate in vocational education are more likely to graduate. To determine why students drop out, Weber…

The Youth Incentive Entitlement Pilot Projects were designed to test whether guaranteed part-time jobs during the school year and full-time jobs in the summer would induce economically disadvantaged youths to remain in or return to school. The General Accounting Office (GAO) found that most worksites provided adequate experiences. Others, however,…

Vocational Education (VE) has long been recognized for its "hands-on" approach to education and ability to demonstrate a connection between school and employment. The consensus of the literature is that VE facilitates student skill development, retention in school, and employment. According to the research, reducing the dropout rate is the most…

This report, the first of two volumes, identifies effective practices used in 16 successful migrant education programs. On the basis of student outcome data, the projects were selected from 153 programs nominated by state directors of migrant education. Observation of project services; review of project records; and interviews with project staff,…