In recent years, Delaware has begun several welfare reform programs that have a direct impact on early childhood development. But even the best preschool and early education programs are not enough to ensure that at-risk kids will become educated and self-confident adults. The prevailing view that early childhood care and education begins at birth…

As part of its dropout prevention efforts, the state of Florida offers currently enrolled high school students the opportunity to earn a General Educational Development (GED) certificate. This new graduation option for at-risk students makes frequent use of computer-assisted instruction, operates a counseling component, integrates vocational…

The Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania summarized efforts in adult basic education (ABE) for the period of July 1, 1984, through June 30, 1985, based upon information provided for every program funded under the Adult Education Act of 1966, as amended October 19, 1984. The information showed that from 1983-84 to 1984-85,…

A 3-year study of the operation of Chapter 1 Neglected or Delinquent (Chapter 1 N or D) Program, which provides compensatory education services to youths in state-operated juvenile and adult correctional facilities, was conducted. The study found that Chapter 1 N or D Program participants had the following characteristics: (1) over half of the…

The Children At Risk program was created in Wisconsin in 1985 with the broad goal of reducing the number of students at risk of failing in or dropping out of school. The program requires all school districts to identify children at risk, including dropouts, truants, parents, or adjudicated delinquents, who are behind their age group in either…

To address the issues of student recruitment and retention in Florida, a three-year research study was conducted. The three phases of the study sought the following: (1) to describe barriers to recruitment and retention of disadvantaged, unemployed, underemployed, out-of-school youth as perceived by students, teachers, counselors, and…

In North Carolina, Alternative Learning Programs (ALP) is a designation applied to a variety of activities, locations, and student characteristics. This report focuses on descriptive information about the state's ALP efforts, teachers, and the students they serve. Two hundred and fifteen schools and programs met the evaluation criteria as ALPs.…

The 310 project is an educational research and demonstration program with learning centers located in five Missouri correctional institutions. These are the Missouri State Penitentiary, the Missouri Intermediate Reformatory, the Missouri Training Center for Men, the Central Missouri Correctional Center, and the Ozark Correctional Center. Manned by…

An analysis of Ohio's Learning, Earning, and Parenting (LEAP) program focused on the first 18 months of program operations. The 12 randomly selected research counties contained about two-thirds of the statewide teen population targeted by LEAP. The analysis relied on field research, supplemented by data collected from county human service agencies…

This annual report describes some of the major activities currently under way across California to implement educational reforms. The achievements described focus on raising standards in California schools, providing technical support to school districts, and charting progress at the local level through a statewide accountability program. The…

A study identified the most effective and low cost programs currently in operation and described in adult literacy literature that would significantly reduce adult illiteracy in California by 1994. Recommendations were made for a statewide plan to replicate those programs in communities throughout the state. A literature review focused on eight…

This document reviews programs and policy initiatives in the following Northwestern States aimed at reducing the number of youth who are at risk of dropping out of school or remaining unemployed: (1) Alaska; (2) Hawaii; (3) Idaho; (4) Montana; (5) Oregon; and (6) Washington. The following regional trends are identified: (1) establishing…

The School to Employment Program (STEP) provided job placement, training, counseling, and remediation for economically disadvantaged youth aged 14-21 who were at risk of dropping out of school or who had dropped out and were unprepared for employment. Its two major components were in-school and out-of-school programs. Youth in both programs were…

This report on secondary school dropouts consists of an analysis of the scope and nature of the dropout problem, a discussion of successful programs and activities for dropouts, a description of a pilot study involving Minnesota public secondary schools and Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) agencies, and presentation of…

Surging demand for workers, growing income inequality, and passage of welfare reforms have made work force development one of the United States' key national concerns. Public/Private Ventures has been working with various states to design work force development strategies that seek to address the concerns of many work force development specialists…