Objective: To examine the likelihood of a past suicide attempt for urban American Indian boys and girls, given salient risk and protective factors. Methods: Survey data from 569 urban American Indian, ages 9-15, in-school youths. Logistic regression determined probabilities of past suicide attempts. Results: For girls, suicidal histories were…

This review focuses on three outcome domains: staying in school, progressing in school, and completing school. As of September 2008, What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) looked at 84 studies of 22 dropout prevention interventions that qualified for review. Of these, 23 studies of 16 interventions meet WWC evidence standards: 11 without reservations and…

New scientific research shows that environmental influences can actually affect whether and how genes are expressed. Thus, the old ideas that genes are "set in stone" or that they alone determine development have been disproven. In fact, scientists have discovered that early experiences can determine how genes are turned on and off and even…

Schools remain one of the safest environments for children. However, in far too many schools, a lack of respect for the authority of teachers and other school employees, as well as for the rights of other students, is undermining the ability of schools to provide students with a quality education. Even in the best schools, employees often…

On June 30, 2010, California awarded $3 million to support teacher recruitment and training through the California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) initiative, which assists young adults at risk of joining gangs in finding employment or pursuing an education. California chose to fund six Career Pathways Partnership projects as…

This issue of The Evaluation Exchange explores the promising practices and challenges associated with taking an enterprise to scale, along with the role that evaluation can and should play in that process. Surprisingly few examples exist of nonprofit efforts that have scaled up and achieved lasting success. A program or approach may be strong…

In 2000, the California State Legislature passed the Schiff-Cardenas Crime Prevention Act, which authorized funding for county juvenile-justice programs and designated the Corrections Standards Authority (CSA) (formerly named the Board of Corrections) the administrator of funding. A 2001 California Senate bill extended the funding and changed the…

The number of high school dropouts in the United States is staggering. Every day, 7,000 students drop out and only about 70 percent of students nationwide leave high school with a traditional high school diploma. Previous research has shown that students demonstrating risk factors for dropout can be identified early in middle school. The purpose…

The purpose of this project was to develop a technology that can be used in schools where there are insufficient resources to implement a quality drug prevention program. The specific technology--distance education via teleconferencing--allows a highly qualified teacher to deliver programs in such settings with increased quality. A promising high…

The authors examine predictors of family participation in the G.R.E.A.T. Families Program of the Multisite Violence Prevention Project (MVPP), a four-site collaboration examining student, teacher, and family interventions for middle school students. Teachers recruited two cohorts of sixth grade students, recognized as being aggressive and…

Latino youth are more likely than any other ethnic group to drop out of high school in the United States. Though some research has helped us understand the factors leading to dropout, very few studies have assessed Latino student's opinions of services and factors that would help them stay in school (e.g., family, school, peers, and policies).…

Juvenile Assessment Centers (JAC) can provide intervention through assessment of first-time misdemeanor offenders so that they do not become more involved in the juvenile justice system. In this practicum study, offenders are placed in a nonjudicial diversion and given a chance to repay the victim for the misdeed committed. In phase one of the…

Drug abuse and crime rates in the United States have surged to alarming levels in the 1990s and could increase to epidemic proportions if not addressed appropriately. The identification and evaluation of the programs that Idaho utilizes in fighting crime and reducing drug use are covered in this booklet. The report focuses on two different…

This government report presents in total the hearing on school violence held before the subcommittee on elementary, secondary, and vocational education. Included here are statistics on school violence and a list of some of the programs aimed at stopping violence in the schools. The report also features testimony from congressional representatives,…

This handbook provides renters, homeowners, teachers, parents, and workers with tools for ridding their communities of illegal drugs. The booklet describes relevant anti-drug laws, and provides examples of how they are being used successfully in one state. The case studies cited almost always involve individuals and community groups working…