A preliminary examination of two approaches adopted in California to address the high school dropout problem is presented. Focus is on comparing aggregate impacts of State Bill (SB) 65 and of California Local Educational Reform Network (C-LERN) approaches to high school dropout reduction and prevention between 1985-86 and 1987-88. Four groups of…

The Canadian government is meeting the rising demand for highly skilled workers with a $296.4 million national dropout prevention initiative over five years. This document, written in both English and French, describes the initiative. More than half of the funds will be allocated to programs and services, more than a quarter to mobilizing…

A study examined the relationship between students' vocational and nonvocational experiences while in high school and their decision to drop out. The study was based on data from the sophomore cohort of the High School and Beyond database (a longitudinal, nationally representative sample of approximately 27,000 students who were sophomores in 1980…

A study explored the policy process that led to the development and implementation of the Virginia Student Retention Program (VSRP--a program to facilite minority student recruitment and retention projects at Virginia colleges and universities), and examined perceived institutional impacts. The study attempted to determine whether the VSRP and the…

Graduation, Reality, and Dual-Role Skills (GRADS) is a vocational home economics program in Ohio for pregnant students and young parents in grades 7 through 12 in junior high schools, senior high schools, and vocational schools. Goals of the program are to: (1) increase the likelihood the participants will remain in school during pregnancy, after…

Educating disadvantaged students will demand a national commitment to increasing the resources devoted to the task, restructuring the schools in which the disadvantaged are educated, and conducting research needed to make those schools more effective. Educationally disadvantaged students have been exposed to insufficient educational experiences in…

Designed as a channel for communication among City University of New York faculty regarding initiatives to reduce attrition and promote student success, this publication contains articles on student development, counseling and student services, and academic support. Following an introduction by Anthony F. Russo, the following articles are…

The five case studies in this volume concern at-risk youth. Disadvantaged youth programs in different states were studied by different authors: (1) Albuquerque, New Mexico (Richard Mendel); (2) Baltimore, Maryland (Edward C. Lorenz); (3) Hartford, Connecticut (Richard Funkhouser and Delsie Gandia-Fabian; (4) Oakland, California (David Snedeker);…

Effective systems of integrated, sequential, and systematic programming strategies at the state and local level are required to meet the needs of at-risk youth. The following six papers included in this compilation describe effective programs and practices that can be implemented in the local community, at the school district level, and in the…

This handbook suggests teaching methods and classroom techniques for reaching high risk students in health occupations education classes. The handbook is divided into two sections. The first section is a compilation of information and intervention techniques shared by health careers educators throughout California. It serves as a source of ideas…

Based on research by the Migrant Education Secondary Assistance (MESA) project, this report presents final recommendations for the improvement of migrant student graduation rates and secondary education. The strongest areas of need revealed in MESA findings were: (1) better identification and recruitment of secondary migrant students and dropouts;…

South Dakota's graduation rate in 1986-87 was above the national average: 79.7% compared to 71.1%. The dropout rate for 1990 was 4.3%. Of 180 districts, 25 with large numbers of Native Americans have a dropout rate of over 7%. Increasing the rates of graduation for Native American students will require a comprehensive, long-range program. Schools…

The Home-School-Community Agent (HSCA) Project of the Columbus, Ohio Public Schools was successful in identifying disruptive pupils and helping them make some positive adjustment to those aspects of their lives that interfere with their success in school. Even though definitive gains in pupil attitudes fell slightly below the project goal, the…

Demographic trends show that non-anglo and limited English proficient (LEP) populations are increasing dramatically in public schools. They already make up the majority of the student body in California's largest urban school districts. They are also disproportionately susceptible to dropping out. This Congressional testimony presents approaches…

When students are tardy or absent, or when they drop out of school, sequential learning cannot occur, subject matter and skills cannot be developed, and much student talent is wasted. At-risk students identified in the school setting include those exhibiting signs of alcohol consumption, drug abuse, or antisocial behavior. These students need…