While the demand for a highly skilled workforce has increased, several reports have highlighted the poor performance of high school students in reading, math, and science. Moreover, the achievement gap between white and minority students is widening. Latino students have one of the highest dropout rates and they perform less well than their peers…

This paper describes strategies for developing drug abuse prevention programs in rural communities, based on available evidence about factors contributing to drug abuse. Comprehensive interventions to prevent drug abuse and other youth problems are needed because drug abuse is entwined with other problem behaviors and stems from a complex set of…

The rural community mental health center tends to serve a large geographic area, have decentralized service delivery, require its professionals to function as generalists, and coordinate closely with other agencies. The last decade has seen an increasing strain placed on this pattern. As block grant and fee-for-service shifts resulting from the…

Beginning with the class of 2003, all Massachusetts students must pass the state's high stakes test, MCAS, in order to graduate, which may significantly affect Massachusetts' already high dropout rate. According to this MCAS Alert, instead of remedying the problem of students who graduate without skills, this policy threatens to push the most…

This paper discusses the characteristics of three community-based early childhood care and development support programs: the Community Mothers Program of Dublin, Ireland; the Maternal and Infant Health Outreach Workers Program of Tennessee; and the Mothers Inform Mothers Program of the Netherlands. The paper considers the general characteristics…

This study presents data and findings on student retention at South Texas Community College (STCC) and recommends steps to improve retention rates. STCC groups attrition into three categories: (1) positive attrition, due to graduation, completion or transfer; (2) neutral attrition, due to non-institutional conflicts; and (3) negative attrition,…

The "National Dropout Prevention Newsletter" is published quarterly by the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network. This issue contains the following articles: (1) College As A Bridge to High School Graduation (Terry Cash); (2) 2005 NDPN Crystal Star Awards of Excellence; (3) Mott Middle College (Chery S. Wagonlander); (4) Gateway to…

For the first time, American people, released from the strain of the physical building and equipping of a country during which work was our doctrine and gospel, are summoned to discover the meaning of the word "recreation" and translate its spirit into practice. Through this great movement toward the use of leisure time, bringing play to people of…

The national summer dropout campaign of 1963 was initiated by President Kennedy. Subsequent to a June 19 meeting at the White House of over 250 leading educators, another group of local administrators met with Federal officials to discuss possible actions that might be taken to reduce dropouts. The ensuing campaign began and ended within a span of…

Suggests that a governmental agency, most likely Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) be considered in the safety design stage of any experiment. Focusing on OSHA's role, discusses such topics as occupational health hazards of toxic chemicals in laboratories, occupational exposure to benzene, and role/regulations of other agencies.…

Many college students are in trouble with alcohol. Many others are risking problems because of the manner in which they drink. Understanding the college student with drinking problems, role models, and a well thought out prevention program will help to alleviate the problem of the drinking college student. (Author)

Examined the support for, and consequences of, youths' drug involvement in neighborhoods having different degrees of toughness and drug use. Surveyed junior high school students (N=1,045) about their drug use. Found an interactive relationship between neighborhood setting and supports and consequences of drug involvement. (JAC)

The origins of public educational systems coincided with the economic and social transformation of North America and the emergence of a commercially based, industrial capitalism. The purpose of public educational systems was to facilitate this transformation. Discussed are five problems which the advent of public education was intended to solve.…

Presents a brief survey of contemporary research in psychology within a tripartite schema: remediation, developmental counseling, and prevention. Addresses methodological issues that focus on designs and trends. Offers suggestions for future research. (Author/RC)