Discusses the Boston Compact, a 1982 agreement between Boston's business, governmental, and educational leaders to establish a system of priority hiring for high school graduates in return for the school system's assurance that it would improve education. Describes background and implementation since 1982, focusing on how well these goals have…

Discusses dropping out from a historical and theoretical perspective. Suggests that although the sociocultural context in which schools operate has changed drastically, the solutions sought to educational problems attempt to re-create the good schools of the 1950s. Notes specific areas where school change has not kept pace with social change,…

Argues that most dropout prevention attempts have been hampered by the lack of an unbiased, coherent and easily accessible source of data on the total and at risk populations of young people. Provides preliminary data on several groups of students not characterized by traditional dropout descriptors. Offers recommendations for improvement in…

Learning-disabled students entering college may be uncomfortable about their abilities and disabilities and establish an "avoidance pattern" toward participation in class. Effective interventions combine support with realistic explanations of learning strengths and weakness, and include counseling, organizations supporting learning-disabled…

A review of data regarding minority dropout rates in secondary and postsecondary education points out these students' vulnerability to dropping out and suggests several possible remedies, including establishing programs aimed toward pregnant students, students with income needs, and students who are dissatisfied or unfamiliar with the educational…

Compares and describes school leavers in Ontario, Canada, and Somerset, England. Notes functional illiteracy is common among school leavers. Decides that the best approach is a concentrated effort on reading in grades three and four. Describes such a program to be instituted in York, Ontario, in September, 1984. (BRR)

The "Focus on Basics" serial concerns adult Learning and literacy. The eight short articles in this theme issue are all devoted to the topic of "learner motivation": (1) "Power, Literacy, and Motivation" (Greg Hart); (2) "The First Three Weeks: A Critical Time for Motivation" (B. Allan Quigley); (3) "Build Motivation by Building Learner…

This paper describes and examines the effectiveness of a project undertaken by Florida's Palm Beach County school system to provide community based support services and to facilitate a community-school partnership in order to enhance the educational achievement of immigrant students, specifically those with limited English proficiency. The project…

The Texas Education Agency prepares an annual report on dropouts in Texas public schools. This report contains information on the annual dropout rate used in the accountability system and state attrition rates. It also includes a series of longitudinal secondary school completion/student status rates. Of the 1,818,940 students who attended grades…

This book asserts that alternative programs remain a practical management strategy for educating diverse student learners, offering specific ideas for program implementation, accountability for student learning, and quality service provision. The information serves as an overview of important factors to consider for those seeking new approaches to…

Some 40 individuals from 12 Central and Eastern European partner countries and experts from Austria, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom participated in a roundtable session designed to stimulate discussion and action on reforming vocational education and training (VET) so that it can prevent youths from dropping out of school and experiencing…

This packet of material contains a collection of strategies designed to prevent school failure and antisocial behavior. The collection includes: (1) "Why Are We Surprised?", which discusses the poor learning outcomes and troubling behaviors of some students with disabilities; (2) "Paying Now or Later," which addresses the cost…

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of an alternative-school program. The research compared 1 year of the program, where there was no parental involvement, with a second year, which included family-based interventions. It was hypothesized that family involvement would generate greater improvement in students' psychosocial functioning, academic…

Based on an analysis of student school records, teachers, administrators, and community citizens have developed a plan to incorporate programs designed to correct specific deficiencies in children in the early elementary grades, to constructively develop academic and social behavior by using positive reinforcement, meaningful rewards, and behavior…

A program for admitting to the university 15 to 16 year old school dropouts. (IR)