The Supplemental Instruction (SI) program of the University of Missouri-Kansas City addresses attrition by providing academic support in courses that are high risk for students. The program contains a number of innovative features, for example: high risk courses are identified instead of high risk students, and everyone in those courses is offered…

This report on at-risk students presents a general overview of the extent of the problem in the State of New York and current responses to it. Pupils-at-risk are defined as those whose school achievement and/or social behavior is negatively and seriously affected by educational, family, societal, or personal problems. These pupils are not…

This sourcebook provides information for educators and community leaders involved in dropout prevention planning. The indexed, looseleaf notebook places boldface keywords in each entry's upper right-hand corner. Thirteen sections contain summaries of sources and ordering procedures. Section A deals with general reports and literature reviews;…

This report summarized the activities and recommendations of the 1985-86 National Association of State Directors of Migrant Education Secondary Committee. Committee accomplishments included defining dropouts utilizing unique characteristics of migrant students; drafting the issues paper on migrant secondary education (included in this report);…

Tri-County High School in Clarksburg, West Virginia, uses a nontraditional approach to educating actual and potential dropouts from schools in surrounding areas. The primary objective of the program is to enable students to develop adaptive behaviors and adequate skills to return to the regular classroom. The initial screening for admission into…

A 10-year profile is provided of Middle College High School (MCHS), an alternative high school operating under the joint auspices of the New York City Board of Education and LaGuardia Community College. The first sections of the report look at the history and goals of MCHS, explaining that the school was created to reduce the dropout rate among…

One-fifth of children in the United States live in poverty and a third grow up undereducated. This is a waste of human resources and makes little economic sense. Business has an important stake in helping public schools prepare youth for the future. Business leaders, educators, and policy makers should provide early and sustained intervention in…

This guide explores ways that schools can put the idea of integrating educational and community support for dropout prevention to work in the school and community. Part 1, "Implementing a Plan for Restructuring the School," recommends the formation of a task force to involve the community and school staff from the start. It also describes the…

Chief state school officers have committed themselves to seek the elimination of the nation's dropout problem by the turn of the century. Two reasons are given for this unusually strong statement. First is the human or moral issue that leaves millions of youth destined to a life of poverty if school cannot be successful in meeting their needs.…

An overview is provided of the problem of student attrition and the essential components of effective retention programs. Following introductory arguments that the secret of retention is in the development of communities committed to education rather than retention, the paper discusses several major causes of student attrition, including academic…

This study was conducted to identify factors that affect disadvantaged women in their efforts to gain long-term employment or to complete vocational and technical education programs. Following a review of literature, a questionnaire was prepared and administered to 160 disadvantaged women in Texas. An analysis of the questionnaire responses…

A study was conducted to determine whether there is an identifiable coping personality related to academic achievement and retention for black college students. Low coping students were also taught coping strategies to determine whether mastering academic requirements facilitates achievement and persistence. The relationship of black student…

Keynote papers from Delaware's first annual statewide conference on the education of children of limited English proficiency (LEP) are presented in this document. They include: "Delaware's Initiatives in the Education of Children of Limited English Proficiency" (William B. Keene); "Research and Issues in the Education of LEP…

This report is a summary of deliberations and strategy development at a forum focussed on the problems of youth at risk of not making a successful transition from school to adulthood. Twenty work groups came up with three priorities in dealing with the problems of at-risk youth: (1) address a child's education, social, health, and other needs…

The first 2 years (1986-1988) of the implementation of Fordham University's Stay-In-School Partnership Project (SSPP), a dropout program for urban high-risk children, are described. The long-term goal of the partnership between Fordham's Graduate Schools of Education and Social Science and New York City School District No. 4, a school district…