It is the position of the Texas Council on Vocational Education that students at high risk of dropping out of school need an instructional approach that is comprehensive, individualized, and caring. Vocational education provides an important learning alternative that can serve as a powerful component of dropout prevention and recovery programs. In Texas, the cost of dropping out is estimated at $17.12 billion in foregone income, lost tax revenue, unemployment insurance, adult training and education, and the increased cost of crime and welfare. Common elements of dropout prevention programs that work are parental involvement and support, strong administrators and teachers, a focus on the individual and on building self-esteem, provision of an array of supportive services, and broad-based partnerships. Model methods that work include starting early, mentoring, intergenerational programs, year-round schooling, alternative programs, and schools-within-schools. For its part, vocational education can help prevent at-risk students from dropping out of school by making high-risk students aware of vocational education and recruiting them into vocational programs, providing extensive career exploration and job-specific skill training, and offering work-study activities. (MN)