This report presents a study of the structures, reviews, and evaluations of preventative education measures (designed to prevent dropouts) in Dublin schools in order to make recommendations for developing models of best practice. An introduction presents study aims, objectives, and methodology. Section 1 provides an overview of the policy context of preventative education in Ireland. It addresses the issue of the high correlation between socioeconomic background and early school-leaving. Special emphasis is on integration of services. Section 2 describes types of preventative education measures being implemented in Dublin. They are divided into three groups--Department of Education and Science programs, other national programs, and locally based preventative education programs. It finds shared characteristics: their preventive nature and the extensive effort invested in prevention; and differences: their basic assumptions regarding causes of early school-leaving--personal, cultural, social, or economic. Section 3 identifies elements of a model of best practice for preventative education. Elements are categorized into human resources, material resources, internal organization, and external organization. The "Conclusion and Recommendations" section discusses two issues believed to require closer examination--integration and the capital context of early school-leaving--and makes recommendations for institutionalization of the model. Appendixes include a 129-item bibliography; list of preventative education measures included; education indicators 1998; and census data for Dublin partnership areas. (YLB)