Describes the Mercy Tutoring Services Program, which provides individualized instruction in basic academic and life skills for high school dropouts, suspended or expelled students, those assigned to the program by Juvenile Court, or students with chronic truancy or behavioral problems. Suggests ways of implementing the model elsewhere. (AYC)

Compared aptitude, vocational, and personality measures of high school dropouts with those of a normative population. Also studied the relative contribution of selected variables to achievement. Suggests that achievement motivation, social class, and the institutional impact of the school must be examined to identify reasons for academic failure.…

Describes the ethnographic component of a multidisciplinary evaluation, conducted by the RMC Research Corporation, of the Career Intern Program for dropouts. Includes discussion of participant observations, interviewing techniques, triangulation, unobtrusive measures, data recording, and equipment. (Part of a theme issue entitled…

Describes a South Carolina program, "Tender Loving Counseling," designed to identify potential dropouts for group and individual counseling. Describes focus of the program to be on building self-concept, motivation, and study skills. (TE)

Discusses the importance of educating the growing Hispanic population in Catholic schools, highlighting such effects of the high drop-out rate as underemployment, poorer health, debilitated self-esteem, decreased political participation, and increased criminal behavior. Provides examples of techniques and programs that help keep Hispanic students…

Describes a New York City high school's experience with Outward Bound, a cooperatively funded experiential learning program. Rock climbing was used to teach youngsters how to deal with the metaphorical walls facing everyone. The program's success (a 90% graduation rate) depended on faculty commitment, administrative support, motivated student…

When students help teach one another, active learning, listening, and a spirit of cooperation flourish. A reciprocal tutoring program in three New York City high schools allows all students to be tutors and learn through teaching and has all tutors experience the tutee/apprentice role. This experimental program had better achievement results than…

Alternative schools provide structured learning environment where students can continue their education and earn credit while learning academic and life skills. Survey of 45 at-risk students enrolled in alternative high school program showed greater satisfaction with alternative program than with a traditional high school program. Administrators…

Describes Mat-Su Alternative School (Wasilla, Alaska), which accepts dropouts age 15 to 21. School features include informal environment; small class size; comfortable teacher/student relationships; unconventional projects to engage student interest; parenting classes, day care for students' children, and other student support services; and…

Describes the YouthBuild program in Fayette County, West Virginia, a federally funded program administered locally by the Southern Appalachian Labor School. Participants are unemployed youths aged 16-24, mostly school dropouts, who alternate between 1 week of training in repairing and building houses and 1 week studying for a GED or preparing for…

The focus is on strategies used by 10 urban districts to reduce school dropouts. Thirty-eight strategies for dropout prevention were identified. Although the majority identified dropout prevention strategies, only two districts referred to "recovery programs." If district spokespersons mentioned their CEOs using a systems approach in…

A study examined the impact of the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education (NFIE) Dropout Prevention Program on teachers and the implications of the program for professional development. Kindergarten through high-school classroom teachers designed their own projects, applied for grants, controlled project budgets, directed…

As part of its dropout prevention efforts, the state of Florida offers currently enrolled high school students the opportunity to earn a General Educational Development (GED) certificate. This new graduation option for at-risk students makes frequent use of computer-assisted instruction, operates a counseling component, integrates vocational…

This paper addresses educational reform as it affects dropouts, minorities, diverse cultures, training programs, and community-based education. Effective dropout-prevention models are presented that address the needs of at-risk populations. The author states that much dropout prevention and reclamation takes place off of school district campuses…