These guidelines for developing a model for an integrated comprehensive career education program in North Carolina at the elementary and secondary levels include a mission statement, a career education rationale, a wide range of educational objectives, and key considerations for statewide implementation of the career education concept. An advisory…

The PASSAGEWAY Project (Program To Assist Secondary Students in Achieving Gainful Employment for West Alabama Youth) sought to increase the academic, social, and job skills of high-risk and dropout special education students. A cooperative program of the University of West Alabama, public schools, businesses, and social service agencies, the…

Holistic approaches can help counter the declining college enrollment and graduation of Hispanics. Two retention programs are described: Valued Youth Partnership, a remediation and dropout prevention program; and Step-to-College, which helps Hispanic students make the transition from high school to college. (IAH)

Describes ways in which instructional media and educational technology can be used to improve the attitudes and interest of at-risk students to help keep them in school. Topics discussed include curriculum development; hardware; software; flexible programs for dropouts; and programs for homebound students that use telecommunications networks. (LRW)

Drawing on 14 case studies, this article examines reforms and innovative strategies affecting quantity and quality of time usage, and the potential of nonschool educators to complement and expand youngsters' learning opportunities. Many successful programs offer students less classroom time. Some residential programs for dropouts and poor minority…

The states are at a crossroads in their important responsibilities in education. The 1980s saw intense interest in school reform, but results were often sparse. In the 1990s, the states will need to challenge the lethargy of local school systems and educational establishments. Outlines strategies for pushing schools toward excellence. (AF)

This article explores some of the ill-defined provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act and its compelling arguments. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 was born in controversy, and the passage of time has not lessened the controversy surrounding it. Initially, this act appeared to be legislation which would have little or no impact on…

In a case study of four urban adult basic education programs in a northeastern state, large increases in the participation of 16- to 20-year-old students were found. Many of these students were reading below the fifth-grade level despite aspiring to the General Education Development (GED) diploma. Reasons for youth participation included increased…

In 1993-94, the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) allocated money to four operations areas for five dropout prevention programs for overage ninth graders. Three of the five area dropout programs had positive effects on the dropout rates of students served. The dropout rates for these programs were lower than the sixth six-weeks…

Recent research suggests that special programs designed to "fix" low-achieving students are based on a deficiency model that does not serve their clients' needs. Alternative schools are providing conditions necessary to address disenfranchised students' problems. The descriptive case study summarized here was conducted to determine the…

The JOBSTART demonstration program provided education and vocational training, support services, and job placement assistance to educationally disadvantaged dropouts aged 17-21 at 13 sites. An evaluation assessed whether helping disadvantaged dropouts increase their educational attainment led to increased earnings. A total of 2,312 people were…

A practicum addressed the problem of low self-esteem of at-risk students by developing and implementing a 12-week dropout prevention program for 19 eighth-grade students in urban, middle class school. The program used five basic strategies for raising self-esteem: affective skills training (using role playing, mapping, and brainstorming to help…

This ERIC digest examines the extent of early school leaving among migrants, conditions that precede early school leaving, common features of programs that work to retrieve dropouts, and illustrative programs that exhibit these features. The Migrant Attrition Project estimates a 45% national dropout rate of migrant students. Conditions that lead…

This guide is intended to provide teachers and administrators, especially in West Virginia, with information about high school dropouts, their characteristics, and ways to retain potential dropouts in high school. A pretest and answer key precede the text of the report. The first section presents an overview of the dropout problem and its…

Arguing that educational disadvantage, underachievement, and dropping out are problems that originate with schools as well as students, this document describes the Work and Learning Center in Madison, Wisconsin, that was designed to meet the needs of high school dropouts. The first section gives disadvantaged students' perspectives on the school…