This report examines some of the many varieties of alternatives now available, their problems and pitfalls, and their hopes for the future. After defining alternative schools, the report discusses the rationale for having alternatives and then summarizes the range of alternatives available at both the elementary and secondary levels. Separate…

Compares and contrasts the structural components of minority and general summer retention programs at 20 predominantly white universities. Utilizes the results of a telephone survey. (FMW)

Argues that everyday school violence, as distinct from isolated sensational incidents, is caused at least in part by the educational policies and procedures governing schools and by the way these policies are implemented. Trends affecting school disorders, including erosion of teacher authority, are discussed, and some solutions are proposed. (SLD)

This directory describes programs for serving at-risk students in rural small schools in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Section 1 lists 72 programs by state, including 8 programs that were added to the directory in 1995. Each entry includes target population; a brief description of program features; the school/community…

This publication introduces school personnel concerned with early intervention with potential school dropouts to a promising school-based interprofessional case management model that has been successfully field-tested in 25 very different elementary school communities of Idaho and Washington State over the past 7 years: C-STARS (Center for the…

This executive summary presents evaluation findings and conclusions from a 4-year study of a demonstration project focusing on a school-based and school-linked interprofessional case management approach to dropout prevention. The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, was administered by the Center for the Study and Teaching of…

The Home-School-Community Agent (HSCA) Project of the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools was established in the 1990-91 school year to help disruptive students make a positive adjustment to elements in their lives that interfere with success in school. The project was implemented through 21 HSCAs in nine high schools and 12 middle schools. Each agent…

This series of bilingual newsletters (English and Spanish) provides information to migrant youth who have dropped out of school. Newsletters describe the experiences of migrant youth who have obtained their General Educational Development (GED) certificate or have enrolled in vocational or college programs. Other topics treated in this volume…

This paper describes a K-12 intervention program for educationally at-risk youth in Jackson County, Tennessee. The LEarning VISIONS (LV) program involves teachers, administrators, parents, business leaders, and higher-education personnel in an effort to integrate a variety of long-term intervention strategies while respecting the rural context and…

This annotated but nonexhaustive resource list, describing 21 publications and 23 organizations, supports efforts funded through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 to improve the academic and economic outcomes of women and girls in vocational education. The listings are grouped under the following topics:…

The New Horizons Program of the Des Moines (Iowa) public schools provides supportive services such as counseling, attendance monitoring, career-related instruction, work experience, and coordination with community agencies to dropout-prone students and their families to improve academic achievement and increase graduation rates. Work experience is…

Community-based early intervention strategies can provide students with skills and attitudes that make dropping out of high school an unnecessary choice. This report analyzes the high school dropout phenomenon in terms of its magnitude, influence on minority populations, and need for local outreach programs. In California, the dropout rate has…

This report describes methodology and results of a study to determine the nature and extent of the high school dropout problem in the Appalachian region and to explore characteristics of existing programs dealing with dropout problems in the region. Data aggregation complicated by lack of standardization in reporting numbers of dropouts and…

The rationale for high school dropout reduction programs rests mainly on evidence that graduates are more successful than dropouts in the labor market. It is not evident, however, whether this difference is attributable to the diploma itself or to underlying characteristics that affect both graduation and labor market success. This paper estimates…

This guidebook presents a variety of dropout prevention strategies and is intended to help readers determine which strategies are best suited for a particular classroom, school, or district. The primary audience is school personnel who work with young adolescents. It begins by addressing major dropout issues, primary research findings, and…