Nationally, more than one million youth drop out of high school each year. One in four young people do not graduate with their age mates. Thus, in recent years, national leaders have directed sustained attention to what they term the "dropout crisis," particularly in high schools that are graduating less than two-thirds of their…

To stem the tide of students dropping out, many schools and districts are turning to early warning systems (EWS) that signal whether a student is at risk of not graduating from high school. While some research exists about establishing these systems, there is little information about the actual implementation strategies that are being used across…

This study was conducted to develop, implement, prototype test, and disseminate a model guidance training program that can be used to prevent the high rate of student dropouts in rural Texas schools. Two school districts, New Caney and Waller, served as demonstration sites for prototype testing. The program was designed by a team of…

This guide explores ways that schools can put the idea of integrating educational and community support for dropout prevention to work in the school and community. Part 1, "Implementing a Plan for Restructuring the School," recommends the formation of a task force to involve the community and school staff from the start. It also describes the…

This color-coded manual is a guide for local Michigan school districts and schools to meet the needs of children at risk, listing programs from across the state and designated information contact persons within each district. A foreword notes that the manual was developed from a statewide survey of all school districts designed to identify…

Guidelines designed to help individual communities achieve the second National Education Goal are offered in this document. The goal states that by the year 2000, the high school graduation rate will increase to at least 90 percent. Eight suggestions for creating successful dropout prevention efforts are discussed: start early; set high…

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…

The introductory material to this student retention manual focuses on the legal responsibility of Florida community colleges with regard to retention, and on data collection for program planning, factors that affect retention, accountability, and the essentials of a retention program. The remainder of the manual is presented as a checklist of…

Risks are taken in establishing alternative school programs but they can be minimized by giving the proper attention to several critical factors. (Author)

This handbook describes a high school dropout prevention program that integrates academic education, vocational education, and a support system in order to provide students with multiple options for their future careers and personal lives. The following information is provided: the program's philosophy; major components (vocational education,…

The school dropout rate is a problem which educators cannot solve alone. It will take a total societal effort to design solutions. This document presents the ideas and strategies discussed at a conference on dropout prevention attended by leaders of national education organizations. Theoretical as well as practical suggestions are given to begin…

This booklet explains how service learning can be used to encourage out-of-school youth to return to an education program. The booklet begins with a discussion of the term "out-of-school youth" that includes the early warning signals indicating a potential for dropping out of school and circumstances and characteristics of potential…

In spite of difficulties in analyzing student retention in community college programs and courses, certain facts about student attrition are known. First, students who drop out of class or school tend to have lower grades than students who persist. Second, the ability of students to drop in and out of community colleges at will has negative…

This document reports information and lists resources for educating homeless and at-risk populations in Iowa. Organized into 12 sections that are grouped into three areas, the document provides research reports, listings of resources, and policy guidelines. Sections I through III, titled "Homeless Information," contain the following: (1)…

Dropout prevention is emerging as the most important new issue in education. Broad demographic trends predict a continuing growth in the population of at-risk youth, those most likely to drop out of school. The overall goal of any dropout prevention activity is to reduce the number of at-risk students. This issue is devoted to what research and…