High school students with disabilities who drop out are costly to society. Compared to those who graduate, they are more likely to be unemployed, dependent on public services, and involved in the criminal justice system. Consequently, helping students with disabilities graduate has become a prominent national concern. Students with disabilities…

Describes a program for helping middle school dropouts to enter high school. Details the process for assessing program need; recaps efforts to include younger dropouts in a program; and reports success in determining a solution to the problem of overage students in middle school. Lists 13 program strengths and four criteria for gauging success.…

This publication presents a brief summary description of an experimental dropout prevention program developed at McClymonds High School in Oakland, California. The program described is Project MACK (More Advanced Careers and Knowledge), a four-year program funded under ESEA Title VIII that operated from the 1971-72 school year through the 1974-75…

This document provides information on a Full-Time Vocational Training Program (FTVTP), which is intended to keep students in school or allow dropouts to reenter in a vocational setting. The philosophy and purpose of the FTVTP are presented. The program's purpose is to enable dropouts to return to school in a full-day vocational program, be…

This report contains detailed descriptions of three program recommendations regarding public school choice. The recommendations are a result of a study conducted by the New Jersey Department of Education, in which public school choice and magnet schools were examined. The three recommended programs described are (1) Intradistrict Choice Program;…

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

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with few exceptions, occupational specialization programs for male students first become available at the secondary level (grades 10-12). Education is not compulsory, and substantial numbers drop out at all levels. Adolescents who leave school at the primary (elementary) or intermediate (grades 7-9) level must wait…

Early socialization, cognitive differences, treatment by teachers, and curricular choices have a negative effect on both the self-esteem and academic achievement of young females. Program designers and policymakers should incorporate the following approaches into female dropout prevention programs: (1) academic encouragement; (2) counseling to…

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…

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), in its efforts to improve the economy and quality of life in the Appalachian Region, has identified high school dropouts as a major stumbling block to the area's economic growth. Findings of ARC-sponsored research on dropouts include the following: (1) high school dropouts are a serious problem in…

West Fargo Community High School (North Dakota) was established in 1982 to provide alternative secondary education to high school dropouts and students who would be unable to function successfully in the traditional high school setting. The school was set up to be a self-supporting institution staffed by three part-time instructors and one…

Describes the Cooperative Alternative Program (CAP), Coleman (Texas), an example of the way a rural high school for at-risk students has established a sense of community while improving the achievement of its rural students. This case study shows how CAP faced its economic and collaborative challenges. (SLD)

Effective systems of integrated, sequential, and systematic programming strategies at the state and local level are required to meet the needs of at-risk youth. The following six papers included in this compilation describe effective programs and practices that can be implemented in the local community, at the school district level, and in the…

The National Literacy Mission Authority has begun pilot testing an innovative open distance education program for newly literate individuals in 20 districts of India. Using open and distance education where literacy is at its infancy is feasible because newly literate persons can manage to read printed material and have the motivation to read and…

This report summarizes and assesses Project REAL (Return to Employment and Learning), which attempted to attack the high rate of youth crime by focusing on youth offenders who, because they committed repeated serious offenses, were likely to become career criminals. Following a brief introduction, the report describes typical Project REAL clients…