Among the diverse and varied missions of community colleges is the provision of instruction for students who have either been underserved by their previous educational institutions or not had the opportunity to complete high school. Included under this umbrella are low-performing high school students, individuals with low basic skills, and those…

Efforts to improve educational attainment are hampered by the high school dropout crisis. At a time when governors are calling for changes to improve higher education access and success, more than 1 million youth ages 16 to 19 are not enrolled in school and do not have a high school diploma. Each year, an additional 390,000 youth drop out of…

In the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District has achieved a startling success over the last two years: it has recovered and graduated over 600 dropouts and put them on a clear pathway to college. Just a few years ago, low graduation rates, struggling high schools, and poor staff and student morale…

The "National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program" is a residential education and training program designed for youth ages 16 to 18 who have dropped out of or been expelled from high school. During the 22-week residential period, participants are offered GED preparation classes and other program services intended to promote positive youth…

The study examined whether participating in the "National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program", a quasi-military residential/mentoring program for dropouts, improved the educational and other outcomes of at-risk youth. The study analyzed data on about 1,000 16- to 18-year-old high school dropouts enrolled in 10 ChalleNGe programs throughout…

The purpose of this evaluation is to provide formative Information about selected Orange County Public Schools (CPS) dropout prevention and retrieval programs. The following seven alternative learning programs were evaluated: School-Within-a-School; Alternative Resource Elementary Classrooms; The Challenge Center; The Plaza Center; BETA and ACEPT…

One of the major barriers to making good on this promise is the broad set of misconceptions framing most discussions of the dropout issue. Too often, both public perception and public policy seem based on the notion that dropping out is confined to a small--and particularly unmotivated--group of young people. A related assumption, although rarely…

In fall 1993, the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) contracted with two community-based organizations to serve eligible AISD dropouts during the 1993-94 school year. The American Institute for Learning and Middle Earth Unlimited, Inc. provided services through the Creative Rapid Learning Center (CRLC) and the 78702 RAYS program,…

Traces strategies for preventing high school dropouts from the traditional reliance on remediation or incentives to recent negative sanctions (e.g., West Virginia's "no school, no drive" law). The General Educational Development Program serves those who return voluntarily to school after having realized the importance of education. (JB)

An evaluation of Project ADVANCE (Adult Diploma Validating and Accrediting Necessary Competence and Experiences), an adult competency-based high school completion program, was conducted to determine program effectiveness, as viewed subjectively by recent graduates and present students. Personal interviews and/or questionnaires were given to 31 of…

The San Francisco-based YMCA Youth Chance began in 1978 as a Youth Community Conservation and Improvement "sweat program"--a means of providing unemployed high school dropouts with CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act)-funded jobs. Youth Chance continues to train males and females, 16-19 years of age, who meet CETA…

Colorado's Second Chance Pilot Program allows dropouts to return to designated Second Chance centers to complete requirements for a high school diploma or equivalent certificate. The high degree of satisfaction of students at Second Chance centers, and the waiting lists for enrollment demonstrate the potential for recovering dropouts. (SLD)

Describes the conditions faced by urban Appalachians, with particular reference to educational outcomes, and outlines the philosophy and functions of the Lower Price Hill Community School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Assesses the school's impact on its students, and on local and state levels of educational attainment. (Author/FMW)

JOBSTART, a federally funded demonstration program, offered basic education, occupational skills training, support services, and job placement assistance to young school dropouts. A study of the impacts of JOBSTART was designed to separate effects of the program from events attributable to other factors. A total of 2,312 people eligible for…

A study assessed the impact of the Career Intern Program (CIP) on participating students. (The CIP is an alternative high school designed to enable disadvantaged and alienated dropouts or potential dropouts to earn regular high school diplomas, to prepare them for meaningful employment or postsecondary education, and to facilitate their transition…