It is not uncommon for very young children to start music instruction on string instruments. Previous studies have examined the relationship between starting age of formal music instruction and years of study (Duke, Flowers & Wolfe, 1997; Hartley, 1996; Hartley & Porter, 2009). Duke et al. (1997) found that students who took more years of…

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 Chicago public schools have implemented two dropout prevention programs in five high schools. The Early Action Opportunity Centers program gives priority to identified potential dropouts who have records of entanglement with law enforcement agencies. Fifty percent of the students in the Chicago Receptions Center program are returnees from…

This speech discusses several of the exemplary dropout prevention programs sponsored by the Office of Education. The basis of all the programs, whether they be for dropouts from school or for dropouts from life, is that once people find out that there is work to be done in the world, and that they will be welcomed and rewarded for doing it, they…

This paper discusses the potential of school district-based and community-wide approaches to dropout prevention, and provides a summary of the goals and expected outcomes of the Consortium on Dropout Prevention, and the Urban Dropout Prevention Collaboratives Program. The Consortium on Dropout Prevention was formed to cooperatively gather and…

The Region XI Migrant Education Program, Pajaro Valley Unified School District (Watsonville, CA) serves approximately 6,300 students during the regular school year and 4,400 students during the summer. Virtually all students are Hispanics, and 47 percent are currently migrant. As a group, these students have at least three characteristics that put…

This report presents the Academic Retention and Talent Retrieval components of the Special Services Program at Northern Illinois University. The support structures are described in detail, including: CHANCE counseling, which assists students with academic and financial planning, personal growth, peer tutoring, and career counseling; and the Talent…

This paper describes a course of study offered by Bradford College in West Yorkshire, Great Britain, to twenty 16-19 year old students of Asian background who left school alienated from education as a process and school as an institution. The program offers English, prevocational, and vocational courses with the goal of improving the students'…

Educational equality for migrant youth has not been realized in American society. By grade 10, 80-90% of migrant youth drop out of school. When migrants drop out, they are academically 1 to 2 years behind other students their age. They have limited English skills, poor self-concepts, few job skills, and no career plans. The National Association of…

This report describes a learning assistance program at Lamar University, Texas, designed to improve study skills and decrease attrition among college students through the use of peer counselors. The objectives of this two-credit, non-remedial course are discussed, and the material covered in the 18-week course is described, by week, in Table 1.…

At Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), a proactive, "intrusive" approach to counseling has been developed to identify students who may be at the point of dropping out of classes due to anxiety and frustration. Under this approach, termed the Early Alert Referral System, the advisor takes responsibility for establishing contact with the…

A study examined the kinds of skills that minority students felt prepared them for college and helped them to succeed. All 80 minority students enrolled at Illinois' Millikin University (enrollment, 1,800 students) were interviewed for 20 to 30 minutes each. Results indicated that: (1) students reported that English composition/writing classes,…

Provided are 10 papers on the handicapped student's transition from secondary education to employment. Entries are included with the following titles and authors: "Transition from School to Work" (on the conditions of such transition for young people in Australia) by E. Guthrie; "Functional Literacy and Numeracy of Australian 14 Year Olds" (a…

Approaches to improve student achievement through improved self-actualization are attempted in the following programs: Rev. Jesse Jackson's Operation PUSH; the U.S. Department of Labor's program known as the Youth Incentive Entitlement Pilot Project Program; Denver, Colorado's New Pride Experiment; the Michigan Expeditions Program; and the John…

The Student Support Team (SST) is a school-based interdisciplinary team designed to maximize the resources and support available to teachers, students, and parents. This presentation describes its approach and operation. The SST attempts early identification of students at risk for school failure due to any combination of poor academic…