This study aimed to extend the limited knowledge on the motivational and identity aspects of youth at risk in second chance programmes. The study examined the relationships between autonomy-supportive climate, adolescents' sense of authenticity, and their dropout risk, as well as the mediating role that authenticity plays in the relationships,…

Based on philosophical reflections on the concepts of place, place-based education, wild pedagogies and outdoor schooling in Denmark, the article presents and reflects upon selected results from a three-year accompanying qualitative research conducted in connection with a project for underserved young people and students. Approximately 40…

This paper investigates the effectiveness of a small experimental pilot addressed to foreign adolescents with low language skills and high dropout risk in lower secondary school in Turin, North-West Italy. The intervention aims at reducing Early School Leaving while supporting standard school curricula. In order to facilitate students'…

High-school exit exams have fallen out of favor in recent years, after research showed that pinning graduation to passing a high-stakes test can push some students to drop out. The future can be grim without a diploma: dropouts have higher rates of unemployment, earn far less money on the job, have poorer physical and mental health, and are more…

The objective of this study was to identify those activities that re-engage out-of-school youth who enrol in the so-called 'recovery' schools now operating in Chile. Recovery schools can offer different kinds of activities in order to engage their students; are some activities more effective than others? Is their effect moderated by the type of…

This paper identifies and examines the narratives of the lived experience of young adults who had been previously disconnected from mainstream education but who are completing, or have successfully completed, an education in an alternative education programme in a regional city in Australia. It highlights the factors that contribute to successful…

This study evaluates the Youth Development Program (YDP), a component of the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA). We examine whether the YDP reduced dropout rates among youth in secondary schools in seven school districts in the impoverished Mississippi River Delta in southeast Arkansas. Initially, the program seems to have an impact. Students…

The provision of "alternative" education is increasingly common in the countries of the world, but highly varied in its forms and coverage. In its commitment to provide education for all to age 18, Chile recently expanded its system of schools for teenage dropouts and has funded research on how best to educate these youth. This article,…

The Lighthouse Community School (LCS) is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a unique charter school operated through the collaborative effort of Lighthouse Youth Services and the Cincinnati Public Schools. LCS has been in operations since 2000 and serves at-risk students from Grades 6 to 12, ages 13-21 years. Teachers and support staff…

Mentoring-based interventions for adolescent offenders are promising strategies for reducing the likelihood of academic underachievement, truancy, and school dropout. Program effectiveness, however, varies widely. Investigation into factors that strengthen the impact of mentoring on academic-related outcomes is warranted. One factor might be…

Malagasy adolescents face severe challenges in accessing and completing basic education. Among those students who complete the primary cycle, one in four does not transition into lower secondary school. Economic constraints among vulnerable households coupled with low-quality education result in widespread dropout and poor learning outcomes.…

Although newly passed federal regulations mandate the provision of family-based aftercare supports for adolescents served in therapeutic residential care, very little research has been conducted to determine best practice. This efficacy and replication study compares the outcomes of youths and caregivers randomly assigned to On the Way Home (OTWH;…

Complimentary Basic Education in Tanzania (COBET) is a community-based programme initiated in 1999 to provide formal education system opportunity to over aged children or children above school age. The COBET program was analyzed using secondary data collected from 21 regions from 2008 to 2012. Cluster analysis was applied to classify the 21…

The objectives of this systematic review were to summarize the available evidence on the effects of prevention and intervention programs aimed at primary and secondary students for increasing school completion or reducing school dropout. The primary focus of the meta-analysis was to examine the comparative effectiveness of different programs and…

This publication is a series of in-depth case studies to examine how three programs which serve a disconnected youth population are utilizing data as a tool for continuous program improvement and ongoing accountability. The report features the following programs: (1) Roca, an organization in Massachusetts which engages the highest-risk youth in…