School dropout is a growing concern in Central America, and in Latin America as a whole, because of its consequences for economic productivity, the inclusiveness of growth, social cohesion, and increasing youth risks. This paper utilizes more than two decades of household survey data to construct a systematic overview of school dropout at the…

Over the past decade, research on dropout prevention has become focused on using evidence-based practice, and data-driven decisions, to mitigate students' dropping out of high school and instead, support and prepare students for career and college. Early warning systems or on-track indicators, in which readily available student-level data are used…

This document presents the executive summary of a research project undertaken to provide a national overview of the dimensions of the dropout problem, focusing specifically on gender differences; and to identify strategies that are being used to address the dropout problem, assess effectiveness of these strategies, and suggest ways that these…

Lowering the student dropout rate in America is one of the most significant challenges facing educators today. This book calls attention to this problem, and offers hope and suggestions on how to resolve it using effective strategies taken from research and personal observations gleaned from successful dropout prevention programs in school…

Findings from a study of administrators' perceptions of student dropout causes and possible interventions are presented in this paper. Current dropout literature was categorized into four sources of student withdrawal from school--schools, parents, peers, and students. A national survey of 650 secondary principals and 650 superintendents produced…

Eleven studies on effective dropout prevention programs are excerpted in this paper. The studies were published from 1981-1989 and include conference papers, journal articles, school district reports, and evaluations. The studies are analyzed to determine who are the students who have dropped out of school and which dropout prevention programs…

This booklet is an instruction manual for those using the FOCUS database, an information source on dropout prevention of the National Dropout Prevention Center. An introduction lists the FOCUS files, which include Program Profiles, Calendar of Events, Resource Materials Library, Organizations, and Consultants and Speakers. Also given is the…

The 1983 North Carolina Dropout Study and the 1988 North Carolina Follow-Up Dropout Study were conducted to provide baseline dropout data for North Carolina public high schools, to provide estimates of dropout rates, and to explore possible factors contributing to a student's decision to leave high school. The results of the 1983 study indicated…

Reported in this document are dropout statistics from the State of West Virginia for the school year 1985-86. This annual survey of the 55 county school systems has been conducted since the 1968-69 school year. Topics surveyed include Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) status, exit interviews, grade at exit, month dropout left…

This Academic Skills Mini-Module is one of the first documented efforts designed for encouraging students to prevent themselves from dropping out of college. It is also a reflection of research findings which maintain that any methods used to help students to improve their academic performance will also minimize attrition rates. Academic…

This report reviews the literature on early departure from school in America, both past and present, in order to ascertain why students drop out of school, what the consequences are for the students who do so, and what schools can do to reduce the dropout rate. After a brief historical perspective on the problem, the social and economic costs of…

Understanding why students drop out is important in developing effective dropout prevention strategies. Traditional research has focused on high school dropouts; recent interest uses a developmental approach and examines possibilities for earlier intervention. Each section of this report analyzes dropout prevention at the preschool, elementary,…

This paper, the second in an Education Commission of the States (ECS) series, focuses on the planning and financing of dropout prevention programs. Designed as a resource guide, the paper consists of three parts. The first section presents questions asked by policymakers, discusses the process of determining the resources required, and suggests…

Preventing dropouts is the main topic of the 12 publications reviewed in this annotated bibliography. A statistical analysis of dropouts in Portland, Oregon, revealed that the correlation by school was far greater than correlation by residential area. In another study, approximately 155 droputs were questioned and most believed that the school…

Literature from the past three decades does not suggest a specific role for school counselors in combating the school dropout problem. A search of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database for the years 1984-1986 produced only 15 items indexed under terms related to school counseling or the school counselor's role. Ideally a…