The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program is a residential, quasi-military program for youth ages 16 to 18 who are experiencing difficulty in traditional high school. This report covers the program years 2018-2019 and is the fourth in a series of annual reports that RAND Corporation researchers have issued over the course of a research project…

Schools are often criticized for their role in creating the dropout problem. This article illustrates that with the right resources and approach, educational programs could become sites of transformation rather than reproducers of social inequality. Narrative and thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with graduates of a nationwide program that…

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…

A committee of Illinois educators conducted a survey of the dropout problem in the state. Questionnaires were sent to secondary school administrators, 72 percent of whom returned a completed form. Information was sought on dropout prevention practices and programs. The document summarizes the highlights of the survey and also includes selected…

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 paper reports the results of a comprehensive curriculum evaluation of an academy founded to assist black drop-outs. Designed to determine the effects of the educational program on the student body and to lay bare the major constructs in the instructional and curriculum designs, the study employed a modified Shufflebeam curriculum evaluation…

This booklet contains a listing of Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title III projects in the State of Illinois. Each listing contains (1) the title of the project, (2) the administrative district, (3) the superintendent, (4) the project director, (5) the year of the project, (6) the amount of the grant, (7) a description of the project,…

This is the final report of a three year program for preventing dropout attitudes from developing in the middle schools in grades 6,7, and 8. The project plans focused on three major goals: staff training for leading the project activities the development of materials for assisting teachers in the project activities, and the provision of…

This study examined the form and availability of alternative education programs in suburban Cook County, Illinois, public secondary schools. Alternative education was defined as any special program that is directed to specific academic, emotional, and/or work training needs of students. A survey was submitted to school districts to gather…

This publication reports on the Illinois Council on Vocational Education's (ICoVE) recognition program. The program was designed to (1) commend achievement in vocational education; (2) collect information about vocational education and evaluate its success; (3) provide a resource guide of successful vocational education programs and activities;…