An overview of issues and problems in identifying and predicting dropouts is presented in this Digest. The topics discussed are as follows: factors associated with dropping out; defining and calculating dropouts; problems in prediction; the usefulness of current prediction models; and suggestions for improving prediction. The recommendation is…

Presented in this annotated bibliography of 12 publications on students at risk are descriptions of (1) a study of 100 Austin, Texas, dropouts that identifies characteristics and conditions of high-risk students; (2) a study recommending a variety of programs to improve the progression of high-risk high school and college students; (3) a manual…

Students drop out of school because of a variety of family, economic, and racial factors that can be categorized as either alienation, lack of motivation, or disadvantage. The key to reducing the dropout rate is helping youth to overcome their sense of disconnection. Students with low motivation to attend school have shown improvement in school…

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…

High school dropouts are usually academic underachievers who adjust to social environments with difficulty. When they leave school, they develop even greater behavior problems and have more trouble getting employment than do high school graduates. To prevent dropouts, schools try to find funds for dropout prevention programs, work with agencies…

This practice-application digest addresses what vocational education can do to reduce the almost 30 percent dropout rate among U.S. students. The first section describes factors that place students at risk, focusing on factors included in the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's definition of the term "at-risk." In the next…

This booklet addresses the difficulties of comparing and drawing meaning from dropout data prepared by different agencies, and examines the characteristics of students--and of schools--that place students at risk for leaving school prematurely. The booklet describes prevention programs and presents evidence on their effectiveness. It reviews…

Several studies recently conducted by the Federal government and private organizations have produced new information about dropouts. Findings from these studies are summarized so that parents can have up-to-date information when talking to their children about dropping out. Urban and minority students are more likely to drop out of school. The gap…

Two groups of students at risk of not developing adequate mathematical knowledge and skills are (1) the "typical or usual" and (2) "the nominal mathematics students"--those who do not achieve at a satisfactory level in mathematics and/or do not enroll in mathematics courses beyond typical required courses. This digest provides…

This ERIC digest examines the extent of early school leaving among migrants, conditions that precede early school leaving, common features of programs that work to retrieve dropouts, and illustrative programs that exhibit these features. The Migrant Attrition Project estimates a 45% national dropout rate of migrant students. Conditions that lead…

Dropout rates are particularly problematic measures for Hispanic youth. One-third of Hispanic adolescents are foreign-born. Their sending countries tend to have much lower rates of secondary school completion than does the United States. This digest presents recent tabulations on the number of Latino high school dropouts, noting pitfalls in…

This factsheet considers dropping out of school from the dropout's point of view: reasons for dropping out, life after leaving school, and the dropouts' own evaluation of their decision to leave school. It identifies a dislike of school, low academic achievement, and a desire to work as key reasons for dropping out. Thirteen resource documents are…

A goal adopted at the 1990 Education Summit in Charlottesville, Virginia, aims to increase the high school graduation rate to 90 percent by the year 2000. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports three types of dropout rates: (1) event rates report the percentage of students who left high school without finishing work toward a…

Researchers at the Policy Information Center of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) have analyzed information from the National Center for Education Statistics; data from state, city, and other sources; and results from recent surveys of high school students to present a summary of the current dropout situation. The 1995 ETS report, "Dreams…