This article presents an outcome-based model for evaluating school and community programs serving at-risk adolescents, and a cost-effective technique for comparing the progress of youth receiving an intervention with youth in a pseudocontrol group. The outcomes considered most important for success were derived from the literature pertaining to…

The objective of the Australian Commonwealth's Full Service Schools (FSS) Program has been to provide additional support to schools to develop innovative programs and arrangements that address the specific needs of students who are considered at risk of not completing Year 12 to a satisfactory level. The target group has been students primarily 16…

Summer Activities Initiatives is a U.K. program that uses outdoor adventure activities to prevent dropouts and help at-risk young people re-engage with services that offer them further education, training, or employment. This preliminary look at a program evaluation discusses the target group, recruitment, staffing, residential programming,…

In Touch is a professional training program designed to develop staff skills and support structures so as to enable schools to manage alcohol and other drug (AOD) matters in a coordinated manner that maximizes beneficial outcomes for at-risk students, while at the same time maintaining school discipline and community relationships. This study is…

This study examined the implementation of an early intervention program, Success for All (SFA), in elementary schools in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A total of 543 at-risk students from four elementary schools participated in the study, with three schools serving as controls and one as the experimental site. Students completed achievement measures,…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of the second year of the first-grade teachers in becoming more effective at working with students who are at-risk of failing to develop the reading and writing performance expectancies the teachers held for them. Subjects, a first-grade teacher and a resource teacher from each of 4 schools in Winnipeg,…

This report presents the results of a process evaluation conducted after the first year of a 2-year literacy development project designed to assist grade 1 teachers at 4 Manitoba schools in becoming more effective in working with "at-risk" students to meet reading and writing performance expectancies. The report includes results from…

In 1979, a special program was implemented for junior high students unable to benefit from regular programming due to a failure to cope with regular school courses, irregular and non-attendance, disruptive behavior, or poor self-concept. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained from site visits, achievement tests in reading and mathematics,…

A survey of 21 principals and 7 assistant principals in a large Canadian city examined their perceptions of the effectiveness of programs for at-risk students. In general, these administrators endorsed the effectiveness of community approaches to assisting at-risk students, and they felt that the focus of interventions needs to be broadened. (SLD)

Examined the implementation of the Success for All early intervention program in Montreal (Quebec, Canada) at four urban elementary schools with 128 high-risk students compared to 136 control participants. Program implementation resulted in higher reading achievement for the at-risk students. (SLD)

A drug prevention program involving 167 at-risk students in grades 8-10 at 9 Ontario schools resulted in reduced use of and less supportive attitudes toward alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, and tranquilizers. Program success is attributed to high attendance and retention, community health professionals' participation, comprehensive approach, strong…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the effectiveness of the guidance program used by change agents in the Dutch School Improvement Project (NSIP) on program implementation. Sixteen schools composed the experimental group and 13 made up the control group. The experimental variable was the guidance strategy of the NSIP. The two…

This addendum to the Reading/Writing Immersion Literacy Development Project presents the results of the fourth teacher survey (which had not been administered at the time of the publication of the project's final report for year 1). The fourth survey dealt with report writing. The 2-year literacy development project was designed to assist grade 1…

A study evaluates the effectiveness of the third year of the Reading/Writing Immersion (R/WI) project in Manitoba designed to assist first-grade teachers in becoming more effective at working with students who are at-risk of failing to develop the reading and writing performance expectancies the teachers had for them. Subjects, the six remaining…

First Steps is a program instituted by the Western Australia Ministry of Education to improve the literacy and numeracy of primary school students, particularly those at risk of academic failure. First Steps is organized around reading, writing, spelling, and oral language; children's skills are organized along developmental continua. These…