There is a critical need to identify solutions to the unemployment of high school dropouts. When a student prematurely leaves school, the economic, social, and political impacts result in negative consequences for the individual and the community. Of the nearly 2.2 million students who drop out of high school every year in the United States,…

This article reviews history, models, and benefits of credit-based transition programs between high schools and institutions of higher education. The goal of these programs is to enable high school students to take college courses and earn college credit while still in high school, thereby easing the transition to college through a variety of…

The transition from the security of a middle level school to a high school isn't easy. The new independence, challenging workload, and high expectations are often enough to send freshmen into a whirlwind. To help offset these challenges, Louisburg (KS) High School developed a freshmen transition program that includes a preview of what high school…

The purpose of the DESK (Developing English Skills and Knowledge) Program at Louisiana State University (LSU) is to help deaf and hard of hearing students make a smooth transition from high school to postsecondary institutions and, in doing so, to ensure their academic and professional success. This handbook documents, in a "how-to"…

In 2000, 6% of students in the Guilford County Schools (Greensboro, North Carolina) dropped out, and the school board demanded action. After considering a variety of options, the district turned to a small-school concept called the "middle college high school" to help reconnect those students and keep them in school. A middle college…

A Maryland middle school helps students navigate passage to high school with 10 crossings: parent engagement, mentoring transitional opportunities program, a middle-school exit form, a special assembly, a closing ceremony, a unification process, departmental articulation, a roundtable involving middle- and high-school principals, and a high-school…

The Early College High School Initiative (ECHSI) launched in 2002 with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The ECHSI provides funds for the development of Early College Schools (ECSs) that serve students who traditionally are underrepresented in postsecondary education and offers them the opportunity to simultaneously pursue a high…

The article describes the Community Vocational Training program, a transition program that trains and places high school seniors with mild handicaps in permanent employment and postsecondary schools. Considered are theoretical foundations, recruitment, on the job experiences, the employment skills workshop, staff roles, and outcomes. (DB)

Describes a program offering freshman college courses to high school seniors designed to make senior year more challenging and help rural students' transition from high school to college. Discusses costs, curriculum, and student responses. Notes that successful students gain college credit while others learn they are not ready for college. (DHP)

While visiting school-to-work sites, the author observed numerous programs that teach students the "new basics" or "basics-plus" skills needed for success in today's economy. These skills include an ability to use technology, communicate ideas and information orally and in writing, work in groups, solve knotty problems,…

A nationally representative sample of youths with disabilities who recently exited high school was studied to determine their level of participation in postsecondary educational programs. The results show that disabled individuals participate at only one-quarter the rate of their nondisabled counterparts. (Author/MLW)

Troy Academy at Green Mountain College, in Pultney, Vermont, was a three-year experiment that allowed responsible area high-school juniors and seniors to take challenging college-level courses in a supportive environment providing for their needs. Despite the program's unqualified success, Green Mountain ended the arrangement because of financial…

This annotated bibliography describes over 200 books, journal articles, digests, curricula, and monographs on the transition of youth with disabilities to work, community living, and postsecondary education. Resources are listed alphabetically by author within the following categories: (1) basic information on transition, (2) vocational/career…

Urban African American males face complex barriers to learning and achievement. A Washington, D.C., school has designed a ninth-grade program that effectively enhances youngsters' self-concept and allows them to succeed academically. Ninth graders attend most classes in the Annex, a personalized, caring environment that subverts negative aspects…

Although transitioning from school to school can be challenging at any level, the transition to high school may be particularly fraught with challenge because students are experiencing a change in schools as well as the physical, emotional, and psychological changes inherent to adolescence. Educators and researchers agree that ninth grade is a…