Ninth grade is a critical juncture for students--and can be a jarring transition. Even students a strong track record in the middle grades can experience academic difficulty, and those who enter high school with poor course grades, weak attendance, or behavior problems are especially at risk. An early misstep can have lasting implications:…

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…

While high school graduation rates are on the rise nationwide, too many students still never reach that milestone, with 7,000 on average dropping out every day. Recognizing that many students need additional support to succeed in school, Communities In Schools (CIS) works to provide and connect students with integrated support services to keep…

Dropping out of high school has negative results and implications for individuals and society. The likelihood of dropping out is attributed to both social and academic risk factors. Poor high school attendance, low course completion, and low grade-point-average (GPA) have been identified as three leading indicators that students are at risk for…

This study of high school outcomes in the Baltimore City Public Schools builds on substantial prior research on the early warning indicators of dropping out. It sought to investigate whether the same variables that predicted a non-graduation outcome in other urban districts--attendance, behavior problems, and course failure--were also significant…

The present study attempts to find the variables in the fifth grade which discriminate between dropouts and non-dropouts and to test the hypothesis that data about a student's school achievement from the fifth to seventh grades will yield a significant increase in predictable variance. This study makes use of a data bank, collected especially for…

Reports results of a study of students in programs of the Connecticut Regional Vocational Technical Schools, 1977-79. Comparisons were made between admitted and nonadmitted students and completers and noncompleters. The study was concerned with the prediction of academic grade point average, trade grade point average, and probable school leavers…

Rated community mental health clinic clients after the initial session. Therapist ratings of client behavior were related significantly to subsequent attendance. Early dropouts were characterized by youth and a lower education level. They were less likely to be employed and more likely to have diagnosed personality disorders. (Author/JAC)

This paper evaluates the impact on student achievement made by eight New York City alternative high schools. The schools serve students with histories of poor attendance and low academic achievement, so an emphasis is placed, in the first section of this report, on findings which reveal students' credit accumulation and attendance patterns in…

A project identified as potential dropouts 53 Springfield (Ohio) South High School freshmen and 24 London (Ohio) High School juniors and seniors who demonstrated irregular attendance patterns and poor grade achievement. The 53 freshmen and 15 London High School students were enrolled in a career club, an intervention program to address their…

In fall 1985, a study was conducted at Broome Community College (BCC) in Binghamton, New York, to determine whether students who added a class on or after the first class meeting (i.e., late admits) were at greater risk of withdrawing or failing than students who registered on time (i.e., regular admits). Final grades awarded to students in ENG…

A study assessed the underlying dynamics of attendance rates of secondary school special education students at risk for dropping out. Seventy-eight mildly disabled special education students enrolled in an urban work readiness program were interviewed to assess the effects of job and affective skill training on their attitudes toward school. Only…

This report contains research findings on student achievement and retention at New York City alternative high schools serving dropouts and potential dropouts. After a summary and introduction, statistics are presented which reveal that alternative schools facilitate positive changes in student performance. Next, reasons for students' dropping out…

As part of a Student Outcomes Model, a study was conducted of attrition in the 1975 freshman class at the University of Colorado using longitudinal survey data from nonreturning students and those currently enrolled. Discriminant analysis was employed to identify factors that distinguished persisters, academic dismissals, stopouts, and transfers.…

Project Achieve Transition Services (PATS) is a four-year high school attendance improvement, dropout prevention project which targets late-entry students consisting primarily of immigrants, transfers, and long-term absentees. The program uses a case management approach to provide support services, instructional enhancements, and family outreach…