Though mentoring has a long history, it has just recently begun to mature as a field to provide a research base of "best practice" for program development. Today, professionals are looking for ways to better connect with students, particularly those at risk, and mentoring programs are one way to do so. Mentoring programs are expanding rapidly,…

This document provides an overview of the concept of mentoring, this time applied to the area of dropout prevention. It begins by describing the functions and characteristics of a mentor, considering the use of mentors with at-risk youth, and examining the roles of a mentor in dropout prevention. Suggestions are given for setting up a mentoring…

The City of Phoenix offers a five-day river-based camping experience to at-risk and disabled teens. Describes how professional river outfitters are contracted to run the trips, staffing considerations, liability and safety considerations, and camper orientation. Evaluation showed that participants received lasting measurable benefits, including…

This paper reports the development and implementation of a multi-year program targeting a cohort of at-risk pre-freshmen. The program, called BOSS Camp (Business Opportunities for Success School), was designed to motivate, acculturate and encourage economically disadvantaged pre-freshman to attend college and become business majors. The process of…

This booklet describes the efforts of the California Department of Education and the California State University, San Bernardino to develop, implement, and evaluate a statewide Reading Recovery program. After presenting a definition of Reading Recovery, the first section of the booklet provides an overview of the Reading Recovery program and of…

This guide was designed to help local educators develop and implement a comprehensive program to support pregnant and parenting teenagers and assure them access to the resources and models they need to complete their education. Section I includes an overview of the demands faced by these young people and reviews the available research on…

Over 10 years, the researchers studied community-based organizations (CBO) for young people, eventually examining the work of approximately 120 youth-based organizations in 34 different cities. A look at these organizations and the young people they serve shows that CBOs offer a means of reaching at-risk youth, and that they can have a significant…

Research has shown mentoring to be a powerful alternative education and dropout prevention strategy for students at risk. This book is designed to help teachers, school administrators, case managers in the juvenile justice system, and others who work with at-risk students develop mentoring programs. Chapter 1, "Teachers Can Restructure Education…

A collaborative, grass-roots partnership focusing on students at risk for educational failure has been developed by the University of Alaska Anchorage and the Anchorage (Alaska) School District. The effort is distinguished by a perception of common ground, a minimal administrative and financial structure, and a high degree of commitment from…

A description is given of the development of a training model designed to provide assistance to school districts in exploring and implementing programs for dealing with high risk students. The program activities are organized and modeled according to thirteen "quality practices" suggested by exemplary programs in the literature and research on…

The Kindergarten Oral Language Project (KOLP) is a program of the Los Angeles (California) Unified School District. The program is based on Teaching Activities for Language Knowledge and is designed to improve oral language skills of the kindergarten population, identify students at risk for language and speech problems, and decrease incidences of…

Based on the assertion that punitive programs for at-risk students are ineffective, this book describes in detail how to start an effective alternative program to redirect the lives of at-risk youth. Following the preface, chapter 1 presents a historical background and an overview of alternative education. The second chapter describes strategies…

This practicum sought to combat the problem of decreasing readiness skills and overall general knowledge of entering kindergarten students, by developing and implementing an integrated parent involvement program for regular and special education classes in preschool and kindergarten. The first phase involved parents and children in a home-based…

This article addresses an arts-integrated social studies curriculum for grades three through five entitled Artful Citizenship, designed by The Wolfsonian-Florida International University. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Grant program, the design and implementation of the program…

Mentoring at-risk students has become one of the fastest growing and frequently used strategies across the nation to help young people. This document examines the structure and implementation of mentoring programs. Chapter 1 discusses mentoring as an appropriate and effective strategy. The mentoring relationship is examined, natural versus planned…