Educators develop and implement various academic/behavioral intervention programs designed to specifically address academic shortcomings or aimed at disrupting behavioral cycles that impede success in the classroom. The purpose of this research was to identify gaps in behavioral Response to Intervention (RtI) programs and to design a RtI program…

Students disengage from and leave high school without a diploma for many different reasons: academic struggles, personal and/or familial obligations, unsupportive school environments and imperceptible relevance of school to their lives and futures. The common thread that connects so many young people who leave before graduating is that the…

Schools in the United States have struggled with graduation rates for nearly 140 years. School divisions are continuously searching for new and creative curriculums to address changing student needs. From the U.S. Department of Education to local school board members, educators are working to discover creative and accountable alternatives to…

For more than 20 years, the efficacy of using the wraparound approach to support high-risk youth has been examined in educational and community settings. Few studies show the value of wraparound service from either a school- or community-based agency as a dropout prevention strategy. Findings from a federal research grant project suggest that many…

Check & Connect was created in a five year period from 1990 to 1995. The original manual, entitled "Keeping Kids in School: Using Check & Connect for Dropout Prevention" and written by David Evelo, Mary Sinclair, Christine Hurley, Sandra Christenson, and Martha Thurlow, was published in 1996 (ED398701). This newly revised Check…

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…

This document provides information on a Full-Time Vocational Training Program (FTVTP), which is intended to keep students in school or allow dropouts to reenter in a vocational setting. The philosophy and purpose of the FTVTP are presented. The program's purpose is to enable dropouts to return to school in a full-day vocational program, be…

Risks are taken in establishing alternative school programs but they can be minimized by giving the proper attention to several critical factors. (Author)

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…

The school dropout rate is a problem which educators cannot solve alone. It will take a total societal effort to design solutions. This document presents the ideas and strategies discussed at a conference on dropout prevention attended by leaders of national education organizations. Theoretical as well as practical suggestions are given to begin…

Identifies basic issues relevant to the development of dropout prevention programs. Considers (1) risk factors leading to dropout, (2) nine possible target groups for dropout intervention, and (3) four possible constraints (cost, burden, directions, and laws) that will influence the consideration and selection of new policies or programs. (IW)

This brochure describes the AASCU/Sallie Mae National Retention Project's goals, beginnings, continuing work, and participants. An introduction describes how the Project has resulted in over 370 state institutions looking closely at their effectiveness in student learning and achievement and at emerging accountability requirements. An overview…

This paper provides school district administrators with a structured method for developing school programs aimed at reducing the risk of adolescent dropout. The methodology encompasses problem definition, fact finding, mission management, overcoming inertia, cohering programs tied to theory, feasible goal-setting, and normative personnel…

Procedures for operating undergraduate minority engineering programs (MEPs) are provided in this handbook. The findings and suggestions presented are based on the experiences of MEP directors who have managed support programs, which focus on improving the retention of minority students within engineering. The titles and authors of the handbook's…

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…