The purpose of this investigation was to develop an ultra-short questionnaire that reliably predicted re-enrollment. Two binary stepwise logistic regressions were performed using re-enrollment status as the criterion. The first regression, conducted with a subsample of 4619 undergraduates, reduced 32 items drawn from the College Persistence…

Suggestions made to curb the dropout rate include these: hands-on experiences need to be provided, rigid standards need to be modified, positive self-images should be developed, modular or flexible scheduling and realistic educational media should be employed, and teachers must care for each student as an individual. (SC)

This report provides an overview of the phenomenon of early school leaving through presentation and discussion of relevant research issues, concerns, and retention strategies for potential leavers. It includes a brief review of the current literature with an emphasis on Canadian and Saskatchewan research. The extent of the early school leaving…

This paper provides information about Newark (New Jersey) high school students who have officially dropped out of school. The report is divided into four sections. The first section is an overview of the dropout rate of two cohorts of students: freshmen in 1979-80, and freshmen in 1980-81. The second section includes 1984-85 data, based on monthly…

A THREE YEAR STUDY, WHICH WAS MADE OF DROPOUTS IN 49 SMALL SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE TEXAS SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECT, WAS MADE TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF DROPOUTS, THEIR AGE, GRADE, SEX, AND REASON FOR DROPPING OUT. THREE FIGURES AND THREE CHARTS SUMMARIZE THE RESULTS. THE STUDY REVEALED THAT (1) MORE MALES DROPPED OUT THAN FEMALES, (2) THE AVERAGE…

The primary purposes of this project were to provide data for developing operational proposals and programs for dealing with the dropout problem. Information and statistics were gathered about school dropouts in St. Cloud, Minnesota; age and grade, type of student, current functioning and future plans, expressed reasons for leaving, etiological…

A longitudinal analysis of students who entered New York City high schools in 1979 supports the perception that most future dropouts can be identified at the beginning of their high school careers. This study examined the records of more than a quarter of the 1979 entering class at New York City high schools. Analyses were performed on attendance,…

A study was conducted to identify the characteristics of high risk students in selected Ohio Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs, and to describe the characteristics of the programs in order to identify program characteristics related to the retention of participants. Nine programs, selected to represent programs of various sizes (small, medium,…

To examine local dropout trends the Oklahoma City Public Schools (OCPS) documented the numbers and described the characteristics of those who dropped out in the 1985-86 school year. Local dropout rates were compared to those of other school districts and the nation as a whole. A dropout was defined as any student who is under age 18 and has not…

This manual presents a viable school program for grades K-12 to help reduce the number of school dropouts. Characteristics of potential dropouts and alternative programs to meet the needs of these students are given. Although this manual is divided into sections for elementary (K-6) and secondary (7-12) school students, many of the ideas presented…

A study was done of pre-admission or early performance predictors of persistence versus academic failure among baccalaureate program nursing students. As part of a larger longitudinal research project, 155 students from four successive classes of students admitted to the program were studied, using multiple predictor and criterion variables. The…

Transferring from one high school to another may be an important alternative to dropping out. While the public school dropout rate is over four times the dropout rate in Catholic schools, the percentages of transfer students reveal a different scenario. With transfer rates nearly three times their drop out rates, the Catholic schools' reported…

An informal study was conducted of the courses selected by ninth grade students who later dropped out of high school. Longitudinal data were available for high school students in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District, from 1978-79 to 1982-83. The courses selected by high-risk students in ninth grade, including extracurricular activities…

Causes of inadequate educational results for poor and minority children are enumerated. Consequences of resultant increase in dropping out are listed. Solution involves tackling the following: (1) funding disparities between poor and affluent neighborhoods; (2) achievement gap between whites and minorities; (3) dearth of work-oriented programs;…

Recent literature suggests it is not students' backgrounds, but schools' response to students' backgrounds that determines students' success in school. School practices and policies adopted in response to student performance in attendance, academics, and behavior also have a significant impact on students' decision to leave school before…