Assessed the effectiveness of a 12-week intervention program on potential dropouts (N=55). The results revealed that the experimental intervention did impact significantly on retention and absence rates, but student attitudes were not significantly affected. Results pose serious questions concerning the generalizations of the self-concept to…

Analysis of data on 2,508 matriculates to the University of Alabama School of Medicine found that graduates of small local colleges were more diverse than other students in gender and race; had similar academic performance; and were more likely to come from a rural background, to drop out, or to locate to rural areas after graduation. The need for…

Since the beginning of the American experience, labels have been used to describe generations. Among them are the "Puritan generation," the "greatest generation," the "baby boomer generation" and the "MTV generation." Today, people are creating a new generation--the "lost generation." The lost generation represents a large and growing population…

Despite the widespread attention given to education reform, no substantial knowledge base has existed for identifying and implementing specific effective reforms. This document, the first of three volumes, presents findings of a study that sought to identify the essential mechanics of effective reforms for students at risk. The study also…

The Benito Juarez Academy is a charter school for grades 9-12 located in Saginaw, Michigan. The school was established in 1995 to meet the needs of youth who were most at risk for low academic achievement, behavioral problems, and dropping out of school. This paper describes the school's planning and development process and the attitudes of…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined an alternative learning program in a large urban school district in the midwestern United States. The goal of the project was to determine if the specific alternative learning program could have a positive effect on student motivation, goal orientation, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Research…

Oregon's annual dropout rate increased from 6 percent in the 1992-93 school year to 7.4 percent in the 1994-95 school year. Some schools, however, managed to reduce their dropout rate. This report explores the strategies that worked for 15 Oregon high schools that reduced their dropout rate. Interviews were conducted with representatives of Oregon…

This newsletter contains six articles focusing on dropouts, potential dropouts, dropout rates, and dropout prevention, particularly in Texas and among Hispanics and other minority groups. "Improving Student Performance: Study Identifies Better Approach" (Maria Robledo Montecel, Josie Danini Supik, and Jose A. Cardenas) correlates student…

This report presents statistical data on the dropout rates in Massachusetts public schools for 1990. The data were gathered through a state mandated annual survey of the state's public schools. Dropouts are defined as students aged 16 years or older who leave school prior to graduation for reasons other than transfer to another school. The report…

A study was done to describe the development of seven alternative schools for youth who dropped out of high school or who were at risk of doing so on the model of a Brooklyn (New York) alternative school, High School Redirection. The replication demonstration took place in the 1988-89 and 1989-90 school years in Cincinnati (Ohio), Denver…

Findings of a study that examined the relationship between student demographic characteristics and at-risk status are presented in this paper. Demographic characteristics likely to place students at risk include low family income, low parental education, single-parent family, and limited-English proficiency. Data were derived from the National…

Findings from a study designed to evaluate the Houston Independent School District's (HISD) program for identifying students at risk of dropping out are presented in this report. In the 1988-89 school year HISD employed a scheme of four state-mandated criteria for identifying at-risk students, and this scheme's performance in predicting actual…

To combat their school dropout problems, Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools created an alternative high school for marginal and high risk students attending conventional high schools and for students who had already dropped out. Classes at North Education Center were scheduled from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and featured year-round, 42-day terms to…

The problems of at-risk students are discussed in this document. The first chapter defines nine categories of students at risk: limited background attainments; personal development difficulties; physical deprivation; disease and illness; neglect or abuse; emotional handicaps; nonscholarly tendencies; substance addiction; and antisocial tendencies.…

Behind the negative composite profile of school dropouts often lie the internalized characteristics of low self-esteem, thwarted ambition, and personal failure. This document presents an analysis of several different demographic, behavioral, and academic characteristics of students who withdrew from grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 in the Nashville…