President Barack Obama has called education "the economic issue of our time", explaining that the rise in unemployment among those without a college education is growing and eight of 10 new jobs created in the US are more likely to hire people with higher education degrees. Indeed, change is what the educational system needs to increase…

Latino youth are more likely than any other ethnic group to drop out of high school in the United States. Though some research has helped us understand the factors leading to dropout, very few studies have assessed Latino student's opinions of services and factors that would help them stay in school (e.g., family, school, peers, and policies).…

Reports show Chinese students have lower enrollment, higher dropout rates, and larger gender gaps in secondary schools in poor areas. Research indicates students' perceptions about schooling contribute to their decisions about staying in school. In this study in a poor rural area with high percentages of minority students, the student…

A study was conducted at the Trumbull Campus (TC) of Kent State University, in Ohio, to gather data on factors influencing students' decisions not to return to college after completing one semester. Surveys were mailed to 767 students who attended TC in either fall 1992 or spring 1993 but did not re-enroll in the following semester. Study…

The very high incidence of school dropouts throughout the nation is viewed as one of the major factors contributing to the failure of the American educational system, affecting not only the schools but the society as a whole. The social, political, and economic implications of the dropout problem are explored. The ability of the United States to…

Studies conducted by the National Rural Development Institute (NRDI) indicate that migrant students have a higher school dropout rate than non-migrant students. In addition, rural migrant students experience higher levels of family dysfunction and abuse, teen pregnancy, emotional difficulties such as depression or low self-esteem, poverty,…

This publication presents the results of a study undertaken to measure the economic costs of students who drop out of secondary school in Canada and summarizes the social and economic costs of dropping out. The primary objectives of the report are to raise awareness of these costs among the business community and to motivate all stakeholders to…

A survey was conducted to evaluate nationally the retention of undergraduates at institutions of higher education. In particular the survey sought to: determine the rates at which full-time students persisted in and completed higher education; identify factors that institutional representatives felt influence students to leave school; and describe…

This proceedings report presents dropout statistics, descriptions of prevention programs, and recommendations for future efforts. After an introduction to the dropout problem, the proceedings contains transcripts of welcomes and greetings from the mayor of Lubbock and officials from Texas Tech's College of Education, the State Board of Education,…

This monograph reviews the literature on intervention for potential dropouts at the secondary school level in order to determine factors responsible for students being at risk and to provide information on a variety of projects and programs that are effectively alleviating the number of such students who fail to complete their education. The…

This paper presents an analysis of a California state mandated effort to reduce dropout rates. In particular, the analysis looks at which program components and strategies are successful in increasing school holding power and what organizational and administrative factors are linked to the decision to actually implement the program as designed.…

In 1991, a study was conducted at Cumberland County College (CCC) to examine the demographic characteristics, academic goals, attendance patterns, opinions about the school, and other relevant data about CCC's nontraditional age student population (i.e., students aged 25 to 55 years). In fall 1990, 1,147 nontraditional aged students were enrolled…

Three groups of secondary school students were identified in the sample of over 7,000 high school students from the 1987/88 California Substance Use Survey based on patterns of involvement with alcohol and other drugs. Of primary interest are high risk users (HRUs) who engage in socially deplored and often dangerous forms of substance use. HRU…

A study of a random sample of 220 male inmates at New York State's Sing Sing Correctional Facility was conducted in the summer of 1989. Questionnaires were distributed directly to the inmates. A questionnaire in Spanish was administered when appropriate. It was found that 79 percent were high school dropouts, including 78 percent of the black…

The 33 articles on dropout prevention in this compendium were published in the "IDRA Newsletter"--the newsletter of the Intercultural Development Research Association--between April 1986 and September 1989. They can serve as resources for individuals and organizations addressing the needs of at-risk minority group students and their…