Dropouts are considered to deviate from the following norms: maintaining certain levels of performance in school work; submitting to the requirements of classroom and school management; abiding by the moral codes of schools; conforming to peer group expectations; and seeking to move into the cultural mainstream of middle class white America. The…

The Chicago public schools have implemented two dropout prevention programs in five high schools. The Early Action Opportunity Centers program gives priority to identified potential dropouts who have records of entanglement with law enforcement agencies. Fifty percent of the students in the Chicago Receptions Center program are returnees from…

This study, conducted by the Office of Institutional Research began with an examination of the incident of attrition among first-time freshmen who enrolled in the College during the fall semesters of the years 1967-72. Included in this document is: (1) attrition rates for the period covering 1967 to 1972; (2) a profile of the withdrawing Spring…

This speech discusses several of the exemplary dropout prevention programs sponsored by the Office of Education. The basis of all the programs, whether they be for dropouts from school or for dropouts from life, is that once people find out that there is work to be done in the world, and that they will be welcomed and rewarded for doing it, they…

This literature review examines the retention problem and applies conclusions to Hofstra University. The conclusions drawn from the various studies indicate: (1) There are many kinds of dropouts; each group should be defined operationally, as clearly as possible. (2) Although techniques for data analysis have become more consistent, it has become…

This set of materials contains three manuals and a supplement of programs for instructors and trainees. Part 1 of the Language and Study Skills Manual contains a list of the materials to be covered in the six language skill areas (basic language skills, vocabulary skills, predictionary skills, grammar and usage, letter-writing, and reference and…

To determine why some farmers drop out of the Wisconsin Young Farmer Program while others continue to enroll and to investigate strengths and weaknesses of the program, questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of 500 students, who were divided into broad categories of dropouts and re-enrollees. Usable returns from 41 percent of the dropouts…

This report describes a unique institutional approach to study the causes of student attrition recently completed at Nasson College, Maine. The population of the study included all students who had been enrolled during the preceeding seven semesters and who subsequently withdrew or were dismissed for academic reasons. A questionnaire survey…

A dropout and flunk-out rate of 50% during the freshman year is occurring in many large municipal institutions of higher education, especially those operating under an open admission policy. This high rate of attrition is felt to be due, in part, to the fact that students entering college under open admissions policies often do not have the basic…

Primary validation of the Nor Cal questionnaire was accomplished in Phase 2 of the Nor Cal Attrition Study. The results of the primary validation were reported in the document entitled, "Phase 2 Final Report," (ED 039 879). The primary validation showed that the consortium-wide empirical validity varied from .65 to .67 depending upon whether or…

Reasons for the high dropout rate from high schools are discussed. The author postulates that dropouts are the result of misconceptions of the process of education, academic difficulty, a poor learning environment, and a lack of participation in extracurricular activities. Speech presented at the Convention of the International Association of…

Gives an overview of the drop-out problem, summarizes some research on alternative approaches, and discusses an alternative school that uses a Contract/Criterion-Referenced Testing approach on a highly individualized level to provide a basic skills program for dropout and potential drop-out students. (Author/RK)

The College Venture Program, a Boston-based consortium of New England liberal arts colleges, annually helps place hundreds of student clients--"stopouts" or "interruptees"--in temporary jobs while they contemplate their future college plans. Counseling services are offered and a job bank is maintained. (LBH)

Presents a summary overview of 20 school dropouts and their families, with emphasis on the features of family background. Topics discussed include environmental and social class influences, career aspirations, unemployment, and role expectations. (Author/DB)

The substance of current educational reform neglects disadvantaged students while their numbers have increased 30 percent since 1960. Raising standards without providing strategies for helping disadvantaged students will increase the already high dropout rate. Discusses ways to mobilize instructional and community resources for disadvantaged…