The reference work is divided into two primary sections: A. Antecedent of Early School Leaving, and B. Consequences of Early School Leaving. Abstracts are alphebetically entered under author, listed in five major world areas: (1) United States and Canada, (2) Europe and USSR, (3) Middle East and Africa, (4) Latin America, and (5) Asia. (JB)

Reviews various alternative education programs. Argues that educators need to balance the alternatives offered within a school district, giving choices to a wide range of student abilities, not just to potential dropouts. (FL)

Examined the effects of student characteristics such as family background, precollege experiences, student-college congruence, and subsequent commitments on dropout propensity among southern Black college students. Found that Black students at traditionally Black colleges behave in different ways from Black students at traditionally White…

Reviews a troubling report of a nationwide study of U.S. public high school graduation rates that revealed that fewer students were graduating from high school in the United States than is being reported by school districts, states, and the National Center for Education Statistics. Discusses the implications of these findings for counselors and…

Brief descriptions of what four school systems are doing to keep students in school or get them back once they have dropped out. The systems are located in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Washoe County, Nevada; Renton, Washington; and Central York School District, Pennsylvania. (MLF)

A discussion of issues surrounding and reasons for school drop-outs explores various definitions of dropping out, rate calculations, and drop-out rates among Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans. It is concluded that society and schools have not been culturally and contextually sensitive to the diverse needs of the…

I analyze two issues on the efficiency of schooling choice. The first chapter analyzes changes in the distribution of college enrollment rates that occurred between 1980 and 2000. It aims not only to explain the 69% increase in the overall college enrollment rates, but also changes in the distribution of college attendees by their ability and…

This study sought to explain how high school seniors across the United States think about community colleges in the context of the college choice process. The study described what attributes are associated with the community college experience and what influences those attributes. Since a weak college choice process can contribute to later…

The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of first-generation persons of color attending and persisting at a community technical college. Students of color continue to be an increasing population in our higher education system. Many of these persons of color are choosing to attend two-year institutions. A great deal of research…

This study investigated the role school counselors perceived they should adopt in dropout prevention and ways to assess their effectiveness. The ASCA National Model's theme and element definitions (advocacy, collaboration/teaming, leadership, systemic change, delivery system, and accountability) were adapted to support a dropout prevention focus.…

Over 20 years ago, during a period of high youth unemployment, Peter Kirby recommended that a system of traineeships be adopted for disadvantaged 16- and 17-year-olds. Growth in traineeships was initially slow until the mid-1990s, when rapid growth followed a series of reforms to traineeships. The reforms included the introduction of employer…

Since Summerskill's study on college attrition forty years ago, the interest in this topic has never waned. This study was particularly interested in the relationship of race to retention. Various theoretical frames of references have been proposed: Price's organization theory, Durkheim's Suicide, and Marx's Alienation have been used to guide…

The Guam Department of Education (DOE) is a single unified school district consisting of grades Kindergarten through 12. Its 27 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, 5 high schools, and an alternative school serve over 30,700 students. DOE is managed by the Guam Education Policy Board. Its policies are established by a combination of elected and…

The "National Dropout Prevention Newsletter" is published quarterly by the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network. This issue contains the following articles: (1) At the Crossroads of Teacher Education (Nancy Cassity Dunlap); (2) School Climate--There Should Be No Debate for Teacher Educators (Terry Pickeral); (3) Call Me MISTER: A Unique…

This report examines 2008-2009 academic performance of AISD students who exited bilingual education (BE) or English as second language (ESL) programs.