Describes an area vocational school which has two programs--one in career exploration and one designed to keep potential dropouts in school. (SB)

Since school dropouts who receive the General Education Diploma are discriminated against because they do not possess a standard high school diploma, a plan is presented that recognizes such discrimination and provides a process for making standard diplomas available to dropouts in special education and general categories of intelligence. (MH)

The Leaving School Early (LSE) Program, established in 1975, is designed for 14- and 15-year-olds who find none of the public school programs suitable. Applicants are assessed by a social worker and an individualized work or education contract written. LSE participants are monitored by teacher advisors. (SJL)

Discusses attrition rate in community colleges and orientation and admission procedures that contribute to attrition. Describes a developmental studies program at Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC) designed to retain high-risk students through career development efforts as well as remedial education. (DR)

Describes Project Kid-Save, a program designed by Arizona's Monument Valley High School to provide a safety net for failing students and to support adoption of the North Central Association's outcomes accreditation approach. Reviews the program's five components and evaluates the relative success of each. (11 citations) (MAB)

A study of the computer records of 2,353 10th-grade students found no significant difference between the midyear 10th-grade holding power for students enrolled in general and special education programs. Significant differences favoring the holding power of general education for children with learning disabilities and behavior disorders were found.…

Explains a model of drop-out from distance education courses and illustrates it with quotations from case studies of students in Australia; Papua, New Guinea; and the United Kingdom. Topics discussed include individual student characteristics, home and family circumstances, employment situation, educational background, motivation, and cost benefit…

Johnes and Taylor refute the criticisms of McPherson and Paterson on their paper about undergraduate noncompletion rates. Criticism centered on the use of the mean A-level scores of entrants as a measure of academic ability, definition of noncompletion, and omission of student/staff ratios. (MLW)

Presents findings from the evaluation of the Keep Youth in School program, which was designed to address the drop-out problem among high-risk youth in an urban community. Discusses what was learned during a three-year period in the program's development. (PCB)

New York's Dropout Prevention Initiative (DPI) is examined from the perspective of Dewey's educational philosophy. DPI employs an approach which "blames the victim" in contrast to the Deweyan approach which considers the social organization of schools as critical. Three components of DPI are critiqued: attendance incentives, career…

Discusses the efforts of Malawi to "vocationalize" general academic education to help alleviate the unemployment problems of secondary school leavers. Given the costs of vocational education and the number of unmet basic human needs in the country, concludes that vocational training should be left to specialist institutions outside…

Describes a study of the characteristics differentiating Danish high school dropouts from those who remained, focusing on family background, social factors in the educational milieu, and the effect of motivation, achievement, and ability. Dropping out was associated with lack of motivation and achievement. (DMM)

Of 115 adult literacy students interviewed, 59 were contacted 8 months later to collect data on characteristics, academic and social integration, program and goal commitment, and withdrawal decisions. Factor and discriminant analyses identified 14 variables that accurately predicted the present status of 76 percent of completers, persisters, and…

A case management system provided individualized attention to urban youths returning to mainstream high schools from alternative settings. To prevent dropping out, students received academic assistance, social services, employment services, and computerized resource data. Fewer students dropped out or returned to alternative settings, and more…

Describes the Portable Assisted Study Sequence (PASS) program, a coordinated national effort to help migrant students complete their education. Provides information on the following: (1) when PASS can be taken; (2) how it operates; (3) what PASS courses are available; (4) what comprises a PASS packet; (5) how credits are awarded; and (6) program…