This paper reviews the literature related to the role of career and vocational education in retaining at-risk secondary youth and motivating them to return to secondary or postsecondary school. Selected literature from nonvocational but related areas of service is reviewed to provide the reader with an overview of the scope of the problem and the…

Decisions about whether to promote a student should be made on a variety of both academic and social grounds, and the curriculum should be restructured to meet the student's needs if retention is chosen. As with other academic/punitive measures, poor Blacks and Hispanics tend to be retained disproportionate to their numbers because minorities are…

A Minnesota study examined the secondary school dropout problem from the perspective of both the education system and the employment/training system. Findings from a pilot study involving 24 public secondary schools and the 24 counterpart Comprehensive Employment and Training Act agencies were compared with information from national and state…

THE LANGUAGE ARTS LABORATORY WAS ESTABLISHED TO IMPROVE READING ABILITY AND OTHER LANGUAGE ARTS SKILLS AS AN AID IN THE PREVENTION OF DROPOUTS. THE LABORATORY WAS OPERATED ON A SUMMER SCHEDULE WITH A FLEXIBLE PROGRAM OF FROM 45 MINUTES TO 2 1/2 HOURS DAILY. ALL PUPILS WERE 14 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, AND EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO IMPROVE THEIR READING…

THE CURRICULUM WAS ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR POTENTIAL DROPOUTS. THE CURRICULUM BASE SHOULD RELATE TO THE REGULAR 10TH-GRADE CURRICULUM AND TO THE PUPIL'S ABILITY, TO THE END THAT HE MAY NOT BE SET APART FROM HIS PEER GROUP. THESE BOYS ARE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE. THEY HAVE SHORT ATTENTION SPANS AND APPEAR LAZY AND INDIFFERENT IN ORDER TO CONCEAL THEIR…

A cooperative effort between the Rockville Centre Free Union School District and the Far West Laboratory evaluated the implementation and outcomes of Greenhouse, an alternative high school program using the experience based career education (EBCE) curriculum. Evaluation criteria included four process objectives and the following student learning…

The document is a year-end report of a comprehensive student placement and followup program which is part of the career education project of Sarasota County, Florida. An overview of three basic components of the district-wide system is presented: (1) exit interview format--an in-depth counseling session with dropouts and potential early school…

Fifty-eight persons participated in an institute designed to provide the opportunity of sharing ideas and experiences in relation to innovative school systems and vocational programs for the disadvantaged and the potential dropout. Participants heard and reacted to the following presentations: (1) "Educational Programs and Career Opportunities As…

Although workplace requirements are mandating that employees possess higher-order skills, an alarming proportion of young Canadians are dropping out of secondary school before acquiring the skills they need to survive in a super-symbolic economy. Dropout prevention programs can curtail these trends and the effectiveness of one such program, the…

The Jobs for Florida's Graduates (JFG) program targets high school students and provides services to help these students graduate and to continue their education or find meaningful employment within one year of graduation. School managers and "job specialists" serve as mentors, identify at-risk high school students, and provide them with…

An institutional attrition study showed certain reasons for dropping out cited by all students reemerging in analysis of subgroups. Financial and personal problems were most common, with unavailability of a desired major also common. However, individual differences also emerged, and strict adherence to a dropout profile is not recommended. (MSE)

Presents the results of a study that tracked the educational progress of a group of first graders from 1982 to 1996. Examines the children's personal qualities, first-grade experiences, and family circumstances as precursors to dropping out in high school. Identifies dropping out as a long-term process of disengagement. (MJP)

Draws on the commonalities between multicultural counseling and dropout prevention efforts to produce a general framework for individual counseling with students who have potential to drop out of high school. Discusses issues of culture conflict or racial alienation in the school environment which may increase dropout risk. (LSR)

Describes a tutoring system using a computer network between sixth graders and Master of Arts in Teaching candidates. Notes each student and teacher had access to a computer at home and at school. Develops the tutoring model and discusses the outcomes of the first year. (MVL)

Drawing from a study of exemplary community college programs, offers recommendations for increasing support for at-risk students through preenrollment activities, orientation programs, elimination of late registration, basic skills assessment, improved financial aid, expanded mentoring programs, and increased problem solving and literacy…