The purpose of this study was to identify and explain factors which account for rural youths having lower attendance records and lower educational attainment than urban youths. The major objectives were: (1) to determine the factors affecting the school attendance and attainment of rural youths; (2) to determine the life aspirations of rural…

This document contains a design for creating an educational data bank of pupil personnel information. The specific information that should be collected and maintained in such an updatable data bank is described in detail. The document provides instructions on interpretation of this data for (1) predicting approximate percentages of students who…

The results of a comprehensive curriculum evaluation of the Christian Action Ministry (CAM) Academy, which was founded to help black dropouts complete their high school education and secure college placement are reported. The CAM Academy requested the assistance of the University of Illinois in undertaking a comprehensive curriculum evaluation to…

Describes a survey of 724 management students in New Zealand's Technical Correspondence Institute which was conducted to determine whether the introduction of educational technologies could decrease the dropout rate. The multiple linear regression model that was used to analyze the questionnaire responses is presented, and predictor variables are…

A study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to develop a profile of students who withdrew from courses between summer 1992 and spring 1994. Between 1992 and 1994, 13.7% of the 175,000 course enrollments resulted in official withdrawals, representing a 0.4% decrease in withdrawals from the 1990-1992 cohort. An analysis of these…

The Leadership Education Adventure Partnership (LEAP) is a program of For Love of Children in Washington, D.C., that aims to turn the lives of at-risk adolescents toward healthy development and a productive future. Beginning at age 10, LEAP involves youth in wilderness adventure activities that help them discover their strengths and develop…

A literature review explored the differences between the high school diploma and GED (General Educational Development) credentials and the value of receiving one in comparison to the other. The study found that GED recipients and high school seniors who take the five tests constituting the GED score similarly, but that test achievement does not…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 requires that public elementary and secondary school systems be held accountable for achieving high levels of educational proficiency for all students. While achievement testing is the central component of state accountability systems under NCLB, these systems must include graduation rates as an academic…

One of the most important indicators of educational performance is the high school dropout rate. Reducing dropout rates and improving high school graduation rates are important goals for both educators and policymakers. Yet there is a great deal of controversy about how best to measure dropout and graduation rates. This issue of EL Facts provides…

Center School, one of five alternative schools in Minneapolis, is the only one that is predominantly Indian. There are 45 students: some getting an education in basics, some socializing with people of a common heritage, and some assigned there by the courts. (MLW)

The nonmetropolitan dropout rate fell sharply, 1975-93, closing the nonmetro-metro gap. National longitudinal data on dropout risk factors related to family, community, and local labor market reveal that low parental education and income are the greatest barriers to reducing rural dropouts. High school students had unrealistic educational and…

This study examined why Australian high school students decided to continue or discontinue their schooling, using a comprehensive theoretical model to examine the issue. Three surveys of 817 tenth-grade students over a 13-month period indicated that the theoretical model adequately and appropriately explained and predicted students' persistence…

The David School in rural Floyd County, Kentucky, is a small private nonprofit high school that has served high-risk students and returned dropouts for the past 22 years. All students receive job training in a practical field and do not graduate until they have a well-paying job or are enrolled in college or vocational training. (LP)

The relationship between performance on tests of minimum competency (MCT) required for high school graduation and dropout behavior was studied with 76,664 Florida students. Results indicate that MCT failure increases the likelihood of leaving school only for students doing well academically, but not for minority students or those doing poorly.…

Examination of educational and employment status of Mexican American youths in relation to the proportionate size of the Mexican American population in metropolitan areas found that in 1990, 19% of Mexican American adolescents were "idle"--out of school with limited or no employment. However, proportionately larger Mexican American…