One of the major obstacles to determining the severity of the dropout problem is the difficulty of defining what constitutes a dropout. Regardless of the definition used, evidence has been cited showing that shorthand courses, in relation to other subjects, fall within the middle range regarding dropouts. (Author/BP)

Project REAL (Real Educational Activities of Learning) began as a program for 22 handicapped high school dropouts under age 21 and offered practical instruction in such areas as construction, electronic assembly, and merchandising. (JYC)

Every May, hundreds of thousands of Texas high school seniors don caps and gowns to celebrate an academic rite of passage: high school graduation. Texas' youth face a rapidly changing world, one increasingly dependent upon education as the cornerstone for economic success. Without the skills to succeed in the nation's new economy, students who…

Basic skills and life skills'' are incorporated in an innovative effort to upgrade dropouts. (Author)

The study concludes that there is no significant positive correlation between reading ability and length of stay in the Job Corps. (Author)

Describes Project Intercept in Ossining (New York), which cut the high school's dropout, absence, and failure rates by involving teachers, students, and families. The program uses four major strategies--teacher/staff inservice training, alternative academic programs, student training in social and interpersonal skills, and family intervention…

A multiple regression was used to predict the grade in which secondary school dropouts would leave school. Predictors were twenty measures drawn from sixth grade records. It was concluded that a construct labelled "level of educational attainment" is the best determinant of both whether and when a student will drop out. (Author/JKS)

Reviews four current books on the dropout problem. Two are termed state of the art, but all are limited because the needs of at-risk students are numerous, the programs for them are diverse, and theories of student engagement are not yet well developed. (DM)

Students with disabilities who dropped out of high school (n=60) cited more school factors (lack of academic success, suspension, peer problems) than personal factors (motivation, pregnancy, family problems) influencing dropout. Three-fourths suggested improved communication with teachers, flexible scheduling, and more relevance would decrease…

High school dropouts interviewed for a study released in early March, 2006, were far more likely to say they left school because they were unmotivated, not challenged enough, or overwhelmed by troubles outside of school than because they were failing academically. This article discusses this study, which consisted of four focus groups with…

Engineering programs suffer a high attrition rate, which causes the nation to graduate much less engineers. A survey of the literature reveals that the high attrition rate is due mainly to the fact that the first year of an engineering program is all fundamental theory and students don't see the connection to their future engineering careers. To…

Fosterage is an important cultural institution which serves to strengthen kinship solidarity among a range of other functions including meeting needs for child labour. Its effects on education are ambiguous. This study examines fostering as a possible contributor to the low levels of educational access and progress in the district using secondary…

The purpose of this mixed method study was to explore perceptions of students with disabilities in a predominantly Hispanic serving institution. Factors of transition from high school to college, campus involvement, engagement in student organizations and their perceptions of campus climate were investigated through both a survey with 104…

Over one million high school students drop out of school each year in this country. Dropping out of school is a serious problem for the student, community, and the nation. Often dropouts are unable to compete in an increasingly technological society and face numerous consequences from their decision to leave school early including higher levels of…

High schools and middle grades schools are making special efforts to keep students in school and to help them look forward with confidence to the next stage of life. They are connecting students to adult mentors or counselors who assist them in setting goals and completing a program of study for college and career readiness. They are assisting…