After-school programs for adolescents may be a way to promote positive youth development, and thus, it is important to understand what impact after-school programs can have on the educational achievement of high school students. Chicago's After School Matters (ASM) program offers an exceptional opportunity to study whether an after-school program…

Despite the 150 years of British colonial governance in Hong Kong, Chinese collectivist culture continues to be a dominant source of influence in the learning context of students (Cheng, 1998; Salili, Lai and Leung, 2004; Tao and Hong, 2000), placing a great emphasis on education and effort (Salili and Lai, 2003). Education is viewed as the…

Data from a population-based repository in Manitoba showed that students who are male, young for grade, and in Grades 1, 2, 7, and 8 were the most likely to be retained. After controlling for key student factors including socioeconomic status, school changes, and key school characteristics including stability of the student body, retention was a…

This Policy Brief describes and explains patterns of access to schooling in Bangladesh. It outlines types of educational provision and provides some basic statistics on access, vulnerability and exclusion, as well as insights into the characteristics of those denied access. It is based on findings from the "Country Analytic Review on Access…

The broad array of data we present each year in the "KIDS COUNT Data Book" is intended to illuminate the status of America's children and to assess trends in their well-being. By updating the assessment every year, KIDS COUNT provides ongoing benchmarks that can be used to see how states have advanced or regressed over time. Readers can…

This qualitative investigation examines factors and processes associated with high school graduation in a high-risk urban context. Participants include 11 graduating seniors with learning disabilities, all of whom are African American from low-income backgrounds. These youth are interviewed on multiple occasions to determine how protective factors…

A survey instrument was designed and administered to a population of currently enrolled and dropout adult students in a post-baccalaureate distance learning program with an individual learner focus. The sample consisted of all actively enrolled students (179) and all students who had been admitted to the program since the program's inception who…

This study investigated the impact of task directions on the mathematical performance of high school students from six classes. Students analyzed data regarding school dropout by answering six short-answer questions and writing a letter discussing the trends and their predictions about school dropout. Tasks were scored using two methods: (1) trait…

A study investigated provision of workplace literacy courses available for women in female-dominated industries and women's access to and participation in those courses. A literature review revealed very little research on the required increased literacy skills in Australia and no previous studies on women's access to workplace literacy courses in…

While Aboriginal children appear to be particularly disadvantaged in educational performance and outcomes, very little is known about the determinants of school motivation for this group. Commonly it is believed that Aboriginal girls perform better at school and continue longer than Aboriginal boys. This study examined the similarities and…

Even the most well developed and well executed school-based parent interventions frequently have low rates of participation and high rates of dropout. A three-stage study employed focus groups and interviews to examine why parents did or did not participate in school-based programs designed to involve them, and why they either continued to…

This manual, developed in an effort to take the mysticism out of program evaluation, discusses six phases of the program evaluation process. The introduction discusses reasons for evaluation, process and outcome evaluation, the purpose of the handbook, the evaluation process, and the Sequoia United School District Dropout Prevention Program. Phase…

Outcomes of educational programs for at-risk youth in Arizona are described in this report for the fiscal year 1990-91. Based on 3 years of experience and data from 55 districts and schools with at-risk programs, the report determines the impact of various strategies, presents holistic and discrete intervention models, and discusses policy issues…

Support services for parenting teenagers which allow and encourage them to finish their education are a very real need that is only recently receiving greater attention. It is estimated that two thirds of all teenage mothers drop out of school. When these mothers do not receive the necessary basic skills to get a good job, many of these families…

The Chapter 2 Formula provides federal funds to states through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). These funds are used to help students at risk of academic failure or dropping out, support purchases and programs, and develop teachers' professional skills. In 1992-93, the Austin Independent School District (AISD) received…