Over 35 percent of all Western Region students (in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah) entering the ninth grade in 1980 failed to complete high school. This paper provides education policy makers with an overall understanding of the Western Region dropout problem, reviews available research, analyzes alternative change strategies, and briefly…

A study investigated the nature and extent of adult illiteracy and the characteristics of the less literate populations in Philadelphia. Data were collected through 2,197 telephone interviews and 607 personal interviews. The personal interviews involved use of a modified version of the instrument developed by the National Assessment of Educational…

Following a lengthy discussion of urban dropout rates, possible risk factors, and the inadequacies of the general equivalency diploma (GED) and alternative high school curricula, this study consulted GED students to determine the factors contributing to their dropping out of high school. The study also explored students' reasons for attending GED…

The purpose of this report is to identify the use of North Carolina's dropout prevention funds by local school systems and to define the types of services provided to students. Part I of the report contains a summary of funding by program type. A chart lists the total amount of funds obligated from state dropout prevention and other program…

College dropout rate as a function of poor fit between institution and students has been studied extensively, but how this phenomenon operates for disadvantaged students is not adequately understood. This study examines the effects of a project that attempts to use peer relationships--tutoring and mentoring--to improve academic performance and…

City-as-School (CAS) is an alternative high school linking students to various out-of-school learning experiences throughout New York City. In 1985, the CAS was awarded a National Diffusion Network (NDN) four-year replication grant, given to exemplary programs to enable them to disseminate their model to other interested schools and districts…

Through the Innovative Approaches Research Project (IARP), four research and demonstration projects are being implemented as part of a single research effort in the following topic areas: (1) dropout prevention, (2) literacy instruction, (3) math and science instruction, and (4) education of exceptional limited-English-proficient (LEP) students.…

This handbook offers a variety of prevention and therapeutic services that can be tailored to meet the unique characteristics of a school and community. In section 1, an overview of the dropout problem and the comprehensive dropout prevention strategy are presented. In section 2, on needs assessment, data collection, objective selection, and…

This report describes a learning assistance program at Lamar University, Texas, designed to improve study skills and decrease attrition among college students through the use of peer counselors. The objectives of this two-credit, non-remedial course are discussed, and the material covered in the 18-week course is described, by week, in Table 1.…

The 1987 American Association of School Administrators survey on students at risk reported that school districts and administrators are alarmed about increasing dropout rates and are taking action to stem this tide. This report analyzes the problems of at-risk youth and recounts ameliorative efforts throughout the United States. Section A reviews…

This paper is the fifth in an Education Commission of the States (ECS) series focusing on the problems of youth at risk of not successfully making the transition to adulthood. The topic of the paper is collaboration--both interagency and public/private--and the contribution that collaborative efforts can make in programs targeted for youth…

This resource packet describes programs that employ one of 13 different school strategies that support and assist students at risk of failing to complete school. A brief introductory section notes that approximately 25% of all students who enter elementary school will drop out of school before graduation. It reviews characteristics of dropouts,…

The comprehensive concept for dropout prevention is a restructuring of the school to serve better the educational and developmental needs of students, based on meeting those needs on an individual basis. The basic approach to serving students is adjusted by lengthening the school day, developing a student support services team, implementing direct…

Despite recent efforts to provide equal education, agreement exists that blacks, females, and disadvantaged students as a group are outperformed in mathematics and science by white middle-class students. To help disadvantaged students, the Duval County Public Schools (Jacksonville, Florida) have developed a "Mayo Clinic" approach to…

The study investigated job-related outcomes experienced by young adults self-identified as handicapped, selected from the 1980 Sophomore cohort of the High School and Beyond data set. The study examined aspects of transition from school to work in the first job after high school and group differences associated with these variables. Also examined…