Des Moines, Iowa's School within a School is locally funded program of instruction in basic skills, career guidance, and counseling support to meet needs of at-risk seventh- to tenth-grade students attending city's comprehensive middle and high schools. Program evaluations indicate declining dropout rate, increased attendance, and progress toward…

This article examines problems inherent in current federal criteria for estimating special education graduation and dropout rates. Proposed changes in reporting categories are presented. Exiting data included in reports by the Office of Special Education Programs may overestimate dropout rates and not be comparable to data reported by other…

Assesses the effects of human capital and social capital (social interaction that facilitates productive activity) on the probability of a student dropping out of high school using the High School and Beyond data set. The effects of human and social capital in combination significantly reduced the odds of dropout. (KS)

A study of two adult basic education centers compared 17 reluctant learners (early dropouts) with 20 persisters and found that, although reluctant learners value education, they have negative attitudes and experiences of schooling and drop out because of dissatisfaction with the lack of challenge and attention they receive. (SK)

Two east London studies collected responses from 798 of 1,556 fifth-year students and follow-up data on 692 showing that those who planned to leave school were disproportionately white, male, and working class; males were significantly more likely to be in manual employment; higher proportions of black students stayed in education; and higher…

Compared 281 adolescent leaders to normal, at-risk, and early school leaver groups on measure of irrational thinking. Student leaders possessed significantly fewer irrational beliefs than did other groups. Leaders' beliefs about future focused on developing understanding of tomorrow, acquiring techniques for effective living, and preparing for…

Adolescents and their parents completed Family Adaptability and Evaluation Scales when adolescents were in final year of compulsory education and again annually for two years when adolescents had either returned to school or become employed or unemployed. Compared to other groups, unemployed adolescents and their parents saw family as less…

The residential independence of students with disabilities who had exited high school was assessed, using data from 2,686 interviewees in the National Longitudinal Transition Study. Individual characteristics, such as intelligence, living skills, and bad conduct records, were better predictors of postschool living arrangement status than were…

Unfocused general education should be eliminated in favor of tech prep/associate degree (TPAD) applied academics (along with college prep and vocational education). TPAD programs encourage potential dropouts to stay in school, prepare students for transfer to postsecondary education, and benefit students, employers, schools, colleges, communities,…

Investigates how students perceive messages from their parents about control, support, and participation. Examines the relationship between these perceptions and rates of dropping out of high school. Provides insights into the influence of perceived parental communication on academic behavior of high school students. (HB)

To address the district's pregnant-student dropout problem, the Memphis City Schools initiated the Adolescent Parenting Program (APP), in cooperation with several community agencies. The program provides comprehensive services and an incentive program to ensure students' progress toward graduation. According to this program evaluation, the APP has…

A University of North Carolina (Charlotte) program provides tutorial services to students in certain high-risk courses. Participants from 1988-89 earned higher final grades and had fewer lower grades and withdrawals than nonparticipants, despite lower predicted academic potential and industriousness at the time of college entry. (Author/MSE)

Discusses various year-round education plans, their effect on student achievement and dropout rates, and their advantages and disadvantages. If a year-round schedule is to be successful, all parties, including parents, must be involved in the planning process. An 18-month planning period and clearly defined goals and objectives are essential. (17…

Among 36 secondary schools in British Columbia, those with high Native enrollment (HNE) had higher dropout rates, lower graduation rates, and lower participation rates on grade 12 government examinations, compared with low Native enrollment schools. Over the past 10 years, however, HNE graduation rates increased 16 percent. Contains 15 references.…

The Work Values Inventory and Self-Directed Search were used to predict retention of students in office occupation majors at Utah Valley Community College. The predictive model distinguished among students either retained (graduated, on-track, and "jobbed-out") and noncompleters. Noncompletion was correctly predicted for about 73 percent…