This brochure describes computer software available from Mindscape that is designed for use with at-risk students, i.e., those who have dropped out of school or those who are potential dropouts. An overview of the problem and school- and community-based programs responding to the problem is provided, and use of Mindscape computer software by…

A study examined the characteristics of those individuals who participate in New York City's adult literacy programs. Interviews were conducted with 32 native-born U.S. citizens (native speakers of English) who had enrolled in a literacy program for the first time and had been reading somewhere up to the 4.9 grade level at the time they entered…

State governments, school systems, and local communities are increasingly aware that social problems must be addressed in the context of education reform since many of these problems limit students' ability to learn. Unchecked, these problems have a high social and financial cost in that they prevent young people from becoming self-sufficient…

As adolescents enter high school in the ninth grade, they experience a transition unlike any previous school experience, and it exacts its toll from unprepared, unmotivated, or unwary students. An examination of achievement test averages across grades 1 through 12 for students in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) in Austin, Texas…

In fall 1986, a pilot honors program was initiated in the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) to meet the needs of highly motivated students. A four-part evaluation of the pilot project was conducted in 1987, involving a survey of the educational and demographic background of all honors students conducted during the beginning of the…

Student attrition and retention have been familiar terms in higher education for a long time. Recently, however, there has developed an increased awareness of the cost of attrition, both to students and to community colleges. Although research has not provided any solutions to the complex problem of attrition, studies have identified some basic…

Project CATCH assessed differences in high school performance and retention among students who applied to vocational high schools and were denied admission, those who applied and were accepted, and those who had not applied. Data were collected from 2,700 intermediate/junior high school students. Students completed a Survey of Choices--perceptions…

Literature reveals that students most apt to be potential dropouts are those referred to as a "high risk population." Black females depict the assumed poorest risk among an already high risk group. A study of black female secondary school students regarded as potential dropouts attempted to determine if persisters' and non-persisters' attitudes…

It is uncertain what a college reading program can do to enhance retention of college students who leave before graduating. Unfortunately, studies of college reading instruction's impact on grade point average (GPA) have not produced clear results. Additional content instruction, however, has been found to have significant impact on GPA's. Still,…

The Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Project (TAPP) of San Francisco is a city-wide interagency service system coordinated by the city's Family Service Agency and Unified School District. Clients participate in pre- or post-natal service systems that provide free, personal, and continuous counseling for up to three years. Case managers identify and…

This paper describes a community college program for the disadvantaged student which uses retention of minority students as an evaluation tool. Organized as a separate unit but operating directly under the Academic Dean's office, the program at Central Florida Community College uses open-ended nonpunitive, humanistic instructional techniques,…

This study examined the relationship between educational achievement and ethnicity as related to enrollment patterns of Wisconsin high school and college students. The purpose of the study was to identify the points at which minority students leave the educational system. The data utilized for the study were the enrollment data for 1973-74 and…

Interview questionnaires were used in a study to ascertain what benefits or positive changes in life styles, if any, are attributed to participation in the Adult Basic Education (ABE) program by ABE students, and to determine whether specific factors influence participation in ABE. The sample of 510 individuals was drawn from those individuals (in…

This paper presents new information about the relationship between truancy in both elementary and high school. It is based on a sample of St. Louis black schoolboys. In this longitudinal study, school records were obtained and scored with respect to attendance. The effect of truancy was examined on four adult outcomes: earnings of less than…

This report is the second in the Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) series of studies on current, policy-related issues. The objective of the FRSS is to provide quick national estimates of key data that are needed for planning and policy purposes. The survey that resulted in this report was conducted at the request of the office of the Assistant…