Analyzed academic achievement of high school students from intact, single-parent, and remarried families. Differences in academic achievement and grades among the groups were statistically significant. There were differences in drop-out behavior among the groups. Students from single-parent and remarried families showed gender differences in…

Examines effects of local taxes and schooling on private nonfarm employment growth in Illinois since 1980, assessing educational outcomes determinants (ACT scores, school attendance, and dropout rates). Jobs are negatively affected by property taxes, positively affected by ACT scores, and unaffected by expenditures per pupil. Family background…

Describes the Academic Support Programme (ASP) established at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa in response to (1) the disadvantaged educational background of Black students and their consequently high dropout rate, and (2) the projected increases in the enrollment of such students. ASP primarily serves students whose home…

Reviews the literature on the reasons that students drop out of college. Offers a plan for freshman retention that asks students about their goals at registration, provides them with a six-hour orientation emphasizing academic excellence, teams them with a faculty mentor, and includes a mandatory for-credit seminar on attending college. (DMM)

Compared three types of orientation programs offered to new students at Salisbury State University (Maryland) traditional, alternative, and outdoor. Findings suggested enrollees in the outdoor program had better adjustment and higher retention rates than enrollees in other programs. The study concluded that interaction/ collaboration among…

In Texas, control of schooling has shifted from the public toward business-controlled management accountability systems--exemplified in the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills ("the Texas Accountability System"). TAAS adversely affects teaching and learning by mandating a "test-prep" noncurriculum, discriminating against…

Social and economic instability accompanying the dissolution of the USSR and the creation of the Republic of Slovenia from the northern portion of the former Yugoslavia resulted in higher demand for, and participation in, secondary and tertiary education. Describes changes in educational policy that both facilitated and resulted from this…

Challenges all adults, especially educators, to care genuinely for all our children. The percentage of U.S. children living in poverty is double that of any other industrialized nation. The children's crusade has three parts: a children's investment trust fund, a children's legal rights system, and a "shepherds program" to strengthen…

In an effort to examine the transition status of Apache Native American school leavers, a 38-item survey collected information from 48 former students with and without learning disabilities. Results indicated the students with learning disabilities had higher rates of unemployment and substance abuse and were less likely to live independently or…

Provides longitudinal insights into a pattern of drop-out that had previously been identified by tracking educational outcomes among English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) youth in a single, urban school. A comparison of two cohorts suggests that accelerated integration into academic mainstream courses has had a detrimental impact on the educational…

Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The May 2004 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "Inspiring Words for Educators"; (2) "We Hear from Readers"; (3) "Last Month in Education"; (4) "What They're…

The researchers examined the educational outcomes of three groups of college students who received an evaluation due to academic difficulties: those diagnosed with a learning disability (LD) who subsequently registered for services through the university student disability resource center; those diagnosed with an LD who did not register for…

As part of standards-based educational reform efforts, more than 40 states will soon require students to achieve passing scores on standardized exams in order to obtain a high school diploma. Currently, many states are struggling with the design of their examination systems, debating such questions as which subjects should be tested, what should…

Over the past twenty years, the attention that colleges and universities have paid to students' first year experience has grown exponentially. The reasons for this phenomenon include changes in demographic characteristics of the students themselves, concerns about the high dropout rate that peaks between the first and second year, and recognition…

The assumption that the "purpose" of school foreign language teaching is to serve "instrumental" ends may largely underlie the present adolescent dropout. In this article the author proposes a two-stage foreign language apprenticeship. A two-stage apprenticeship would include a carefully planned diagnostic element, preparing…