A longitudinal study of 1,285 high school graduates and dropouts with disabilities, special education teachers, and parents investigated the kinds of school services that are needed and actually received by students with disabilities and the quality of life for the students' last year in high school. Helpful supports are identified. (CR)

Describes a partnership between preservice physical education (PE) teachers and at-risk alternative high school students in which preservice teachers provided PE at the school, where there was no PE faculty or facility. Participant surveys and interviews indicated that the program was very effective, pupils appreciated and enjoyed the program, and…

Describes a meta-analysis conducted on six studies that attempted to ascertain the effect of academic and social integration on student persistence in community colleges. Indicates that both academic and social integration significantly impacts persistence, which is consistent with Tinto's model of student retention. Contains four data tables and…

Examines U.S. public schools' changing demographics and their effects on barriers to equal opportunity for racial and ethnic minorities. Disabilities of poverty, inadequate income, denied access to shared American values, and collective discrimination obstruct these groups' high educational attainment. Equity plans and monitoring must eliminate…

Minority students' failure is costly, resulting in increases in remedial instruction and numbers of students held back or tracked in low-ability classes. Equitable opportunities will be ensured by creating equitable structures; selecting a diverse, committed faculty; valuing all students; providing equitable funding; and garnering stakeholder…

A study involving 17 children (ages 12-15) who had established school refusal found the children's individual protective factors were weakened (particularly around peers), and parents' own difficulties not only reduced the family as a source of protection but exerted an actual drain upon already reduced coping resources. (Contains references.) (CR)

Two case studies of men from diverse cultures, African American and Vietnamese American, illustrate the potential for underachievement among first-generation gifted students at comprehensive universities. Amplifying previous studies, this research provides an examination of attrition and highlights influences on underachievement. Conclusions…

First of a two-part series, examines effects of teen pregnancy and parenthood on adolescents and their children, and describes exemplary program to keep teen parents in high school until graduation. Discusses how to address the issue of teenage pregnancy, how to effectively help teen parents, the importance of teaching teenagers personal…

Examines how the investment of resources affects the outcomes of vocational education programs. Addresses the criticism that vocational programs divert working-class students from higher education. Results indicate that high levels of resource investment increase the likelihood of students graduating from high school while low levels increase the…

Achievement for Latinos through Academic Success is a unique Chicano dropout prevention program in a large Los Angeles junior high school. Program features include: (1) focus on the school's highest-risk students; (2) construction of a comprehensive cluster of research-based interventions addressing four different spheres of influence on school…

The effects of residential location at age 16 and current residential location on measures of educational attainment are estimated. Particular attention is given to the effects of migration and family background on educational outcomes. It is shown that central cities and suburbs of large metropolitan areas in the United States have significantly…

After over 40 years of education reform policies and strategies, America continues its need for systemic education reform. The greatest challenge confronting the nation remains within large urban metropolises where large numbers of minority students attend underfunded and low-performing schools with low standardized test scores and high dropout…

Lowering the dropout rate of incoming mathematics and science students, and enhancing the provision of mathematics support for freshmen are two important aims of the University of Amsterdam. The approach recently adopted to support first year students is to set up a diagnostic pretest and posttest and use these tests to identify students being at…

Grade retention has been the de facto policy for children with academic difficulties in many Latin American countries [Schiefelbein, E., & Wolff, L. (1992). "Repetition and inadequate achievement in Latin America's primary schools: a review of magnitudes, causes, relationships, and strategies." Washington, DC: World Bank.]. In Costa…

American society is becoming increasingly multiethnic and multilingual (Rodriguez, 1990). Nearly 25% of the U.S. population is composed of individuals of racial/ethnic groups other than Caucasian (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). The same is true with regard to special education students. According to the Twenty-Fifth Annual Report to Congress on the…