Research on college student attrition and retention is reviewed. Overall dropout rates and the reasons students give for dropping out are examined, and an attempt is made to assess the outcomes of going straight through college, as opposed to dropping out, temporarily leaving school, and not going to college at all. The demographic, academic,…

The major purpose of this study was to test the effects on later employment of having a high school diploma or having skill training but no diploma. This report is limited to the immediate effects of two experimental programs for dropouts. Four groups of students were utilized: (1) the diploma group of 115 students who had dropped out of school…

The document is the final report for fiscal year 1974-75 of a rural adult secondary education demonstration project sponsored by the regional agency, Top of Alabama Regional Education Service Agency (TARESA), serving five northeastern Alabama counties. Program features include the use of educational television on a statewide basis and the…

National Court Reporters Association (NCRA)-approved court reporting programs offer a curriculum based on criteria and standards in "General Requirements and Minimum Standards." Declining enrollments have resulted in closure of reporter programs of all sizes and institution type. Factors negatively affecting public perception of court reporting as…

This book explores the relationship between Spanish language usage, English language proficiency, and the long-term educational outcomes of Mexican American youths. Language use patterns and language attitudes were examined among 38 high school dropouts, 188 high school students, and 36 college students, all Mexican Americans in Chicago. Chapters…

Many volunteer literacy tutors in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, have not completed their 1-year tutoring commitment. Consequently, an action research project was undertaken to determine the causes of the high tutor turnover and to identify ways of improving the tutor retention rate. All tutors involved in the program from 1998 onward were asked…

This monograph reviews the findings and recommendations of the Hispanic Dropout Project (HDP) and describes successful school-based strategies to combat the dropout problem and promote academic achievement among Hispanic students. Chapter 1 discusses the high Hispanic dropout rate; why Hispanic students drop out; stereotypes and realities; and HDP…

Examines conditions that foster and hinder participatory research using examples from a student research project aimed at drop-out reduction undertaken with students in a "last chance" high school. Concludes that students need to be taken seriously as researchers and potential agents of change. (ACM)

Understanding and preventing high school failure is a national priority. Structural strain and general deviance theories attempt to explain late high school failure. The authors tested the hypotheses that general (vs. specific) deviance and academic competence mediate the relationships between structural strain factors (gender, ethnicity, and…

In 1992-93 the United Way was managing the participation of community-based organizations in the New York City Board of Education's dropout prevention effort. The Teachers College of Columbia University was asked to undertake an evaluation of this program, the Community Achievement Project in the Schools (CAPS). A follow-up to the original…

A study was undertaken to examine the performance of Puente Project students compared to that of Mexican-American students and Anglo-American students in community colleges. Surveys and interviews with Puente counselors were conducted to explore methods and techniques used to deal with potential dropouts. A comparison was made of the number of…

This paper is about assisting teachers to identify and help to change and retain deviant students. The major focus is on the instruction and training of teachers on how alcohol and drugs affect a person's body and behavior, and the effective methods for helping to change that behavior. In order to accomplish this objective, the paper is divided…

The study reported in this document is a follow-up to earlier reviews of drugs and other youth problems. It addressed the current status of and the recent trends in teenage drug use, pregnancy, and dropping out of school, and the post-1987 research about the relationship between teenage drug use and either pregnancy or dropping out. Statistics…

Service learning has been found to be a potentially powerful dropout prevention tool. Service learning combines community service with learning activities. Participating students must be engaged in significant, well-planned, and genuine service. Second, they must reflect on their experiences of serving others to ensure a complete learning…

This monograph reports the findings of a study based on interviews with 50 young mothers who participated in a national research and demonstration program called New Chance. It explains that New Chance aims to increase the employment, economic self-sufficiency, and general well-being of young women on Aid to Families with Dependent Children who…