Educators, business and government leaders in the public sector are attempting to provide a kind of comprehensive, effective education for all students by designing a new approach to education which will: (1) eliminate the educationally embarrassing general education track which leads students into an academic and vocational dead end; (2) improve…

This book describes the lives and life conditions of some of the approximately 30 students who attended one Enterprise High School located in northwestern Macomb County (Michigan) designed to keep potential dropouts in school. All of the events described in the book actually happened although they did not actually happen to any one or two specific…

The labor market experience of individuals between their 18th and 30th birthdays were analyzed. Data from the Youth cohort of the National Longitudinal Surveys showed that, between the ages of 18 and 30, a typical individual had held 7.5 jobs and had 8.6 years of work experience. This suggested that workers between these ages experienced 3.4 years…

A project initiated by the Auburn University (Alabama) program in music education in the College of Education and the Auburn University Cooperative Extension Service brought together school and community groups from targeted communities in Alabama to plan a conference to initiate thinking and develop action strategies for enriching the lives of…

Youth Opportunities Unlimited is a summer residential program for Arkansas high school students at risk of dropping out of school. During 1989-91, 517 14- and 15-year-old students completed the program, which consisted of two academic classes, a job skills class, and paid employment during 60 days residence on a university campus. Additional…

This report presents an analysis of the effectiveness of Ohio's Learning, Earning, and Parenting (LEAP) Program in encouraging school attendance by pregnant and parenting teenagers on welfare. It describes LEAP as a statewide program that provides pregnant and parenting teenagers with financial incentives to go to school. The report's eight…

A study at South Carolina State College examined the psychosocial effects of relaxation training on student dropout, disruptive behavior,and absenteeism of rural preadolescents between 10 and 14 years of age. Phase 1 of the study was composed of 62 preadolescents selected randomly from 167 middle school students with no previous instruction in…

The effectiveness of an administrative technique that sought to persuade students to reapply to college after dropping out for 1 year was tested. A sample of 1,620 students who were eligible for readmission were mailed two different types of letters from the university regarding possible reenrollment. One of these letters emphasized the…

Alternative models of education which have succeeded in India are described. They are institutions of non-formal education and rural development with roots in the schooling process of ancient India. The author notes present factors which make India well suited for such systems to function better than the present British-imposed system. (JT)

Argument was for the importance of community development corporations (CDCs) as both tools for rural development planning and mechanisms for alleviating problems and economic impoverishment. (JC)

Poor black young people in rural Mississippi contemplate their schooling with the same feelings as their friends who dare to jump the local ditches filled with alligators: the odds are against escaping the alligators, and the advantages of getting to the far side are not very apparent. Living in conditions of extreme poverty, these young people…

Even though middle schools are important in retaining at-risk students, the organization and curriculum of most of them do not meet the developmental needs of young adolescents. Improvements should focus on making middle and junior high schools function less like large, impersonal high schools and more like caring, nurturing elementary schools,…

An effective academic advising system can assist in the retention of two-year college students; however, the institution and its faculty must be committed to providing such a system. Establishing a successful advising system would require the following: (1) a clear distinction must be made between academic advising and course scheduling; (2)…

California's population will increase more rapidly than the United States population as a whole, as immigration plays a larger role in population growth and California accepts over one-third of all immigrants to the U.S. The state's population will also change as it is becoming older and more ethnically diverse. As this report shows, these changes…

This study examines the individual and social costs associated with dropping out of high school in the North Central Region of the United States. Dropouts incur personal costs in the form of reduced earnings, higher chances of being unemployed, and higher likelihood of involvement with crime. Social costs appear in the form of lower total…