The Italian university system is currently characterized by lack of institutional diversity, enrollment contraction, an increasing dropout rate and part-time student population, tenured-in faculty at all levels, and declining faculty productivity. Although both students and faculty recognize these problems, neither is moving to solve them. (MSE)

This essay, taken from the 2004 KIDS COUNT Data Book, focuses on the issues surrounding America's most at-risk young adults. For most American youth, the transition to adulthood inspires a mix of excitement and high anxiety. There is excitement about taking steps to realize emerging dreams, aspirations, and possibilities. Yet there is anxiety…

This guide addresses issues of learner persistence, motivation, and retention in adult basic education (ABE). Based on findings from the NCSALL Adult Student Persistence Study, participants engage in an examination of their own interests and experiences with learner motivation and retention and examine strategies of other practitioners. The goal…

Iowa's educational system is defined by the strong working relationship between the local school districts and area education agencies. Local districts provide the instructional program and area education agencies provide support services. Area education agencies (AEAs) were created in order to provide equity in the provision of programs and…

The purpose of the "Massachusetts Board of Education 2004 Annual Report" is two-fold: (1) To document the state of public education in the Commonwealth, including data on students, schools, and school districts; and (2) To chronicle the major decisions and actions of the Massachusetts Board of Education from January through December…

This paper presents an exploratory analysis using NLSY97 data of the relationship between the likelihood of school continuation and the choices of whether to smoke or drink. We demonstrate that in the United States as of the late 1990s, smoking in 11th-grade was a uniquely powerful predictor of whether the student finished high school, and if so…

This report was designed to examine the influence of a growing Latino enrollment in Minnesota's public schools. Using data from the Minnesota Department of Education, the authors observed that while overall enrollment numbers in Minnesota have declined approximately 3% since 2001, Latino enrollment actually grew by more than 38% during this same…

This chapter, Chapter 2 in "the Economics of Gender in Mexico," uses retrospective household survey data from Mexico to assess the long-term impacts of school dropout and of working early in life, in terms of adult labor market returns. Through these data, it is possible to link adult wages to the ages at which individuals started…

The potential positive and negative effects of early work experience on adolescent well-being and educational attainment have been explored from developmental and zero-sum perspectives, respectively. However, both models assume that schooling is the normative experience and primary responsibility of adolescents, an assumption that may not be valid…

This report presents progress toward school completion of New York City public school students who entered ninth grade in 1997 and were scheduled to graduate on time in 2001. Outcomes are presented for the whole class and by gender, native language, race/ethnicity, and immigrant status. The class of 2001 dropout rate was 20.4 percent, marking the…

This publication presents information on the outcomes of high school. It begins with an overview, "Youth at the Crossroads: Facing High School and Beyond," which suggests there are fundamental educational gaps among African American and Latino high school students and White students. The main article, "Are Today's Graduates Ready?" (Kati Haycock…

This study investigated the perceptions of 2,409 7th-12th graders regarding teacher ethnic bias. Participants comprised three groups: school dropouts, students at risk of dropping out, and a control group of students. Students responded to questions regarding teachers' liking of Mexican American students and non-Latino white students. This was…

This document describes seven projects based on research-based strategies to educate students with emotional and/or behavioral problems and prevent their dropping out of high school. An introduction notes that all the projects focus on forming new connections using multi-pronged approaches to meet individual students' basic emotional and social…

After reviewing research on national trends concerning private versus public schooling, the author examines how private school options in the Chicago metropolitan area might affect academic achievement for various demographic groups. Although the vast majority of students in suburban schools graduate from high school, with a high percentage going…

This issue of the quarterly newsletter of the Center for Mental Health in Schools includes the following features and regular segments: (1) Concerns = Opportunities: Addressing Student Disengagement, Acting Out, and Dropouts by Moving in New Directions; (2) Info Sheet: Costs of Not Addressing Barriers to Learning; and (3) Current Status of Mental…