The Centre for Continuing Education and Stevenson College of Edinburgh University offer an access course to prepare nontraditional adult students for entry into degree courses in the faculties of arts, divinity, law, and social sciences. A qualitative case study examined why students discontinue the access course. Questionnaires were mailed to all…

This paper presents the findings of an ethnographic study of a state-run and state-funded remediation program for economically disadvantaged adolescents. The program's main purpose was to reintegrate students defined as "at risk" of dropping out back into their schools. The program, the Ordered School Reinforcement Program (OSRP), was implemented…

When a child has lost his or her permanent housing and experiences the stress of a family crisis, the additional loss of a familiar school and its context may well be devastating. A basic educational need of children is continuity and stability in schooling. Yet most children (142 Chicago, Illinois families in shelters) interviewed in this…

The School to Employment Program (STEP) operated during 1992-93 as an employment-oriented program served economically disadvantaged, out-of-school youth between the ages of 16-21, with special emphasis on 18- and 19-year-olds. Program participants were provided an opportunity to engage in work experience or on-the-job training, to improve academic…

To address the needs of at-risk black males the Positive Impact Program (PIP) was organized. Teachers and parents were asked to refer black boys in kindergarten through eighth grade who exhibited low self-esteem; lack of motivation; poor academic record; chronic disciplinary problems; poor school attendance; poor hygiene and personal care habits;…

This paper serves as a basic introduction to the problems associated with minority participation in postsecondary education. It focuses on those educational factors identified in the literature as having an important effect on postsecondary participation by minorities. The paper shows that the problem of minority participation is a far-reaching…

Four-year graduation rates by high school, district, county, and state were studied for Arizona in 1991, partly to establish a baseline from which to measure the effect of student retention programs. Members of the class of 1991 were identified as those who were first-time ninth graders in the 1987-88 school year. The median graduation rate was 72…

Apprenticeship is the main avenue to self-employment in micro-enterprises and thus a cornerstone of informal sector development in West Africa. Survey results for Ibadan, Lome, Dakar, Niamey, and other cities demonstrate that apprenticeship as practiced by informal sector artisans is often very similar from one country to the next. Dropout rates…

This book presents reviews of programs for elementary and secondary schools that are widely available and have some evidence of effectiveness in terms of student achievement. It also discusses district-level strategies for introducing proven programs. The comprehensive and objective evidence offered will help school and district administrators…

During its first year of operation (1997-98), the Kentucky Migrant Technology Project successfully implemented its model, used internal and external evaluations to inform improvement of the model, and began plans for expansion into new service areas. This evaluation report is organized around five questions that focus on the project model and its…

Education for Employment (EFE) is an intervention program offered by the Chesapeake Public School Division (Virginia) Vocational Education Department to motivate high school students to stay in school by offering a program of basic living skills, human relations skills, and marketable skills training that prepares a student for employment on…

This paper describes a practicum designed to increase parent and business involvement in the educational experiences of students in grades 4-7 at a rural school in the southeastern United States. Teacher surveys and other data indicated that the students had very little experience or understanding of the business world in which they eventually…

Support for primary-age, at-risk children is examined in the context of renewed national interest in intervention programs for this population. This report describes alternative approaches to identifying characteristics of at-risk students and then presents a summary of states' definitions of "handicapped" or "disadvantaged."…

The University of Akron's Reading Assessment Component (RAC) research study assessed the effectiveness of a computer-based literacy program, Principles of the Alphabet Literacy System (PALS), as an alternative to classroom instruction for functionally illiterate adults living in Summit County, Ohio. The RAC study assessed four objectives: (1)…

The problem of school dropouts and at-risk students has many causes. No one cause can be seen clearly as the dominant factor in a child leaving school and the possibility of that student not finishing his high school career. This program addressed the problems of at-risk students with poor social and academic skills. The literature reviewed…