Public/Private Ventures' (P/PV's) "GroundWork" series summarizes available evidence on a variety of social policy topics, providing a firm foundation for future work. This second brief in the series presents an overview of issues surrounding the ninth grade transition: why it is so important; why many middle school students find it so difficult;…

Twenty-five freshman Hispanic girls at Bowen High School in Chicago were motivated and encouraged to continue their education and explore various career goals. Methodology involved a highly personal interaction with the program worker. Three groups were formed--two were conducted in English and one was conducted in Spanish. Project goals were to…

This semester-long curriculum is designed to increase the self-esteem, leadership skills, and communication, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities of eighth and ninth grade students who are at risk of dropping out of school. The manual offers procedural suggestions for organizing a Going Places class. Individual sections address…

This guide, designed for use in a ninth grade BRIDGE class, is a comprehensive source of learning activities intended to help motivate youth to stay in school and acquire the skills required to succeed both in school and at work. BRIDGE, a program conceived by Public/Private Ventures in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), is for high-risk students in…