A risk assessment instrument for identifying potential dropouts at the middle and high school levels and an accompanying explanation of the instrument are provided in this document. The instrument provides a checklist of 21 criteria; the more criteria the student meets, the greater his risk of dropping out. Criteria include age in comparison to…

This guidebook presents a variety of dropout prevention strategies and is intended to help readers determine which strategies are best suited for a particular classroom, school, or district. The primary audience is school personnel who work with young adolescents. It begins by addressing major dropout issues, primary research findings, and…

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the Beating the Odds (BTO) program of the Houston (Texas) schools in the 1990-91 school year, the third and final year of Phase I of the program. The BTO program provided training workshops for teachers of at-risk students and direct counseling and social service support for at-risk students in a selected…

This study examines components of a middle school program designed to enable at-risk students to complete the 3 years of middle school in 2 years, and it looks at the progress of eight graduates of the program during their first semester in high school in South Carolina. Over-age students who entered sixth grade and displayed potential were…

This final report and curriculum guide are products of a project conducted to improve existing at-risk programs through cooperation between vocational and academic personnel by coordinating lesson plans. The following project activities are described: (1) a literature review on the diverse needs of at-risk students enrolled in an alternative to…