Despite recent declines in high school dropout rates, thousands of young Canadians continue to leave high school every year without a diploma. Currently, approximately 20% of Canadians aged 20 years and over have never completed high school. Most Canadians recognize the link between educational attainment and quality of life, and know that…

The Stay In--You Win project of Alberta, Canada is designed to harness the resources of the school, community, and parents in support of the student staying in school and completing a high school diploma. It is an approach dependent upon partnerships and teamwork. It is an approach based on research findings from around the world, programs that…

Module Two of the Alberta project "Stay In--You Win" is presented in this document. The stated objectives of this module are: to provide the facts of dropping out; to examine the educational, social, and economic consequences of dropping out; to explore the reasons why early school leavers decide to drop out and to provide a profile of…

Module Three of the Alberta project "Stay In--You Win" is presented in this document. This module provides for an integrated strategy involving community, parents, students, and teachers. A collaborative team planning approach is used to maximize the "buy-in" of all teachers. The stated objectives of the module are to introduce…

Module Four of the Alberta project "Stay In--You Win" is presented in this document. This module is designed to generate ideas for planning effective initiatives for schools. The stated objectives of this module are to provide a listing of dropout prevention programs in Alberta high schools; to encourage interpersonal networking among…

Stay-in-School is a Canadian government initiative launched in the early 1990's encouraging young Canadians to build a solid foundation for the future by finishing high school and by acquiring the skills needed for the labor force of tomorrow. Three fundamental principles guided the initiative: (1) compassion, caring, and commitment are essential…

This report provides an overview of the phenomenon of early school leaving through presentation and discussion of relevant research issues, concerns, and retention strategies for potential leavers. It includes a brief review of the current literature with an emphasis on Canadian and Saskatchewan research. The extent of the early school leaving…

Examined effects of counseling program to promote career maturity among youth with learning disabilities and other youth at risk of becoming dropouts. First study involved low-achieving students in integrated career program; second used adolescents with learning disabilities. In both studies, students in intervention condition, in contrast to…

The Teacher Alert System was designed in Alberta, Canada, for classroom teachers and school personnel concerned about the needs of "at risk" students. The guide can assist in the identification, assessment, and intervention process for children who have special needs. The student's problems may be related to learning, emotions, or…

The Integrated Occupational Program (IOP) is a new program of studies that is being developed and implemented by Alberta Education (Canada) to meet the needs of students who are identified as being at risk and unable to cope with the regular program. A major feature of the program is its emphasis on first developing students' self-esteem and then,…

Administered Self-Directed Search to 596 American Indian high school students, 168 of whom dropped out during the time frame of the study. Found above average dropout rates for girls with Realistic and Social interest preferences. Boys with Enterprising codes had above average dropout rates. Lowest dropout rates were for girls with Investigative…

The Leaving School Early (LSE) Program, established in 1975, is designed for 14- and 15-year-olds who find none of the public school programs suitable. Applicants are assessed by a social worker and an individualized work or education contract written. LSE participants are monitored by teacher advisors. (SJL)

"Planned", "artificial", or "formal" mentoring of students at risk of dropping out of high school has become an important component of many school systems over the past few years. Mentoring of at risk students appears to have originated in the United States in the 1980's. In Canada, at risk student mentoring programs…

While the number of minority students in postsecondary education has climbed since 1970, the rates of minority graduation are still too low. Factors adding to the dropout rate include: inadequate finances, poor academic preparation, low motivation, poor study habits, low basic skills, and low institutional support. This paper describes support…

This is a study of the dropout rate during the 1998-99 academic year at Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST). A total of 1,025 of 7,174 students (14%) withdrew from their program of study before the end of the year. This report categorizes the reasons for leaving as follows: (1) exited by institute; (2) personal…