The study provides an overview of what national surveys and the literature say about school dropouts, defined as persons who are neither enrolled in school nor high school graduates. For the last decade, the dropout rate for youth age 16-24 has remained roughly the same, about 13-14 percent. Hispanics, Blacks, and economically and educationally…

Reports on the results of several major studies of high school dropouts. Topics addressed are who drops out and why; school-related causes; and prevention policies and programs. Stresses the urgency of addressing the nationwide dropout problem and recommends courses of action. Appended are 19 references. (IW)

Discusses high dropout and failure rate at the Distance Teaching University of South Africa; describes development of a transitional study program to give underprepared students remedial assistance, including course organization, content, and student participation; reviews research on the program's effectiveness; and outlines strategies to…

This master's thesis describes the relationship between effective principalship and student achievement, school climate, and discipline. It also examines the connection between self-esteem and a principal's effectiveness, student achievement, and student behavior. The conclusion is that "the performance of the principal is a strong determinant of…

In this paper we review the research evidence on the effects of affirmative action in employment, university admissions, and government procurement. We consider effects on both "equity" (or distribution) as well as "efficiency." Overall, we find that affirmative action does redistribute jobs, university admissions, and…

Based on 1990 census figures, Hispanics have the lowest per capita income ($8,007) of all racial population groups in Kansas. Eighteen percent of Kansas Hispanics live in poverty, as do 24 percent of Hispanic children and 62 percent of Hispanic female-headed single-parent families. Hispanics in rural counties of southwestern Kansas have higher…

This study tests the hypothesis that the local labor market structure, particularly the proportions of high- and low-paying occupations, affects human capital investment. Most studies have assumed that the direction of causation flows from the supply of human capital to employment growth. However, the creation of low-skilled jobs merely reshuffles…

This paper examines existing research regarding the problem of school dropouts. It examines the historical context of the problem and discusses current definitions and methods for identifying dropout characteristics and computing dropout rates. Few incentives exist for accurate record-keeping on dropouts. School finances are often linked to…

This paper reviews the literature on urban school dropouts and the experiences of superintendents in attempting to lower the dropout rate. The paper is divided into two major sections. Part I examines how a mixture of societal, community, family and other influences increase the chances that an at-risk student will experience little success in…

This comment is a response to a paper on noncompletion rates in United Kingdom universities (Johnes and Taylor 1989). The causal inferences are ill founded because they are based on data aggregated to university level. Individual-level data are essential, and data on other levels may also be necessary. (Author/MLW)

Discusses possible impacts of the general aging of America's population, general economic conditions, and changing technology on education-related legislation and political priorities, the rural economy, and educational strategies. Examines the effects of these impacts on the academic and social integration of high-risk rural students and,…

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…

Chicanos are underrepresented in U.S. institutions of higher education. Attrition and completion rates indicate that a significant number of Chicanos who do choose to enroll in institutions fail to complete their degrees at each successively higher level, and are subject to high dropout rates. The percentage of Chicano students completing the…

It is proposed that research universities are a vital component of higher education in the United States because they provide cultural and intellectual leadership, research potential, and the professional and technical human resources to translate research into social, industrial, and economic action. The future of these institutions in view of…

This brief explores the challenges of documenting dropout rates and ways to support students with disabilities so that they meet academic standards and graduate. It begins by discussing the high dropout rate for students with disabilities and the rise of standards-based reform and high-stakes tests. Characteristics of high-risk students are…