Proceedings of a 1980 conference in Australia on the problems of first-year students, which focus on student discontinuation, are presented. The contents include three papers, discussion group reports, and a report on the outcome of the discussion groups, policy proposals, and recommendations. In "First Year Students: Selection and…

American Indian high school students have a number of alternative schools available to them: they may attend public schools, or schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, churches, or the tribes themselves. At both elementary and secondary levels Indian students avail themselves of the various alternative schools. One survey indicates that…

Reviews the status of minority students in California's educational system, pointing to high dropout rates, community college enrollment trends, and social factors. Highlights the correlation between educational performance and expectations, urging a well-orchestrated effort focusing on guidance, retention, and standards of excellence across all…

Reviews the literature on the reasons that students drop out of college. Offers a plan for freshman retention that asks students about their goals at registration, provides them with a six-hour orientation emphasizing academic excellence, teams them with a faculty mentor, and includes a mandatory for-credit seminar on attending college. (DMM)

Challenges all adults, especially educators, to care genuinely for all our children. The percentage of U.S. children living in poverty is double that of any other industrialized nation. The children's crusade has three parts: a children's investment trust fund, a children's legal rights system, and a "shepherds program" to strengthen…

This proactive research and development model presents data of misfortune, reality, and hope for approximately 40 percent of American children labeled as "at-risk." The model was based on the premise that in spite of their past and an environment of failure, these children can learn successfully and continuously through the balancing of…

Research may be divided into two types, "empowering" research and "academic" research. Empowering research seeks to determine how a particular individual or organization can produce a desired result, while academic research is concerned with why a particular condition exists. While academic research might ask "Why do students drop out of school?"…

This paper discusses dropout prevention and "Forward in the Fifth," an innovative program for school development in the Fifth Congressional District of southern Kentucky. The program focused on formation of a support group that could give school systems sustained financial and educational support from community and business leaders.…

Colleges and universities have failed to meet the unique educational needs of Native American students, whose attrition rates are far in excess of those of other students. These students must come to terms with their cultural identity while functioning within the culturally alien framework presented by the school. Federally funded programs have…

The General Educational Development (GED) Tests date from 1942, when the United States Armed Forces Institute designed a battery of tests to provide military personnel and veterans the opportunity to obtain a credential that demonstrated proficiency on par with high school graduates. Since World War II, the GED Tests have also been beneficial to…

One of the most enduring challenges facing the public school system is decreasing the dropout rate. The highest rate of growth population in the future will be among the groups who are at greatest risk of dropping out of school. This paper outlines what school officials can do to decrease the dropout rate. The suggestions for dropout prevention…

Describes a study applying the Tinto Model to predict student persistence/exit in a community college setting. A questionnaire assessing background, environmental, and integration variables was administered to full-time students during their first semester, successfully predicting subsequent persistence/exit behavior and affirming the utility of…

South Dakota's graduation rate in 1986-87 was above the national average: 79.7% compared to 71.1%. The dropout rate for 1990 was 4.3%. Of 180 districts, 25 with large numbers of Native Americans have a dropout rate of over 7%. Increasing the rates of graduation for Native American students will require a comprehensive, long-range program. Schools…

Demographic trends show that non-anglo and limited English proficient (LEP) populations are increasing dramatically in public schools. They already make up the majority of the student body in California's largest urban school districts. They are also disproportionately susceptible to dropping out. This Congressional testimony presents approaches…

When students are tardy or absent, or when they drop out of school, sequential learning cannot occur, subject matter and skills cannot be developed, and much student talent is wasted. At-risk students identified in the school setting include those exhibiting signs of alcohol consumption, drug abuse, or antisocial behavior. These students need…