This report proposes 2 major governance options and 19 programmatic recommendations, partially directed at expanding the role of community-based organizations in improving the quality of vocational-technical education at the Madison Park/Humphrey Center in Boston. The report is based on a study that assessed and presented the views of Black and…

The Governor's Council on Vocational Education prepared recommendations on vocational education's role in dropout prevention in Kentucky. Eight recommendations were developed as follows: (1) education decision-makers should take appropriate steps to revitalize and implement the concepts of a practical arts exploration program at the seventh- to…

The prospects that current dropout interventions will succeed in reducing dropout behavior are explored using the following sources: (1) the literature on school dropouts; (2) experience in working with policymakers; and (3) a general perspective on the policy process advanced by political scientists. School dropouts are currently the focus of a…

Testimony presenting the views of Hispanic community organizations supports proposed federal legislation focusing on early childhood education programs. Education is the single most important issue listed in surveys of the Hispanic community. The reasons for this concern include the following: (1) Hispanics comprise the largest and youngest school…

In support of the premise that a better understanding of the causes of poor student motivation may lead to the development of techniques to stop unmotivated students from dropping out of college, this paper reviews the literature on the nature of motivation among adolescents and factors influencing academic achievement. After introductory comments…

The report presents Redlands Christian Migrant Association's (RCMA's) position on Florida's Migrant Education Program, the program changes sought by RCMA, and background and back-up materials. The packet of materials includes brief discussions of the background and reactivation of the Task Force on Migrant Education; State Board of Education…

More employers have mobilized to support career academies. They say that in addition to improving student engagement in school, academies help to strengthen relationships among business leaders, educators, and civic leaders; prevent high risk students from dropping out; and expand their pipeline of qualified workers. Academic research has helped…

This report addresses the problem of retaining and graduating college students, particularly black students, in 4-year college programs. Seven key ideas are suggested: (1) colleges granting admission to students who lack adequate preparation should offer appropriate developmental or remedial support to these students; (2) colleges should ensure…

In today's poor economic climate, there is an acute need to coalesce the fragments of research related to student attrition into a systematic program for increasing the chances of student success. Such a unifying program can be visualized on a continuum of retention strategies ranging from impersonal administrative actions to more complicated,…

A comparative study of early school leaving in India, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States found that in spite of huge cultural and economic differences between these countries, there were common underlying causes of the school dropout problem. Economic need, sociocultural divisions, curricula that were unrelated to future work and…

For educators to effectively meet the needs of at-risk nontraditional college students, they must quickly identify such students, utilize the best available teaching techniques, and work to guarantee student retention. Swift identification of potential at-risk students depends on educators' awareness of common indicators, such as the student…

The conference summarized here brought together participants from 12 public school districts and 34 observers from government agencies, foundations and community organizations. The attendees addressed the concern that the reform agenda of American public schooling is insufficiently sensitive to needy children who have dropped out of school or who…

The Commission on Vocational Education and Career Opportunities in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) studied vocational education and career preparation activities in the DCPS and explored strategies for improving them. The study established that DCPS is failing to fulfill its career preparation mission. The problems of too many…

This paper summarizes issues and perspectives that form the basis of current educational debate. The paper contends that early in the 21st century, Hispanics and other minorities will constitute the majority of the work force in major markets across the nation. The lack of preparedness of over half the potential pool of minority workers will have…

Twelve papers from the Inter-American Development Bank's second seminar on educational finance in Latin America and the Caribbean analyze and present statistical data in two broad areas. First, they examine the relationships among Latin America's expanding educational programs, their costs and financing, and each country's socioeconomic…