After eighteen months of school closure and disrupted learning, civic leaders, researchers, and educational leaders are getting a clearer picture of how students fared through the pandemic, and what new reality school systems face as they return to in-person schooling in 2021-22. Increases in community infection rates and parent hesitancy have…

On May 2, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and the West Comprehensive Center (WCC) at WestEd facilitated a half-day pre-conference for tribal leaders and educators participating in the 2016 Southwest Pathways Conference (which was held May 2-4). The gathering raised awareness about critical education, health, and well-being issues…

One of the states served by the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) requested the center's assistance in compiling information regarding educational support for Native American students. To obtain this information, SECC staff contacted 16 states that have state agency contacts for Indian Education and/or that indicate a population of more than…

Municipal leadership can make an enormous difference in expanding the range of high school options and ensuring that more students graduate prepared for work and life. This report draws upon lessons learned from a 2005-07 project on "Helping Municipal Leaders Expand Options and Alternatives for High School," managed by the National…

By now people are all too familiar with the disheartening numbers: approximately 7,000 students drop out each day, which means nearly one-third of high school students will not graduate with their peers. The statistics are even more staggering for minority and low-income students, especially in the nation's largest urban districts, where less than…

The factors that contribute to student dropouts have been the focus of extensive deliberation during the last decade. Despite expanded attention, the number of dropouts remains unacceptably high. Drawing on the authors' 17-year history of dropout research in Texas, Arizona, and across the country, this article describes the alarming dropout rates,…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) NCLB Turns Five: Key Players in Reauthorization Process Celebrate Fifth Anniversary of Landmark Education Law, Begin…

Descriptions of the Nogales dropout prevention program, including activities of the career counseling center and causes for dropping out of school, introduce the guide. The goals and objectives of the independent study center for potential dropouts include giving assistance to students so they may complete their high school education and guidance…

The majority of Native American students in Arizona and New Mexico experience inferior elementary and secondary educations. They attend small rural schools with limited resources in remote locations on or near reservations. Poverty and unemployment rates are high. Northern Arizona University, the Navajo and Hopi Tribes, Northern Arizona Education…

This report describes the School, College, and University Partnership Program (SCUP) at Northern Arizona University (NAU). Supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Education, this program established partnerships among NAU, Northern Arizona School Board Association, seven Arizona secondary schools, and the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe.…

The purpose of the Nogales (Arizona) dropout prevention program was to include business, government, labor, and community groups in a collaborative program to provide intermediate and secondary schools with access to the resources of private and public employers. The primary objectives of the project were to achieve a 50% reduction of the dropout…

A project was conducted to increase student retention in adult basic education (ABE) programs in Arizona through the publication and distribution of a statewide newspaper for ABE students. Using an Apple Macintosh micro-computer, editorial staff of the newspaper, entitled the Express Press, collected articles written by ABE students and…

An alternative high school is proposed to meet the needs of the substantial number of Yuma students who are dropping out of school at increasing rates. In the period from 1974 to 1978 enrollment at Yuma's 2 high schools increased by only 8% while the drop-out rate increased by 56%. Enrollment figures show that the drop-out rate is highest in grade…

The Northern Arizona Hospitality Education Program is an exemplary three-year project designed to help students, mainly Indian, obtain job skills and attitudes necessary for successful employment in the hospitality industry. Nine high schools from Apache, Coconino, and Navajo Counties participated in the project. Objectives included providing an…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Improving the Lives of Our High School Students: Alliance and Scholastic Co-Host Invitational High School Literacy…