Despite variation in structure and activities of campus retention programs, successful programs are similar in the way they approach retention, emphasis given to retention efforts, and objectives. Focus should be less on what types of programs retain students and more on how and why programs have been successful. (Author/MSE)

An unacceptable number of students appear to be at great risk of not attaining the education levels essential to become successful, contributing members of society. An array of agencies at community levels receive funding from various levels of governments to provide support services to address the various elements of risk. Yet the problem of…

As part of an effort to reduce the dropout rate in New York City public schools, a new project called Replicating Exemplary Holding Power Programs was created in June, 1983. Five schools participated as "demonstrators" because they were judged to have noteworthy holding power programs. Five additional "buddy" schools were…

There is a high correlation between adolescent women's educational skills, goals, and family income and the likelihood of pregnancy. Schools have a statutory duty to provide health instruction; this may include pregnancy-prevention programs. Includes discussion of Acquired Immune Defficiency Syndrom (AIDS) and school responsibility for educational…

Discusses the high school dropout problem, focusing on young people's reasons for leaving school and schools' efforts to retain them. Recommends more effective primary education, computer programs to identify youth at risk, and coalitions of schools, businesses, and government agencies to pair learning and work experience. Cites 15 references.…

In 1997, the Wake County Public Schools, North Carolina, began a 3-year community-wide collaboration between existing programs and agencies expressly intended to coordinate efforts to serve at-risk children and their families. The Safe Schools Healthy Students grant program was built on 17 strategies aimed at addressing risk. Strategy 17 called…

Analyzed the effectiveness of a high school program designed to address student deficiencies in English skills while helping students develop an attachment to school within a traditional academic setting. Data analysis indicated that, as a group, students enrolled in the at-risk skills program improved their language and reading skills and…

School abandonment is a systemic failure that affects poor and affluent students alike and threatens our country's well-being. Such "educational suicide" is primarily a motivational problem. It is time for educators to replace coercive, constraint-laden techniques with autonomy-supportive techniques and to supplant error-proof lessons with…

Enrollment management differs from admissions in its concern for students at every stage of their association with the college. As such, it must address retention issues. Academic advising can contribute to improved retention, but to be effective it must be appropriate. A number of advising models are currently in use. (MSE)

The purpose of the present study was to examine how personal characteristics (e.g., loneliness, interpersonal competence) and social characteristics (e.g., marginality) contributed to dropout risk among undergraduate students. The respondents (n=127 undergraduates) completed a questionnaire packet to assess all of the variables. Regression…

"Project 'Graduation Really Achieves Dreams'" ("GRAD") is an initiative for students in economically disadvantaged communities that aims to reduce dropping out and increase rates of college enrollment and graduation by increasing reading and math skills, improving behavior in school, and providing a service safety net. At the…

Educators in the Northern Plains have long discussed dropout rates among American Native youth. Human potential is lost in allowing any one American Native student to drop out of school. The problems among this group of adolescents are apparent, yet nebulous. This document investigates the complexities of achieving school success among American…

This Issue Brief is based on telephone interviews of 21 state policymakers to discuss the salient education issues in their states and their views on arts education. Six state senators, eight state representatives, one state board of education member, two deputy commissioners of education, three current state superintendents and one former state…

Support services for parenting teenagers which allow and encourage them to finish their education are a very real need that is only recently receiving greater attention. It is estimated that two thirds of all teenage mothers drop out of school. When these mothers do not receive the necessary basic skills to get a good job, many of these families…

In 1988 West Virginia University established a task force to evaluate possible strategies for a statewide dropout prevention program. An emerging focus of the task force is the creation of similar task forces at the local level that would make dropout prevention a community responsibility and build community partnerships to provide a comprehensive…