This report describes two studies completed by the Child Advocacy Commission of Durham, North Carolina. The Durham school system has one of the lowest retention rates of any system in the state. The studies were used to advocate for and help implement new and better dropout prevention strategies in their schools. The report also outlines the need…

This formative evaluation of the Atlantic Street Center's Pre-Teen Bridge Program (P-T Bridge) focused on the academic support and prosocial skill development components of the program. The academic component included one-on-one tutoring, and the prosocial skill component included activities and materials designed to improve social and…

In 1979 a program was initiated at the Georges Valley High School in Thomaston, Maine, to identify high risk students who would be likely to drop out of high school and then to design and implement a program for ninth grade students that would motivate them to stay in school. A subsequent review of the impact of the program on its participants…

The 1981 summer Portable Assisted Study Sequence (PASS) Program, designed to provide self-directed learning packages whereby high school migrant students throughout California can receive credits toward graduation requirements, provided instructional materials to 2,306 students. Student transcripts were sent to 159 California high schools.…

The Fresh Start Minischool (FSMS) program was implemented for students at Frank Ballou High School in Washington, D.C., who had mathematics and reading deficiencies that made success and staying in school unlikely possibilities. The program involved individualized student instruction in four core academic areas (social studies, communications,…

Mental health center administrators are concerned about persons who contact centers but fail to keep initial appointments. Factors within centers that discourage client follow-through must be identified and changed. Telephone surveys were attempted for 50 such individuals from the youth (N=23) and adult (N=27) team logs of the Weber Mental Health…

The advantages and requirements for offering a second chance to students who have failed, by forgiving a poor academic record, are discussed and supported by findings from a survey of institutions and the results of several experimental programs. (MSE)

An evaluation was conducted of educational opportunities offered by in-district alternative education option programs for at-risk students who have dropped out or are at risk of school failure in the Portland Public Schools, Oregon. This interim report describes the evaluation plan, purpose, and methodology, and highlights enrollment, attendance,…

A review of the annual report of Jobs for America's Graduates, Inc., regarding the activities of the Jobs for Florida's Graduates Program, concluded that the program had not met its goals. It does not appear that the program will meet its statutory outcome goals of an 82 percent student graduation rate and a 70-75 percent employment rate, and the…

Eighty-six "at-risk" students (aged 14-16) participated in an 8-week program of immersion in vocational training, academics, counseling, recreation, and performing arts. Students improved in academic areas and in their understanding of the world of work, but self-concept measures showed a decline and the program's impact on dropout likelihood was…

Managed by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakotah Nation, O'Inazin provides culturally relevant inpatient counseling for troubled adolescents with antisocial and self-defeating behaviors. Of 290 adolescent inpatients in 1991-92, those who completed the program were more likely to remain in school and improve their grades than were noncompleters. Both…

Outlines what school administrators can do to increase their understanding of local dropout programs and to decrease dropping out. Suggestions include analyzing local data, instituting early tracking of potential at-risk students, creating alternative programs, reorganizing to improve school climate, and initiating new forms of student assessment.…

Each year, thousands of young people drop out of school, begin a life of unemployment, poverty, low self-esteem, violence, and even imprisonment. This article explains the sad effects of early school exits and the critical need for school-community collaboration to prevent dropouts. School leaders must be culturally sensitive and create school…

This policy brief examines states' experiences and data regarding implementation of the transition planning mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It reports on a study which investigated whether implementation of transition planning was associated with decreased dropout rates for youth with disabilities and whether the format…

Project Return, a dropout recovery program to assist pregnant and parenting teenagers and parents of elementary school children to return to school, was first implemented in 1989-90, and by 1993-94 had expanded to serve 19 sites in New York City. The Babygram Hospital Outreach program, an outgrowth of Project Return, operated in 12 hospitals and…