Recent literature demonstrates the need for closer examination of general track curriculum students' experiences in order to increase high school graduation rates. General track students' reactions to school policies and practices governing extracurricular activities and attendance are described in this report. A case study methodology involved…

The influence of academic, demographic, and social characteristics of college freshmen on sophomore enrollment status was investigated, along with reasons for attrition. A total of 139 freshmen at St. Edward's University in Texas were surveyed at the beginning and end of the freshman year, using the Survey of Entering Freshmen and the End of…

This study examined the Stratil Counseling Inventory (SCI) used for identifying college freshmen prone to dropping out and a program designed to increase student retention which stresses early, frequent, and rewarding faculty-student contact. The SCI was administered to college freshmen (N=213) who became involved in a retention management program…

This report favors a systems-oriented evaluation for improving minority student achievement, an inclusive approach, which may require funds to be (at least temporarily) withdrawn from other research activities. When financial resources are limited, such an evaluation may focus on a relatively limited range of related evaluation issues. In…

This study examined college students' proneness to dropping out, focusing on student success in developmental mathematics. The study investigated whether or not three groups of college freshmen taking developmental mathematics (completers, grade C or better; nonsuccessful completers, grade D or F; and noncompleters, grade W) were significantly…

The Portsmouth (New Hampshire) Alternative Secondary School (PASS) has been developed for at-risk students who need a self-contained educational program with a community educational approach. This model program is based on the need for students to experience individual growth and success in the areas of academics, therapeutics, behavior…

Student characteristics associated with school failure and school dropouts are well documented. This study sought to determine if a subgroup of students could be differentiated prior to high school as at highest risk for secondary school failure and dropout. It also attempted to describe behavioral, academic, and familial differences and…

Ranken Technical College, a small, private, non-profit, two-year technical college in St. Louis, developed a plan whereby at-risk students would be flagged, their needs assessed, and programs put into place to meet those needs. The desired result was a higher retention rate, especially among minorities. The following components were found to be…

A study was done to examine the lived experience of conflict among students in a transitional class for returning long-term absentees in Walker Hill High School (a pseudonym), an inner city New York City high school. The project was a substudy of the New York City Dropout Prevention Evaluation Project. The theoretical framework of the study began…

This paper describes a methodology for the evaluation of dropout prevention programs, for calculating dropout rates, and for comparing alternative programs equitably. A first step involves developing a hierarchy of criteria for evaluating programs. These criteria are used to obtain dropout risk probability for individuals and groups and types of…

Institutional responsibility for assisting underprepared students was discussed in a caucus session. Four questions were addressed as follows: (1) to what extent should colleges and universities be responsible for ameliorating academic deficiencies among high risk students? (2) should separate facilities be established to serve high risk students,…

This program outlines the combined efforts of schools, social service agencies, community agencies, and the juvenile court system to reduce days lost by truancy. Also presented are the services necessary to support long-range remediation of truancy and related risk factors. The program was initiated at an inner-city public school with…

Third- and fifth-grade teachers in four South Carolina elementary schools identified certain students as potential high school dropouts, and indicated factors affecting their predictions for these students. Ethnographic interviews were conducted with the teachers and with 40 identified students and their parents. About 17% of sampled students were…

Data from the 1988 Phi Delta Kappa National Research Study on at-risk students were used in an analysis of variables associated with being classified as "at risk." The study collected information on over 22,000 at-risk and not-at-risk students from 274 schools and 9,600 teachers from across the United States. This analysis identified…

This report presents the Academic Retention and Talent Retrieval components of the Special Services Program at Northern Illinois University. The support structures are described in detail, including: CHANCE counseling, which assists students with academic and financial planning, personal growth, peer tutoring, and career counseling; and the Talent…