Retention, the practice of requiring a student to repeat a particular grade or of delaying the entry to kindergarden or first grade of a child who is of appropriate chronological age, remains a common educational custom although little research exists to validate its effectiveness. The literature review on retention effects contained within this…

Achievement testing indicates that the typical student who leaves high school prior to graduation has academic deficiencies considerably below expected grade placement. The need exists for identifying potential dropouts prior to their actual withdrawal. After a dropout-prone student has been identified, an analysis of his specific needs should be…

A study investigated the effects of an intensive group counseling workshop on 155 low-achieving high school students (in grades 10 through 12) considered to be at high risk of dropping out. Results indicate that the intervention was unsuccessful due to intra-group bonding that led to alienation from school activities. (TJH)

A study was done of pre-admission or early performance predictors of persistence versus academic failure among baccalaureate program nursing students. As part of a larger longitudinal research project, 155 students from four successive classes of students admitted to the program were studied, using multiple predictor and criterion variables. The…

The premature closing of the Intermountain Intertribal School (IIS), a majority of whose students were referred because they were particularly difficult to serve and required special attention, represents a significant risk factor for the academic development of the students concerned. Of the 331 freshmen, sophomores, and juniors enrolled,…

Several characteristics have been identified as permeating the lives of a great many dropouts. The potential dropout may be several years retarded in reading and mathematics, and is usually plagued by personal, social, and familial problems. Suggestions for stemming the alarming rate of school dropouts include community provision for treatment and…

Recent literature suggests it is not students' backgrounds, but schools' response to students' backgrounds that determines students' success in school. School practices and policies adopted in response to student performance in attendance, academics, and behavior also have a significant impact on students' decision to leave school before…

Reviews research on instructional practices that help at-risk students. The programs reviewed fall into three general categories: prevention programs at the primary level, classroom change programs, and supplementary/remedial programs. Lists general features that characterize these programs. (TE)

Randomly assigned 60 adolescent girls at risk for school failure to payment program in which girls received $50.00/month to improve grades or attendance; case management program; or control group. Both experimental groups were superior to control with respect to positive changes in grades and attendance. Case management program showed much…

Student attrition is a major problem for American colleges and universities because an increasing number of enrollees fit the demographic and socioeconomic profile of "high-risk" students, who consist in general of minorities, the academically disadvantaged, the disabled, and those of low socioeconomic status. Declining enrollments leave…

Students who drop out of high school before graduating are of concern to families, educators, and policymakers. To obtain information on the scope of the dropout problem, three sources of national data were reviewed: (1) the Bureau of the Census' Current Population Survey; (2) the Center for Statistics' Common Core of Data; and (3) the Center for…

This study assessed the educational status of 284 students displaced by the closure of the Intermountain Inter-Tribal School (IIS), a majority of whose students had been referred because they were difficult to serve. Educational status was gauged by the holding power of the schools to which the students were sent, dropout and expulsion rates, and…

Suggests that music education by its nature is well suited to meeting the special needs of at-risk students. Discusses the role of music in motivating and enabling students to succeed. Defines the causes of failure as inability and lack of desire to learn when at-risk students receive the wrong kind of instruction. (DK)

This paper analyzes the value of student retention practices, or of flunking students, and presents viable options. Advocates of retention argue that it prevents future academic failure, ensures mastery of the basic skills necessary for success in higher grades, and motivates students. However, others argue that retention is associated with…

Millions of school children are currently at risk of academic failure; the potential costs to society are staggering. If the central factors causing a child's poor social adjustment can be addressed, both the rate of school failure and social service costs can be reduced. Attempting to control the school failure issue, the Wisconsin State…