A principal at a Lowell (Massachusetts) school collaborated with the University of Massachusetts-Lowell to develop a dropout intervention program for seventh and eighth grade students. Small classes met alternate Saturday mornings at the university. Additional field trips and two overnight weekends helped strengthen the bond between students and…

One of the six national goals in the United States is to achieve a 90 percent graduation rate by the year 2000. In the last 50 years, high school graduation has become the norm. Concurrent with the new expectation of high school graduation came the dominance of the word "dropout" to describe those without diplomas. Many Americans view…

In fall 1996, California's Los Angeles Harbor College instituted the use of a drop notice survey to notify instructors when students dropped their course. Students dropping a course checked off their reasons on a notice card, which was recorded for research and student service purposes and sent to the instructor within the day. In addition, the…

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…

Texas schools were required by educational reform legislation to identify students at risk of dropping out and to notify their parents. The Austin Independent School District developed operational definitions for the State criteria. For grades 9-12 the brief descriptors for these definitions are age, achievement, Fs, and the Texas Educational…

This annotated bibliography represents literature on the phenomenon of American Indian students dropping out of school. The bibliography describes 31 titles, including research reports, reports from state departments of public instruction, national reports, action reports, and "how to" books. Of the 31 entries, 18 report on Indian student dropout…

Transferring from one high school to another may be an important alternative to dropping out. While the public school dropout rate is over four times the dropout rate in Catholic schools, the percentages of transfer students reveal a different scenario. With transfer rates nearly three times their drop out rates, the Catholic schools' reported…

This report develops a topology of approaches to high school dropout prevention, and uses it to examine and review the effectiveness of existing programs, and to identify major gaps in current practice and research. Research on dropouts was reviewed to identify the kinds of students who drop out and their reasons for dropping out. Based on this…

To develop and test a theoretical model, based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975), for understanding and predicting the decision to stay in or drop out of school, to identify the specific beliefs that are the basis of that decision, and to evaluate the use of moderator variables (sex, race) to individualize the model,…

The objective of this study was to devise a methodology for predicting the return or nonreturn of a student for the spring semester, upon his completion of the fall term. Nineteen variables from existing student files were examined by several multivariate analyses to determine their ability to help in such a prediction. The random sample was of…

An interim status report is presented on a study of predictors to aid in reducing the 35-40% dropout/failure rate in general chemistry at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College, Perkinston Campus. Data from 1974-75 and 1975-76 were used to develop a formula whereby potentially weak students could be identified before they failed or dropped out…

This longitudinal study was conducted to determine what factors present at the sixth grade level would cause a student to be dropout prone. The specific objectives were: 1.) to ascertain what characteristics are associated with the future school dropout; 2.) to develop a regression equation to assist in the identification of potential future…

Project Process, funded through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VIII, is an integrated model within the existing school system concentrating on reducing the number of dropouts via an institutional change strategy. The basic goal of the project is to develop a flexible atmosphere where learning can take place. Within this goal is…

Causes of inadequate educational results for poor and minority children are enumerated. Consequences of resultant increase in dropping out are listed. Solution involves tackling the following: (1) funding disparities between poor and affluent neighborhoods; (2) achievement gap between whites and minorities; (3) dearth of work-oriented programs;…

Reports on the results of several major studies of high school dropouts. Topics addressed are who drops out and why; school-related causes; and prevention policies and programs. Stresses the urgency of addressing the nationwide dropout problem and recommends courses of action. Appended are 19 references. (IW)