The story of the Dropout Prevention Initiative (DPI) of the New York City Schools illuminates the obstacles, incentives, and inventions that can come into play in a large city school system's effort to strengthen its effectiveness for at-risk students. The Board of Education commissioned an external evaluation of the DPI in 13 comprehensive high…

This study used data for a representative sample of 8th graders from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988. The intent was to (1) compare student's dropout status with variables such as demographics, academic and economic factors, limited English proficiency status, and other risk factors of dropping out, (2) distinguish factors…

In January 1996, Prince George's Community College (PGCC) established the Campus Retention Committee to review community college retention strategies, determine PGCC's strengths and weaknesses in the area of retention, and develop a list of retention goals and an implementation schedule for the college. After reviewing findings from previous…

The strategies used by practicing adult basic education (ABE) teachers to retain students with poor self-esteem were examined through an Internet survey that was sent to 115 ABE instructors at community colleges in Washington. The survey, which contained questions about the prevalence of poor self-esteem among ABE dropouts, specific behaviors…

A study identified strategies for increasing the retention of disadvantaged students in nontraditional programs in Florida. The first phase of the study consisted of a review of literature concerning working women, the earnings gap between men and women, barriers to enrollment in nontraditional programs, and recruitment and retention strategies.…

This document examines three studies that explored additional support, retention, and guidance in England's urban colleges. The foreword and summary discuss the mission, focus, and results of each study. "Funding and Tracking Additional Support in Basic Skills and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)" (Liz Lawson, Philida…

The experiences of young women in Victoria, Australia, who left school before completing their secondary education were examined to identify the issues facing female early school leavers and the policy implications of those issues. The study was based primarily on data from the Youth Research Centre's Disaffiliated Early School Leavers study, a…

In the early 1990s, Australian policymakers began explicitly promoting increased use of flexible delivery in vocational education and training (VET). Some researchers argued that many students lack the learning skills required to deal with the unique demands of flexible delivery. Concerns were also raised about the VET sector's capacity to help…

The research literature on types of student retention, correlates of retention, and action strategies to improve retention is reviewed. Retention or student persistence can be assessed in terms of completion of a degree of certificate, a program but not a degree, or a term or course. Retention may also be persistence to attain a personal goal but…

A project used a mixed quantitative-qualitative approach, drawing from the Job Corps database and site visits at five sites, to generate knowledge that can guide policymakers and program planners as they act to increase retention in the Job Corps or similar programs. Quantitative data on 343,097 students who enrolled in Job Corps between July 1993…

Two innovative approaches to delivering vocational education and training (VET) in schools were examined to identify ways of helping Australia's indigenous students achieve academic success by ensuring a close cultural fit between course content and the realities of local employment opportunities. The first VET-in-School program, which was located…

Since 1982, studies have shown statistical evidence that career and technical education (CTE) can play a role in reducing the number of high school dropouts, especially among students who are at high risk of dropping out. Case studies at several High Schools That Work sites showed improvements in retention and graduation at the same time that…