Two groups of students at risk of not developing adequate mathematical knowledge and skills are (1) the "typical or usual" and (2) "the nominal mathematics students"--those who do not achieve at a satisfactory level in mathematics and/or do not enroll in mathematics courses beyond typical required courses. This digest provides…

This state master plan provides a structure to facilitate the development of an appropriate and effective education system for all students in Utah, including those at risk of dropping out and of failing to achieve literacy. The challenges of ensuring an appropriate and effective education for each student are significant, numerous, and complex;…

This report summarizes research on retention and dropouts. Although there has been a recent resurgence of retention programs aimed at students who encounter subject-area difficulties, many studies have questioned the value of retention, especially if it is not accompanied by programs of remediation and individualized learning. However, researchers…

This document is the result of an Institute for Educational Leadership conference convened to brief Congressional staff on dropouts, dropout programs, and what information about dropouts merits consideration by policymakers. This report is intended to be a readable account of the dropout problem appropriate for the general public as well as for…

In February 1986, a Dropout Prevention Office was created by the superintendent of the Denver (Colorado) Public Schools to develop a comprehensive approach to address the dropout issue. The Office was also to evaluate existing dropout efforts, and serve as a clearinghouse on dropout programs and information and as an encouragement to partnerships…

This practice-application digest addresses what vocational education can do to reduce the almost 30 percent dropout rate among U.S. students. The first section describes factors that place students at risk, focusing on factors included in the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's definition of the term "at-risk." In the next…

This pamphlet summarizes a conference in Boston on May 6, 1986. Its goal was to assess and plan strategies for the dropout problem in the Boston Public Schools. The Boston Compact, the draft plan contained in this document and prepared before the conference, served as the focus for discussion. Educators and administrators from across the country…

Middle College, a high school program on the LaGuardia Community College campus, was designed to reduce the urban dropout rate, to prepare students more effectively for work or college, and to attract more students to higher education. As a public alternative high school on a college campus, the program creates a continuum between high school and…

Computer Assisted Instruciton (CAI) helps schools meet the challenge of student dropouts. CAI provides individualized instruction, a positive learning experience, and immediate feedback. Black students at Chicago's Williams Elementary School have gained in reading and math. CAI projects in Louisville, Kentucky, and Baltimore have improved academic…

Argues that most dropout prevention attempts have been hampered by the lack of an unbiased, coherent and easily accessible source of data on the total and at risk populations of young people. Provides preliminary data on several groups of students not characterized by traditional dropout descriptors. Offers recommendations for improvement in…

This paper describes and examines the effectiveness of a project undertaken by Florida's Palm Beach County school system to provide community based support services and to facilitate a community-school partnership in order to enhance the educational achievement of immigrant students, specifically those with limited English proficiency. The project…

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of an alternative-school program. The research compared 1 year of the program, where there was no parental involvement, with a second year, which included family-based interventions. It was hypothesized that family involvement would generate greater improvement in students' psychosocial functioning, academic…

The effectiveness of a mentoring program for 53 at-risk college students was investigated. The results indicated that the mentoring intervention had a positive impact on retention and grade point averages for this student cohort. (EV)

The Young Adult Education Program in Arlington Heights (Illinois) offers high school credit classes in the evening to serve at-risk students who have left the regular day school. Students earn a diploma from the high school in their attendance area. On a bare-bones budget, the program graduates approximately 65 percent of its enrolled students.…

Describes a South Carolina program, "Tender Loving Counseling," designed to identify potential dropouts for group and individual counseling. Describes focus of the program to be on building self-concept, motivation, and study skills. (TE)