In many Sub-Saharan African countries, there are concerns about high rates of pregnancy-related school dropouts. Data from the 1988 Botswana Family Health Survey, in conjunction with focus group interviews, were used in this study. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of family life education on schoolgirl pregnancy, and to identify…

Answers to questions most often asked about the second National Education Goal are provided in this document. Goal 2 states that "by the year 2000, the high school graduation rate will increase to 90 percent." Among the areas covered are school strategies to improve graduation rates, community and business roles, incentives to stay in…

Many rural youth in Russell County, Virginia, are at risk of becoming dropouts due to economic and social factors seen throughout Appalachia. These influences include high levels of unemployment and poverty, adult illiteracy, low self-esteem, and lack of role models that demonstrate the value of educational attainment. United Way of Southwest…

A study compared the ninth-grade performance of students who were randomly admitted to New York City career magnet high schools to those who were randomly not offered seats in those schools. The research measured the effect of career magnets on students of average and low reading ability whose academic records were not strong enough to gain them…

Mentoring at-risk students has become one of the fastest growing and frequently used strategies across the nation to help young people. This document examines the structure and implementation of mentoring programs. Chapter 1 discusses mentoring as an appropriate and effective strategy. The mentoring relationship is examined, natural versus planned…

Comprehensive evaluations of two dropout prevention/reentry demonstration programs, sponsored by the Department of Education, one funded under the School Dropout Demonstration Assistance Program (SDDAP) and one funded under the Cooperative Demonstration Program (CDP), are provided in this paper. Both programs were designed to demonstrate effective…

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 booklet focuses on the roles of student activities and student activity advisers within the school. It opens with definitions and characteristics of at-risk students and details some program guidelines for these students. Trying to make at-risk students feel connected to the world of work or the world of school is the book's central theme. In…

This booklet was developed to accompany the videotape that summarizes the results of the project, "Educational Excellence through Career-Vocational Education." The 3-year project generated development of a comprehensive guidance plan, initiated curriculum review, involved counselors with teachers and curriculum, provided a means for closer working…

The 1988/89 New York City high school Inquiry Demonstration Project (IDP) met or surpassed its evaluation criteria. The IDP comprised the Urban Academy, a laboratory school serving high-risk students, and an on-site staff development program in seven high schools. The overall goal was to promote the use of the inquiry method in the classroom. The…

The year-long Lighthouse District Planning Process culminated in the development of a plan that addresses the needs of at-risk students in the Burlington School District and the Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union in Vermont. This final report on the project also serves as a guide that can be used by other districts to construct a comprehensive…

This report describes the Dade County, Florida, comprehensive K-12 program for decreasing the dropout rates of all students, with emphasis on minorities. The program involves a number of different components which provide students the opportunity and support for participation in academic and vocation-oriented courses and training programs. The…

Seventeen activities or programs conducted in the Dade County (Florida) public elementary and secondary schools in order to reduce or prevent dropout are described in this resource guide. The programs activities include: (1) workshops to develop school-based dropout prevention programs; (2) "Students Working Intelligently to Combat High…

This resource manual was developed to assist Texas school districts in their efforts to address and respond to the dropout problem. A 1986 study revealed a dropout rate of 33 per cent in Texas. A task force was initiated in 1987 to study the educational and social problem and produce this manual as a step toward overcoming it. The manual has the…

Few researchers have studied the female dropout and too few dropout prevention programs are specifically designed to help girls complete high school. This paper describes programs and state policy initiatives that show promise in helping young women complete their education. They are used by schools and outside organizations to serve and encourage…