The keynote speech notes trends and issues since passage of Public Law 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act. It also describes proposed legislation of the Council of Chief State School Officers to benefit children and youth at risk of school failure. (DB)

Examines the high school completion rate of students in the class of 1988 assigned to an inschool suspension (ISS) program at some time during their high school career. Clearly, ISS students are high risks for school completion, as shown by this study's less than 50 percent completion rate. Nonetheless, such programs are essential. (MLH)

Two authors discuss contrasting methods of dropout prevention. Debates the effectiveness of coercion as opposed to positive incentives to keep students in school. (FMW)

New York City's Dropout Prevention Program's success depended on more than the usual commitment of resources, shared ideals, and dedicated people. A flexible planning framework was needed to overcome collaborators' mutual mistrust, identify common ground, and gain the support of line staff and top leadership in schools and in community…

This literature review demonstrates that dropouts follow a similar though inverse path compared to students who have attained academic excellence. Descriptions of at-risk students' characteristics lead to a discussion of the "loser's circle" of dropping out and strategies for attaining a "winner's circle" of academic excellence. (71 references)…

A Texas school district refined the state at-risk criteria, resulting in 22 individual at-risk categories. This study focused on the classification and followup of 4 cohorts, each of over 25,000 students, during the academic years 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, and 1990-91. Among the findings were that being overage for grade level was a strong…

Des Moines, Iowa's School within a School is locally funded program of instruction in basic skills, career guidance, and counseling support to meet needs of at-risk seventh- to tenth-grade students attending city's comprehensive middle and high schools. Program evaluations indicate declining dropout rate, increased attendance, and progress toward…

A University of North Carolina (Charlotte) program provides tutorial services to students in certain high-risk courses. Participants from 1988-89 earned higher final grades and had fewer lower grades and withdrawals than nonparticipants, despite lower predicted academic potential and industriousness at the time of college entry. (Author/MSE)

Used data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study to examine whether teachers provide students with social capital and whether that social capital increases students' likelihood of completing high school. Results show that teachers are an important source of social capital, which significantly reduces the probability of dropping out,…

Educators are very concerned about the problem of students dropping out of school. The reasons for students dropping out vary from social to economic causes. Alternative programs or schools have been used since the 1960s to try to keep students in school. This study involved a literature review of research on the identification and remediation of…

Dropping out of school has long-term financial and social costs for children and society. This bulletin describes promising new efforts across the country to reduce the number of juveniles who leave school prematurely and who are at risk of delinquency because they are truants or dropouts, afraid to attend schools, suspended or expelled, or in…

This document presents a dropout prevention planning guide developed by the Office of Truancy, Dropout and Alternative Education of the Maine Department of Education, an office established to provide technical consultant services to public and private schools for identifying students at risk of school failure, and the development of dropout…

This document describes "Stay a Winner," a program designed to reduce the dropout rate at North Pitt High School in Bethel, North Carolina by providing a focused, more meaningful curriculum; improved instructional processes; use of multimedia technology; and an emphasis on multicultural diversity. It is noted that funding for the program…

About one in four students who enter high school will not graduate. Numerous dropout-prevention programs have been implemented nationwide in the past decade to increase the high school graduation rate. This growth in programs has made it more difficult for educators to determine the effectiveness of the many alternatives. This guide is designed to…

Youth Opportunities Unlimited is a summer residential program for Arkansas high school students at risk of dropping out of school. During 1989-91, 517 14- and 15-year-old students completed the program, which consisted of two academic classes, a job skills class, and paid employment during 60 days residence on a university campus. Additional…