This study describes policies and practices implemented in 12 high schools (Quebec, Canada) that more or less effectively leveraged extracurricular activities (ECA) to prevent dropout among vulnerable students. Following an explanatory sequential mixed design, three school profiles ("Effective," "Ineffective," and…

This case study report provides practical examples on how the Academy of Indigenous Studies has built lasting relationships with local First Nations communities -- demonstrating how existing provincial course offerings can be leveraged to create a for-credit learning track that allows Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to learn about…

In this study, we describe participant characteristics, conversation content, and program success of an online mentoring program for northern Canadian youth. We investigate the associations between demographics and program success. The profiles and conversations of students and mentors that participated in the program between 2009 and 2013 were…

This Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) study represents a collaboration with six students from alternative education to inquire about the experiences of vulnerable youth--students in alternative education and youth who have dropped out of school. Utilizing the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique, youth researchers asked their peers what…

Since 1999, the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) has provided funding to provincial school authorities for projects designed to improve student learning and performance. Conducted in three-year cycles, this unique approach has successfully helped to initiate approximately 1,600 grassroots projects led by school districts, teachers,…

The Stay In--You Win project of Alberta, Canada is designed to harness the resources of the school, community, and parents in support of the student staying in school and completing a high school diploma. It is an approach dependent upon partnerships and teamwork. It is an approach based on research findings from around the world, programs that…

Module Two of the Alberta project "Stay In--You Win" is presented in this document. The stated objectives of this module are: to provide the facts of dropping out; to examine the educational, social, and economic consequences of dropping out; to explore the reasons why early school leavers decide to drop out and to provide a profile of…

Module Three of the Alberta project "Stay In--You Win" is presented in this document. This module provides for an integrated strategy involving community, parents, students, and teachers. A collaborative team planning approach is used to maximize the "buy-in" of all teachers. The stated objectives of the module are to introduce…

Module Four of the Alberta project "Stay In--You Win" is presented in this document. This module is designed to generate ideas for planning effective initiatives for schools. The stated objectives of this module are to provide a listing of dropout prevention programs in Alberta high schools; to encourage interpersonal networking among…

An unacceptable number of students appear to be at great risk of not attaining the education levels essential to become successful, contributing members of society. An array of agencies at community levels receive funding from various levels of governments to provide support services to address the various elements of risk. Yet the problem of…

Stay-in-School is a Canadian government initiative launched in the early 1990's encouraging young Canadians to build a solid foundation for the future by finishing high school and by acquiring the skills needed for the labor force of tomorrow. Three fundamental principles guided the initiative: (1) compassion, caring, and commitment are essential…

A program in British Columbia places at-risk high school students with one teacher for the remainder of their high school years. The integrated curriculum, constructed to be relevant to their lives, combined with the emphasis on respect, compassion, trustworthiness, and tolerance have enabled almost 100 students to graduate from the program. (TD)

The Canadian government is meeting the rising demand for highly skilled workers with a $296.4 million national dropout prevention initiative over five years. This document, written in both English and French, describes the initiative. More than half of the funds will be allocated to programs and services, more than a quarter to mobilizing…

This publication presents the results of a study undertaken to measure the economic costs of students who drop out of secondary school in Canada and summarizes the social and economic costs of dropping out. The primary objectives of the report are to raise awareness of these costs among the business community and to motivate all stakeholders to…