This article describes the results of a research project designed to assess the efficacy of a secondary transition model, RENEW (Rehabilitation, Empowerment, Natural supports, Education and Work), on the social and emotional functioning of 20 youth at risk of dropping out of high school using the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale…

In January 1998, the Montgomery County (Ohio) commissioners created the Montgomery County Out-of-School Youth Task Force to identify why 22% of high school students were dropping out. The task force concluded the dropout epidemic was having devastating effects on the local economy. In addition to the obvious problem of local employers having…

This study of graduation outcomes in Baltimore uses multivariate analysis of longitudinal student cohort data to examine the impact of factors identified in previous research as early warning indicators of a dropout outcome. Student cohort files were constructed from longitudinal administrative data (following all first-time 2004-2005 and…

This report provides national estimates about dropout prevention services and programs in public school districts. The estimates presented in this report are based on a district survey about dropout prevention services and programs offered by the district or by any of the schools in the district during the 2010-11 school year. For this survey,…

ICF International's white paper explores how implementation of social and emotional learning (SEL) has the potential to prepare students for workforce success and positively influence student engagement and academic performance while reducing dropout rates. Self-improvement and leadership development sections of bookstores are replete with texts…

High school dropout continues to be an issue of national concern, and the inability of educators and researchers to find means of effectively reducing the dropout rate may be grounded in their approach to understanding this issue. Because there is limited prior research in addressing wellness, perceived stress, and mattering in relationship to…

This article presents second year evaluation results from a unique collaboration between a global corporation and a community school system in the southeastern United States. The purpose of the program was to help-at-risk students graduate from high school and develop responsible citizenship while increasing corporate employee retention. This…

The study reported here determined the factors that affect teen involvement in 4-H programming. The design of the study was descriptive and correlational in nature. Using a purposive sampling procedure, a survey questionnaire was distributed to all (N=214) 4-H members attending the 4-H State Leadership Conference. The major findings of the study…

This study examined the experiences of 10 former proteges, six female and four male participants between the ages of 18 and 24, who were identified as at-risk and subsequently participated in the Youth Enrichment Program (YEP) in central Georgia for a minimum of two years. This study was designed to investigate proteges' beliefs and perceptions…

Educational reform in the United States has focused on several factors such as academic achievement, performance on standardized test scores, dropout rates, the mandate of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 (Dee and Jacob, 2010) and other changes. A new call for a broader and bolder strategy for educational reform that focused on…

The Advanced Virtual Academy Twilight High School (Twilight High School) provides Houston Independent School District (HISD) high school students with opportunities to earn credits toward graduation and targets students who are at risk of not completing courses required to earn a high school diploma. This 2012-2013 Twilight High School program…

The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to evaluate the Positive Alternative Credit Experience (PACE) Program using an objectives-oriented approach to a formative program evaluation. The PACE Program was a semester-long high school alternative education program designed to serve students at-risk for academic failure or dropping out…

"Exito" means "success" in Spanish, so it is a fitting name for a dropout prevention program. Set in a large neighborhood high school in a low-income, largely Latino section of Philadelphia, Exito supports ninth- and tenth-grade students who are at risk of dropping out of school by providing them with afterschool programming…

The term service-learning is used frequently these days, but confusion remains as to what it is and why it matters. More importantly, are there any measurable benefits? This issue of "The Progress of Education Reform" looks at four research studies that explore the impact of service-learning on student achievement and civic engagement. A…

The Eco-Interactional Developmental model of school success provides an understanding of the synergetic role that neighborhoods, schools, families, and peers can play in increasing the proportion of students who successfully complete high school. This article reviews the challenges involved in graduating high school students, presents the EID…