In support of the premise that a better understanding of the causes of poor student motivation may lead to the development of techniques to stop unmotivated students from dropping out of college, this paper reviews the literature on the nature of motivation among adolescents and factors influencing academic achievement. After introductory comments…

A study was conducted to provide descriptive information about dropout rates by various subgroups, their reported reasons for dropping out, and some activities after leaving school. As part of the longitudinal study, High School and Beyond, the National Center for Education Statistics surveyed 30,000 sophomore and 28,000 senior high school…

A study examined the relationship between: (1) the balance struck between career and technical education (CTE) and academic course-taking during the high school years; and (2) academic achievement, persistence in high school, and postsecondary destinations. Data for the study were drawn from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988. The…

The Cushing (Oklahoma) Public Schools have had an annual dropout rate of 3.3% in recent years (40 students in 1995-96), but their goal is to decrease the number of dropouts by at least 50%. The school district has had several alternative programs for dropout reduction in place. Needs assessment has shown that all of Cushing's dropouts were in high…

A study was done of the efficacy of Project Reach, an alternative school program for seriously at-risk students attending the Socorro High School in the Socorro Independent School District (Texas). Program participants were those who had reached the pre-expulsion stage prior to admission. The program goals were to prevent dropouts or expulsions…

Immigration to the United States from Mexico has a long history and has been increasing in recent years. Immigrant students, especially those who arrive as adolescents and those whose families are migrant agricultural workers, have special educational needs. Mexican immigrant students have varied educational backgrounds, but most need to learn…

This paper evaluates STRIVE, an alternative program designed to provide a nurturing, caring, and intensive academic environment for over-age, low-performing ninth grade students attending the Barbara Jordan High School for Careers in Houston (Texas). STRIVE operates in isolation from the regular student population and has a counselor and four…

This report evaluates the implementation and outcome of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII program, Choosing Optional Infused Career Education (Project CHOICE) in Springfield Gardens High School in Queens (New York) and Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn (New York) for the 1988-89 school year. The project was created to combat…

The 1986-87 Attendance Improvement Dropout Prevention (AIDP) Part-Time Jobs Program was begun in spring 1987 to place at-risk New York City, New York, high school students in part-time, unsubsidized jobs that would motivate them to improve their school attendance and academic achievement. Twenty-one community-based organizations (CBOs) contracted…

This report discusses the proposed Grad*Star Program (a Women's Educational Equity Act Program) to deal with the extremely serious dropout program in Northern Kentucky. Housed at the University of Kentucky, it examines such factors as poor economic conditions, large numbers of women and households headed by women that exist below the poverty…

The Portable Assisted Study Sequence (P.A.S.S.) Program, a pilot high school program designed to support California migrant student graduation through the use of competency based credits and portable learning packets, more than met its goals and objectives in 1978-79. Evaluation was by questionnaire, to which 16% of the surveyed P.A.S.S. students…

The mobile lifestyle and fragmented education of migrant secondary students creates a need for innovative solutions that will enable them to graduate from high school. This handbook was developed to assist Texas school district operations and state and interstate educators in the coordination and delivery of instructional and support services for…

The Community Achievement Project in the Schools (CAPS) is a public-private partnership between the United Way of New York City and the New York City Board of Education. As part of a dropout prevention initiative, CAPS is designed to integrate the services of community-based organizations and schools. The Teachers College of Columbia University…

The New York State Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP) provides students at risk of dropping out of school with services specifically designed to keep them in school through high school graduation, to encourage them to pursue higher education, and/or to secure meaningful employment. Section 1 describes the LPP school year program, giving brief…

The Home-School-Community Agent (HSCA) Project of the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools was established in the 1990-91 school year to help disruptive students make a positive adjustment to elements in their lives that interfere with success in school. The project was implemented through 21 HSCAs in nine high schools and 12 middle schools. Each agent…