As job skill levels increase, high school dropout has consequences for unemployment, the nation's economy, and the economic future of dropouts. More than ever, vocational education must investigate ways to tap the potential of dropout-prone students. (SK)

A study of over 100 dropouts from schools in the western suburbs of Chicago (Illinois) permitted researchers to develop this descriptive overview of the school experiences and family situations typical among dropouts and to offer suggestions for helping potential dropouts stay in school and adjust successfully. (PGD)

Discusses the social consequences of dropping out of high school, the behavioral patterns of dropping out, and predictors of dropping out. Suggests that counselors identify potential dropouts early, start programs targeted to meet potential dropouts' needs, and keep in contact with them. (Author/ABB)

One of the six national goals in the United States is to achieve a 90 percent graduation rate by the year 2000. In the last 50 years, high school graduation has become the norm. Concurrent with the new expectation of high school graduation came the dominance of the word "dropout" to describe those without diplomas. Many Americans view…

One of the most enduring challenges facing the public school system is decreasing the dropout rate. The highest rate of growth population in the future will be among the groups who are at greatest risk of dropping out of school. This paper outlines what school officials can do to decrease the dropout rate. The suggestions for dropout prevention…

Public obsession with issues of measurement, early intervention, promotion, suspension, education, age of exit, and alternative education dominates discourse on what can be done about high school dropouts. Additional controversial issues of societal structural interdependence are examined for their importance in education reform for minority and…

This publication begins with a fact sheet that details how tech prep can and should complement other dropout prevention strategies used by a school district. The rest of the document contains 110 selected quotes, statistics, and statements concerning the need for tech prep programs. References (author, title, source, date) are given in parentheses…

Investigates the informal curriculum of a state-funded after-school dropout prevention program for adolescents. The program's goal is to resocialize them into their schools and enable them to achieve academic success. The paper proposes that the program fails to achieve its goal because of its ideology, and it recommends an alternative perspective…

Traces strategies for preventing high school dropouts from the traditional reliance on remediation or incentives to recent negative sanctions (e.g., West Virginia's "no school, no drive" law). The General Educational Development Program serves those who return voluntarily to school after having realized the importance of education. (JB)

The National Commission on Secondary Vocational Education was formed in January 1984 to examine the role and function of secondary vocational education. During its deliberations, the commission addressed the following areas of concern: perceptions of vocational education, access, equity, curriculum, vocational education teacher recruitment and…