Established in 1970 and operated by the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans, the George I. Sanchez Junior Senior High School (Houston, Texas) is an alternative school for Hispanics in grades 7-12. The school, staffed originally by volunteers, acquired a full-time executive director in 1973, established relations whith the Houston…

The Middle College High School (MCHS) in Tennessee is an alternative school located on the Shelby State Community College (SSCC) campus, designed to provide special counseling, college preparation, and access to SSCC facilities for potential high school dropouts who have the capacity for secondary and postsecondary success. The program, which was…

This document reviews the literature on elementary and secondary school dropouts and notes the effects and possible solutions to the dropout problem. Statistical findings about dropouts from the 1960's to the present are presented along with methods of predicting who the dropouts will be. Dropout characteristics, including psychological, social,…

As part of the Atlanta Public School System, the Downtown Learning Center (DLC) uses personalized learning contracts to thwart potential dropouts and classroom troublemakers. Voluntary admission, screening by a student/staff committee, and parental approval precede the general agreement which details school attendance and work commitments. In…

Spotlights Middle College High School of La Guardia Community College which uses the college's resources and a cooperative education model to aid potential high school dropouts. Answers questions on student behavior, faculty adjustments, student performance, space utilization, benefits, and successes of the program. Reviews attendance rates and…

Describes the evolution of alternative schools from progressive learner-centered free schools founded in the 1960s to the present emphasis on at-risk students. Outlines three models of alternative schools and discusses successful strategies and essential characteristics of effective schools for at-risk youth. Emphasizes the importance of…

The Alternative Basic Comprehension Program (Project A.B.C.) was an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII-funded special alternative instructional program in its fourth year at two high schools in the Bronx (New York). In 1993-94, the project served 264 students of limited English proficiency from many countries. Participating students…

The School-Community Guidance Center (SCGC) program was established in November 1984 to serve high-risk Austin (Texas) Independent School District students removed from their home campuses for school disciplinary reasons, or by juvenile justice authorities for purposes of probation or judicial detention. Two project specialists are assigned to the…

This Dropout Prevention Plan was designed for the Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Florida. It provides for the identification of potential dropouts and various interventions to help reduce the dropout rate. Students who have been unsuccessful in the regular educational programs are targeted. Other goals are to develop the skills of…

Every young person should be obliged to engage in some program of systematic study until he/she can meet core learning standard for entry into adult society realizing that this will take different amounts of time for different individuals. Learning can take place in wide variety of settings and by many methods. Age-grade link also needs to be…

In 1993-94, the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) allocated money to four operations areas for five dropout prevention programs for overage ninth graders. Three of the five area dropout programs had positive effects on the dropout rates of students served. The dropout rates for these programs were lower than the sixth six-weeks…

The Health Academy and the Media Academy, two innovative high school intervention programs for at-risk youth in Oakland (California), are examined. A collaborative effort of the school district, business, and community, the academies are school-within-a-school programs that engage about 120 at-risk students each in specific academic curricula for…

Tri-County High School in Clarksburg, West Virginia, uses a nontraditional approach to educating actual and potential dropouts from schools in surrounding areas. The primary objective of the program is to enable students to develop adaptive behaviors and adequate skills to return to the regular classroom. The initial screening for admission into…

A 10-year profile is provided of Middle College High School (MCHS), an alternative high school operating under the joint auspices of the New York City Board of Education and LaGuardia Community College. The first sections of the report look at the history and goals of MCHS, explaining that the school was created to reduce the dropout rate among…

Designed as an alternative program to reduce absenteeism in four high schools in the Bronx, a career education and academic upgrading experiment placed sixty ninth graders in a special area of Bronx Community College. The students, recruited from among disadvantaged potential dropouts (mostly blacks and Hispanics), attended half-day sessions at…