The College Venture Program, a Boston-based consortium of New England liberal arts colleges, annually helps place hundreds of student clients--"stopouts" or "interruptees"--in temporary jobs while they contemplate their future college plans. Counseling services are offered and a job bank is maintained. (LBH)

Presents a model based on person-environment fit that is designed to increase retention of students with unique educational needs in postsecondary vocational education programs. The specific details that surround the development of this model are examined and are related to the nature and extent of the problem. (CT)

Examines the effects of an intrusive advising program on the attrition rate of college freshmen and sophomores. Identifies reasons students drop out and outlines an advising program used at Western New Mexico University. Results showed the intrusive advising program to be effective in reducing attrition rates. (BH)

Raising graduation rates for students attending schools in the United States is a national priority. As part of the No Child Left Behind Act, schools are required to track and report the percentage of students who graduate with a regular diploma in four years. The magnitude of the problem for student subgroups (including students of Hispanic and…

The purpose of this paper is to describe and comment upon patterns and problems in studies surveyed. These relate to (a) the definition and perception of early school leaving in different settings; (b) incidence and treatment of factors considered as antecedents or consequences; and (c) the research designs and methodology employed. (JB)

The University of Akron, a major urban university, has experienced unusually high attrition rates for students enrolled in the two largest colleges. The university has attempted to meet this problem by committee recommendations and questionnaire/demographic data gathering and analysis, which has resulted in some success. (Author/RC)

The ASPIRA Association, an organization serving Latino youth through leadership development, education, and advocacy, is sponsoring the Hispanic Community Mobilization for Dropout Prevention, a project focused on increasing parental and community involvement in promoting high school retention and academic achievement. (SK)

Because families and communities often fail to meet adolescents' need to belong to a productive, functional organization, schools are increasingly fulfilling this role. Membership depends on social bonding, which has four elements: attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. Principals can remove impediments to membership by fostering a sense…

Discussion of student retention at community colleges identifies reasons for student failure and withdrawal, concluding that many students leave school for reasons such as emotional problems, poor motivation, and financial problems over which instructors have no control. Suggests too much emphasis on retaining ill-prepared students detracts from…

Improving retention in adult literacy programs is of great concern for both instructors and administrators. A learner-centered program is a must for improving retention. In such a program, a support system for learners should be readily accessible. Instruction should be based on students' goals, and program staff should be available to help…

This paper describes and encourages the application of 20 classroom techniques to enhance the retention and success of black male college students. Though retention enhancement programs work best when institution-wide support and commitment are behind them, the techniques described here can be implemented in the classroom with significant results…

The articles in this booklet offering innovative ideas for school improvement were selected from Prototype pieces published in the Phi Delta Kappan since the fall of 1981. Each of the projects has been successfully implemented in a school and is currently in operation. The first section, "Keeping Kids in School" presents programs involving parents…

The Portland (Oregon) School District defines a school leaver as any student who is registered during the school year, leaves school, does not enter another school in the district that year, and for whom no request for transfer or withdrawal is entered. The district offers an array of programs that address the problem of school leavers. At the…

Some research findings show that vocational education courses deter teenagers from dropping out of high school. Traits identified in potential dropouts by the research include being from a poverty-level home, having a lower intelligence score, and having a lower grade point average. These traits are shared with students in vocational education…

A retention taskforce was established at Sinclair Community College (SCC) in Ohio to develop a plan to increase student retention. The 24-member taskforce, representing key areas within the college, worked for 15 months to prepare the plan. The plan was designed to be comprehensive, touching upon all points where the students interact with the…