Early interventions and educational expectations that promote access, quality education, and the right to career options are necessary parts of any dropout prevention program. This report suggests that preventing school failure and empowering students to succeed should be the goals of such programs. It discusses student underachievement and…

In 1988, a telephone survey was conducted of students at Prince George's Community College (PGCC) who were enrolled in fall 1987, but who were not registered for spring 1988. The purposes of the study were to ascertain students' reasons for not returning to PGCC and to determine what the college could have done to influence the non-returning…

High school administrators are concerned about the contribution of student absenteeism to poor academic performance and the likelihood of dropping out. Administrators are faced with the difficult task of deciding which incentives will make regular school attendance more meaningful to students, and which penalties may make truancy and class cutting…

This manual is designed to assist school personnel in their efforts to increase the number of women and nontraditional students who are recruited into and retained in nontraditional occupational preparation programs. Discussed first are the nature and scope of the problem of retaining disadvantaged students in nontraditional vocational programs,…

The purpose of this study was to determine what Ontario high schools might do in order to increase student retention. Four approaches were taken. The first focuses on the social ecology of high schools, looking at how they relate to their environment. The second focuses on organizational characteristics that others have reported are associated…

This study was conducted to determine causes for attrition among students in an Adult Basic Education (A.B.E.) program located in a non-metropolitan area. Dropouts and completers were compared by demographic characteristics and by sources of difficulty (nonschool-related, school-related, and affective) in attending class. In addition, causes for…

Ohio's Occupational Work Adjustment (OWA) program is a one- to two-year ungraded vocational program for fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds who have been identified as potential dropouts from the regular educational program. Begun on a pilot basis in 1967, OWA served over 80,000 students in 499 programs during the 1981-82 school year. The goal of OWA,…

Methodology and findings are summarized for a three-year research project undertaken by a consortium of 28 Northern California (Nor Cal) community colleges to identify and help the potential dropouts among full-time, entering freshmen. The report first discusses the creation of the Nor-Cal consortium and then examines each of the three research…

Compares 86 Mexican-American secondary school students in Houston, Texas, who had and 90 students who had not received bilingual instruction in elementary grades. Finds small difference in grade point average (GPA) and absenteeism and fewer dropouts/retentions among bilingual program participants. Finds more years of bilingual instruction…

A study explored possible reasons why technical and further education (TAFE) students enrolling in vocational education and training (VET) courses in New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia do not complete those courses. Findings were based on these two kinds of evidence: evidence obtained from a statistical investigation of the outcomes…

Youngstown State University (Ohio) established a full-cost renewable scholarship for 40 students annually who maintain a 3.5 or higher grade point average. The program is described, including results of the first three years' recruitment, first-year academic requirements, cocurricular activities, community service component, scholarship renewal,…

A study found college honors (n=231) and nonhonors (n=709) first-year students were similar in extracurricular interests, educational objectives, and some study habits; they reported differences in most other areas. Findings have implications for advising both groups, such as placement of emphasis on format of academic courses, orientation to…

Critics of distance education frequently assert that completion rates are lower in distance education courses than in traditional courses. Such criticism comes despite sparse and inconclusive research on completion rates for distance and traditional education courses. This article reviews some of the existing research and then describes some of…

This report contains four case studies from further education colleges in England that have been addressing student retention and dropout issues during the last several years. The case studies demonstrate successful student retention strategies in diverse college contexts with different student populations. They cover the following colleges:…

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…