A study was conducted to determine the types of training and educational levels desired for entry-level employees in Tennessee and to obtain employer ratings of entry-level work skills for Tennessee vocational education graduates as compared to nonvocational education graduates. Additionally, 61 Tennessee employers identified by school districts…

Many at-risk student intervention programs are not affordable for small rural schools. The Cooperative Alternative Program (CAP), a cooperative dropout prevention program administered by six western Texas rural school districts, is described in this report. The program is designed to meet graduation requirements, teach vocational skills, provide…

A study examined the extent of and the causes for student attrition in vocational education health careers programs in California. During the ten-month study, researchers utilized the following methods of data collection: analysis of data on enrollees, leavers, and completers that were gathered from California State Department of Education records…

The incidence of pregnancy among young teenagers has increased dramatically in the past several decades. Young single mothers are much more likely than others to leave school before graduation and to be unemployed and poor. This study was conducted to identify differences in completion, school attendance rates, and grades for secondary and adult…

This newsletter contains articles, policy statements, and reports of research concerning the transition from school to work as well as youth education issues, especially in the United Kingdom. This issue of the journal is organized into two parts. Part 1 contains reports on research projects on student retention in a forest farm community project,…

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,…

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,…

An alternative high school is proposed to meet the needs of the substantial number of Yuma students who are dropping out of school at increasing rates. In the period from 1974 to 1978 enrollment at Yuma's 2 high schools increased by only 8% while the drop-out rate increased by 56%. Enrollment figures show that the drop-out rate is highest in grade…

The purpose of the Sylacauga, Alabama, exemplary program, reported for the period from July 1, 1970 to June 30, 1973, was to demonstrate practices found effective for working with socioeconomically disadvantaged and other dropout-prone students. Program objectives were to provide: (1) student counseling services to help appraise interests,…

As part of a study designed to develop youth programs which would maximize social and occupational adjustment of minorities in the rural Southwest, this report contains a detailed description of the general framework and/or tentative guidelines for a Chicano youth program. Also included are operating principles for an American Indian program…

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…

Why students drop out of school and how to prevent them from doing so has been a recurring theme in research literature. Many factors influence the decision to drop out, including student access to counseling. This question of access to counseling is explored in this paper so as to identify variables that can be manipulated through policy…

A national study of 14 alternative secondary schools (urban, rural, and suburban) enrolling students at risk of dropping out suggests that effective schools provide at-risk students with a community of support and can prevent students from dropping out. Eight policy recommendations comprise a youth policy agenda for states and communities. (SLD)

Assessed at eighth and tenth grades the prediction of school dropout from measures of antisocial behavior, social preference, and achievement. Found that social preference does not uniquely predict school dropout. The possibility exists, however, that youth who are both antisocial and rejected may be at heightened risk for school dropout.…

This paper examines the success of the Boston (Massachusetts) Compact's business and public education agreements over the years 1985 through 1987. The Compact began in 1982 as a citywide public school improvement program. Business, university, and trade union leaders agreed to establish and meet measurable admission and hiring goals to increase…