In rural northeast Nevada, the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and Lander County School District collaborated to develop and administer an after-school program for at-risk elementary students that provided care, homework sessions, and life skills education. Results included increased community support for such programs and improvements…

The majority of students arriving at Kingsborough Community College with hopes of entering the nursing, physical therapist assistant, and other allied health programs (concentrations in pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy, pre-pharmacy, and pre-physician's assistant) are at-risk students. A Foundations of Human Anatomy and Physiology…

Patterns of history and culture help define the path one finds acceptable and follows. In Tremont, Maine, out-migration coupled with the influx of summer visitors has helped create a culture that undercuts students' appreciation of their own abilities and diminishes their aspirations to postsecondary education. Maine students in the "high…

In 2003, MDRC and a consortium of funders launched the Opening Doors demonstration to test reforms in six community colleges aimed at helping students stay in school and earn credentials. This report presents early results from the Opening Doors program at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio. The program provided intensive advising and…

Community-based early intervention strategies can provide students with skills and attitudes that make dropping out of high school an unnecessary choice. This report analyzes the high school dropout phenomenon in terms of its magnitude, influence on minority populations, and need for local outreach programs. In California, the dropout rate has…

Describes a student assignment that asks at-risk students to write letters to college freshmen on how to succeed in college. Explores ten common themes in the letters. Recommends the project because it is a good writing exercise for at-risk students and it is also beneficial for freshmen that can learn the tools needed for success. (Contains 20…

"Lumina Foundation Lessons" is an occasional publication in which the foundation shares the results of its grantees' work on strategies to improve the persistence rates among Indiana's underserved college freshman and sophomore populations. This issue, the first in the series, contains the following articles: (1) Summer Transition…

This report explores the impact, through themes that emerged in interviews with 59 participating adolescents, of the Mentor/Advisor Program on students with or at risk of emotional disturbance. The Mentor/Advisor Program is implemented as part of the existing regular education high school curriculum and is designed to promote resiliency and school…

The Benito Juarez Academy is a charter school for grades 9-12 located in Saginaw, Michigan. The school was established in 1995 to meet the needs of youth who were most at risk for low academic achievement, behavioral problems, and dropping out of school. This paper describes the school's planning and development process and the attitudes of…

The Academy of Casa Maria is a charter school for grades 6-8 located in southwest Detroit, Michigan. The school was established in fall 1994 to serve local youth most at risk for low academic achievement, behavioral problems, and dropping out of school. This paper describes the planning and development process and the attitudes of parents and…

In 1991, a survey was conducted at California's Sierra College (SC) to determine the types of students enrolling in algebra classes and to explore their attitudes about mathematics. The student population surveyed consisted of all students enrolled in 27 algebra class sections on the SC campus. The survey focused on students' reasons for enrolling…

Presents the methods and findings of a study to determine which demographic, academic, and personality characteristics of high-risk community college students were significant predictors of academic success. Reports on a follow-up of 411 high-risk, full-time, day students enrolled in remedial programs. Offers recommendations for increasing success…

This dissertation focuses on the impact of various community college environments on student persistence. Persistence is defined in the study as enrolling in the second semester of a student's first year at Schoolcraft College in Michigan. The study used information from placement tests and a college experiences survey to gather data from 1,263…

The Educational Learning and Enrichment Center (ELEC) entered into a contract with the Houston Independent School District (HISD) (Texas) to provide a community-based alternative education program for HISD eligible students who had dropped out of school and were considered to be at risk of not completing their basic education. The 1996-97…

This document discusses the summer 2000 Running Start Program at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) (California), designed to assist high school students with limited financial resources in transitioning to college life and curricula. Thirty-seven students enrolled in the summer program. Thirty-four students (92%) completed it. Of those who…