The purpose of this program evaluation was to evaluate the impact of CORE District's Breakthrough Success Community (BTSC) Program at an urban Title I high school located in Southern California. BTSC aims to improve the ninth-grade experience through a focus on five key change drivers and the implementation of improvement science. Through teacher…

In recent years, the United States has focused attention and resources on increasing the number of students who graduate from high school, addressing an area of national concern: the large proportion of students who drop out of school prior to earning their diploma. As recently as 2004, more than 15% of high schools in the United States reported…

Diplomas Now is a partnership of three national organizations--Talent Development Secondary, City Year, and Communities In Schools--collaborating in an effort to transform urban secondary schools so that fewer students drop out and more graduate ready for postsecondary education and work. With the goal of a continuous system of support through…

My purpose for this exploratory qualitative research was to gain insights into the perceptions of high school students in Italy who receive private tutoring in mathematics, about their experience and expectations. Little prior research from the perspective of the students has been conducted. Results suggest that some students use private tutoring…

When students struggle in the elementary and middle grades, the likelihood that they will drop out of high school increases dramatically. Although most dropout prevention resources have focused on high schools in a last-ditch effort to keep students in school, earlier interventions in elementary and middle grades provide a better opportunity to…

Too many students drop out of school, which results in economic losses and increased crime. The problem is particularly acute for black and Hispanic students. A recent study of more than 130 9th-graders in five California high schools revealed some interesting information: Most of them (three-quarters) said they liked school, and more than 80% saw…

When Superintendent Anthony Amato arrived in Stockton, California's 38,000-student district, he knew that three of its four comprehensive high schools had been labeled "dropout factories." Mr. Amato, who has led the Hartford, Connecticut, Kansas City, Missouri, and New Orleans districts, studied Stockton's data to form his plan. Then he…

Comprehensive high schools have been unable to meet the needs of all students (Cotton, 2004). Students face challenges, and some have been labeled "at risk" for various reasons. These students constitute a unique group who often require more time, energy, and resources than large, comprehensive schools can offer. Consequently, they fall behind on…

This booklet encourages potential high school dropouts to stay in school. It opens by claiming that the choice to drop out of school is the student's but lists negative potential outcomes of that choice. The next several sections discuss reasons why parents; the school; the community; businesses; federal, state, and local governments; and the…

Interviews with 33 high school students with behavioral disorders identified factors affecting high school completion. Students' responses to each of five questions are categorized. Results suggest changes related to teachers, curriculum, and administration that might help more youth with behavior disorders to complete high school. (Contains…

This report on California dropouts draws on a large body of current research and features the correlates known to be associated with dropouts. It also details what is known and not known about the magnitude of the dropout phenomenon. Section I provides an introduction to the report. Section II presents a description of the reasons that students…

Focuses on poor grades, one of the primary reasons students drop out of school. Recommends that borderline students be earmarked for special treatment rather than be held to rigorous academic standards or passed when they are actually failing. Suggests that operational procedures for the implementation of special treatment be pedagogically…

The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers that deter students from completing a vocational program in Oklahoma high schools. The 2,173 program leavers and 1,000 school leavers who were in vocational education as eleventh graders during the 1981-82 school year were chosen as a representative sample and were surveyed to ascertain the…

An alternative dropout-prevention program is examined from the students' perspectives. Findings from interviews and observations suggest that the program is effective in keeping the students in school but does little to help the students develop daily living and social skills. Policy implications are discussed and suggestions for future research…

Assessed the effectiveness of a 12-week intervention program on potential dropouts (N=55). The results revealed that the experimental intervention did impact significantly on retention and absence rates, but student attitudes were not significantly affected. Results pose serious questions concerning the generalizations of the self-concept to…