This report describes the current educational and employment situation of Australian Indigenous youth in terms of their pathways from school to work. A literature review and analysis of statistical data identify barriers to successful transition from school to work, including forms of teaching, curriculum, and assessment that pose greater…

This sixth annual report provides welfare dependence indicators through 2000, reflecting changes since enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act in 1996 and highlighting benefits under Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), now Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); the Food Stamp program; and Supplement…

This report, 10th in a series, presents data for 1997 on high school dropout rates, and examines high school completion and graduation rates. The report is based on the best and most current national data available, using data from the Current Population Survey of the Bureau of the Census. Data show that about 5 out of every 100 young adults…

Reviews the evidence on how the concept of opportunities to learn can be applied to the demand for more challenging content for all students. Concludes that students learn more if they are offered more demanding curricula. However, such curricula creates the probability of unacceptable rates of failure. (MJP)

Analyzes the effects of high school students' economic prospects on high school completion rates for 67 Florida school districts. Concludes that students' decisions to drop out or complete high school may be influenced by their perceptions of the economic advantages that accompany a diploma. (FMW)

Goals 2000 is the offspring of "A Nation at Risk," a 1983 teacher- and school-bashing report. IBM CEO Louis Gerstner named the problem and defined the solution, claiming the need for choice, competition, and technology, recasting students as human capital, and marketizing the teacher/community relationship. Tables summarize critics'…

The federal requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) have placed a new focus on increasing graduation rates and reducing dropout rates. While the dropout problem has generated research and new programs over the last 30 years, the dropout rate has remained relatively unchanged. Students drop out of school for many reasons, and the…

This report uses a unique set of data obtained from the Kids Integrated Data System (KIDS), which is housed at the University of Pennsylvania's Cartographic Modeling Laboratory. The KIDS system merges individual-level data on young people from the School District of Philadelphia and the city's social service agencies, including the Department of…

This study explores household perspectives on school access at the village level in rural Tibet. Data from two rural areas are compared. This paper argues that despite abolition of all school fees, the use of Tibetan as a medium of instruction, the provision of boarding schools, and other incentives, dropout rates in rural areas remain high. This…

A follow-up survey was conducted in St. Cloud, Minnesota, of 127 (from a total of 357 students) former special education students who left school between 1988 and 1992. Respondents, most of whom completed the survey by phone, were predominantly male (69 percent), and most (63 percent) had been classified as learning disabled, with 29 percent…

This brief, based on a presentation by New York City Board of Education member Dr. Luis Reyes, describes the work and findings of the Latino Commission on Educational Reform, a special commission of the Board. In an effort to gather information for 1990-91 on Latino students in New York City schools, the Commission found that: Latino students…

This theme issue focuses on issues related to high Texas dropout rates among Hispanic and other minority group students and on dropout prevention strategies. "School Finance Inequities Mean Schools Are Not Ready To Teach" (Maria Robledo Montecel) deplores the recent Texas Supreme Court ruling that state educational funding is…

Despite a growing trend toward retention in grade of low-achieving students and apparent public support for the practice, many educators and psychologists disagree with the perception that flunking is an appropriate response to poor academic performance. Research reported in the past two decades indicates that grade-level retention produces little…

A study investigated factors in the dropout and progression of students from 33 programs in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in England and Wales. Data were gathered in student and teacher surveys. Results indicate a high level of student movement to and from ESOL classes. In intensive courses, more students were graded and more came…

As part of a long-term study of dropout related issues, this serial issue focuses on the topic of extracurricular activities and their availability in 15 of the largest urban districts in New Jersey. Following an opening section reviewing some of the positions taken over the years regarding extracurricular activities and their role in schools, the…