The Student Support Services Program, in the student affairs division, has been a counseling and tutorial program at Chicago State University since 1978. The program's goal is to increase the retention and graduation rates of the university's students. The program's focus is to monitor extensively each participant's first year at the university…

The urban high school dropout phenomenon may result from the inability of at-risk students to integrate competing social identities, or "selves." Using Erik Erikson's theory of adolescent personality development as a framework, this study analyzes information gathered from interviews with 73 New York City high school students by peer…

This paper suggests 15 steps school superintendents can take to help close the gap between the educationally disadvantaged and other student populations. Superintendents should do the following: (1) create a vision of what an achieving educational community is; (2) implement goals and strategies which create a positive educational climate; (3)…

Between September 1, 1984, and August 31, 1985, a study examined the barriers to enrollment in and completion of postsecondary-level nontraditional vocational education programs in Florida. Data were collected from students and faculty members at 36 of Florida's 59 area vocational-technical centers and community colleges as well as from on-site…

Changing Attitudes Regarding Education (CARE) is a program for the elementary school level which seeks to heighten educators' awareness of student attitudes toward education that are not conducive to an ongoing learning process. The goals of the program are accomplished using a team approach. The school principal is a member of the team and…

This report describes the background and plans for an alternative education program to reduce the high dropout rate at Baldwyn High School in Baldwyn, Mississippi. Research shows that students drop out primarily because they are behind grade level and are older than their classmates. Of Baldwyn High School's approximately 290 students, between 25…

This booklet for dropout prevention team members is part of a series of program materials for a school-based intervention process to help at-risk students stay in school. Team members may include teachers, health care workers, parents, counselors, community volunteers, employers, or other caring adults. An introduction lists specific…

This instructor's guide is part of a series of program materials for a school-based intervention process to help at-risk students stay in school. This instructor book, a related student book, and a videotape called "A Time of Choices" comprise the classroom component of this set of materials focusing on awareness and commitment. It addresses the…

Statistics indicate that while half of America's teenagers are sexually active by age 18, many of these youth do not use contraception regularly and most delay doing so for more than a year. Of the nearly 500,000 teenage pregnancies resulting in birth annually, most of the mothers are unmarried and about half are under 18. This report argues that…

Recognizing the importance of strong working relationships with local high schools, Triton College (Illinois) has recently developed a series of initiatives which provide an ongoing avenue for students to experience Triton's programs and services while still in high school and thereby facilitate continuity of learning. One group of programs,…

Evidence suggests that limited-English-proficient (LEP) students are among those most likely to drop out of school. Inconsistencies in defining dropouts and limited research affect estimates of LEP dropouts. Factors increasing the dropout risk include: low level of English language competence; large school size; lower expectations of certain…

This booklet, prepared by the Wyoming Department of Education, lists roadblocks that impede the development of young people and suggests measures to be taken by the family, the community, and the schools to remove them. Data on youth involvement are given for Wyoming and for the United States on the following topics: (1) dropping out of school;…

This report describes Learning Unlimited, an alternative education program at North Central High School in Washington Township, Indianapolis, Indiana, as a model upon which other alternative education programs might be based. The program was established to keep potential high school dropouts in school, and to provide a new kind of educational…

The Shawnee High School/Detrick Vocational Center and Fairdale High School/Fairdale Vocational Center Academic/Vocational Projects are pilot programs designed to integrate academic and vocational studies in two Kentucky schools. In this project, students take their basic subjects at their high school and explore the vocational programs at the…

The problem of early school leavers within a system that offers a wide range of vocational training at the secondary level is examined. Focus is on factors that influence a student to opt for a vocational program rather than remaining in a comprehensive high school or dropping out of school. By means of interviews and school attitude…