This handbook is designed to assist interested individuals in identifying and developing support services for special populations students. It defines students from special populations and lists their characteristics. The major part of the handbook is devoted to providing a brief description of each of the following support services: vocational…

The effectiveness of employment and training (E&T) programs in improving labor market outcomes can be assessed by measuring the impact on the future success of participants. The program with the greatest success in reducing dropout rates among at-risk youth is the Quantum Opportunities Project. Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA)…

The follow-up component of the Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) program tracked students who graduated from YOU programs. Each participating university--Arkansas State, Henderson State, Southern Arkansas, University of Arkansas-Monticello, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and University of the Ozarks--maintained contact with its own…

The School to Employment Program (STEP) provided job placement, training, counseling, and remediation for economically disadvantaged youth aged 14-21 who were at risk of dropping out of school or who had dropped out and were unprepared for employment. Its two major components were in-school and out-of-school programs. Youth in both programs were…

A study assessed the impact of the Career Intern Program (CIP) on participating students. (The CIP is an alternative high school designed to enable disadvantaged and alienated dropouts or potential dropouts to earn regular high school diplomas, to prepare them for meaningful employment or postsecondary education, and to facilitate their transition…

This guide is designed to share the experiences of 25 British further education colleges and adult education services that have developed demonstrably successful strategies to improve student retention. An introduction discusses the report's background, content, and format. The format mixes thematic presentation with mini-case studies and…

Environmental Readiness Learning (ERL) is the affective curriculum component developed by the Bedford Stuyvesant Street Academy (New York) to improve the behavior, academic achievement, and self-esteem of urban high school students with histories of prior school failure. The program design reflects the school's philosophy that educational success…

Designed for educational administrators, state-level personnel, program coordinators, teachers, and researchers, this monograph highlights five exemplary vocational programs serving individuals from special populations. Identified through an extensive national search in 1990, each program exemplifies successful practices for secondary and…

This report on secondary school dropouts consists of an analysis of the scope and nature of the dropout problem, a discussion of successful programs and activities for dropouts, a description of a pilot study involving Minnesota public secondary schools and Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) agencies, and presentation of…

A study identified causal linkages and basic interrelationships among components of the Career Intern Program (CIP) and observed outcomes. (The CIP is an alternative high school designed to enable disadvantaged and alienated dropouts or potential dropouts to earn regular high school diplomas, to prepare them for meaningful employment or…

Efforts of the Career Intern Program (CIP) to help urban youth get a basic education and further training or a paying job, are described in this report, written for the educator or school board member interested in a program combining basic and career education for high school youth who are not succeeding in regular schools (dropouts or those…

This final report and curriculum guide are products of a project conducted to improve existing at-risk programs through cooperation between vocational and academic personnel by coordinating lesson plans. The following project activities are described: (1) a literature review on the diverse needs of at-risk students enrolled in an alternative to…

A study compared the Career Intern Program (CIP) with five other alternative youth programs. (The CIP is an alternative high school designed to enable disadvantaged dropouts or potential dropouts to earn regular high school diplomas, to prepare them for meaningful employment or postsecondary education, and to facilitate their transition from…

An in-class survey of a representative sample of 298 students was conducted by Merritt College in March 1979 to determine: (1) the approximate number of students who were considering withdrawal from college; (2) the approximate number who had given withdrawal serious consideration in the past; and (3) the factors which students felt were decisive…

The research literature on types of student retention, correlates of retention, and action strategies to improve retention is reviewed. Retention or student persistence can be assessed in terms of completion of a degree of certificate, a program but not a degree, or a term or course. Retention may also be persistence to attain a personal goal but…