In October 2006, a collaborative of cross-sector leaders launched Project U-Turn, a citywide campaign to bring much-needed attention to Philadelphia's dropout crisis and to build the collective will to resolve it. In addition to increasing public awareness of the issue in a variety of ways, Project U-Turn's work has resulted in significant…

The primary goal of a districtwide dropout-prevention program is to develop, implement, and enhance instructional and programmatic components that have proven effective in educational research and practice and thus resulted in fewer students dropping out of school prior to high school graduation. This paper describes the development and…

Most large and mid-size cities suffer from alarming numbers of high school drop-outs. One man decided to do something about his city's high drop-out rate: He started the Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program (UCAP), an independent, public, middle school for teenagers at risk of dropping out. The details of that program are outlined here. The…

Improving retention in adult literacy programs is of great concern for both instructors and administrators. A learner-centered program is a must for improving retention. In such a program, a support system for learners should be readily accessible. Instruction should be based on students' goals, and program staff should be available to help…

In 1990-91, the educational histories of incarcerated juveniles in Illinois were analyzed to assess the value of educational intervention strategies prior to incarceration. Following open-ended interviews with public officials, structured interviews were held with 200 juvenile offenders, of whom 50 were female, from all parts of the state. The…

This study sought to evaluate the impact of orientation, general levels of adjustment, differences between orientation attending and non-attending students, and differences between faculty and student academic performance evaluations for freshmen at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania during the crucial first six weeks on campus. From a pool…

This article describes the use of activity counseling with borderline dropout high school students. The activity counseling consisted of urban encounters followed by group sessions in which students exchanged stories, opinions and feelings. These students have demonstrated improvement in self-concept, credit earning, and productivity. (SJL)

Describes the value of administering an interest inventory to elementary and junior high school students and of developing an educational program that is geared to student interests and that utilizes a variety of school and community resources. (JG)

This report outlines plans to reduce the dropout rate of Detroit (Michigan) Public Schools from the present 45% to 34% by 1990. First, current efforts to improve pupil learning experiences and reduce the dropout rate are listed. These are divided into three types: (1) early interventions (identification of adjustment or learning problems and…

The Summer Training and Education Program (STEP) provides 14 and 15 year olds with a paid summer experience that combines work, remediation in reading and math, and life skills instruction. This national, federally funded program is a response to data which show that poor academic performance and teenage pregnancy are important contributors to…

The report summarizes the evaluation of the 1985-86 Special Education Attendance Improvement/Dropout Prevention and Dropout Prevention (AIDP/DPP) programs which operated at 45 sites in New York City. City tax-levy DPP funds were allocated during the 1985-86 school year to the Division of Special Education to expand existing state-funded services…

This report reviews the literature on early departure from school in America, both past and present, in order to ascertain why students drop out of school, what the consequences are for the students who do so, and what schools can do to reduce the dropout rate. After a brief historical perspective on the problem, the social and economic costs of…

This bibliography provides brief annotations of 12 journal articles, project reports, and books on programs for dropout pregnant and parenting adolescents. Most of the documents cited describe particular programs in American cities. (KH)

Increasing numbers of special needs offenders reflect the proportionate growth of the general incarcerated population. Prevention should be aimed at working with local school districts to identify youth with learning problems who may eventually drop out of school. Many of the developmentally disabled and learning disabled persons who end up in the…

This guide was written to provide a practical tool for school, community, family, business, and industry groups to use in planning, developing, and managing service networks to the meet the health, social, and educational needs of children at risk of school failure. This guide contains program models, elements of successful programs, and…