http://www.learningtofinish.org/ 2010-06-08T20:20:31+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/ http://www.learningtofinish.org/lib/images/favicon.ico text/html 2006-11-28T16:22:55+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=65percent&rev=1164730975 Increasingly the relationship between spending and student achievement is taking center stage in education debates. A number of states have considered legislation that would require school districts to spend at least 65% of their budgets on “... text/html 2009-03-04T17:46:08+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=a_year-round_collaboration_and_marketing_strategy_for_supporting_youth_organizatons&rev=1236188768 The Tutor/Mentor Connection has outlined a strategy of support for volunteer based tutor/mentor programs. August/September - School is starting all over the country. Volunteer-based organizations are searching for volunteers. This is a time when ... text/html 2006-10-03T18:42:54+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=ability_grouping_vs._cooperative_learning&rev=1159900974 Ability grouping is a common practice in US public schools. The idea is based upon the fact that incoming students come from varied backgrounds. Although research generally has not led to a consensus on whether this mode of teaching is beneficial o... text/html 2006-10-03T18:42:55+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=absenteeism&rev=1159900975 Absenteeism is one of the primary indicators of a student at-risk of dropping out. At George Washington Preparatory High School, located in south-central Los Angeles, both parents and students are required to sign a contract. Parents must attend wo... text/html 2009-03-18T12:36:10+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=act_now&rev=1237379770 If someone told you they wanted to help an at-risk student today, what would you tell them? Who could they contact? Where could they go to offer their services as a volunteer? How can they publicize the issue in their community? Use this section t... text/html 2007-04-12T15:35:50+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=alternative_education&rev=1176392150 Khino came to Open Meadow on the recommendation of a friend. He was seeking a place where he would be challenged to reach for his dreams. “None of my former teachers had ever suggested that I could go to college. It was like their expectations for ... text/html 2006-10-03T18:42:55+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=authoritative_parenting&rev=1159900975 The way parents interact with children is a key factor in determining potential academic achievement. But what kind of supervision improves, rather than lower the chances of success? Steinberg, Elmen, and Mounts (1989) attempt to answer this import... text/html 2007-07-25T15:37:47+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=community-wide&rev=1185377867 Do you know of an initiative that seeks to engage the efforts of community members in assisting with a student’s education? Add a description below with these other programs that have demonstrated exemplary interest and dedication toward conn... text/html 2006-10-03T18:42:59+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=crime&rev=1159900979 The safety of a neighborhood is an important indicator of its overall economic and social health. Neighborhood crime prevention efforts are essential. Safe neighborhoods are necessary to foster common values and community quality of life. Neighborh... text/html 2006-10-03T18:43:00+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=drgradrate&rev=1159900980 There are many different ways to calculate and document dropout or graduation rates. When you read a report on the dropout problem, always pay attention to how the dropout rates are calculated. Following is a brief review of different measures: T... text/html 2006-10-03T18:43:01+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=dropout_epidemic&rev=1159900981 Introduction Imagine a nationwide epidemic so severe that it strikes one in three teenagers and so malignant that few ever recover from it. The epidemic results in cascading costs for communities and for the nation as a whole – an estimate... text/html 2007-01-30T14:08:45+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=dropoutsay&rev=1170166125 What do dropout, themselves, say about their reasons for dropping out? Civic Enterprises interviewed dropouts to answer this very question. They found that there was no single reason why students drop out of high school and that respondents reporte... text/html 2008-05-09T18:55:23+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=dropoutsay2&rev=1210359323 Civic Enterprises interviewed dropouts and asked them what they thought would improve schools. Responses indicated clear supports that can be provided within a school environment, in the community and at home that would improve a potential dropout’... text/html 2006-10-10T14:54:33+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=early_warning&rev=1160492073 Researchers have identified three kinds of factors that put students at greater risk for dropping out: 1) Student’s Social Background Not surprisingly, a voluminous body of research has shown that factors related to social and family backgro... text/html 2006-12-05T19:57:10+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=effect_of_incentives_on_dropouts&rev=1165348630 Incentives have a strong role in encouraging people and rousing them to action. However, the effectiveness of incentives can vary widely depending upon individual’s needs and perceptions: while cash can be the primary motivator to one, a tuition re... text/html 2006-12-05T20:00:21+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=factors&rev=1165348821 Youth Transitions research findings based on surveys, interviews and focus groups with Boston-area students, parents, teachers and youth service providers show that many factors are at work: The relationship between students and teachers are the ... text/html 2006-12-05T20:06:21+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=family_literacy_and_dropout_prevention&rev=1165349181 Improving literacy can give at-risk children the skills they need to succeed in school. Successful literacy programs, however, do not need to concern only potential dropouts. It is also important to include the family of at-risk children (often for... text/html 2007-08-23T19:04:30+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=faq_dropout_stats&rev=1187895870 We have tried to anticipate many of the questions users may have about the Finish Line Calculator or about dropout statistics generally speaking. Feel free to add basic information here that may be of use to new wiki users or those just beginning t... text/html 2006-12-05T20:10:47+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=first_grade_forward&rev=1165349447 In their research, Alexander, Entwisle and Horsey investigate the relevance of long term risk factors in determining the likelihood of high school dropouts. While they do not claim that first grade experience “seals children’s fates” (98), certain ... text/html 2006-10-03T18:47:19+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=gradcounts&rev=1159901239 One of the most contentious elements of any dropout prevention effort is the calculation of the dropout rate. There is an tremendous amount of variability from one state to the next with varying degrees of reliability. In an attempt to get a handle... text/html 2008-04-21T14:29:30+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=home&rev=1208788170 Programs and Initiatives Case studies and success stories which explore programs that attempt to address the many facets of student retention. Use these studies to spot some common problems with this tough subject or to help find a solution to the ... text/html 2007-09-10T13:39:45+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=how_numbers_calculated&rev=1189431585 There are two important elements to any empirical calculation, the data set and the formula. Here is what we used to calculate the dropout rate in districts nationwide. Dataset We used the Common Core Data (CCD) as the numbers for our calcula... text/html 2007-08-17T15:37:15+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=how_we_built_it&rev=1187365035 HOW WE BUILT THE CALCULATOR ... text/html 2006-12-05T20:15:30+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=instructional_reform&rev=1165349730 A 2005 RAND study examined the effectiveness of strategies used by three urban school districts in order to improve instructional quality. The schools had identified that instructional improvement was a key factor in bridging the achievement gap b... text/html 2007-08-23T19:19:37+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=jacksonville&rev=1187896777 More details coming soon .... ... text/html 2006-10-03T18:47:21+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=karesource&rev=1159901241 Resource management has an important role to play in helping schools achieve better education outcomes. Resource management is paying attention to what to spend resources on, how to spend them, and how much to spend. Stewart and Kingston (2006) stu... text/html 2007-06-06T20:06:51+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=latino_hispanic_impact_initiatives&rev=1181160411 The dropout rate for those identifying themselves as Latino or Hispanic is close to 50%, this is nearly double the national average. A considerable body of research has shown that the dropout rate for Latinos born in the United States is not signi... text/html 2006-10-03T18:47:22+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=literature_overview&rev=1159901242 ... text/html 2006-10-03T18:47:23+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=literature_overviews&rev=1159901243 Background Reading Looking for the best of what’s out there on a given topic? Check out these “Learning to Finish” literature overviews on the broad issues surrounding the dropout problem or add one of your own. Dropout Numbers ... text/html 2009-08-08T21:17:12+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=locations&rev=1249766232 Locating the Dropout Crisis. Which High Schools Produce the Nation’s Dropouts? Where Are They Located? Who Attends Them. This report, written by Robert Balfanz and Nettie Legters, Center for Social Organization of Schools, Johns Hopkins Unive... text/html 2006-10-03T18:47:23+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=madplan&rev=1159901243 Although we are primarily interested in helping high school students, some lessons can be learned from the college level. The University of Wisconsin, Madison has a graduation rate for black students of only 29.3% in 1985. In response the school la... text/html 2010-01-29T14:45:20+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=mentorship&rev=1264776320 Entrepreneurship Education Programs are run in various cities across the country. Many dropouts and at-risk students complain that they do not see a connection between schooling and job skills. EEP seek to remedy this problem by involving local bus... text/html 2010-01-29T14:39:55+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=mentorshipprogram&rev=1264775995 Research Increased geographic mobility, the lack of organized youth activities in poor neighborhoods, and the rise of single-parent families and families with two working parents have all reduced the number of adult role models. Today, twenty-fi... text/html 2010-04-12T02:21:22+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=middle_school_archive_project&rev=1271038882 The dropout solution is to connect students with their own futures, their own stories, in as credible a manner as possible. Each student must know what dropping out means to their future opportunities. They must understand the real value of educati... text/html 2006-12-05T20:19:33+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=minority&rev=1165349973 A 2004 collaboration among the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, the Urban Institute, Advocates for Children of New York, and the Civil Society Institute examines racial disparities in the data on high school dropouts. The report explores... text/html 2007-06-01T19:49:18+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=national_guard_youth_challenge_program&rev=1180727358 References National Guard Youth Challenge Program Demilitarizing What the Pentagon Knows About Developing Young People: A New Paradigm for Educating Students Who Are Struggling in School and in Life ... text/html 2006-12-05T20:24:54+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=nclbprog&rev=1165350294 A review of: “NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND: Education Could Do More to Help States Better Define Graduation Rates and Improve Knowledge about Intervention Strategies.” This report is a follow-up to a 2002 report by the Government Accountabil... text/html 2010-03-23T21:05:40+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=newpapers&rev=1269378340 Here’s a must try. Professional assistance with custom essay, term papers, research papers, thesis etc. Any difficulty. Any topic. Affordable prices. Order 100% custom-written term papers from a reputable custom writing. Quality assistance fro... text/html 2010-06-08T16:25:47+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=news_and_resources&rev=1276014347 A compendium of useful online links related to student retention. If you have favorite web resources, add them here to share them with the community. research paper Wiki Sponsors Partnering to bring you this wiki resource are J-Lab and the ... text/html 2006-12-05T20:25:57+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=numbers&rev=1165350357 According to the Urban Institute only 68% of high school students graduate on time (Swensen 2004). When No Child Left Behind was passed, there were some concerns that schools and districts might push low-performing students out to raise test scores... text/html 2007-08-22T20:28:34+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=numbers_tell_us&rev=1187814514 If there is one lesson to be learned about dropout statistics it should be this – there is no single measurement that gives all communities the answer to why students leave school before graduating. Reliance on a single statistic not only foreclose... text/html 2007-09-04T18:35:24+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=old.home2&rev=1188930924 Programs and Initiatives Case studies and success stories which explore programs that attempt to address the many facets of student retention. Use these studies to spot some common problems with this tough subject or to help find a solution to the ... text/html 2007-04-02T23:01:57+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=open_meadow_advocate_program----read_more&rev=1175554917 Khino came to Open Meadow on the recommendation of a friend. He was seeking a place where he would be challenged to reach for his dreams. “None of my former teachers had ever suggested that I could go to college. It was like their expectations for ... text/html 2007-04-02T22:56:27+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=open_meadow_step_up_program----read_more&rev=1175554587 STEP UP, a collaborative program developed by Open Meadow Alternative Schools, a non-profit in north Portland, Oregon, is helping students at two neighborhood public middle schools (George and Portsmouth) make successful transitions to the neighborh... text/html 2008-11-20T15:02:28+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=parental_engagement&rev=1227193348 Thirty years of research has shown that having an involved parent or family member is critical to success in school. Anne Henderson and Karen Mapp’s research synthesis,A New Wave of Evidence shows that students with involved parents and famil... text/html 2007-05-16T20:18:35+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=parented&rev=1179346715 In communities of all sizes and shapes, parents face multiple challenges that may inhibit their ability to effectively raise and support their children. For example, the U.S. adolescent birth rate (43 for every 1,000 females aged 15-19), results in... text/html 2007-07-10T15:33:06+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=partnerships&rev=1184081586 This article contains a list of potential partnerships for those starting dropout prevention initiatives. The idea here is to create a broad list of many possible types of partnership. Community-wide initiatives can take all sorts of shapes and inv... text/html 2007-08-23T19:18:48+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=pilot_sites&rev=1187896728 Dropping out of high school is motivated by a variety of factors and many of them have little to do with school or homework. The only way at-risk youths will remain in school and earn their diploma is if their communities make a concerted effort to... text/html 2007-01-30T14:10:58+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=problems&rev=1170166258 A diverse network of programs serve many dropouts. Despite these assets, major problems persist. The following are discussed in greater detail in the Boston Youth Transitions Task Force report Too Big To Be Seen: There are not enough programs to s... text/html 2007-07-25T15:41:05+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=programs_and_initiatives&rev=1185378065 These wiki articles discuss the programs that schools, districts, organizations, and communities have used to keep students in school until they graduate. This page serves as an index page with brief summaries about a topic followed by links to fur... text/html 2008-08-08T16:14:35+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=promise_of_roanoke&rev=1218212075 The Promise of Roanoke is a citizen-led project that is a partnership between the City of Roanoke, Roanoke City Public Schools, and Virginia Tech. Throughout 2007, approximately 75 leaders in the community strategically examined different aspects of... text/html 2007-04-12T15:29:54+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=read_more&rev=1176391794 Khino came to Open Meadow on the recommendation of a friend. He was seeking a place where he would be challenged to reach for his dreams. “None of my former teachers had ever suggested that I could go to college. It was like their expectations for ... text/html 2008-01-25T17:47:20+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=research&rev=1201283240 Some of the pressing issues related to the dropout crisis are covered here but more reviews of research are needed to make this wiki a truly comprehensive resource. Add what you know below or read an overview we prepared on the dropout problem. D... text/html 2006-12-05T20:32:58+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=role_of_literacy_clubs_for_at-risk_girls_in_promoting_translation_critical_literacy&rev=1165350778 In the ever changing 21st century, learning how to read and write no longer meets the challenges faced in life today. In Bea Naff and Shelley Fones’ article Literacy Clubs for At-Risk Girls, the authors question the completeness of the conventional... text/html 2006-10-03T18:47:30+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=school-based_case_management&rev=1159901250 Oftentimes potential dropouts can be intervened only by offering them a combination of multiple services, which is not available from any single agency. Health, education and social services may all be necessary for intervention. Case Management ap... text/html 2006-10-03T18:47:31+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=school_size&rev=1159901251 Two major issues facing school boards are school consolidation and drop out rates. Both are much discussed, although they are not perceived to be linked in any way. At one point, “bigger is better” was the motto when determining school size. The ... text/html 2007-08-23T19:19:18+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=shreveport&rev=1187896758 More details coming soon .... ... text/html 2007-06-01T12:43:50+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=stats&rev=1180701830 Use this section to post relevant dropout and graduation rate data so the wiki can have a quick, one-stop resource for relevant numbers and statistics. Graduation Rate by State (1990-2000) State19902000 Alabama 67.4 65.1 Alaska 76.6 7... text/html 2006-10-03T18:47:32+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=teenpreg&rev=1159901252 Teenage pregnancy in terms of both the social and economic health of mothers and their children. Teenage mothers are less likely to receive prenatal care, and their children are more likely to be born before term, to have low birth weights, and to ... text/html 2006-12-05T20:37:15+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=therapeutic_recreation&rev=1165351035 “Purposeful recreation”, stemming from the field of Therapeutic Recreation (TR), can be an effective tool for intervening and improving the chances of success for at-risk youth. The need for therapy and intervention is important: “although certain... text/html 2007-07-25T15:04:01+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=transition&rev=1185375841 Transition programs are interventions that focus on the transition for students moving from middle to high school. Add programs here that address this critical stage in a student’s path through the school system. Coca-Cola Valued Youth Pro... text/html 2007-05-31T13:36:26+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=tutor_mentor_institute&rev=1180618586 While there are many references to different types of mentoring programs, and a variety of resources that organizations can use to start new programs, or help existing programs grow, the Tutor/Mentor Connection, focuses on the actions needed in a co... text/html 2007-07-03T14:28:51+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=tutorial&rev=1183472931 We have prepared a step-by-step tutorial on how to post articles on the Learning to Finish wiki. Use the Table of Contents at the right to skip ahead to sections that will be of greatest assistance. How are wiki articles organized? The articl... text/html 2007-06-22T19:28:53+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=vocational&rev=1182540533 The United Kingdom has extensive vocational training programs for high school aged students for whom college might not be the best option. A recent report (Stasz and Wright, 2004) gives an overview of the programs and problems some of them have had... text/html 2006-12-05T20:19:01+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=youth&rev=1165349941 Youth job-training programs have become increasingly more important as the structure of the youth employment market has changed. Today, young people with limited education have relatively fewer employment opportunities than their counterparts fifty... text/html 2007-07-18T15:49:48+01:00 http://www.learningtofinish.org/doku.php?id=youth_engagement&rev=1184773788 Engaging young people as partners in community change is a compelling idea, but translating that idea into effective practice requires focused attention to a range of issues. The principles described in this paper emerged from the commingling of re...