The dropout rate for many Mississippi high schools has improved tremendously over the last decade. In 2017, the Mississippi Department of Education reported that the dropout rate for the State declined form 13.9% to 10%. This rate was only 4% higher than the national average. However, with all the research that pertains to student dropouts and the success many states are seeing, there are still school districts failing to show improvement. Many high schools have dropout rates in excess of 20%. This study explored the perceptions of district high school principals, counselors, and other administrators working in schools with students who are at risk of dropping out. It examined the prevention practices or strategies that are the most effective in improving dropout rate conditions. The theoretical framework of this study was the theory of experience and experiential learning theory addressed by Dewey, Neill, and Kolb. Dewey (1916) argued that students could not control their previous experiences, but once a student understood the importance of engaging in the learning and the implications of persisting in school they could then take ownership of their learning and succeed. The importance of this involved student motivation and engagement. Kolb (1984) further developed this theory with the concept of a student’s learning style to help individuals identify the way they learn from experience. Hence, helping students engage in learning by internalizing its value to students remained a primary concept. Data collection methods included surveys, interviews, and a review of participating school’s dropout prevention plans. The results of this study indicated that successful schools are using dropout prevention plans which may be emulated or duplicated in other schools. The components of such plans are directly connected to the themes that emerged from successful school leaders regarding student persistence in high school. The study found that key elements for a successful program included the following: community collaborations, leadership development, teaching and learning practices, and support from district level leadership. It was determined that the administrators and counselors believed that they were capable of meeting the needs of their students through various programs, district initiatives, teacher and leadership development, and the involvement of all stakeholders which were the leading factors to their success. All of these elements were required in order to see substantive gains in student dropout rate.

*pages 337, 339, 341, 343, 345, 347, 350, 352 were removed from text. / Most research on secondary school dropout has been cross-sectional, and this has made it difficult to know whether the differences observed between dropouts and persisters are antecedents or consequences of attrition. Furthermore, little is known about the causes of dropout among non-majority students such as native Indians. Investigators also have neglected to consider the utility of using theoretical frameworks that have proved useful in understanding various behaviours. This thesis was directed at learning which variables contribute to dropout among Native and nonNative students and at delineating combinations of variables that are useful predictors of enrollment status. The relative merits of the Ajzen-Fishbein model and a general expectancy-value approach also was of concern. To these ends, a longitudinal, multivariate investigation was undertaken. Information from school records and questionnaires was used to determine which factors distinguished students who had persisted from those who had discontinued 1 year and 3.7 years after the initial survey. The results revealed that dropout can be predicted with considerable accuracy even over several years. Intentions, absenteeism, grade average, and perceived value of education were shown to be the most important predictors. Information in school records enabled good prediction. Of the two models, the Ajzen-Fishbein framework showed the most promise. Although the data were consistent with Fishbein's conceptualization of how intentions are formed, it was shown that the model needs refinement in accounting for actual behaviour. On the basis of the findings from this and other research, suggestions are given for decreasing attrition. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<p> Exercise programs designed for cardiac patients frequently report high dropout rates. Little is known about the reasons for this high rate of dropout; further, little is known about health behavior patterns including physical activity subsequent to graduation or dropout from exercise programs. Identification of reasons for dropout and the pattern of physical activity after participation in formal exercise rehabilitation would provide information regarding achievement and maintenance of treatment goals.</p> <p> Entry characteristics were determined for 84 male cardiac patients (45 compliers and 39 dropouts) from the McMaster Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Program. Follow-up information pertaining to areas of: a) health; b) employment, smoking, activity, and dietary status; c) reasons for joining the program; d) perceived benefits achieved; and e) factors contributing to compliance with or dropout from the exercise program was obtained from 63 subjects (41 compliers and 22 dropouts) who responded to a questionnaire by mail.</p> <p> The dropout rate at the end of the 6 month program was 46.4% (39 of 84 subjects) with one-half of all dropout occurring within the first 2 months of the 6 month program. Upon entry into the exercise program, a significantly greater proportion of dropouts (43.6%, n=17) than compliers (8.9%, n=4) were found to be regular smokers. Likewise, a significantly greater proportion of dropouts (82.1%, n=32) than compliers (55.6%, n=25) were found to be inactive in their leisure habits upon entry. Dropouts were also more likely to be blue collar workers (71.8%, n=28), and younger in age (x̅ age = 48.4 years) when compared to compliers (37.8%, n=17; x̅ age = 54.3 years) upon entry into the exercise program. Upon follow-up, compliers were significantly more likely to report active leisure habits (85.4%, n=35) than were responding dropouts (45.5%, n=10). Compliers were also significantly more likely to report moderate work activity levels upon follow-up (54.8%, n=17) compared to dropouts (22.2%, n=4). Reasons for compliance to and withdrawal from the exercise program provided by respondents centred around psychosocial and personal convenience categories.</p> <p> Although statistically significant, the greater follow-up activity levels noted among compliers in this study appear to be only temporary, short-term patterns which tend to diminish with time. It is suggested that compliance-improving strategies be developed through further study with the aim of encouraging the long-term maintenance of desired behavior change.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on reading achievement for middle school students after participation in a computer-based reading intervention program, READ 180, as well as the relationship of program participation to later dropout rates, compared to students enrolled in a traditional reading remediation program. A nonequivalent control group research design was used to examine data collected from 384 students in Grades 6 through 8 participating in reading interventions spanning a 3-year period from 2003 through 2006. Independent samples t test and chi-square statistics were used to analyze data to determine the yearly reading achievement mean gains, differences between the effects of the two reading interventions, and later dropout frequencies. There were no significant differences between the treatment and comparison groups in reading scores during the first year of READ 180 implementation. Computer software problems affected the implementation of READ 180 during the first semester of implementation. The findings reveal a statistically significant difference between the effects on reading achievement scores for students who participated in READ 180 when implemented with moderate fidelity compared to students in a traditional reading remediation program during the 2nd and 3rd years of implementation. The findings in this study revealed that an intensive reading intervention, READ 180, can significantly improve reading achievement for struggling adolescent readers when implemented with moderate fidelity. Analyses of the data revealed differences between the number of 2003-2004 reading intervention participants and the school division cohort dropout rates. A significant difference was not observed between the 2004-2006 cohort dropout rates when compared to the school division rates. The findings in this study will be beneficial to secondary principals who are held accountable for literacy development, implementation, and evaluation as the school instructional leader. / Ph. D.

Dropping out of high school is an issue that has faced the educational system for years. At a high school in Mississippi, the dropout prevention plan implemented was not beneficial to all at-risk students because it mainly focused on academic issues. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand why students dropped out of high school and to gather strategies for a dropout prevention plan. The conceptual framework was based on 5 factors: general deviancy, deviant affiliation, family socialization, structural strain, and academic quandary. The research questions inquired about experiences that caused students to drop out and suggested strategies for a new dropout prevention plan. Data collection methods included interviews with 18 teachers, 3 counselors, and 20 former students who dropped out between 2007 and 2012. Interpretive data analysis was used to analyze data. Open and axial coding was used to develop themes about why students dropped out of high school. Those themes included behavioral issues, peer and work-related influences, family structure, school environment, and academic problems. Data analyses indicated that tutoring, staff development, mentoring, counseling, parental involvement, teenage mother programs, and alternative options were useful in preventing students from dropping out. These findings were used to develop a high school dropout prevention plan to benefit at-risk students. The overall goal for this project was to decrease high school dropout rates. By implementing the high school dropout prevention plan, schools may enable more students to further their education and become productive citizens within their communities.

The Perkins IV Act was passed in 2006 to promote high school graduation for youth while introducing skills they need to be prepared for in the labor market. Yearly progress reports measure if CTE programs are successful in reducing dropout rates but fall short for a number of reasons. Using state-level data from the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Consortium (NASDCTEc) website for the 2009-2010 school year, state-level data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD) database for 2009-2010, and dropout data from the U.S. Department of Education for the 2010-2011 school year to establish causality, my research seeks to address the extent to which Perkins IV funding reduces drop out rates at the state-level.

Schools in the United States have struggled with graduation rates for nearly 140 years. School divisions are continuously searching for new and creative curriculums to address changing student needs. From the U.S. Department of Education to local school board members, educators are working to discover creative and accountable alternatives to address these issues. Development of online programs continues to offer students some of the curriculum resources they need for success and provides an alternative way to approach instruction for school systems. Educators in Lee County are researching new policies and programs to assist students in obtaining their high school diplomas. Understanding perceptions of the administrative staff plays a key role in program development and implementation of programs for students. This qualitative case study addresses the particular issue of perception in relation to the implementation of a new form of instruction. By understanding staff perceptions education leaders can develop plans and procedures to address issues related to staff development and program implementation. The following set of policies and procedures were necessary for the online program: Each individual school needed the opportunity to use the program as they deemed necessary for student needs.The online program would be used as a secondary curriculum to assist students in the areas of dropout prevention, alternative education and credit recovery.Administrators provide consistency of the implementation to all students in the county.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-04-03T12:57:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Amanda Aparecida Camargo de Oliveira.pdf: 1643283 bytes, checksum: 0571e0107458b13b6bb02fa033317fd4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-03T12:57:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Amanda Aparecida Camargo de Oliveira.pdf: 1643283 bytes, checksum: 0571e0107458b13b6bb02fa033317fd4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-13 / In Brazil each and of four students that enter in the elementary school one theirs to throw up the school before of to complete the last series. The School flight is a complicate social phenomenon, multidimensional, expression of a collective problem with consequences not only academic, but also social and economic. Aim: This study has the purpose to identify the reasons of flight for students in a state nursing technical course, in the interior of São Paulo, to characterize the demographic and work profile of the not finished students, and to propose actions that may helper to reduce evasion. Method: This is a descriptive, documentary research with a qualitative-quantitative approach. The study included 18 students who evaded in the first semester of 2014. The sample included students from four groups who presented in the year in question the percentage of 18.66% of avoidance. An oral interview conducted, recorded in audio, guided by questions about the reasons for avoidance and ways of avoiding them. In addition, participants replied to a form with socio-demographic and work data. The subject of the interviews organized according to the reference of the Discourse of the Collective Subject for the analysis and interpretation of these data the subject analysis used modality thematic analysis. Sociodemographic dice analyzed according to the frequency of inconstant. Results: showed that the participants were mostly women, aged between 18 and 35 years, children of parents with low level of education, since most didn’t attend high school, and 50% of families live with income of one to three wages Minimum. The causes of evasion identified by the interviewees categorized into individual (maternity, change of address, illness in the family), environmental (need to work, financial difficulties, schedules incompatibility) and academic (dissatisfaction with the choice of course, with the work of Completion of course, unsatisfactory academic result). The environmental factors predominated, the incompatibility of schedules as the main cause of evasion. This agent is entail to the difficulty of to harmonize academic activities and the world of work and is due to the need to work to make up the family budget. Participants suggested welcoming actions (listening to students, active search), academic measures (diversifying schedules, improving CBT), and measures to support students in financial difficulties as ways to avoid circumvention. Listening to the student, in order to "be attentive" to their difficulties and confrontations, especially in the learning teaching process was proposed by two participants and considered by the school team to receive the return of the results as the most important action in the fight against evasion, by its preventive and humanized character. It is concluded that the student's access to and permanence in the course involves not only pedagogical questions but also measures that consider the context and the singularity of the student, as well as require co-responsibility of all the professionals involved / No Brasil de cada quatro alunos que ingressam no ensino fundamental um deles abandona a escola antes de completar a última série. A evasão escolar é um fenômeno social complexo, multidimensional, expressão de um problema coletivo com consequências não só acadêmicas, mas sociais e econômicas. Objetivos: identificar os motivos da evasão dos alunos de um curso técnico de Enfermagem estadual do interior de São Paulo, caracterizar o perfil sócio demográfico e de trabalho dos alunos não concluintes e propor ações que possam auxiliar na diminuição da evasão. Métodos: Trata-se de pesquisa descritiva, documental, com abordagem qualiquantitativa. Participaram do estudo 18 alunos que evadiram no primeiro semestre de 2014. A amostra abrangeu alunos de quatro turmas que apresentaram no ano em questão o percentual de 18,66% de evasão. Foi realizada entrevista oral, gravada em áudio, orientada por questões sobre os motivos da evasão e formas de evitá-las. Além disso, os participantes responderam a um formulário com dados sóciodemográficos e de trabalho. O conteúdo das entrevistas foi organizado segundo o referencial do Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo e para análise e interpretação desses dados foi utilizada a análise de conteúdo, modalidade análise temática. Os dados sóciodemográficos foram analisados segundo a frequência de suas variáveis. Resultados: os participantes são em maioria mulheres, com idade entre 18 e 35 anos, filhos de pais com baixo nível de instrução, pois a maioria não cursou o ensino médio e 50% das famílias vivem com renda de um a três salários mínimos. As causas de evasão apontadas pelos entrevistados foram categorizadas em individuais (maternidade, mudança de endereço, doença na família), ambientais (necessidade de trabalhar, dificuldades financeiras, incompatibilidade de horários) e acadêmicas (insatisfação com a escolha do curso, com o trabalho de conclusão de curso, com o resultado acadêmico insatisfatório). Os fatores ambientais predominaram destacando-se a incompatibilidade de horários como a principal causa de evasão. Este fator está vinculado à dificuldade de conciliar as atividades acadêmicas e o mundo do trabalho e é decorrente da necessidade de trabalhar para compor o orçamento familiar. Os participantes sugeriram ações de acolhimento (ouvir os alunos, busca ativa), medidas acadêmicas (diversificar horários, melhorar o TCC) e medidas de apoio aos alunos com dificuldades financeiras como formas de evitar a evasão. Ouvir o aluno, no sentido de “estar atento” às suas dificuldades e enfrentamentos, sobretudo no processo ensino aprendizagem foi proposto por dois participantes e considerada pela equipe escolar ao receber a devolutiva dos resultados como a ação mais importante no combate da evasão, principalmente, pelo seu caráter preventivo e humanizado. Conclui-se que o acesso e a permanência do estudante no curso envolvem não só questões pedagógicas como também medidas que considerem o contexto e a singularidade do aluno, bem como requerem corresponsabilidade de todos os profissionais envolvidos

Concerns over the academic success of first-time ninth-grade students transitioning into the high school setting continue to stimulate substantial interest in identifying the various factors that cause the ninth-grade bottleneck.  Extensive research shows that when ninth-grade students transition into the high school setting, students have a difficult time navigating the more academically rigorous, less nurturing, usually larger and anonymous high school setting.  Studies have shown that transition practices to help ninth-grade students are successful in making this transition smoother and more successful for incoming freshmen, thereby leading to more credits and a stronger chance for students to earn a diploma. This dissertation is a replication of a previous Virginia Tech study completed by Henry Johnson titled High School Transition Practices for Ninth Graders: A Descriptive Study of Maryland Public High Schools, but it focuses on public schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  The primary data collection method was a survey that was sent to all Virginia principals.  First, results from the survey were analyzed to develop a description of the various transition practices existing in Virginia\'s public high schools in relation to school size, demographics, and community type.  Second, the survey data were analyzed to determine the various perceptions of school officials concerning the effectiveness of reported transition practices.  The data provide a description of the transition practices in Virginia's public schools.  Results from this study give administrators and policymakers an idea of what type of transition practices exist in the various public schools in Virginia as well as the perceived effectiveness of the practices in place. / Ed. D.

Curricula throughout the country, specifically in the School District of Hillsborough County (SDHC), do not encompass diverse subject matter as it relates to Latino/a students. The primary argument posed in this thesis is that consistent engagement to Latino/a writings in the English language arts classroom can be a positive force that contributes to an increased rate of retention of Latino/a youths in high school and a higher percentage of Latino/a high school graduates. This Latino/a literature can be in the form of supplementary reading material that teachers will have access to that will include Latino/a literature from various authors that represent the full spectrum of what the Latino/a experience is and how it is an integral part of the American kaleidoscope of literature. This thesis examines how culture-based education, currently used with American Indians, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians, directly correlates to Latinos/as in regards to culture, learning methodology and academic achievement. Included is a full unit plan and a literature guide for teachers to use that includes a plethora of Latino/a literature divided by specific country of origin of author(s) as well as genre.