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Objectives: This study examines: (a) whether the association between juvenile delinquency and educational attainment differs by gender, and (b) which factors underlie such gender differences. Methods: In order to account for the influence of unobservable family-background factors, this study applies sibling fixed-effects models on the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). As a sensitivity check, I explore whether observed gender differences are robust to different measurements of delinquency and the potential presence of sibling spillover effects. Results: Nearly half of the association between juvenile delinquency and educational attainment is attributable to unobservable factors related to family background. This study finds that controlling for unobserved family-level heterogeneity substantially attenuates the association between juvenile delinquency and educational attainment among females, making it no longer statistically significant. Among males, sibling fixed-effects estimates suggest that a one-standard-deviation increase in delinquent involvement is associated with a reduction in 0.23 years of schooling and a 4.6 percentage point increase in the probability of high school dropout. Supplementary analyses show that male delinquents face major disadvantages in social relationships in school settings and display lower levels of educational aspirations as well as effort. No such patterns are found among female delinquents. Conclusions: This study finds a negative association between delinquency and educational attainment only for males but not for females. Results suggest that failure to account for unobserved family-level heterogeneity spuriously inflates the delinquency–education association to a larger extent among females than males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The debate regarding the relative effects of automatic grade promotion versus grade retention has long concerned education policymakers and researchers. This work applies a random-effects probit model to assess the probability of early dropout in Brazilian public schools based on a unique administrative database which permits to infer household income at the student level for more than 60 thousand pupils enrolled in 273 schools. The results suggest evidence that decisions to drop out early are significantly influenced by whether approval has taken place and age-grade distortion. Moreover, simulation exercises have suggested that automatic grade promotion policy could reduce up to 35% the probability of a low-income student dropout from secondary school, while 24% for their rich peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though girls' education ensures socio-economic development, it is not accessible to many girls living in less privileged areas. A significant number of girls in South Asia reportedly discontinue their secondary level education due to several cultural and economic factors. This study was carried out to investigate the factors that cause hurdles in the way of girls' secondary education. A total of 200 households were randomly surveyed from district Khairpur, Sindh to record men's opinions about social, cultural, economic and geographical dimensions influencing girls' secondary education. The findings of this study indicate that girls' secondary education is not favoured in rural communities in a bid that the primary responsibility of girls is to look after the household. Parents want to see their daughters as good wives and mothers, and this has a consequential impact on their education. Results highlight that early marriage, patriarchy, cultural values and school distance deter girls' secondary level schooling in rural Sindh. We suggest to address socioeconomic, cultural and geographical barriers to ensure girls' participation in secondary schools otherwise girls' limited access to education and gender-based discrimination will persist, which is likely to result in socioeconomic retardation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a state-wide teen pregnancy dropout prevention program using cost-benefit analysis. Data analyzed from five high schools covering a decade compared three student populations: teens from the general population, teens who were enrolled in the fully online program, and teens who selected out of the full program but made use of daycare services. Graduation outcomes and the cost per student for administering each version of the program were examined. Results revealed that students in the full program (over the 10 years) experienced a graduation rate of 1.6% with a negative rate of return of $-8,989,736; whereas, student continuing their face-to-face courses (but making use of daycare services) experienced a graduation rate of 64.5% and rate of return of $293,370. These findings demonstrate the utility of employing a cost-benefit analysis, encouraging school districts to collect more data regarding educational outcomes of pregnant and parenting teenagers to guide the efficient allocation of resources. This methodology could be adopted to inform future policy decisions aimed at increasing high school graduation rates while judiciously evaluating the investment for those interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the effects of the labor market experience of high school dropouts four years after leaving school by sending fictitious résumés to real job postings in France. Compared to those who have stayed unemployed since leaving school, the callback rate is not raised for those with employment experience, whether it is subsidized or nonsubsidized, if there is no training accompanied by skill certification. We find no stigma effect associated with subsidized work experience. Moreover, training accompanied by skill certification improves youth prospects only when the local unemployment rate is sufficiently low, which occurs in one-fifth of the commuting zones only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

U.S. teen birth rates remain high relative to other industrialized countries. Despite extensive literature on teen mothers and their children, almost no research examines the effects of teen fertility on the rest of the mother's family. I address this gap, finding that teen birth negatively affects mothers' younger siblings. Using several matched control methods, I find that sisters of new teenage mothers experience a 3.8 percentage point decrease in test scores, a 7.6 percentage point increase in grade repetition, and a 9.3 percentage point increase high school dropout, while brothers experience a 9.2 percentage point increase in juvenile justice system exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Romanian Review of Eurasian Studies / Revista Română de Studii Eurasiatice is the property of Romanian Review of Eurasian Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Affective disorders are overrepresented in epilepsy, and people with epilepsy may be at risk of dropping out from school. The aim of the present study was to assess factors influencing high school dropout, anxiety, and depression in genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE). One hundred and ten people with GGE aged 19‐40 years underwent a clinical interview, including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire. Potential predictors of high school dropout were analyzed with logistic regression, and factors influencing total HADS score were analyzed with linear regression. Having felt excluded because of epilepsy was significantly associated with high school dropout (odds ratio 7.80, P =.009), as was total HADS score (odds ratio 1.22, P =.005). If a participant was currently employed or undergoing education, previous high school dropout was less likely (odds ratio 0.07, P =.005). High school dropout was associated with increased current anxiety and depression (β = 0.32, P =.005). Epilepsy severity (current drug resistance, current polytherapy, and active generalized tonic‐clonic seizures) was not associated with high school dropout, nor with total HADS score. The issue of stigma in epilepsy must be thoroughly addressed in comprehensive care and may be as important as seizure control when it comes to education and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Context: Early warning indicators (EWI) are often used by states and districts to identify students who are not on track to finish high school, and provide supports/interventions to increase the odds the student will graduate. While EWI are diverse in terms of the academic behaviors they capture, research suggests that indicators like course failures, chronic absenteeism, and suspensions can help identify students in need of additional supports. In parallel with the expansion of administrative data that have made early versions of EWI possible, new machine learning methods have been developed. These methods are data-driven and often designed to sift through thousands of variables with the purpose of identifying the best predictors of a given outcome. While applications of machine learning techniques to identify students at-risk of high school dropout have obvious appeal, few studies consider the benefits and limitations of applying those models in an EWI context, especially as they relate to questions of fairness and equity. Focus of Study: In this study, we will provide applied examples of how machine learning can be used to support EWI selection. The purpose is to articulate the broad risks and benefits of using machine learning methods to identify students who may be at risk of dropping out. We focus on dropping out given its salience in the EWI literature, but also anticipate generating insights that will be germane to EWI used for a variety of outcomes. Research Design: We explore these issues by using several hypothetical examples of how ML techniques might be used to identify EWI. For example, we show results from decision tree algorithms used to identify predictors of dropout that use simulated data. Conclusions/Recommendations: Generally, we argue that machine learning techniques have several potential benefits in the EWI context. For example, some related methods can help create clear decision rules for which students are a dropout risk, and their predictive accuracy can be higher than for more traditional, regression-based models. At the same time, these methods often require additional statistical and data management expertise to be used appropriately. Further, the black-box nature of machine learning algorithms could invite their users to interpret results through the lens of preexisting biases about students and educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research shows that educators can identify half of future high school dropouts as early as Grade 6--and three quarters or more of future dropouts by Grade 9--by monitoring readily available data on attendance, behavior, and course performance. These data have come to be known as the ABCs of dropout prevention, and the measures are some of the more commonly used early warning indicators. Purpose: Developing and deploying an early warning indicator system (EWIS) is a complex endeavor for school districts, especially smaller districts without access to a large internal research team or experience implementing similar data-oriented initiatives at scale. In this chapter, we describe four key considerations that school districts and others should take account of when designing an EWIS: building broad consensus on the purpose of the system, planning around system design and data availability, validating indicators and setting thresholds, and implementing and monitoring the system. Research Design: This article is based on a review of the relevant literature on designing EWISs and our experiences. We have partnered with multiple districts and states in recent years and advised these organizations on early warning indicator selection, as well as system development. References to the literature are noted where applicable. The omission of references indicates that that portion of the text is based on our experiences working directly with districts and states. Conclusions/Recommendations: Developing early warning indicators--and an EWIS--is a complex technical and human undertaking, akin to implementing a large districtwide initiative at scale. Districts of any size are well served by thinking carefully about the process and going slowly, if needed, to ensure they get the details right. Planning the system and building consensus for implementation, choosing indicators that are right for the district context, and validating and setting the right thresholds for those indicators are essential for building widespread leadership, staff, and community support for the EWIS, as well as developing the conditions for effective implementation and use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Context Emerging experiences suggest that research-practice partnerships (RPPs) can benefit both research and practice. As researchers and practitioners become part of the same social network, they also can become trusted sources of information for one another. By modeling the research use process, practitioners can incorporate what they learn into their own research acquisition and interpretation processes and researchers can gain a better understanding of how their work can be designed and conducted so that it is directly relevant to practice. Purpose/Focus of the Study: Prior literature on research-practice partnerships has identified common challenges of these partnerships such as turnover, trust, common language, and complex systems. The study follows a grounded theory approach to better understand challenges and dynamics within research-practice partnerships. Setting: The study included members of eight research-practice partnerships including two focused primarily on the use of early warning indicators to reduce high school dropout. Partnerships were diverse in their location and maturity. Five partnerships were located in the Midwest, one partnership was located in the South, and two partnerships were located in New England. Half of the partnerships were less than two years old at the time of the interviews, and the oldest partnership was 8 years old. Research Design: Using a grounded theory approach to better understand challenges and dynamics within RPPs, we analyzed qualitative interview data inductively to identify common themes discussed by respondents. Data Collection and Analysis: The study team conducted telephone interviews with two researchers and two practitioners from eight RPPs, for a total of 31 interviews - one researcher was interviewed for two different partnerships. The team used semi-structured interview protocols aligned to the four research questions. In analyzing the interview data, we identified themes, categories, and theories that emerged from the data and confirmed or refuted our initial impressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: This study investigates how the Medicaid Expansion of the Affordable Care Act affected state high school dropout rates. METHODS: This study relies on a differences‐in‐differences estimation strategy that is common in program evaluation, especially in education. This method replicates in a regression framework a classic pre‐test post‐test comparison group quasi‐experimental design. The analysis is conducted at the state level, which reduces the precision of the estimates. RESULTS: States that adopted the Medicaid Expansion had a 0.658 percentage point greater reduction in dropout rates than non‐Expansion states in the year of Medicaid implementation. A back‐of‐the‐envelope calculation suggests that if all the remaining non‐Expansion states adopted Medicaid, there would be a decrease of over 92,500 youths who drop out of high school, representing a drop of 11.2% in the number of dropouts in these states. CONCLUSION: The Medicaid Expansion of the Affordable Care Act is more than just a health insurance program; it is a dropout prevention program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A long-standing consensus among sociologists holds that educational attainment has an equalizing effect that increases mobility by moderating other avenues of intergenerational status transmission. This study argues that the evidence supporting this consensus may be distorted by two problems: measurement error in parents' socioeconomic standing and the educational system's tendency to progressively select people predisposed for mobility rather than to actually affect mobility. Analyses of family income mobility that address both of these problems in three longitudinal surveys converge on new findings. Intergenerational mobility is significantly lower among high school dropouts than among others, but there are no significant differences in mobility across higher education levels. This is consistent with compensatory advantage processes among the least educated in which individuals from advantaged backgrounds use family-based resources to compensate for their lack of human capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista CienciaUAT is the property of Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Past cohorts of teenagers who spent long hours in jobs were more likely to drop out of high school than those who worked moderate hours or did not work at all. This article examines the association between employment intensity and dropout among adolescents in the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 who traversed high school during a time of decreased prevalence of both employment and dropout relative to earlier cohorts. Analyses reveal that a relatively small percentage of teenagers nowadays are characterized as either intensive workers or dropouts (around 11% each). Yet, despite declines in intensive employment and dropout, disadvantaged youth remain overrepresented in both groups, and intensive work is still a risk factor for poor grades and dropout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of a peculiar pattern of the age at first birth in Latin America, there is little research about the long-term trends in the timing of transition to motherhood at all stages of women's reproductive lives and across countries in the region. This paper examines the evolution of educational disparities in the age at first birth during the fertility transition in three Andean region countries: Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. Using birth history information available in the latest Population and Housing Censuses, I estimate the first-birth age-specific rates disaggregated by various measures of education level, for cohorts born between 1945 and 1980. In all countries, educational expansion was accompanied by increasing rates of first birth before the age of 20 among women with below completed higher education, but the most drastic change occurred among women who dropped out of secondary school. Concurrently, the first-birth rates at the age of 20–29 decreased for women who achieved higher education; an evidence of an increase in the rates above the age of 30 among them started to emerge. A pronounced divergence in the first-birth timing between the educational groups occurred during the fertility transition. Comparison of a relative and an absolute educational level classification shows that the increasing disparities between the lowest and the highest educated women were similarly pronounced even when accounting for the changes in educational composition across cohorts. This paper discusses the potential factors behind the polarization in the age at first birth in the region. It argues that there is a need for policies encouraging not only secondary school entrance but also secondary school completion in the context of substantial educational expansion and high levels of school dropout observed in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the role of participation in a year‐long school‐based group mentoring program, Project Arrive (PA), on increasing resilience during the first year of high school among students identified as being at high risk for school dropout. Participants were 114, ninth grade students taking part in one of 32 PA mentoring groups, and 71 statistically matched comparison students (53% male, 75% eligible for free/reduced‐price lunch, 62% Latinx). Using a propensity score with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to reduce selection bias, and a multi‐level model to account for non‐independence of data within mentoring groups, we examined changes from pre‐test to program exit on seven external resilience resources (developmental supports and opportunities) and four internal resilience assets (personal strengths). At program exit, PA participants had higher adjusted means than comparisons on six external resources, including school support, school belonging, school meaningful participation, peer caring relationships, prosocial peers, and home meaningful participation. PA participants also had higher adjusted means on one internal asset, problem solving. Results point to the promise of group mentoring as an approach for increasing resilience among academically vulnerable adolescents. Highlights: Evaluated effects of a group mentoring program for ninth graders at risk for school dropout.Used propensity score and a partially clustered design to address validity threats.Program youth had higher adjusted means on 6 of 7 external resources relative to comparisons.Program youth had higher adjusted means on 1 of 4 internal assets relative to comparisons.Results point to the promise of group mentoring for increasing resilience in vulnerable adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to understand the behavioral and environmental influences on adult education graduates from central Connecticut, who successfully completed a postsecondary certified nursing assistant program in the state of Connecticut, and how those influences can contribute to the success of other adult education graduates. Eight adult education graduates from central Connecticut who had successfully completed postsecondary certified nursing assistant (CNA) programs were interviewed face-to-face in semi-structured, one-on-one interviews to gather data. Six themes emerged from the data: the participants perceived they were successful in completing a postsecondary CNA program because they loved helping others and were in it for the right reasons, (2) had matured and no longer acted like they were in high school, (3) found the structure of the program and the teachers helpful to their learning style, (4) had inner strength, (5) had support in or out of the classroom, and (6) wanted more or better for themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the predictive power of variables at school-level and student-level on the risk of school dropout within the framework of the Ecological Theory. A predictive correlational research model was used, and the participants were selected by employing a two-stage sampling procedure. Participants were 1.851 students from 30 different high schools in the central districts of Ankara studying during the 2016/17 school year. According to the findings of two-level hierarchical linear regression analysis; the average of the highest school at the risk of school dropout is almost twice that of the lowest school. The effect of the environmental risk perception on school dropout in schools with high dropout is higher than schools where the risk of dropout is low. Academic achievement, environmental security, and non-antisocial behaviors reduce the likelihood of early school leaving at the schools with a higher risk of dropout than lower-ones. The probability of dropout of upper grades in schools comprising student clubs and students with high academic achievement in schools with High School Entrance Exam success is less. It was also concluded that the effects of gender, class repetition, having a sibling who left school early, teacher participation, punishment, absenteeism and motivation may have been mediated by other variables in the regression equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the profile of students and servants who composed the School of Apprentice and Craft in Natal, between the years 1909 and 1937, is part of a broader research carried out in a doctoral program that was developed from research projects awarded with scholarship by the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Norte, campus São Gonçalo do Amarante. The objective is to construct the socioeconomic profile of apprentices, in order to understand, among other aspects, the reasons for a high dropout rate in the School, as well as the mechanisms of discipline used in school space. Regarding the servers, the objective was to know, among other questions, if there was a specific profile desired for these professionals, as well as whether political factors were considered for their appointment. In search of the answers to the proposed questions, we explore, among other sources, books of registration, class journals and terms of possession. As a result, it was possible to map more than 1.400 student records and more than 60 servers during the period studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. high school dropout rate continues to decline. Possible reasons for this decline include stronger academic standards, persistent state and district actions, and implementation of programs to help disconnected youth reconnect to educational opportunities. In the current study, we propose a complementary hypothesis for rate improvements: adult capacity. When adults nurture, socialize, and teach youth, youth are more likely to achieve academic and life success. Likewise, neighborhoods need enough adults to provide these relationships. Using the Decennial Census data (1970-2010), we examined whether an increase in the adult-to-youth ratio in a neighborhood covaries with a reduction in the status dropout rate. We find that a 1% increase in the ratio is associated with a 1% decrease in the dropout rate. The effect is substantially greater in predominantly Black or African American neighborhoods and higher income neighborhoods. Policy implications are discussed, specifically how the adult-to-youth ratio could be increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests a link between precocious transitions to adulthood (e.g., high school dropout) and maladaptation, and this association is typically assumed to be uniform. We propose that this monolithic portrayal of precocious transitions as problematic for adult functioning is unwarranted, particularly across identities defined by gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES). Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we use propensity score methodology to demonstrate that the effects of precocious transitions on adult antisocial behavior vary. Results indicate a general null effect of experiencing any precocious transition among low SES subgroups regardless of gender and race/ethnicity and criminogenic effects among more economically privileged subgroups, with the exception of Hispanic females. Additional analyses reveal that the effect of individual transitions further vary in significance across social identities, displaying a criminogenic effect among some subgroups and a null/protective effect among others. Implications for theory and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using official school data from a sample of 3,461 students enrolled in Grad Solutions, an Educational Management Organization (EMO), from 2015 through 2018, we conducted a quantitative cross-sectional research design study to understand the predictive nature by which students who dropped out of high school and re-enrolled in Grad Solutions graduated high school. The authors used logistic regression to examine the extent to which students' credits upon enrollment, students' credits remaining after enrollment, mentors' educational background, percentage of mentors' monthly student progress toward graduation, and tenure as a mentor on whether a student graduates or drops out from Grad Solutions. All variables of study significantly predicted p < .001 and p < .01, an increase and decrease in the odds by which students graduated high school or dropped out of high school. Implications are drawn for designers of mentoring and intervention programs as well as EMOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, using primary data collected from business owners, we examine the nature and obstacles in the informal sector of Uganda. We find that education level matters in the selection of enterprises. The bulk of businesses, like eating kiosks, fish selling, shoe shining among others that require no specialized skill to operate were mainly run by primary school dropouts and those with no formal level of education. Furthermore, we find evidence of a strong entrepreneurial spirit among secondary school dropouts than at any other education level. Across all businesses surveyed, secondary school dropouts run a high number of informal enterprises. Evidence suggests that their motivation is driven by two key factors, namely, wanting to take advantage of an existing business opportunity and failure to find employment in the formal sector. The empirical results show that access to finance, crime, theft and disorder, electricity, water, taxes, burdensome inspections, and informal gifts are robust and significant obstacles to the operations of the informal sector in Uganda. Policies should focus on a regulatory framework that supports the sector to create secure livelihoods and generate employment opportunities for the unemployed rather than viewing the sector as a source of "illegality." Improving access to finance, providing regular power and water supply, and improving the tax regime would mitigate the obstacles faced by informal businesses leading to possible formalization. Informal sector businesses should not be perceived as "illegal entities" but rather complementary effort by an increasingly enterprising population in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing dropout rates in senior high school physical education, particularly among females, and unhealthy activity and obesity levels in youth have led to recommendations to assess potential contributing factors in physical education participation. Drawing from gender, body image, and social-cognitive theory, this study investigated relations between body size discrepancy, self-efficacy, test anxiety, and achievement in 316 high school physical education students. Gender differences were noted in body size discrepancy (females reported the desire to have a smaller body). Specifically in females, body size discrepancy predicted test anxiety, which predicted self-efficacy. Self-efficacy predicted achievement in both males and females. The results signal that gender-specific relations among these constructs are important factors to consider in the achievement scores of students in high school physical education. Physical education programs should model curricula and instructional practices that defuse potentially harmful body image discrepancies that seem most poignant in females while engaging all learners to feel competent and safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human capital theory predicts that individuals acquire less schooling when the returns to schooling are small. To test this theory, the authors study the effect of the Appalachian coal boom on high school enrollments. During the 1970s, a boom in the coal industry increased the earnings of high school dropouts relative to those of graduates. During the 1980s, the boom subsided and the earnings of dropouts declined relative to those of graduates. The authors find that high school enrollment rates in Kentucky and Pennsylvania declined considerably in the 1970s and increased in the 1980s in coal-producing counties relative to counties without coal. The estimates indicate that a long- term 10%increase in the earnings of low-skilled workers could decrease high school enrollment rates by as much as 5 --7%--a finding with implications for policies aimed at improving low-skilled workers' employment and earnings, such as wage subsidies and minimum wage increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To estimate employment-population ratios for black and white men with an adjustment for incarceration--a factor overlooked by most research on employment inequality--the authors combine data from surveys of prisons and jails with data from the Current Population Survey. This adjustment significantly reduces estimated employment rates for African Americans, young workers, and young high school dropouts. The authors find that employment among young black male high school dropouts steadily declined between 1982 and 1996 despite periods of very low unemployment in the labor market as a whole. Standard labor force data, which include no incarceration data, understate black-white inequality in employment among young dropouts by about 45%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]