ERIC ED388735: Caring for Kids. A Critical Study of Urban School Leavers.

222 Pages·1995·4.2 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
UD 030 660
ED 388 735
Altenbaugh, Richard J.; And Others
AUTHOR
Caring for Kids. A Critical Study of Urban School
TITLE
Leavers.
ISBN-0-7507-0193-5
REPORT NO
PUB DATE
95
NOTE
222p.
The Falmer Press, Taylor & Francis Inc., 1900 Frost
AVAILABLE FROM
Road, Suite 101, Bristol, PA 19007 (paperback:
ISBN-0-7507 0193-5, $24.95; casebound:
ISBN-0-7507-0192-7).
Research/Technical (143)
Reports
Books (010)
PUB TYPE
Tests/Evaluation Instruments (160)
MF01/PC09 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Academic Achievement; Class Size; Dropout Prevention;
DESCRIPTORS
Dropout Research; *Dropouts; Educational Policy; High
Schools; Intervention; Interviews; *Job Training;
Nontraditional Education; *Reentry Students;
Stopouts; *Student Attitudes; Urban Schools; *Urban
Youth
*Caring; Job Corps; *Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh);
IDENTIFIERS
Pittsbu....-gh School Distr.ict PA
ABSTRACT
The study reported concentrated on school leavers in
Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) who returned (dropbacs) to Job Corps
Programs over an 8-year period. Interviews with 100 dropbacks
explored who left schoo, why they left school, what caused them to
come back, and the kinds of interventions that might succeed with
1 provides a contextual framework for the
other students. Part
dropout problem in Pittsburgh, other large cities, and the nation.
Part 2 concentrates on student perspectives of schooling, focusing on
student decisions about continuing in school. Part 3 analyzes the
findings of the interviews and offers policy recommendations.
Absenteeism, low achievement, feelings of alienation, school
suspension, and early parenthood preceded dropping out for many
students. These findings point to areas that reform efforts must
address. Systemic change, altered school climate, smaller class size
and better access to counselors, greater flexibility, and programs
that reflect more caring, such as child care, are all needed to
reduce the dropout problem. An appendix contains the interview
table and 210 references.)
(SLD)
protocol. (Contains
1
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*
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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Caring for Kids.
A Critical Study of Urban School Leavers.
Richard J. Altenbaugh
U.S. DEPARTMENT Of EDUCATION
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e
Caring for Kids
1
DEDICATION
To Louis A. Petrone (1927-1991) we dedicate this book. Friend, col-
league and mentor, Lou helped us formulate this research and gave us
good humored encouragement long before any of us cduld adequately
convey our appreciation of him or fully understand what he meant to
us. We hope some of his warmth, insight, and sensitivity shows through
our words.

[he Fa lrner Press, 4 John Street. London WC IN 2ET
UK
The [almer Press, Taylor & Francis Inc ,
USA
1900 Frost Road, Suite 1(11,
Bristol, PA 19007
Q.) RJ. Altenbaugh. D.E. Engel and D.T Martin, 1995
All rights rt saved. No part o.1 this publication may be reproduced, stoted in
a ri trieral system, or tiansnUtted in any .form or by any maim, electronic,
mechanical, phmocopyiv, lecordini; or othet woe, without permission in writ-
ing.hom the Publish0
Firq published in 19');
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British
Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data are
available on request
7507 0192 7 cased
ISBN I
-507 01,i3 =, paper
ISBN
Jacket design by Caroline Archer
Cier phot,igraph supplied courtesy of the Pittsburgh Public Sclwols.
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Contents
vi
.-Icknowledgmcnts
viii
Prefice
Part I Introduction
The Social Terrain
3
1
School Leavers in American Society
19
The Problem: Context and Approach
44
3
The Pittsburgh Study
Part II
The School Setting
61
4
79
School Personnel
5
97
School Knowledge
6
Why School LeaveN Left and Why They Returned
112
7
Conclusions, Analyses, and Policy Implications
Part III
The Social Context
139
8
Caring
156
9
Policy Recommendations
168
10
Appendix: Early School Leavers Protocol
187
195
References
209
Index
Acknowledgments
This project has incurred many debts and involved many people.
Richard Wallace, former Pittsburgh School Superintendent, and Louise
Brennan, current Superintendent, supplied an open and candid atmos-
phere to conduct research in the district. Paul LeMahieu, formerly
with the district, helped us design.our interview instrument and gain
permis6on from the school district to proceed with this study, and
John Barry provided valuable information and services. The good folks
at the Pittsburgh Job Corps Center proved to be courteous and hospi-
table. Vince Moran, the former Director, and Andrea Drozic, the cur-
rent Director, ensured our access to students and staff cooperation. Job
Corps staff included David Bush, Richard Morris and Mardi Amsler,
who always were amiable, competent and flexible. We want to thank
innumerable counselors for the use of their offices for interview ses-
sions over the years. We too appreciated the opportunity to present
our early findings at a regular meeting of the Pittsburgh Job Corps
Center's Community Service Group in November 1992. The school
leavers we interviewed at Pittsburgh's Job Corps Center taught us a
great deal about schooling. Many of them volunteered because, as iley
articulated it, they wanted to improve the lives of others.
We must acknowledge the program committees for the American
Educational Research Association (1993), American Educational Studies
Association (1992 and 1993), Association of Teacher Educators (1993),
National Dropout Prevention Conference (1992 and 1994), and the
Pennsylvania Educational Research Association (1990) for providing us
with forums where we could present the products of our research, and
receive criticisms and suggestions: this intellectual exchange greatly
aided the refinement process.
Without subsidies and other support, we could not have com-
pleted this study. We owe a debt to the University of Pittsburgh's
School of Fducation for a Buhl Foundation grant. which subsidized a
research assistant, Robert Tazza. Robert's contributions of many inter-
views, during a nine-month period, helped us to maintain the momen-
tum of this long-range project. Reni Pitts, in the Administrative and
Acknowledgments
Policy Studies Department, School of Education, at Pitt, spent thou-
sands of hours over an eight-year period transcribing the tape record-
ings of our interviews; we always treasured her patience and good
humor. Debbie Rousseau, a Pitt student, provided valuable research
assistance during the early stages of this project. Dean Catherine
Morsink, College of Education, Slippery Rock University, provided
important grants to subsidize travel expenses for two of Richard J.
Altenbaugh's presentations. Her moral support through the latter stages
of this project provided additional motivation. Patti Pink, in Slippery
Rock's Word Processing Center, spent hundreds of hours typing this
manuscript. Her geniality endured through hours of rewrites, revi-
sions, additions and deletions, and impending deadlines. Finally, Jane
Flanders, University of Pittsburgh, and Bruce Nelson, Northwestern
University, kindly read the entire manuscript, offering many stylistic
suggestions. They are in no way responsible for any shortcomings in
this study.
We are extremely grateful to Malcolm Clarkson and Ivor Goodson,
of this
as well as the staff, at Falmer Press for their persistent support
study. Without their faith in us, it would not have become a reality.
Finally, our families had to patiently endure our physical and mental
absences as we conducted our interviews, traveled to conferences,
endlessly discussed our findings, and ultimately wrote this manuscript:
their support was most precious and invaluable.
Richard J. Altenbaugh
David E. Engel
Don T. Martin
vii