effectiveness of dropout prevention models as perceived by high school principals and high school guidance counselors in Florida

This study investigated the perceptions of high school principals and guidance counselors, in the State of Florida, of nine dropout prevention models and their effectiveness. Six of the models exemplify the most frequently used programs throughout Florida: (a) the transitional ninth grade class, (b) computer-assisted instruction, (c) teaching high school competency test strategies, (d) educational alternative centers/schools of choice, (e) vocational technical centers, and (f) youth services programs. The three newer program models, cities in schools, block scheduling and telecommunications abeyance programs, have been in use for less than three years in the State of Florida but literature identifies them as promising dropout prevention models. The dropout prevention models survey instrument was developed for this purpose and determined to be reliable. According to the results of the data analysis, using the one-way ANOVA, none of the null hypotheses were rejected at the .005 level of significance. The results supported the null for eight of the nine models tested for each hypothesis. Significant differences (<.005) were found between the principals and guidance counselors for the block scheduling model regarding block scheduling and attendance, retaining minority at-risk students, increasing math and English scores on the Florida High School Competency Test (HSCT), and retaining 90% of the at-risk population. However, the practical significance of these results in Hypothesis 1 through 4 were assessed, using the eta^2, with the results that the statistically significant differences are too small to be of practical significance. The survey was administered to 628 volunteer respondents. The principals were more favorable towards block scheduling as a means of increasing attendance, increasing scores on the Florida High School Competency Test, improving retention of at-risk minority students, and in increasing retention to 90%. Guidance counselors perceived the Block Scheduling Model as neither effective nor ineffective for increasing retention and the Vocational Model as neither effective nor ineffective for retaining minority at-risk students.