Abstract:

In this article, we present the tool "Risk detector" for identifying young peoples at risk situation of early leaving from education and training. The method consists in collecting and interpreting information on the incidence of risk factors that may determine youngs to be absent from school, to have an inappropriate behavior or even to drop out of school. Actually, the tool for investigation is represented by a questionnaire for gathering information on specific risk factors and one adjacent program (soft) for identifying students facing situations with risk of dropping out. There are 157 items which provides an overview of every person situation regarding: personal characteristics, living conditions, the parents level of education, the familial relationship, the school situation, negative influences, personal attitudes, behaviours and hobby. The thorough research is done in order to offer a complete image of potential known or unknown factors that could be transformed in causes of drop out. The tool is designed to take part of the mechanism of targetted action for prevention by investigating the causes and conditions that lead to early school leaving. It include another tools like the Risk Detector, Personal Profile, The Flexible Prevention and Support System. The methodology for developing the tool was managed through a research partnership working in the project Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovation "Support against vocational training and education dropout" ref. 2013-1-RO1-LEO05-28787, financed by European Commission. The project aims to transfer, upgrade and adapt the tools developed in the previous project "Stop Dropout!" and produce a new improved tool kit for improving the quality of education and training services and avoid the drop out in all partner countries.

Keywords:

Early school leaving, drop out, absenteeism.