The purposes of this survey-based, mixed-methods, practical action research study were to: (1) determine the type of instructional feedback that high school students believe supports their learning; and (2) determine how high school students utilize feedback to support their learning. The study assimilated grades with instructional feedback using…

Dropout rates had increased for 2 years at a suburban public high school with approximately 2,200 students. Recent legislation mandating increased credit requirements, more academic schedules and standards, and mandatory attendance requirements has contributed to an increase in the dropout rate. A dropout intervention program was implemented with…

A practicum was designed to organize a drug prevention/intervention program for high school students. Goals of the practicum were to organize a core team to address alcohol and drug prevention/intervention strategies; to assist staff members in recognizing early warning signs of potential substance abusers and at-risk students; and to develop an…

This paper reports on a practicum designed to increase reading motivation among senior high school students (as reflected by the number of books checked out from the school library) and to promote a better understanding of cultural sub-groups in the school, of which Blacks constituted the largest group (41%) and Hispanics, the second largest…

An action research study was undertaken to examine the effects of educational technology resources on critical thinking and analytical skills. The researcher observed 3 different 11th grade classes, a total of 75 students, over a week as they worked in the school's computer lab. Each class was composed of 25 to 30 students, all of whom were…

A practicum project involved the establishment of a career resource center in one high school of 1,500 students to provide high school teachers with a wide variety of career education materials in a centralized location. Materials housed in the center were obtained from various sources: donations from local businesses, materials from workshops…

A peer assistance program for teenage substance users was developed in which students interviewed their peers to determine substance use attitudes and frequency of substance use. Student interviewers read and studied drug curriculum materials in their health class; were taught active listening skills and counseling techniques; practiced answering…

The goal of a practicum was that high school students in non-academic 10th grade English classes would develop an understanding of and appreciation for cultural differences. The English teacher challenged herself, her peers, her students, and the general school population (a regional high school in a growing community in the northeastern United…

Improving at-risk students' low self-esteem, changing the negative feeling that at-risk students have about themselves, and helping at-risk students to become empowered to do something about their poor achievement in school were the major undertaking of this project. A formalized self-esteem assessment tool, the Coopersmith Self Esteem Inventory,…

In a high school a problem existed in which 43 students in grades 9 through 12 received failing grades for the first semester due to excessive absenteeism. A target group of students with excessive school absences was identified by the school faculty. Intervention counseling sessions were held with these students. Of the 46 students, only 12 were…

A pilot writing program was tested on 15 Florida eleventh graders, who had been placed in basic level classes and who believed themselves to be poor writers. After interviews with teachers and students, three practicum objectives were developed: (1) after 12 weeks, 80% of the target group will score a minimum of 3 on short composition assignments;…

There was a need for the teenage parents (in the teen-age parenting support group) to be accepted by their peers and to be able to comfortably communicate and express their feelings and concerns about parenting. There were many programs to help teenage parents before the birth of their child, but none after the birth when the stress of having to…

Forty parents of mildly retarded high school students, 108 community service agencies, and 21 directors of guidance and special education were surveyed to determine information needs and availability of community services for these parents and their children in United Township High School (Illinois). Parents were asked about current use of…

An alarming rate of out-of-school suspensions prompted the establishment of an alternative program for students at Tarboro High School, Tarboro, North Carolina. The internal suspension program was instituted to reduce school suspensions and improve the academic performance of suspended students. The program utilized a full-time detention center…

A practicum was designed to help high school students become more creative by encouraging them to be audacious, divergent thinkers capable of entertaining several contradictory ideas simultaneously. Tolerating paradox and ambiguity are vital components in developing creativity. These goals were achieved by developing a nurturing, caring, accepting…