Across the country, states are considering policies that support civic learning among youth. Recent initiatives at the state level have changed graduation requirements and state assessments around high school civics. These initiatives can be grouped into three types: coursework, assessments, and accountability. The first type, coursework, refers…

In order to provide equitable opportunities and equal access to an effective, personalized education, the Houston Independent School District (HISD) offers Apex Learning, a district-funded virtual platform with online instructional course options, to all students in grades 7-12. The purpose of this report is to provide district leaders with data…

Among college students, public service motives influence choice of major or job. Although the link between public service motives and prosocial behavior has been established among working adults, researchers have not adequately examined how these motives affect the reported behavior of precareer students. In this article, the authors explored how…

Apex Learning is the largest provider of secondary online curriculum in Houston Independent School District (HISD). Introduced in January 2010 through Graduation Laboratories (Grad Labs) located at each high school, the program has grown from providing seniors with opportunities to recover credits required for graduation to providing students in…

Mathematics and science course graduation requirement (CGR) increases in the 1980s and 1990s might have had both intended and unintended consequences. Using logistic regression with Census and American Community Survey (ACS) data (n = 2,892,444), we modeled CGR exposure on (a) high school dropout, (b) beginning college, and (c) obtaining any…

Apex Learning is the largest provider of secondary digital curriculum in Houston Independent School District (HISD). Introduced in January 2010 through Graduation Laboratories (Grad Labs) located at each high school, the program has grown from providing seniors with opportunities to recover credits required for graduation to providing secondary…

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of self-esteem and selected demographic characteristics on academic achievement among students at the freshman level in the College of Agriculture at Louisiana State University. The sample of the study was all students at Louisiana State University enrolled in the Introduction to…

Do students really enroll in Introductory Geology because they think it is "rocks for jocks"? In this study, we examine the widely held assumption that students view geology as a qualitative and remedial option for fulfilling a general education requirement. We present the first quantitative characterization of a large number of…

An analysis of 12,000 1982 high school graduates' transcripts, as part of a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, substantiates the National Commission on Excellence in Education's (NCEE) concern about students' insufficient coursework in the new basics: English, mathematics, science, social studies, and computer…

The educational reform movement, rural economy, and demographics of rural areas of the United States require, if not mandate, that partnerships be forged in education among and between people in rural areas, urban and suburban areas, states, and the nation to provide quality education for students who will become the leaders of tomorrow. Through…

Describes a quasi-experimental study at Western Kentucky University that compared a traditional required, for-credit class in library skills with a Web-based course. Discusses skills level, satisfaction, and demographics, and includes a copy of the student survey used. (LRW)

Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study, this report examines eighth grade school variables that might predict college attendance for students whose parents have no college education (n = 2,521). The selected school variables are amenable to public policy and/or skilled leadership, and they include "school structure" (e.g.,…

Because of close relations between the Philippines and the United States in the earlier years of this century, developments in the Philippines since that country achieved its independence in 1946 are of particular interest to Americans. An important aspect of the island nation's efforts in its first 15 years of complete self-government is the…