Co-curricular activities have been shown to impact many measures of academic success, such as academic self-confidence, leadership abilities, identity development, personal development, and student thriving. Borrowing from established research paradigms on pluralistic ignorance, the current study sought to explore whether first-year and senior…

In line with the purpose of this special issue, we examine how school leaders can lead to create the vision and reality for schools and their communities to explicitly address forms of academic anxiety and emotional exclusion. We suggest how school leaders can work to engage parents in helping to remove acquired affective disability and 'emotional…

This brief provides an overview of five strategies used for persistently underperforming schools that demand significant changes to how schools are organized. It draws upon published research, as well as the experiences of cities pursuing different types of improvement strategies. None of the five strategies offer a surefire way to improve…

With increasing numbers of students receiving gifted services every year, it is more important than ever to make certain we are meeting their unique learning needs in the classroom. Differentiated instruction for these learners must go beyond adjusting content levels, task complexity, or product choice--it must truly challenge and support learners…

"Cure Student Underachievement" is the culmination of the authors' research, practice, and experience as principals, superintendents, graduate professors, and consultants in efforts to improve school performance and increase student achievement. Searching for the real causes of underperformance, the authors explored problem-solving strategies in…

A three-year study tracking outcomes for approximately 3,000 students across California shows that career-focused dual enrollment programs can provide important benefits for those who are underachieving and underrepresented in higher education. Dual enrollment, which allows high school students to take college courses and earn college credit, was…

When reforming practices to help all students succeed, secondary school leaders face the unique challenge of aligning the efforts of educators from different disciplines. In addition, they know that few common measures capture student growth across these disciplines. If a school has a history of success, a deep examination of its practices may not…

This case study confronts the issues of staff motivation and teacher retention that face administrators in low-paying and/or low-performing small school settings when teacher pay is low and morale is lower, especially in communities having a lower economic base. It will present not only opportunities to try to keep good teachers but also…

This report presents the outcomes of the analysis of Grade Level of Achievement (GLA) data at the provincial level to inform the program planning and evaluation needs of Alberta Education as well as school and central office based administrators. GLA data reported to Alberta Education is a teacher's judgment of a student's academic progress. GLA…

Acceleration may be an effective intervention in some cases of underachievement by gifted students. Lack of challenge is the primary indicator for consideration of accelerative options. Acceleration is not appropriate for all gifted students, and an adjustment period is common in successful acceleration. Brief case studies illustrate acceleration…

Discusses alienation as a cause of underachievement, antisocial behavior, and indifference among gifted adolescents; suggests educational implications on the basis of a theory that distinguishes between crystallized intelligence and fluid intelligence. (MCG)

This report begins to address the need for research about the structures, policies, and supports that leaders are implementing to address the needs of low-performing schools. It documents findings from a descriptive research study of four states and one large urban district in the Northeast during the formation and early implementation of new…

The study reviewed application of the Myklebust Learning Quotient Method of identifying learning disabilities (LD) in the Macomb (Illinois) community school district from 1980 to 1987. The learning quotient (LQ) is a ratio of actual achievement to expected achievement. The Macomb program established ability estimates by use of the Wechsler…

The Latino population in the United States is growing, especially school-aged children. Yet, because most of the increase in the Latino population is concentrated in the Southwest, the educational problems and needs of this population are viewed as state or regional issues. Policymakers must look beyond their state borders and realize that in this…

Little compares to the thrill of seeing a young mind come alive with wonder. Despite the best efforts, there are always students who seem unreachable, unteachable. So what can educators do to make learning fun and rewarding for all students? This book provides a strong theoretical understanding of learning styles, focusing on at-risk, or…