Dual enrollment programs are collaborative efforts between high schools and colleges, in which high school students are permitted to take college courses. These programs provide students with a challenging academic experience and the opportunity to earn college credit prior to high school graduation. Despite the popularity of dual enrollment, one…

Educators and governments are paying increasing attention to international comparisons as they seek to develop effective policies to improve the performance of their education systems. Data from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are useful in revealing best practices across the world. Current data show that the United…

This study examined Illinois high school principals' perceptions of the growth, quality, advantages and disadvantages of alternative learning environments. In this study, alternative learning environments involved the use of both synchronous and asynchronous modes of communication for course delivery. Synchronous modes of instructional delivery…

For many African American college students, the challenges to achieve academic success are overwhelming. The disproportionate number of African American male students enrolled in the community college system is of substantial concern because community colleges have not traditionally been successful in producing African American male graduates and…

Males and females are markedly different in their choice of college major. Two main reasons have been suggested for the gender gap: differences in innate abilities and differences in preferences. This paper addresses the question of how college majors are chosen, focusing on the underlying gender gap. Since observed choices may be consistent with…

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has endorsed a "Closing the Gap" agenda designed to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians. The agenda is distilled in a series of targets, one of which is the goal of halving the gap for Indigenous students in Year 12 attainment or equivalent (Certificate II or above) attainment rates by…

The economic benefits of a college education are well documented; however, data from studies of young people transitioning out of foster care indicate that the college graduation rate for this population is very low. The child welfare system has traditionally done a poor job of encouraging foster youth to pursue postsecondary education. Although…

Over the past decade, charter schools have been among the fastest-growing segments of the K-12 education sector in Chicago and across the country. This report addresses several key issues related to charter schools using student-level data provided by Chicago Public Schools. Students leaving traditional public schools for charter schools in…

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by the year 2050, about 50 percent of the U.S. population will be African American, Hispanic, or Asian. These relatively youthful minority populations--Hispanics in particular--will drive demographic growth and diversification well into the twenty-first century. Nearly five million Latino students were enrolled…

This correlational study examined the relationship between principals' transformational leadership behaviors, as perceived by teachers, and student achievement on standardized tests. Participants in this study included teachers in two suburban high schools and six suburban elementary schools in Georgia. Research demonstrates a correlation between…

As technology advances continue to impact K-12 schools, online education options offer alternative choices for both teaching and learning. Library media specialists, long committed to providing physical and intellectual access to instructional materials, have responded to changing needs in this online world. They had previously created a virtual…

The North Carolina high school reform movement is focused on creating small, personalized and academically rigorous schools that increase graduation rates, reduce suspension and expulsion rates, increase college going rates and reduce college remediation rates. This report indicates that redesigned and early college high schools in North Carolina…

This book looks at the socialization process and persistence to graduation from the perspectives of black students at American universities today. The students' perceptions discussed include what it meant to them to have a pre-college experience, the importance of expectations, the pain caused by racism, and how they were able to find "safe…

In 1996, the Oregon University System (OUS) conducted the first systemwide survey of recent (1994-95) bachelor's degree recipients. Changes in Oregon's economy in the preceding decade led to concerns about the preparedness of college graduates as they entered the work force. The purpose of this study is to assess an OUS college experience from the…

Deliberately introducing change into an established English language program, in which faculty, students, and administrators are comfortable with courses and procedures, is unsettling and often costly. Why, then, would overworked program directors, coordinators, and faculty decide to overhaul their curricula, testing procedures, and academic…