A neo-culture of extra-curricular coaching prior to sitting the terminal exam was once the privileged domain of public education systems in the Eastern world, but this is no longer the case. This multi-phase study based on a grounded theory approach considered a diversity of physics learning experiences of students and alumni from two urban…

It is widely recognized that the 12 percent of all youth in American public schools who have disabilities comprise a set of students with distinct capacities and needs. Federal legislation, including the most recent updates to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, identifies different disability groups and mandates that…

The National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012) is the third in the series of NLTS studies sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education to examine youth with disabilities receiving services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a long-standing federal law last updated in 2004. Under IDEA, youth with…

It is widely recognized that the 12 percent of all youth in American public schools who have disabilities comprise a set of students with distinct capacities and needs. Federal legislation, including the most recent updates to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, identifies different disability groups and mandates that…

A report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO-10-519) revealed that, despite legislation obligating states and schools to provide equal access, opportunities for physical activity are limited for children and youth with disabilities (GAO, 2010). This document is the initial response to the GAO recommendation that "the…

One approach some U.S. schools now use to combat high rates of adolescent substance use is school-based mandatory-random student drug testing (MRSDT). Under MRSDT, students and their parents sign consent forms agreeing to the students' participation in random drug testing as a condition of participating in athletics and other school-sponsored…

The purpose of this case study was to examine random student drug testing in one school district relevant to: (a) the perceptions of students participating in competitive extracurricular activities regarding drug use and abuse; (b) the attitudes and perceptions of parents, school staff, and community members regarding student drug involvement; (c)…

Policy makers have advanced out-of-school time learning as a means to address far-reaching class and racial/ethnic disparities in high school achievement and college readiness, particularly in urban districts. However, limited data have hindered large-scale efforts to evaluate the influence of such activities on student achievement. Recent federal…

Leadership research on college students has largely ignored pre-college leadership experiences. High school educators and administrators facilitate student involvement in high school through a variety of outlets; and although involvement in extracurricular activities is considered inherently positive, the degree to which these activities…

Though classroom time is an adventure of its own, it is when working with the Carlisle High School Shakespeare Troupe, an extracurricular acting company, that the author most consistently and happily experiences this illusion of indefinite time. She has been working steadily with the troupe since the fall of 1984, and the troupe has produced a…

In an election season, the discussion of politics in the classroom can become a minefield of potential disasters for students and teachers alike both in relation to the material being discussed and the social, emotional, and overall identity development of the students. Through a concentrated effort involving curricular activities as well as…

The present study examined the relationship between self-concept, engagement, and school outcomes for students with educational disabilities in grades 10 to 12. Participants included 105 students in grades 10 to 12 in a large suburban high school who were classified as having an educational disability which qualified them for special education…

The student dropout dilemma in the American educational system has remained unchanged for the past 30 years. Dropout figures show more than 6 million high school dropouts living in the United States today. The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze potential dropout variables between two groups of senior students at a local high school. …

Students who self-identified as activity leaders of one (n = 30), two or more (n = 21), or no campus extracurricular clubs (n = 34), completed measures on the institution's mission and values as well as its school sense of community ("SSOC"). Analyses indicated a main effect for race on "SSOC" and a subscale emphasis on diversity, such that…

When Ontario eliminated its unique fifth year of secondary school for post-secondary bound students, policy makers, educators, and the general public anticipated that the province would finally adhere to the four-year model of secondary education common to the rest of English speaking North America. For a significant number of students, however,…