This report describes patterns of continuity and change among spring 2004 high school seniors from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) first follow-up study, spring 1992 seniors from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) second follow-up study, spring 1980 seniors from the High School and Beyond (HS&B)…

The purpose of this study was to examine self-determination and achievement motivation as predictors of successful school performance for high school African American males enrolled in an urban Texas school district. The students (N = 108) were placed into two distinct groups: higher-performing and lower-performing African American males based…

Policy makers are especially concerned about persistently high dropout rates among U.S. Latinos, the largest minority population in the United States. This study used a national longitudinal database to show that the behavioral and social aspects of schooling are dynamically linked in the process of school completion and dropout among Mexican…

Researchers have theorized that programs to promote positive citizenship should begin with an opportunity for adolescents to participate in civic activities, such as community service or political volunteering. In this article we extend the theory by arguing that a more systemic approach is needed, in which a civic context is developed to promote…

In this study, we examined the associations between organized activity participation during early adolescence and adjustment in a large and economically diverse sample of African American and European American youth. The sample included 1,047 youth (51% female and 49% male and 67% African American and 33% European American). We used analysis of…

Participation in extracurricular activities by 124 secondary students who had exceptionalities was studied at 8 public high schools in an urban area of northeastern Ohio. Questionnaires were completed by students who participated in extracurricular activities and those who did not. Study variables were: student's gender and grade level; type of…

Service learning refers to a form of experiential education that emphasizes for students the importance of accomplishing tasks that meet the needs of others. This paper describes the Service Learning Projects developed by the University of Iowa's Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program. The purpose of the program is to design, implement,…

The democratic education of African American students was compared to that of White students by exploring the relationship between their participation in high school activities and their levels of civic and political engagement as adults. Focusing on the informal political socialization of students, the study examined the racial differences in the…

Extracurricular activities have long held roles of importance in independent school life. However, schools often assign teachers to oversee extracurricular activities as an afterthought and provide limited resources for extracurricular programs. This paper considers the integral role of activities in independent schools and presents theories of…

A study of the relationship between involvement in an extracurricular drama club and the self-esteem of at-risk preadolescent and elementary students examined 244 fourth and fifth grade students in a rural Missouri school district. The experimental group consisted of 72 students who selected drama club from a list of extracurricular activities.…

"Teen SMART" is the working title of the high school age component of Operation SMART, a larger curriculum development project initiated by Girls Clubs of America, Inc. (GCA) to promote the participation of girls and young women in science, mathematics, and technology. Operation SMART seeks not only to attract and involve those girls who…

This handbook provides high school students with the information needed to form and maintain high school chapters of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES). AISES is a private non-profit organization founded in 1977 to increase the number of American Indian scientists and engineers in the nation and to develop technologically…

Studies in New Jersey and California suggest that smaller schools or school districts produce higher aggregate achievement than larger schools or districts, especially in low socioeconomic status (SES) communities. Other studies have found that smaller schools have higher rates of student participation in extracurricular activities, and that…

A survey of research literature on teenage alcohol use will reveal many variables related to teenage drinking. This study compared these variables in two separate communities to ascertain their global validity. To investigate factors leading to teenage alcohol use, 218 high school seniors from Washington and Iowa were surveyed. Dependent variables…

This paper studies the effect of participation in intercollegiate athletics on student-athlete grade point averages. The study was done to address critics of intercollegiate athletics who charged that participation in athletics hinders the academic performance of the student athlete, while coaches and student athletes themselves often empirically…