This collection of papers includes the following: "Second Language Acquisition Research in Japan: Theoretical Issues" (Peter Robinson, Mark Sawyer, and Steven Ross); (2) "Focus on Form: Implicit and Explicit Form Focused Instruction Incorporated into a Communicative Task" (Hitoshi Muranoi); (3) "A Task that Works for…

N.F.S. Grundtvig was a priest, historian, poet, and founder of the Danish Folk High School. He believed that education for adults should be geared to adults and wanted schools to be independent of the church. Grundtvig was among the first to call for Denmark's schools to use the native Danish language. Grundtvig believed that each group or culture…

This document is designed to assist classroom teachers in preparing students to complete successfully the social studies component of the Alabama High School Graduation Exam (AHSGE). The teaching strategies, activities, and resources herein are meant to assist teachers in specifically addressing the mandated standards and objectives of the AHSGE.…

A study used focus groups and interviews to examine dropout causes among Hispanic middle and high school students in Hillsborough County, Florida. Major contributors to Latino student success included personal motivation to succeed, supportive parents, and being interested and involved in school activities. Factors contributing to dropout included…

The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (the Met) is a unique public high school in Providence, Rhode Island. The Met has no classes, no grades, no tests, and no easy rides. With guidance from adults, each student builds a customized education focused on five learning goals: communication, social reasoning, empirical reasoning,…

An instructor and her students used questions to plan, teach, and assess a lesson in a Family Literacy/General Educational Development (GED) program. The class identified that their families should lose weight and exercise more to have healthier hearts. They focused on the area of responsibility, called Promote Family Members' Growth and…

A study explored relationships between literacy and numeracy achievement (measured at age 14 in junior secondary school) and education, training, and labor market outcomes (measured at age 19). Data were from the Australian Youth Survey, a longitudinal survey of youth interviewed annually on school experiences, post-school education and training…

Focus groups examined issues of school retention and achievement among male high school students in South Australia. The study was undertaken in light of declining high school graduation rates among boys, particularly in rural areas. Focus groups were conducted with 1,800 boys in years 9, 11, and 12; 60 school representatives were interviewed; and…

This brief provides information to parents of students with disabilities on preparing students for reaching the age of majority and assuming responsibility for their education and life choices. It begins by reviewing regulations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that give states the authority to elect to transfer educational…

California public schools are changing both how they teach math, and also what they expect students to learn. In December 1997, state leaders adopted new math standards that include more than basic arithmetic skills. The framework lists five areas of math called "strands," that define what students from kindergarten through seventh grade…

While the nation's public systems continue to fall short of delivering equitable educational supports to children and youth, youth workers have spent the last several decades insulating and, in some cases, patching the leaks in the "education pipeline"--a term describing the route students follow from early childhood through…

The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) developed this document as a resource for high school administrators, parents, and teachers who are interested in developing guidelines for physics curriculum and instruction in their school(s). These guidelines reflect the goals of the AAPT, with an emphasis on instructional strategies and…

The Theatre Arts Standards of Learning identify the essential content and skills required in the theatre arts curriculum for the middle school and core high school courses in Virginia's public schools. The standards are designed to be cumulative and progress in complexity by course from the middle school through the secondary level. Throughout…

Achieve was asked by the Washington State Academic Achievement and Accountability Commission, Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction, and the Partnership for Learning to conduct a study of the 10th grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The intent of the study was to compare the content, rigor and passing scores on…

A program designed to support English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students' achievement when mainstreamed into eighth grade literature and composition classes is described. The approach was implemented in a suburban school, in which some ESL students lacked the skills to achieve at grade level in regular composition and literature classes. A high…