This action research project evaluated a program to improve student motivation, attendance rate, percent of homework returned, and student academic growth. The targeted population was a seventh-grade class in a middle school in north central Illinois. The problem of inadequate student motivation was documented by means of attendance rates,…

Danish "efterskoles" are "continuation schools" following elementary school--residential schools that allow students aged 14-16 to defer going to high school while they make choices about their educational future. Efterskoles are based on the principles of N.F.S. Grundtvig, who started folk high schools in about 1850 to educate…

The effects of attending an urban career magnet high school were examined by comparing the career development of 51 graduates of 4 career magnet high schools and 59 graduates of 4 comprehensive high schools in a large city. Subjects were drawn from a database through a random assignment and matching process. All 110 graduates were surveyed using…

The effectiveness of the first 5 years of tech prep in New York was examined through a three-component evaluation. Data were obtained from three sources. First, statewide surveys and interviews obtained input from 717 teachers, counselors, and administrators and 987 students currently involved in tech prep programs in New York's 30 tech prep…

A study examined how the family structure has changed over time in contemporary realistic children's literature for middle readers. There is an ongoing debate in this country about what defines a family and whether it is in transformation or becoming extinct. Since 1960 there is evidence that the family structure has changed. The books selected in…

This book promotes an integrated curriculum to assist students in grades 6-9 in seeing the links between different subject areas and in a larger context, the direct relevance of what they are learning in school to their needs later in life. The book uses a problem-solving approach that is "technological" in nature: the book provides…

In order to investigate the types of testing accommodations allowed for students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) on exams used to determine whether a student earns a diploma, a study examined 18 states' written accommodations guidelines and testing policies. Each of the 18 states studied used a different test for its graduation…

A middle school teacher describes the process by which she discovered a collaborative approach to teaching writing to a class including English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students. To create a meaningful writing experience, she had students prepare a personal narrative, starting by having the class generate endings to the sentence beginning "I'll…

This study examines the attitudes of students toward modern technology, their attitudes toward learning using modern technology in an academic setting, and whether there is a correlation between the two attitude variables. The investigation looked at the effects of gender and grade level on students' attitudes toward technology and toward learning…

The Extended School Year Program of the Detroit (Michigan) public schools was designed to demonstrate that lengthening the school year would produce corresponding changes in student achievement as measured by the Michigan Educational Assessment Program and the Metropolitan Achievement Test. The Extended School Year was a 3-year summer program…

This report presents findings of a nationwide study of student transitions from secondary to postsecondary education that is based on a survey of state higher education agencies and site visits to six states. The report finds a growing role for state higher education agencies in setting minimum college admissions requirements, coexistence of…

This document contains a cross-curricular cooperative learning experience that is designed to give high school students career and technical educational experiences in the areas of forensic sciences and criminalistics by doing the forensic work to "solve" a fictitious murder. The activities included in the cooperative learning experience…

This publication, in English and Spanish, is intended to assist in inclusion of transition from school to work components in the development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for a student with a disability in middle school or high school. The guide begins with definitions of "transitions" and "success" and then offers vignettes of the…

This document presents the full revised course descriptions for Florida exceptional student education in grades 9-12. Courses incorporate the Florida standards for a special diploma. Requirements include a list of related benchmarks from the state standards for each level of functioning: independent, supported, and participatory. Introductory…

A descriptive study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of career pathways and the extent of their alignment within the high school curriculum and the Missouri A+ Schools Program, which builds on other reform efforts such as tech prep and school-to-work to provide all students with a quality education focused on careers and an academic…