At-risk students are defined as those who are in danger of not graduating from school. These potential dropouts can be characterized by a variety of factors that lead to educational underachievement. In this study, the outcome explored is "outcast," a combination of student behavioral factors that captures student alienation from school…

This curriculum was designed for teachers in middle grades and for other professionals working with youth. It deals with the extent of hate crime in the United States and strategies that are proving effective in reducing hate crimes among youth. The curriculum was pilot tested in middle schools in Massachusetts and Florida and a Catholic school in…

This document is a guide for teachers and trainers participating in the initial experimental offering of a 6-week minisabbatical, Designing Classrooms that Work (CTW). The minisabbatical is designed to help teachers learn how to make the kinds of curricular and pedagogical changes implied by reforms to integrate vocational and academic education…

This report addresses issues related to the increasing growth of early intervention programs to encourage high school graduation and college attendance among students from low-income and minority groups. It first presents a brief review of the societal goals of equality for the nation's education system. It then defines the programs "early…

To meet the changing needs of students, teachers and schools need to create a more visually stimulating learning environment. The modern needs of visual learners can be met through students creating hypermedia stacks that can be viewed and heard by both teachers and students alike. The visual images, sights, and sounds provided in these resources…

A longitudinal study of student reading attitudes was conducted in 30 schools (20 elementary, 10 middle) using the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey instrument (ERAS). The instrument tested attitudes toward both recreational reading and academic/school reading as part of the Reading Excitement and Paperbacks Project (REAP). REAP participant…

Data from annual surveys of Tech-Prep consortia that were administered to all local consortia in 1993 and 1994 were analyzed to assess the implementation of key school-to-work features in 1994. Among the study's key findings were the following: Tech-Prep programs of study may help facilitate creation of career major options in school-to-work…

This final report describes achievements and activities of the Native American Science Outreach Network (NASON), a 40-month program of the University of Washington which provided 4-week summer institutes for high school and preservice science teachers of Native American students. The goal was to update the teachers' chemistry skills, and to…

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health created the School of the Future (SoF) project to enable selected Texas schools to coordinate and implement school-based social and health services on their campuses and to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method of service delivery by evaluating the project. At each of four urban sites consisting of a…

This study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 to examine factors influencing the educational and occupational attainment of American women. The longitudinal study followed 2,160 seniors from 1,200 schools for 14 years after high school graduation. A variation of the Wisconsin model, which examined…

This curriculum guide is designed to guide the teaching of a year-long junior- or senior-level high school course that will help students develop skills for managing their work life and family life as well as basic skills, critical thinking, cultural diversity, group interaction, teamwork, and use of technology. It includes a course blueprint, a…

In 1995, nearly three-quarters of a million high school dropouts, age 16 and above, took the General Educational Development (GED) tests in pursuit of alternative secondary certification. The GED performs the following functions: stimulate human capital investment; measure and assess cognitive skills; certify dropouts with specified skill and…

Teachers who get an "inside look" at business and industry through internships and summer jobs are much better equipped to prepare their students for the rigors of the workplace and postsecondary education. Teacher internships followed by the revision of course content, instructional plans, and assessment strategies can change school and…

Short-term and 1-year effects of the Learn and Serve America program were examined in an evaluation of programs at 17 middle schools and high schools nationwide. The following four data sources were among those analyzed: survey responses and school records of approximately 1,000 Learn and Serve program participants and comparison group members;…

This report discusses the effectiveness of strategy-based writing instruction for adolescents with language-based learning disabilities. The instruction is being provided to Canadian students in grade eight who are at least two grade equivalents below their peers in reading and writing ability. The students are taught a paraphrasing strategy that…