Fourteen male and 14 female gifted and 14 male and 14 female nongifted adolescents completed questionnaires about intimacy with the closest same-sex friend and attachment style. Results suggest that gifted adolescents may have a stronger instrumental orientation than others, something that does not give them an advantage in friendship in…

Describes the development of a computer lab for freshman high school students. Questions to consider when planning a computer environment are suggested; software and hardware selection is discussed; room arrangements are considered; issues related to buying and installing software are described, including site licensing; and the computer…

Pilot study examined efforts to promote bonding of socially disengaged youth into conventional mainstream by integrating them with conventional youth on a service project. Ninth-graders (N=42) in four schools achieved significant improvements in attendance, achievement, ratings of social-academic competence and conventionality. Findings lend…

Study was conducted with beginning high school students (872 females, 404 males) in Quebec to determine their view of school-related parental activities and whether their opinions varied by gender or level of autonomy. Even though adolescents welcomed most parental involvement, support was stronger among females. Boy's work-orientation and girls'…

Many colleges and secondary schools use wilderness orientation (WO) programs to integrate new students to the campus. This paper outlines basic issues and concerns in the planning and development of this type of program. Before starting a WO program, it is essential to develop a coherent set of goals. These include general program goals, personal…

This paper describes a study of at-risk secondary school students and the outcomes of the school-based interventions they were involved with. Information was gathered from 28 Black, Hispanic, and White students through field notes and audio recordings. The students came from homes with a low-average educational attainment and themselves had…

In spring of 1990, pursuant to the federally funded School Health Education Project to Prevent the Spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, an annual survey was conducted of Illinois ninth graders (n=1,181) to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs concerning Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Findings from the 1990 survey are…

A longitudinal analysis of students who entered New York City high schools in 1979 supports the perception that most future dropouts can be identified at the beginning of their high school careers. This study examined the records of more than a quarter of the 1979 entering class at New York City high schools. Analyses were performed on attendance,…

This paper begins by reviewing evidence nationally, provincially, and locally that many students drop out of secondary school; that failure rates in core subjects in grades 9 and 10 in Ontario are high; and that ninth graders in Ontario reported being concerned about their school progress, their level of preparation and readiness for high school,…

The Ninth Grade Houses Program of the New York City public high schools is described, and evaluation outcomes and recommendations are presented. The general goal was to help ninth graders adjust to high school. The purposes were to: (1) generate student engagement; (2) provide opportunity for sustained, meaningful interaction with respected…

This document presents the findings and recommendations of a study that investigated students who leave school before graduating. The study attempted to determine the proportion of young people who leave school early versus those who graduate, and examined the subsequent schooling/training and job experiences of early leavers. The study…

As adolescents enter high school in the ninth grade, they experience a transition unlike any previous school experience, and it exacts its toll from unprepared, unmotivated, or unwary students. An examination of achievement test averages across grades 1 through 12 for students in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) in Austin, Texas…

Although transitioning from school to school can be challenging at any level, the transition to high school may be particularly fraught with challenge because students are experiencing a change in schools as well as the physical, emotional, and psychological changes inherent to adolescence. Educators and researchers agree that ninth grade is a…

This paper identifies and compares the level of career maturity as measured by the Career Maturity Inventory (CMI) for students (N=221) in grades 9 and 12 in 1 suburban district in Nebraska. The participating school district was preparing for the implementation of a developmental, comprehensive, and competency-based guidance program. Specific…

A program was designed to improve the organizational and study skills of high school freshmen attending a remedial world geography class in a suburban area surrounding a large midwestern city. The target population included special education students, students identified as at-risk, and others who had poor placement test scores. Data analysis…