The QuikSCience Challenge science education program combines a cooperative team project emphasizing community service with an academic competition for middle and high school students. The program aims to develop leadership abilities, motivate interest in ocean sciences, engage students in community service and environmental stewardship, and…

This study examined the classroom practices of five pre-service teachers from three secondary schools in a large southeastern state. Through classroom observations, survey responses, reviews of refection logs, and focus-group interview responses, we centered on the issue of developing classroom authority as a means to effective classroom…

This paper focuses on findings from the first wave of a longitudinal study investigating high school students' perceptions and behaviors as they engage in a graduation project focused on exploring postsecondary options. Students (n=157) completed surveys regarding their achievement goals, sense of belongingness and career exploration endeavors. A…

The purpose of this study was to research the effects of online discussion on face-to-face (F2F) classroom participation and academic achievement for 18 public high school students in a senior English class. The teacher used a variety of data collection including surveys, test scores, journal reflections, and teacher observations to study the…

This research study examined nine secondary American history textbooks regarding their treatment of 9/11 and related events. The analysis centered on both the knowledge included and excluded from the discussion in each book. Particular attention was given to the moral and ethical issues relevant to 9/11. Findings show that textbooks vary in their…

This article highlights issues that secondary special education teachers are facing as a result of the legally mandated "highly qualified teacher" (HQT) requirement. The valid demand for teachers to document core subject area competency is often compounded for secondary special education teachers by the requirement to teach multiple core areas.…

Decisions made in middle school allocate students to different high school course levels and tracks. Because African American students are disproportionately represented in the lower level tracks of high school curriculum and because track placement affects learning and postsecondary opportunities, it is important to explore determinants of track…

Teaching social-emotional skills to secondary students has been linked to higher student achievement, more positive student motivation and more socially acceptable classroom behaviors (Elias & Arnold, 2006; Weissburg et al., 2003; Kress et al., 2004). Much of the current literature on social-emotional learning (SEL) focuses on research. This piece…

Research has confirmed that many students in the middle grades and high schools experience serious challenges with respect to content area tasks that involve literacy. Over time, educators have become more knowledgeable and informed about content literacy instructional practices for developing vocabulary, comprehension, study strategies, and…

In order to cultivate a culture that challenges the status quo and expects excellence, school leaders need to learn, develop, and demonstrate high levels of emotional intelligence. Studying emotional intelligence provides leaders with the awareness necessary to meet the needs of a staff that is engaged in developing a common vision for their…

Student drug and alcohol policies often impose consequences on students that may place the child at greater risk of delinquent behavior. The project described in this article sought to explore how different stakeholders in two public school systems perceived the ability of their drug and alcohol policies to protect the needs of the school, the…

Drawing on a variety of qualitative data, this case study explored one Chinese adolescent's decade-long educational journey at various American schools. The findings reveal academic triumphs, familial conflicts, and developmental dilemmas experienced by the student and the family across different sociocultural spaces. This research has…

This narrative provides a personal account of the author's student-teaching experience in a primarily Latina/o high school. In an analysis of the journal in which observations were during the experience, the following themes emerged: (a) high expectations before the semester, (b) conflicting messages, (c) teachers' expectations for standard…

This study, conducted in the Southwestern United States, investigated teacher and student uses of tablet laptop computers in a one-to-one initiative involving fifth grade through eighth grade students and their teachers. The campus initiative led to higher than expected technology integration and student-teacher and student-student collaborations.…

The participants in this study were high school Hispanic students from four geometry classes. All students were taught by the same teacher, and the duration of the experiment was for one term or six weeks. Two classes were placed in the control group and another two classes in the experimental group. In the control group, students took weekly…