This study explored the relationship between reading and achievement on a science standardized test. A nonfiction reading subtest and the science section of the Connecticut Academic Performance Test were compared for Grade 10 students at 3 Connecticut high schools. Results showed a moderate-to-strong positive relationship between the variables.…

This article reviews history, models, and benefits of credit-based transition programs between high schools and institutions of higher education. The goal of these programs is to enable high school students to take college courses and earn college credit while still in high school, thereby easing the transition to college through a variety of…

Including students with disabilities fully in the general education curriculum has become accepted in elementary schools, but issues such as teacher collaboration, standardized testing, gaps in skill levels, and scheduling challenges continue to pose significant obstacles to full inclusion in middle schools and high school. This article describes…

This study assessed the differences in educational aspirations and educational anticipations between four groups (AVID, GEAR UP, AVID/GEAR UP, and Control) of high school seniors who participated in a previous study as 10th graders (Watt, Huerta, & Lozano, 2007). It also measured whether any change in aspirations and anticipations occurred within…

As secondary educators seek strategies to support reluctant and disengaged learners, a greater understanding of the learning sciences (how people learn) becomes more important. This article examines the emerging knowledge base on the learning sciences and investigates how what has been discoveries about how and why people learn have practical…

This is a study of the retention behaviors of high school seniors in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) elective class. The design involves a multiple case study of eight high schools chosen from California and Texas. Focus groups of high school seniors were conducted in four schools in Texas and in four schools in California. The…

Across race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, the college aspirations of America's high school students continue to rise. Yet, in spite of their high aspirations, many students of color and many students from low socioeconomic backgrounds are underrepresented in the nation's postsecondary educational institutions. The under representation of…

As literature with postmodern characteristics becomes increasingly common, teachers of adolescents need to consider whether they should use these decidedly different novels and how they might do so effectively. This article identifies the characteristics of post modern novels and offers reasons for adding them to the curriculum. It also provides…

The purpose of this study was to explore and understand the instructional strategies that middle and high school teachers used to support struggling readers. Data from 2,400 minutes of direct classroom observation and interviews of secondary content-area teachers revealed that explicit reading comprehension instruction was not a significant way in…

This article reviews the current research literature on how secondary schools sort students for instructional purposes. Current sorting practices are based on early American philosophies of schooling where the goal of school was to provide students with different curricula based on preparation for future occupations. The article reviews the…

Despite a decade of advocacy and advances in technology, data driven decision making remains an elusive vision for most high schools. This article identifies key data systems design needs and presents methods for monitoring, managing, and improving programs. Because of its continuing salience, we focus on the issue of tracking (ability grouping).…

As more students with disabilities are included in general education classrooms, many obstacles must be overcome before parents, teachers, students, and administrators deem inclusion effective. This article identifies seven "sins", which are barriers to inclusive practices in secondary schools: Negative teacher perspectives; lack of knowledge…

Over recent decades, education has had to respond to major mandates and policy changes at the local and national levels. These parameters have often left schools adrift among the tumultuous waves of change and reform. Using the perfect storm as an analogy, this article examines how secondary principals can mediate organizational change by serving…

This study investigated the argument that schools that emphasize relational learning are better able to serve the motivational needs of adolescents. Matched-pair samples (n=80) from two public secondary schools were compared using the experience sampling method (ESM). Students attending a "non-traditional" school (which employed group decision…

This study examines engagement, meaning, and hedonism as three orientations to happiness and their relationship to the educational variables of motivation, extracurricular involvement, community involvement, and clarity of career plans. Engagement significantly contributed to the variance of extracurricular activities and community involvement.…