The trends are clear--a high school education is no longer adequate to prepare young people for the rapidly changing information economy of the 21st century. According to the U.S. Department of Labor (2009), approximately 65 percent of the fastest growing jobs today require at least some form of postsecondary education. If the United States is to…

Reports on a four-year longitudinal study of 2,544 college students to determine the relationship between academic self-concept and withdrawal from school. Finds that the most significant predictor of school withdrawal was the students' self-concept of their overall academic ability. (CFR)

Reports on a study of 811 African American high school students to determine what proportion identified music teachers as role models. Finds that 36% of the subjects identified a music teacher as a role model. Suggests that the findings highlight the need to recruit more minority teachers into music education. (CFR)

Information is presented to help medical technology schools abroad evaluate their credentials in comparison to U.S. requirements. After defining the subfields of medical technology, also called medical laboratory science, a summary is provided of the educational requirements, the professional titles, and the certification recognition of medical…

Reports on a study of two introductory sociology courses to determine whether informal writing assignments can aid learning. Finds that requiring students to keep journals did not significantly improve performance on essay tests. Asserts that teachers may be justified in requiring attendance as a strategy for increased learning. (CFR)

This report on the educational concerns of Hispanic Americans is part of a four-part study of minority education in the United States by the National Education Association (NEA). Data were gathered from site visits to a wide variety of urban schools and programs, and from the testimony of representatives of community organizations, the U.S. Bureau…

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…

This guide for high school-age students with mild disabilities encourages students to be involved in planning their future. Students complete exercises that promote their involvement in transition planning and help them start thinking about decisions for the future. Consideration is given to: the student's dreams for the future, supports for the…

This report reviews current statistics on the state of girls' lives in the United States at the end of the 20th century. Six chapters cover: (1) "Framing Gender, Identity, and Adolescence" (trends in research on adolescent girls, exploring identities, how girls are doing, and conditions that support or hinder girls' healthy sense of…