This report provides information about the performance of North Carolina's 2012 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2012 and tested under standard time conditions. This report focuses on: (1) Performance: student test performance in…

In a study of North Carolina business students, African Americans (n=28) tended to be slightly less assertive and less concerned about high-quality output than whites (n=195). Findings indicate that intensity levels of entrepreneurs toward business success may vary among racial groups. (JOW)

Recent studies have used increasingly complex methodologies to estimate the effect of peer characteristics--race, poverty, and ability--on student achievement. A paper by Hanushek, Kain, and Rivkin using Texas state testing data has received particularly wide attention because it found a large negative effect of school percent black on black math…

We use data on statewide end-of-course tests in North Carolina to examine the relationship between teacher credentials and student achievement at the high school level. The availability of test scores in multiple subjects for each student permits us to estimate a model with student fixed effects, which helps minimize any bias associated with the…

This paper identifies family characteristics associated with use of autism-related services. A telephone or in-person survey was completed during 2003-2005 by 383 North Carolina families with a child 11 years old or younger with ASD. Access to care is limited for racial and ethnic minority families, with low parental education, living in…

These Proceedings document an educational research forum held at Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) on December 6, 2006. Table of contents and 27 research studies of high school teaching are included. Studies include: (1) A Study of Teachers' Perceptions of High School Mathematics Instructional Methods (Caroline Adkisson); (2)…

The 7th edition of this publication provides updated projections of high school graduates for each year and each state (plus the District of Columbia) through 2022. The profile breaks down the projections by major racial and ethnic groups: (1) American Indian/Alaska Native; (2) Asian/Pacific Islander; (3) Black, non-Hispanic; (4) Hispanic; and (5)…

"Moving the Needle on Poverty" is designed to provide Colorado leaders with an up-to-date picture of the diverse strategies that states across the nation are pursuing to lift individuals, families, and communities out of poverty. As the report indicates, many states are choosing to set specific and measurable goals for poverty reduction,…

Considering that current trends in sexual behavior and alcohol use among adolescents pose a significant public health risk, more research is needed in this area. Using a cross-sectional design, this study examined sex and alcohol behaviors among middle school and high school students in southeastern North Carolina. The findings suggested that…

Context: While literature exists on sexual risks for HIV among rural populations, the specific role of stimulants in increasing these risks has primarily been studied in the context of a single drug and/or racial group. Purpose: This study explores the use of multiple stimulants and sexual risk behaviors among individuals of different races and…

This report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) presents results from the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) in mathematics. Representative samples of between 1,800 and 4,300 fourth- and eighth-grade public school students from 18 urban districts participated in the 2009 assessment. Eleven of the districts also…

The "Measuring College and Career Readiness" report for each state represents a snapshot of the ACT-tested graduates in the class of 2009 and focuses on their readiness for college and careers. Designed to inform policymakers and practitioners about selected indicators of effectiveness, the report is not intended to be comprehensive but…

This document presents data from a variety of secondary sources in an attempt to document that alcohol abuse is a serious problem in North Carolina, resulting in sickness, medical care use, death, and substantial economic costs. The primary source of data presented in this report is the Medical Examiner data system, which contains information for…

Summarizes an intensive survey of current research undertaken in an attempt to identify cognitive factors related to discrepant achievement of economically deprived black and white rural first graders--i.e. students whose achievement was at a level unpredicted by diagnostic testing. (JM)

Purpose: This analysis describes physical activity levels and factors associated with physical activity in an ethnically diverse (African American, Native American, white) sample of rural older adults with diabetes. Method: Data were collected using a population-based, cross-sectional stratified random sample survey of 701 community-dwelling…