The high school graduation rate in Tennessee has failed to meet the state required benchmark of 90%. The state graduation rate in 2003 was 76%, in 2004 it was 75.7%, 2005 it was 77.9%, and in 2006 it was 80.7%. The Tennessee State Department of Education is searching for effective methods to increase the graduation rate for Tennessee high schools.…

An understanding of Algebra I and the role that this foundational course plays as an entry to the college preparatory pathway in secondary education and its influence on mathematical achievement is an integral component for the education of American youth in the global world of science and technology. Achievements in high school curricula are…

Purpose is an internal compass that integrates engagement in activities that affect others, self-awareness of one's reasons, and the intention to continue these activities. We argue that purpose represents giftedness in intrapersonal intelligence, which processes information related to self, identity, self-regulation, and one's place in the world.…

The college choice requires the adolescent to gather and synthesize vast amounts of information, reconcile sometimes competing personal and familial goals, and manage a range of emotions. This decision process represents a major developmental crisis with which the adolescent must cope. Scholars have noted that psychological strain and heightened…

As a part of the teacher licensure program at the graduate level at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the M.Ed. Licensure candidate is required to complete an action research project during a 3-semester-hour course that coincides with the 9-semester-hour student teaching experience. This course, Education 5900 Culminating…

Principals, teachers and students of 12 Memphis city high schools provided attitudinal data concerning the Advanced Placement Biology Program. Test score data were obtained from the students and compared to national norms for the Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Tests and the Cooperative Test Battery in English and Biology. The program was strongly…

Early in 2003, the National Assessment Governing Board established the National Commission on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 12th Grade Assessment and Reporting, following the recommendation of retiring Governing Board Executive Director Roy Truby. The Governing Board's charge to the Commission was "To review the…

This curriculum guide for career education for 11th- and 12th-grade students in Tennessee suggests learning activities correlated with the "Tennessee Career Guide: The Sky's the Limit" program and its related videotape. Together, the materials are designed to provide Tennessee's youth with resources for exploring options available in…

As part of the language arts curriculum framework developed in accordance with "Rules, Regulations, and Minimum Standards" of the Tennessee State Board of Education, this standard English curriculum guide contains the goals, concepts, and terminal objectives for grade 12 English courses. Following an introduction, a description of the…

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), standardized test scores are the indicator used to hold schools and school districts accountable for student achievement. Each state is responsible for constructing an accountability system, attaching consequences--or stakes--for student performance. The theory of action implied by this…