Positive youth development programs such as those offered by Boy Scouts of America (BSA) provide sources of support and opportunities for leadership and character development. Programmatic experts from BSA collaborated with researchers to develop a visual theory of change (pathway model) for youth development in Scouts BSA and for adult volunteer…

Public high school principals (n = 130) participated in a study comparing extracurricular activities available at high schools located in poverty areas with extracurricular activities available at high schools not located in poverty areas. Results indicated that high schools in poverty areas are, in general, characterized by fewer extracurricular…

Public schools in the state of Texas are required by the Texas Education Agency to administer five state exams to high school students consisting of Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History. These exams play a big role in school accountability and in high school graduation. For this reason, many schools develop intervention…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of hunger on school participation in Title 1 high school seniors. The study was conducted in a large urban Title I school district in Texas where the majority of the population falls into a lower socioeconomic group. The guiding question states, "Can hunger caused by food insecurity cause…

With the introduction of key federal, state, and local legislation that has placed an ever-increasing emphasis on improving overall school academic performance, it has become vitally important for educational leaders to explore any and all methods that may positively impact the academic outcomes of their respective educational institutions. While…

The purpose of this case study was to explore administrator, teacher, and parent perceptions about the resources needed to increase parental involvement. Leveraging three theoretical frameworks of Epstein's overlapping spheres of influence, the Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler model, and Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, this study utilized qualitative…

The present study tested the learning avoidance model by examining the degree to which learning avoidance in various afterschool settings mediated the negative association between math anxiety and math achievement. Participants consisted of 207 third to sixth graders. Using a path model, findings showed that students' math anxiety was negatively…

Many educational systems are generally viewed across the United States as failing to meet the increased demand of preparing an educated workforce to sustain the nation's economy and overall citizen way of life. One such failing is represented in the number of students not completing high school. To address the systemic dropout problem, federal and…

The CPI Mid-Term Assessment provides insights from the first two years of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF)® Career Pathways Initiative (CPI). The authors derived insights from a comprehensive view of the experience of UNCF's Institute for Capacity Building (ICB) and the network of institutions implementing the program. To facilitate continuous…

This study examined the effects of extracurricular absences on final grades and State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) End-of-Course (EOC) scores. A multiple regression test was run to determine whether there was a significant relationship between the grades of students with extracurricular absences and their STAAR EOC scores.…

Universities and colleges are consistently being held accountable for measurable outcomes from internal and external stakeholders. Outcomes such as the development of critical thinking skills have been tied to funding from state and federal governments and employers believe that graduates should be able to think critically and produce results…

Entrepreneurial skills are being sought by companies as they consider college graduates, particularly engineers, for future employment. Technical skills have become the baseline while the ability to apply these skills in a business environment has become a key differentiator in the value of employees in corporate environments. To address this need…

The University-Model school incorporates private school and homeschool methods within a Christian school experience. Parents receive the title of "co-instructors" as they partner with teachers in educating their child. This phenomenological study explored the elements that influenced parents' choice when selecting a school. Simon's 1955…

With today's greater focus on preparing students for college and careers, the Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation (CSAI) recently conducted a review of the coursework that states are requiring students to complete in order to receive a high school diploma, and of what diploma options are available for students in each state. This…

Students attending suburban and rural schools face obstacles that make dropping out of school a viable option for them. The need for schools to find strategies that will keep students in school is critical. One strategy that is successful in keeping student interested in school is participation in sports. As the leaders of sports' teams, coaches…