This study explores participant experiences at two contrasting high schools in a large, urban school district in crisis who implemented mandatory community-based learning (CBL) (e.g. community service, work-based internships) as a policy of reform. Rawls' theory of justice as fairness is used to examine capacity of the district formal policy to…

Principals know that effective teachers are the greatest school-based contributors to improved student outcomes. What is not always clear is how principals can help teachers adapt their instructional practices to the increasingly diverse learning styles they find in their classrooms. Teacher evaluation practices are typically not seen as a tool…

Ohio substance abuse policies, discipline codes, and educational drug abuse prevention programs are reviewed. An effective substance abuse policy is an essential element in the school's efforts to deal with drug and alcohol use. In many U.S. schools, the use of alcohol and drugs interferes with the education process, and it appears that substance…

Using multilevel models, the authors tested the hypothesis that high schools, through their curricular policies, operate as mechanisms that help members of privileged groups to take better advantage of postsecondary opportunities. The analysis was based on a 7-year follow-up study of 44,666 Israeli students who graduated from 385 high schools in…

This policy digest reviews the current status of state level graduation policies and the inclusion of students with disabilities in more rigorous student accountability measures. The results of two surveys conducted by the Council of Chief State School Officers on the inclusion of students with disabilities in state level graduation requirements…

Suggests that a successful college-admission process depends on mutual trust and open communication between college counselors and college-admission officers. Suggests that high school counselors should make sure that their school policy is consistent with state and federal statutes and that admission counselors should be sensitive to legal…

This report challenges a major interpretation of test data and cautions against decision-making without first considering alternative interpretations. A review of test score trends over the past 15 years indicates that compensatory education programs (competency-based education, minimum competency testing, etc.) have had a positive impact and that…

The Center for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) studied the background, implementation, and effects of curriculum policies, including graduation requirements, student testing, curriculum controls, and indicators. This document examines the findings about curriculum policy in the school context. A total of 188 interviews were conducted at the…

This paper reviews the literature which examines school policies currently guiding educational practice in the area of student substance abuse and discusses the relationship between special education and substance-using and substance-abusing students. Reviewed are: (1) definitions of substance abuse, which vary with the conceptualization of the…

The passage of education legislation extending equal rights to women precipitated a series of court cases testing the rights of women to participate in high school athletic programs. These court decisions have resulted in fundamental changes in the operation, organization, and administration of athletic programs within many school districts. A…

High schools in the United States face tremendous challenges involving changes in cultural and economic forces and necessities. They need to transform themselves into places of learning where knowledge is relevant to students' needs and aspirations. Because many traditional high school structures are large, compartmentalized, and impersonal, they…

This paper reports on a study of high school dropouts ages 16-24 in a rural county in Illinois. Specifically, the study reports on descriptive data pertaining to high school dropouts, focusing on those who chose to return to education; changes in student views and perceptions regarding education; and efforts by the school system to encourage…

Researchers and policymakers have pointed to the lagging scores of eighth graders on international, national, and state assessments as evidence that students are not prepared to meet high academic standards and that middle grades reform is needed. In response to these concerns, educators have introduced reforms designed to provide middle-level…