In one high school, an advisory program was put into place to promote students' sense of belonging as a main goal. However, the effectiveness of this program had not been evaluated, and research was needed for a better understanding of program outcomes. The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to evaluate one high school advisory program…

Perceptions of instrumentality (PI) are the connections one sees between a current activity and a future goal. With high PI, one is motivated to persist with quality effort because the current activity, even when difficult, is perceived as aligned with, and progress toward, the goal. Conversely, with low PI, one is motivated to relinquish effort…

There has been continued concern over the continued high dropout rate among Mexican origin youth. The purpose of this study is to understand how everyday experiences in school shape the content and meaning of Mexican origin students' social identities and how those social identities influence their academic trajectories over the transition to…