Background/Context: Past studies have consistently found modest academic gains for minorities as a result of desegregation. In addition, school effects have tended to be small or even null once student-level nonschool factors are controlled. However, traditional approaches not only treat desegregation as a policy that may be sufficient by itself…

Background: Performance in high school science is a critical indicator of science literacy and regional competitiveness. Factors that influence science proficiency have been studied using national databases, but these do not answer all questions about variable relationships at the state level. School context factors and opportunities to learn…

Discusses increased demand for higher education among high school students and the consequences of this trend: growth of two-year institutions, an increase in dropout or "stopout" rates among college students, and a probable increase in remedial courses in colleges. (SM)