Many high schools, two-year colleges, and universities offer a conceptual physics course for non-science students who have to take a basic science course. The students often enter the course unmotivated and may eventually withdraw. So, how do we make the course interesting enough for these students to gain the knowledge we desire and, more…

What contributes to science skepticism? Virtually every U.S. high-school student is required to study biology, at minimum, to earn a diploma. But the exact content of the course varies from state to state. This article investigates the role of state standards for high-school science content in shaping knowledge and attitudes about…

School districts have taken a variety of steps to encourage PE and PA among their students. The sections of this brief highlight areas where policy opportunities exist, as well as areas where policies are well-established relative to PE and PA. This brief summarizes the range of policy actions taken by public school districts, including reports…

The National Assessment Governing Board is an independent, bipartisan organization that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The Governing Board established the NAEP Program of 12th Grade Preparedness Research to assess what NAEP can report on the academic preparedness of 12th grade students entering college and…

Since the mid-20th century, the standard U.S. high school and college math curriculum has been based on two years of algebra and a year of geometry, preparing students to take classes in pre-calculus followed by calculus. Students' math pursuits have been differentiated primarily by how far or how rapidly they proceed along a clearly defined…

Many states are now requiring high school students to be competent in the areas of economic and financial literacy. This is due to the recent escalation of bankruptcies, large credit card debt, and mortgage foreclosures in our society. This study examines how financial knowledge is transferred from the high school level to the college level and…

High schools in the United States are facing increased scrutiny to increase the number of students graduating with a diploma in four years. This pressure comes from many sources. First, the No Child Left Behind Act instituted graduation as a measure of a high school's success at the federal level. States soon followed by increasing accountability…

This paper documents how faculty from different departments at Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business developed, implemented and successfully delivered a cross-functional cornerstone core MBA course. The course provides an introduction to fundamental business concepts from a global managerial perspective and is based on an…

Each month "American School & University" provides a mix of thought-provoking features, how-to-articles, industry reports, exclusive surveys, new sections, insightful columns, new product introductions and case histories to assist education officials in better performing their jobs. This August 2004 issue includes the following: "Wireless World"…

This report examines the extent to which California high school students fail to meet the high school course requirements for admission to California's four-year public universities. It investigates students' course-taking patterns and whether the courses they take meet the universities' entrance requirements. Because students from a variety of…

Rigorous college preparatory course sequences are critical to preparing students for postsecondary education and work. Yet, large numbers of students still do not participate in the most beneficial courses, and there is little evidence that the high school curriculum is rigorous enough to ensure that most students are adequately prepared for…

This manuscript on mathematics was prepared by Dr. Edwin S. Lide, one of the full-time workers on the Survey. It gives attention to courses of study mostly in mimeographed form which he succeeded in obtaining and to personal visitations which he made to the various schools. It covers the work in the junior high school and in the senior high…