We report the findings of an empirical analysis of the performance of a group of middle and high school students before and after an after-school algebra enrichment program using the SimCalc software incorporating classroom networks. The results highlight statistically significant gains in their learning and briefly outline contributing factors of…

Social support present in the lives of youths at risk of school failure is explored. Who provides each of eight types of support, and the effects on school performance, are examined. Adults are major sources of social support for these students. Results show that parents and adult caretakes are main sources of social support. Implications for…

Investigated factors associated with academic success and coping of low-income, urban, minority adolescents transitioning from 8th to 9th grade. Interviews with high- and low-performing students indicated that the transition brought challenges related to school, friends, and family. High-performing students coped more actively and had a wider…

The purpose of the present study is threefold. First, the author aims to determine how middle and high school students would perceive and classify a set of homework purposes drawn from relevant literature by conducting an exploratory factor analysis to ascertain the underlying factor structure of these homework purposes. Second, the author…

This study provides a developmental perspective on achievement goal orientations in writing using data obtained from 1266 students ranging in age from 9 to 17. The strength of task goal orientation decreased from elementary school to middle school and then increased in high school; performance-approach goals decreased from elementary school to…

The aim of this study was to show how general models of text production can account for argumentative text planning. It focuses in particular on retrieval process in 11- to 18-year-old children. Various experimental situations were designed to promote different ways of retrieving ideas from long-term memory. Essays written by students were…

The factorial invariance of the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS: Huebner, 1994) across two divergent cultures (collectivistic vs.individualistic) was investigated with 835 Korean and 822 US students in elementary, middle, and high schools. Psychometric properties of the Korean version of the MSLSS were acceptable. A…

The purpose of this project was to gain a better understanding of dimensions of trust and inter-relationships between those dimensions during the adolescent years. Drawing from survey data collected at the beginning and end of a semester in eighty middle- and high-school social studies classes, relationships were assessed between: social trust,…

The evaluation of the Texas Rural Technology (R-Tech) Pilot sought to understand how districts implemented R-Tech grants, the effects of implementation on student and teacher outcomes, as well as the cost effectiveness and sustainability of R-Tech. The Texas legislature (80th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2007) authorized the creation of…

The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP) is designed to provide assistance to low income students. The program provides discretionary grants for the purpose of increasing the readiness of low income students to attend and succeed in postsecondary education. The grants are up to six years in length and provide…

Reading is an essential part of science literacy, yet teachers often face challenges in incorporating reading in science classrooms. In this article, the authors share how they brought reading back into their science classrooms. They designed four quarterly reading projects with yearlong literacy routines that they used successfully with their…

The purpose of this report is to provide information on the outcomes of the Intervention for College Attendance Program, a program of competitive grants awarded to postsecondary institutions, professional organizations, and community-based organizations. Prior to the 2008-09 biennium, the program focused on provision of college awareness and the…

Case studies of focus groups as a useful educational research strategy for evaluating noninstructional interventions are described. Focus groups were used to evaluate the effectiveness of programs in the following Virginia school settings: (1) peer counseling programs in 4 high schools with 49 student counselors; (2) gifted programs in 7…

This document, a two-volume report, provides in volume 1 the final longitudinal evaluation of the New York City Dropout Prevention Initiative (DPI), 1985-86 through 1987-88. (The second volume comprises appendices containing summaries of each previous evaluation for this time period.) The DPI was implemented in 13 high schools and 29 feeder middle…

This paper describes an anger management group implemented with students in grades 7-12 enrolled in an alternative school. The majority of students at the school were identified as having difficulties managing their anger and handling conflict. The goal of the group was to have students understand their relationship with anger in order to…