This study used comparative interrupted times series analyses to assess the impact of a continuous improvement-focused family engagement intervention on ninth grade attendance and course passing rates. The intervention, conducted in an urban district, sought to improve middle and high school family engagement practices during the transition to…

This paper describes an exploratory study observing the use of "Minecraft" (a popular sandbox style online video game environment) in a high school English literature classroom. We use Piaget and Inhelder's (1969) constructivist theories about the formal operational stage of development to interpret the concepts of plot and…

Over the last decade, New York City has been the site of a systemwide high school reform effort that is unprecedented in its scope and pace. Since 2002, the school district has closed more than 20 failing high schools, opened more than 200 new secondary schools, and implemented a centralized high school admission process in which approximately…

Research in mathematical problem solving has produced significant results in trying to understand what people do to solve problems. An important part of the solution process is the presence of both cognitive and metacognitive strategies. This paper documents the extent to which 13 ninth grade students are able to recognize the basic structure of a…

This study examines the influence of perceived risks as well as the understudied role of benefits on alcohol and marijuana use among adolescents and adults. Ninth grade students and young adults were asked about the perceived risks and benefits of alcohol and marijuana use. Analyses showed a consistent pattern: perceived benefits were more…

Research has suggested that important research questions can be addressed with meaningful interpretations using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). The proper interpretation of results, however, is invariably linked to the choice of centering for the Level-1 predictor variables that produce the outcome measure for the Level-2 regression analysis.…

A study examined how collaborative writing groups functioned in a Madison, Wisconsin high school classroom. The class in the study was ninth-grade English "Academically Motivated" (which is neither high nor low tracked). The researcher spent the first 9-week quarter in the classroom observing, taking field notes, teaching some of the classes that…

The ecological perspective holds that community and school activities are a rare product of interaction among adolescents, communities, families, and schools. This study was designed to assess the outcomes of a personal empowerment program. The sample consisted of 25 male and 27 female ninth grade students. Students took a pretest and received a…

In an effort to determine whether the metacognitive strategy of self-questioning enhances lecture comprehension, 56 Honors Program ninth graders in two sections of a freshman honors world history course were assigned to four conditions. Subjects: (1) were trained to pose questions for themselves during classroom lectures and to use their questions…

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors and data that influenced the key implementation decisions of a ninth-grade dropout intervention program in a large urban high school in 1987-1988. The school district was composed of 12 high schools, 15 middle schools, and 48 elementary schools, and served approximately 40,000 students. Data…

The goal of this study was to find out if the difference between boys and girls in computer literacy can be leveled out in a laptop program where each student has his/her own mobile computer to work with at home and at school. Ninth grade students (n=113) from laptop and non-laptop classes in a German high school were tested for their computer…

Most comparative studies about China were challenged by many sinologists and educators for not grounding on representative samples. This research is mainly based on a Chinese data base collected from a random sample of more than 10,000 9th-grade students in the Second International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA)…

Adolescent suicide is the second leading cause of death in the adolescent population and is on the rise. This study used a mass screening concept as a pre-test identifier of at risk clients for suicide ideation and depressions; development of a competency-based prevention group treatment program, and the post-testing of the identified at-risk…

Loneliness is thought to be a relatively common experience among adolescents. Although no studies have specifically examined the relationship between adolescent loneliness and attributional style, research has found that children's attributions do affect interpersonal behaviors. The relationship between adolescent loneliness and perceptions of…

A widely held perception is that public schools are failing American children and society. Some research indicates that 9th-graders are more at risk for school failure than are students in other grades. This paper presents findings of a study that examined 9th-graders in the Durham Public School System (North Carolina) who were enrolled in a Basic…