The article describes the scope of vocational education, the low enrollment of handicapped students in vocational education courses, and benefits for handicapped students from vocational student organizations (VSO). Also discussed are previous barriers to VSO membership and ways vocational and special educators may attract handicapped students to…

Tests a model which relates student political attitudes to the degree of participation in extracurricular activities. Subjects were 3,087 high school students. Findings showed that political attitudes are predictors of participation in the political arena in high schools. (AM)

Three models (threshold, identification/commitment, social inequality gap reduction) were used to examine effects of extracurricular activities on 12th-grade and postsecondary outcomes. As the identification/commitment model predicted, school-based extracurricular activities were more beneficial than out-of-school activities. Consistent with the…

High school coaches and activity advisers who apply participatory management principles will be far more effective in the 1990s than those who do not. Democratically managed activities are consistent with effective schools research. All activities should be managed within a single activities department and have positive educational outcomes.…

Conflicting opinions between two circuit court decisions set the stage for another consideration of school officials' discretion in deciding whether the Equal Access Act would apply to their schools based on the presence or absence of a limited open forum. (MLF)

Academic competitions are discussed as a means of motivating underachieving gifted students. Particularly recommended is the U.S. Academic Decathlon which forms teams based on grade point averages. Two case studies illustrate the program's value. The paper also considers the program's benefits for high achieving students and the role of team…

Findings suggest that academic achievement is enhanced by student participation in extracurricular activities and raise questions about the rationale behind rules excluding academically marginal students from participation in extracurricular and cocurricular activities. (Author/IAH)

Small groups of gifted high school students meet weekly during lunch periods to have topical discussions, with the goals of developing self-awareness and affirming capability. As the school year progresses, the group discussions become less structured, with more free-wheeling exchange. Topics include learning styles, stress, suicide, and college…

Shares information on current scheduling trends within Iowa and explains why some schools have adopted a more cautious schedule-modification posture. In Iowa, there is strong support for cocurricular activities, including music and art, and faculty resistance, based on instructional issues. Test scores are high with a traditional schedule. (13…

Berkeley High School, with the nation's largest sports program, had numerous student eligibility violations in 1997. Many districts are defending the validity of their eligibility practices, as parents push harder for their children's right to compete on school teams. This article covers legal battles, competitive environments, legislative…

Student activity involvement contributes to leadership skills and the ability to plan, manage, organize, implement, and evaluate. Three experts view responsible participation as useful for building character, learning the value of trustworthiness and reliability, and promoting positive public relations throughout schools and communities. (MLH)

In this article, several teachers share their ideas on what they enjoy about coaching, directing, or advising. One of them, Mary Ann Yedinak, teaches middle school language arts, has a family, and has several partially written books still stored on her computer. However, she still wants to add an extracurricular activity such as Drama Club to her…

Almost every high school in the United States offers some type of extracurricular activity. This document examines the relationship between extracurricular participation and student engagement in school using data from 1992 public high school seniors in the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS). It also explores whether the availability of…

This pamphlet, an Alaska career information system high school planner and career guide, was developed for use with middle and early high school youth. This planning tool (1) introduces the relationship between high school courses and postsecondary plans; (2) outlines for the student the Alaska state minimum high school graduation requirements;…