This study described the lived experiences of fifteen African American male college students and their perception of their high school academics. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the lived experiences of African American male college students on the factors promoting and inhibiting their academic achievement. In addition, this…

This study investigated influences encouraging active music engagement beyond the high school and college years among nonmusic majors who are actively engaged in music. A web survey yielded a 50% response rate (N = 476) from nonmajor students enrolled in performing organizations at a large Midwestern public university, whose responses addressed…

Schools are often encouraged to facilitate extra-curricular learning within their own premises. This study addresses the potential of social networking sites (SNS) for supporting such out-of-class study. Given concerns that learning on these sites may happen at a surface level, we adopted self-determination theory for designing a social networking…

Current research has focused primarily on the negative aspects of African American males and high school attainment, examining the misleading high school drop out rates among African American males rather than the steady increase in high school completion. My study explored the factors that help contribute to high school completion among African…

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…

The Promoting Achievement in School through Sport (PASS) program is a year-long high school course that uses sports to enhance academic achievement. PASS features an integrated curriculum that addresses the student physically, mentally, and behaviorally, and an interdisciplinary approach combining language arts, philosophy, social studies,…

Thanks to "HIRE Education," a project of Delaware's Business, Industry, and Education Alliance, employers may legally obtain high school attendance and performance information when evaluating job applicants. This may help motivate noncollege-bound students to work harder in class, improve their attendance, get along with peers, and…

The application of the principles of intramural athletic competition to stimulate outstanding academic performance is discussed in this paper. The implementation of an academic intramural competition based on student diversity, immediate recognition, fun, and meaningful prizes in a Texas high school is described. The program is based on the tenet…

Reports on a study that confirmed that various personality factors influence students' school performance. Concludes that delinquent bahavior is largely a result of failure in school and that failure cannot be explained simply by the individual problems of students but must take into account failures of the educational system. (CMG)

The football program at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville (Maryland), illustrates ways in which a sports program can build unity and racial tolerance among students. The shared team effort carries over into schoolwork and life outside of school. (SLD)

A high school vocational education teacher who customarily had students participate in cocurricular competition through the Future Farmers of America examined students' feelings about competition. Students revealed that winning was not the only important factor, though they wanted to feel well-prepared before competing. They appreciated the…

Activities that engaged the full attention of adolescents at school were explored using the Experience Sampling Method, in which subjects were interrupted by a pager to record their experience at the moment the pager signaled. Two variables indicating optimal subjective experience and undivided attention were operationalized: interest and flow…

Interviews with 13 creative Ontario high school seniors examined school conditions that fostered creativity. Extracurricular activities and sports provided opportunities to display creativity not found in regular school routines. Others' ideas often sparked creativity. Classrooms, assignments, and teachers that encouraged exploration, hands-on…

Develops and tests a model for predicting student intentions to continue in a high school band program. Structural equation modeling indicates that socioeconomic level and teacher evaluations predict intentions both directly and indirectly through students' outside musical activities and support for the program by parents, band teachers, and…