Disproportionate representation of historically underserved students in advanced placement programs, such as the IB program, is a persistent issue nationwide. Despite being called "the great equalizer," public education often perpetuates systemic inequities for marginalized students, including those living in poverty or belonging to…

In this classroom study, the authors examine the use of popular psychology myths as a frame for literary analysis in high school English. The study reflects a cultural studies approach to teaching that attends to students' cultural awareness in interpreting what they read. Previous research has demonstrated that students' cultural awareness, in…

The problem investigated in this study focused on continued underrepresentation of African-American students taking Advanced Placement courses as compared to their peers. The purpose of the qualitative, phenomenological study was to understand how students perceived their experiences and factors that contributed to the lack of African American…

Ask a typical high school student to draw a picture of how a bar magnet works and most of the drawings produced will show a "+" and "-" sign at the two ends. Some students will write "N" and "S." If you then ask some follow-up questions, they will often resort to talking about "charges" being responsible for the magnetism. For several years, I…

Participation in rigorous high school courses such as Advanced Placement (AP[R]) Physics increases the likelihood of college success, especially for students who are traditionally underserved. Tackling difficult multiple-choice exams should be part of any AP program because well-constructed multiple-choice questions, such as those on AP exams and…

"Uneducated Guesses" challenges everything our policymakers thought they knew about education and education reform, from how to close the achievement gap in public schools to admission standards for top universities. In this explosive book, Howard Wainer uses statistical evidence to show why some of the most widely held beliefs in…

Criticizes Jay Mathews'"Newsweek" article ranking the 100 "best" American high schools by a Challenge Index dividing the number of advanced placement/international baccalaureate tests taken by the number of graduating seniors. Clifford Adelman's research on good academic content and good teachers provides more useful criteria.…

School-within-a-school programs are an alternative school choice that can provide differentiated learning opportunities for academically gifted students, but they are often politically contentious. In a recent study, we interviewed 530 students and teachers in gifted and regular streams in three publicly funded secondary schools with different…