This combined report examines the obstacles that Virginia students encounter as they move from high school through college and what colleges and universities might do to facilitate their progress. Part 1 of the report responds to House Joint Resolution No. 211, which asks Virginia's Council of Higher Education to study the transition between high…

What are ways to encourage minority students and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds to take and succeed in AP classes? Advanced Placement courses and their final national standardized exams began in 1954 to help students, mostly white males, get through college more quickly so that they would have more time in the work force. 50 years later,…

A study examined rural, low-income students' experiences with online advanced placement (AP) courses. Interviews were conducted with 30 students, their mentors, and school administrators at four rural high schools in two Western states; 25 students were low-income. Positive comments about the online experience mentioned interaction with other…

"Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education: What the Research Says" is the definitive reference book for those searching for a summary and evaluation of the literature on giftedness and gifted education. The book presents almost 50 summaries of important topics in the field, providing relevant research and a guide to how the research…

Progress toward meeting the recommendations for quality improvements made by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) in 1981 in "The Need for Quality" is reviewed, and suggestions for state actions to improve undergraduate education in the SREB states are offered. High school graduation requirements in SREB states are identified,…

The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program was offered in 10 high schools and 6 middle schools during the 2005-2006 school year. AVID began in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) in 1999 as a way of helping more students become eligible for college. Students who were considered academically "average," based on…

The Texas Education Agency's (TEA's) state GEAR UP project--Texans Getting Academically Prepared (TGAP)--has provided interconnected activities supporting early awareness of and preparation for higher education among low-income and minority students, their families, and schools in six South Texas school districts. Over its six years, the state…

In October 1999, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) received a GEAR UP state grant. TEA's project, Texans Getting Academically Prepared (TGAP), was originally a five-year grant. However, additional federal funding extended the project for a sixth year. TGAP begins at the middle-school level to prepare low-income and minority students for higher…

The Texas Education Agency's (TEA's) state GEAR UP project--Texans Getting Academically Prepared (TGAP)--has provided interconnected activities supporting early awareness of and preparation for higher education among low-income and minority students, their families, and schools in six South Texas school districts. Over its six years, the state…

As the fiftieth anniversary of the Advanced Placement Program[R] (AP[R]) in U.S. schools approaches, it is the right time to issue the first "Advanced Placement Report to the Nation." This report uses a combination of state, national, and AP Program data in new ways to provide each U.S. state with a context for celebrating its successes,…