This study explored complicated personal narratives of school reform generated by participants in response to a particular small schools reform initiative. Narrative data was dialogically generated in interviews with nine past participants of an urban high school conversion project planned and implemented over a span of five years toward the goal…

With strong connection to schoolwide policy and vision and to the realities of the daily life of teachers and students, the department chair is uniquely positioned to play an important role in advancing instructional effectiveness (Printy, 2008; Weller, 2001). This article provides an in-depth look at the efforts of three urban comprehensive high…

Interest in setting high educational standards is at the forefront of many school reform programs in the United States. States' pursuit of high standards can be advanced through implementation of programs such as High Schools That Work ("HSTW"), which emphasizes high expectations and rigorous academics for all students, including Career…

Given the challenges of a culturally and linguistically diverse student body, one exemplary high school has developed supportive schooling practices that provide academic rigor and access for all students while embracing their linguistic and cultural identities. This ethnographic study documents how this school contributed to the college…

Analyzes approximately 500 published curricular timetables for upper secondary, college preparatory programs from over 100 countries, 1920-89. Virtually all timetables analyzed fell into four categories--classical, mathematics and science, arts and humanities, and comprehensive--consistent between countries and over time. Much programmatic change…

Surveys of 931 students indicated that 85 percent supported condom distribution at their school, and 76 percent believed that condom distribution would not change the frequency of sexual activity among adolescents. (SM)

Surveyed approximately 280 high school students, 125 parents, and 150 teachers to examine impact of Missouri Comprehensive Guidance Program from perspective of these groups and to obtain useful information in assessing comprehensive school guidance programs. Even though survey results were positive, counselors and those responsible for guidance…

Studied attributions for school-based loneliness for 36 Finnish students with a high degree of loneliness and 42 with a low degree of loneliness. More lonely students mostly used a nonself-serving internal-stable attributional style, while less lonely students attributed temporary loneliness to external, unstable, and controllable causes.…

Presents five beliefs related to the small schools versus large schools debate: Differences matter more than similarities, a large building offers more opportunities, larger schools attract better teachers and administrators, small schools reflect provincial values, and what matters most is class size. Discusses two implications for advocates of…

American-style comprehensive high school (CHS) systems were started in Japan and Taiwan in 1994 and 1996, respectively. Most CHSs in Taiwan were transformed from senior vocational schools, whereas others were changed from senior high schools or newly founded. To assist these schools in successfully restructuring or designing new programs, a…

The purpose of this report is to explore the structuring of academic departments within contemporary comprehensive high schools. It begins with an argument for research on the organization of schools that takes account of the fact that high schools are fundamentally different structures from their elementary school counterparts and that…

Analyzes data on racial and sex differences in vocational education enrollments and wage and employment opportunities for vocational education graduates. Examines variations in vocational education program quality in urban districts and suggests that programs in centralized facilities are of higher quality than those in the comprehensive high…

Data from the High School and Beyond study were used to investigate the comprehensiveness of programs in mathematics, science, and foreign language in large and small high schools. Large schools offered more comprehensive programs than did smaller schools, but there was substantial variation in comprehensiveness at any school size. (SLD)

High school students, their parents, and school personnel were surveyed regarding the health and guidance related needs of adolescents. The results were analyzed and compared within both the Comprehensive School Health (CSH) and Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling (CGC) frameworks. Results suggest a need for collaboration between CSH and CGC…

One of the most important educational reforms related to secondary education in Taiwan is the planning of comprehensive high schools. The impetus for their establishment has come from several sources, including increased educational alternatives, integration of academic and vocational education resources to upgrade the quality of education, the…