The process of pairing a name with representations or peculiar properties permeates many mathematics classroom situations. In school, many practices go under the label 'definition', even though they can be very different from what mathematicians conceive as a formal definition, and in fact there are substantial differences between these different…

As a result of the evidence-based decision-making movement, the number of randomized trials evaluating educational programs and curricula has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. Policy makers and practitioners are encouraged to use the results of these trials to inform their decision making in schools and school districts. At the same…

This case study provides an account of my research journey in one high school. It focuses on the practical issues that can arise when negotiating access. It also attends to the impact that unexpected transitions in the field can have when conducting research. Although ethical dilemmas emerge in multiple moments when conducting research, special…

University researchers face a significant obstacle when studying schools: their lives as researchers began in schools. How can researchers enter the contemporary high school and see the movement of bodies through those halls as something other than a confirmation or rejection of their own schooling experiences? What special intellectual and…

There is a well-established link between educational attainment and health. Alternative high schools (AHSs) serve students who are at risk for school dropout. Health-related research conducted in AHSs has been sparse. Achieving high participation rates is critical to producing generalizable results and can be challenging in research with…

A new report published by the Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions is a minor variant on six similar reports published by the Friedman Foundation over the past three years. The new report repeats some of the errors in the previous reports, and it follows a parallel structure, arguing that the costs of dropping out are dramatic for the…

This review examines a research study that compares high school graduation rates of students who used vouchers to attend private high schools in Milwaukee and students who attended public high schools in that same city. The study reports that for the most recent year of data, a sample of voucher students had estimated graduation rates 12…

Reviews research on the relationship between school order and academic achievement. Emphasizes the need to distinguish between order that is the product of coercion, and order that is the product of self-discipline. (FMW)

Addresses methodological and ethical issues in context of three related school-based studies of primary and targeted prevention of depressive symptoms and disorder in high school adolescents. Issues discussed include obtaining subject consent and protection of confidentiality, minimizing attrition, unit of assignment issue, and ensuring therapist…

This paper reviewed the research literature on graduation rates in U.S. high schools to evaluate and assess the findings. The methodology employed was to determine the measuring method that researchers used in reaching their findings. The strengths and weaknesses of the method employed were then analyzed. Flaws and inaccuracies were examined and…

Addresses the following issues, as illustrated by methodological features of a year-long ethnography of two high-school English classes: (1) the particular features and purposes of ethnography as a research genre; (2) the contributions it has made; and (3) the greatest challenges facing the ethnographer. (TB)

The purpose of the California High School Performance Reports is to provide a means for the public to judge a school's progress towards: (1) implementing the educational reforms outlined in California State Legislature Senate Bill 813; (2) upgrading the quality of its instructional program; and (3) improving student achievement. This paper…

While the Department of Education boasts lower of school dropout rates, graduation rates are also decreasing in some areas. Although the percentage of students graduating on time has remained unchanged, the percentage of noncompleters who eventually get a high school diploma (through a GED or alternative program) increases yearly. Inadequate…

Examines methodological problems that metaphorical nonequivalence poses for cross-cultural survey research. Data from 1,105 urban ninth graders (including 105 Laotian Hmong) in St. Paul (Minnesota) illustrate problems of the translation of psychological instruments and the difficulties of administering a single instrument to culturally different…

The effectiveness of knee braces in preventing knee injuries in football is inconclusive. This article reviews research from epidemiologic, cadaver, and surrogate studies; discusses reasons for conflicting study results, including research design problems; and describes alternative approaches that have been suggested. (IAH)