This retrospective study examined the impact of prior mathematics achievement on the relationship between high school mathematics curricula and student postsecondary mathematics performance. The sample (N = 4,144 from 266 high schools) was partitioned into 3 strata by ACT mathematics scores. Students completing 3 or more years of a commercially…

Newbery books represent quality literature that has a profound social-emotional impact on its readers, yet these books have not been systematically evaluated for their portrayal of characters with disabilities. Thirty-one Newbery Award and Honor books from 1975-2009 were identified and portrayed 41 main or supporting characters with disabilities.…

The topic of selection interviewing lends itself well to experience-based teaching methods. Instructors often teach this topic by using a two-step process. The first step consists of lecturing students on the basic principles of effective interviewing. During the second step, students apply these principles by role-playing mock interviews with…

The author examines the rise in popularity of graphic novels, the sales of which have steadily increased as their influence expands into adolescent culture. This article also includes an overview of current research results supporting the use of graphic novels within the classroom and school library; graphic novels support English-language…

The librarian's book selection role is to provide materials containing innumerable idea- themes and to perform the indispensable task of eliminating the irrelevant, the unsound, and the superfluous. (Author)

Criteria to serve as a basis for intelligent review and selection of books and materials for use in schools include: the nature of the learner; program gestalt; "teachability" of the material; determination of in-school use; content appropriateness; disposition of teacher, student, and parent; availability; physical format; cost; and…

What should families and teachers look for when they choose picture books to help young children overcome their fears of imaginary monsters, dark places, thunderstorms, and dogs? This article provides criteria for assessing picture books and suggests ways to read them in ways that support children's development. (Contains 4 tables.)

In recent years, as study abroad professionals have come to focus more squarely on the question of what students are in fact learning abroad, there has been increasing speculation about the extent to which study abroad increases prospects for employability following graduation. Common wisdom has it that undergraduates who study abroad have an…

Despite reports to the contrary, the availability of physics as a course for high school students is not equitably distributed throughout the United States. While some schools provide physics for all who wish to take it, a more common scenario is limited availability, often open only to the few students who have completed the necessary…

An airport interview is an initial interview for a senior administrative position conducted at an airport hotel not too far from the campus in question. Meeting at an airport enables a search committee to interview a large number of candidates in a short period of time with a degree of confidentiality. At the conclusion of the airport interviews,…

A central goal of most library media programs is to inspire lifelong readers, who recognize and value the cognitive, affective, and even physical experiences they obtain through reading. Unfortunately, national surveys have reported that reading for pleasure is on the decline, especially among children and young adults. Many young people are…

An intuitively appealing approach to increasing the flexibility of vocational education and training is to delegate choices on instruction, such as the selection of learning tasks, to students. However, empirical evidence shows that students often do not have sufficiently developed self-directed learning skills to select suitable tasks. This…

Retaining quality staff members is a hot topic in the public school arena. Although teachers are often the focus of concern, hiring and retaining quality assistant principals must be addressed as well. Interviewing and hiring the right assistant principal--and then ensuring that he or she remains on in a campus for several years--can do a great…

Businesses continue to use the job interview as a final determinant of the applicant's good fit for the company and its culture. Today, many companies are hiring less and/or are taking longer to find just the right person with the right skills for the right job. If an applicant is asked to come for an interview, the general feeling is that the…

As technology and teaching requirements continue to evolve, one would think the choice of which data projector to buy would be easier because there now are more products with more capabilities. Yet just the opposite is true: The sheer number of projectors and myriad combinations of available features can be overwhelming, making it really tough to…