A two-year longitudinal investigation examined adolescents' (N = 100 girls and 99 boys) perceptions of social support in relationships with mothers, close friends, and romantic partners from Grade 10 (ages 14-16) to Grade 12 (ages 16-18). Adolescents, mothers, and close friends also provided descriptions of the participants' global self-worth and…

This article reports on the third year of a three-year longitudinal investigation into six secondary students' understanding of optics at a secondary school level. In the third year of this investigation the students, who by now were in Year 12, underwent a teaching sequence that centred on the teaching and learning of physical optics and quantum…

The National Alliance of State Science and Mathematics Coalitions reports that American 12th graders ranked near the bottom of 21 nations that participated in the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey. This article describes several free Web resources designed to supplement rigorous classroom instruction, support NCLB initiatives, and…

In September 2003, Hudson High School in Hudson, Massachusetts launched two new civic development efforts--clustering and schoolwide governance--and moved into a new building designed to facilitate them. Clustering is designed to achieve a sense of community within a large school by creating small communities of 100 to 150 students. To create…

Getting ready for college is a process--one that starts as soon as one enters high school. It has many steps and many deadlines. The good news: There are resources to help you stay organized. Talk to your college advisor, and use the resources in this guide to get information and to identify test dates and other important deadlines. Make your…

"Bridging the Gap: Intergenerational Appreciation" is an educational partnership between community residents and high school family and consumer sciences (FCS) students in the Cornwall-Lebanon School District in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The program provides 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students opportunities to be actively involved with the…

This revised report presents a look at national and state-level findings of students' overall proficiency in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1994 reading assessment for grades 4, 8, and 12 and provides comparisons with the performance of their 1992 counterparts. The first chapter introduces the report, discussing topics such…

The two highest risk nights for teens are prom and graduation. Many students feel as if they have not really celebrated if they have not been drinking or using other drugs. Virginia Operation Prom/Graduation (OP/G) addresses the issues of youth drinking, drugging, and driving behavior during these high-risk social seasons. It encourages a positive…

In the spring of 1996, the Nevada State Department of Education conducted its fourth biennial survey to assess drug and alcohol attitudes and use among students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12. Issues of safety, violence, and school climate, as well as participation in school-based prevention programs, were also assessed. The survey results are…

The Cognitive Science Laboratory of the University of Southern California has conducted a series of studies on the experimental effects of motivation on a low-stakes (to the student) standardized test. This report summarizes these studies and their results. The test in question is the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). A series of…

This fact sheet presents information about the Ohio Proficiency Test for grade 12 in Reading. Beginning in February 1994, all students who have passed the Ohio Ninth-grade Proficiency tests in all areas will take the twelfth-grade proficiency tests in writing, reading, mathematics, and citizenship. The reading test is designed to measure a…

Twelfth-grade students in Ohio who have passed all the sections of the ninth-grade proficiency tests take the twelfth-grade tests. Beginning in 1995-96, these tests will include science, although science will not become a factor in earning a diploma until the year 2000. This fact sheet provides information about the Twelfth-grade Proficiency Test…

This report presents a first look at national and state-level findings of students' overall proficiency in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1994 reading assessment for grades 4, 8, and 12 and provides comparisons with the performance of their 1992 counterparts. The first chapter introduces the report, discussing topics such…

The purpose of this study was to compare the reliabilities of two-, three-, four-, and five-choice tests using an incremental option paradigm. Test forms were created incrementally, a method approximating actual test construction procedures. Participants were 154 12th-grade students from the Portland (Oregon) area. A 45-item test with two options…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has developed a new generation of assessment tasks for evaluating student achievement in music. Using paper-and-pencil and performance formats, these tasks draw on the musical traditions of many cultures and historical periods. This report summarizes results from the 1997 assessment of eighth…