bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Programs: Optimal Learning Environments for Talented Minorities?
Authors: Kyburg Robin M. , Hertberg-Davis Holly , Callahan Carolyn M.
Published: June 2009

The racial, ethnic, linguistic, and economic diversity within urban areas necessitates the creation of scholastic environments that are responsive to the varying academic and social needs of the student population. This qualitative study investigates ways in which teacher and administrator behavior and the school environment contribute to the successes or frustrations of minority students in AP and IB courses. Classroom observations and interviews with 9 administrators, 4 counselors, 43 teachers, and 75 students in 3 urban high schools revealed that consistent, broad-based support scaffolds learning experiences for students, enabling them to experience success and to develop confidence in taking on new challenges in college.

Two key factors seemed to be integral to creating environments that nurture the growth of academic talent among students of diverse backgrounds: (a) a pervasive and consistent belief that these students could succeed, which resulted in instructional and group support; and (b) scaffolding to support and challenge able students (e.g., extracurricular help, lunchtime discussion forums, subsidized college visits). Teachers found ways to flexibly tailor their support and expectations to individual student needs in terms of product and performance expectations and the kind of help that was provided.
Differences Between General and Talented Students’ Perceptions of Their Career and Technical Education Experiences Compared to Their Traditional High School Experiences
Authors: Gentry Marcia , Peters Scott J. , Mann Rebecca L.
Published: June 2009

Career and technical education represents an important and understudied educational option for high school students. This qualitative study utilized data from one exemplary career and technical education (CTE) center to address the question of how talented and general education students’ part-time CTE experiences differed from their traditional high school experiences. The secondary students in this study simultaneously attended both the CTE center and a traditional high school. Through interviews with students, a trend emerged: students explicitly compared these two educational experiences. Both talented and general students commented favorably on their CTE experiences and negatively on their traditional high school experiences. The four major themes from their comments included autonomy; effective, caring teachers; students with similar interests; and relevant content in an applied setting. Students appreciated the ability to choose courses and determine the order or type of assignments, to self-pace the curriculum, and to experiment with a profession (autonomy). They also commented on the presence of teachers who had high expectations, sought student's strengths, showed personal interest in the students, and had professional experience (effective, caring teachers) in the CTE setting. The student's perspectives included the observation that at the CTE center they were exposed to other students who demonstrated mature and committed behaviors, showed interest in their course of study, and participated in Career and Technical Student Organizations (students with similar interests). Finally, the learning environment at the CTE center offered curricular connections to the profession, hands-on learning, and professional treatment of students in a job-like setting (relevant content in an applied setting).
Effects of Tiered Instruction on Academic Performance in a Secondary Science Course
Authors: Richards M. R. E. , Omdal Stuart N.
Published: June 2009

Tiered instruction is grouping students for instruction based on their prior background knowledge in a given subject area. In this study, students were either in a control secondary science classroom or a classroom in which instruction was tiered. The tiered instruction was designed to matched to high, middle, or low levels of background knowledge on astronomy and Newtonian physics. The seven control classrooms received middle-level nontiered instruction, whereas the seven treatment classrooms delivered three levels of tiered instruction. The results of this study showed a significant difference between the scores of low background knowledge learners who received tiered instruction and low background learners who did not receive tiered instruction, indicating that tiered instruction may be especially beneficial for lower level learners. Through the implementation of this study, the researchers found that: (1) professional support for teachers is critical to the success of tiered instruction; (2) a strong background in the subject matter and a thorough understanding of the range of potential learning activities appropriate to the targeted levels of learners is essential; and (3) the implementation of a change of instructional and classroom organization, pedagogy, and expectations needs to be systematically introduced over time.
A Closer Look at College Students: Self-Efficacy and Goal Orientation
Authors: Hsieh Peggy (Pei-Hsuan) , Sullivan Jeremy R. , Guerra Norma S.
Published: June 2009

Given that student retention is now one of the leading challenges faced by colleges and universities, research seeking to understand students’ reasons for attrition is of critical importance. Two factors influence students’ underachievement and subsequent dropping-out of college: self-efficacy and goal orientation. Self-efficacy refers to peoples’ judgments about their abilities to complete a task. Goal orientations refer to the motives that students have for completing tasks, which may include developing and improving ability (mastery goals), demonstrating ability (performance-approach goals), and hiding lack of ability (performance-avoidance goals). This study examined differences among goal orientations and self-efficacy using two distinct student groups: college students in good academic standing (GPA of 2.0 or higher) and college students on academic probation (GPA of less than 2.0). Results indicated that self-efficacy and mastery goals were positively related to academic standing whereas performance-avoidance goals were negatively related to academic standing. Students in good academic standing reported having higher self-efficacy and adopted significantly more mastery goals toward learning than students on academic probation. Among students who reported having high self-efficacy, those on academic probation reported adopting significantly more performance-avoidance goals than those in good academic standing. These findings suggest that teachers should identify those students with not only low self-efficacy, but those also adopting performance-avoidance goals. Teachers and administrators may be able to provide guidance to students who have beliefs and goals that contain maladaptive patterns of learning that sabotage their ability to succeed in school.
Project M3: Mentoring Mathematical Minds—A Research-Based Curriculum for Talented Elementary Students
Authors: Gavin M. Katherine , Casa Tutita M. , Adelson Jill L. , Carroll Susan R. , Sheffield Linda Jensen , Spinelli Ann Marie
Published: June 2009

To date, there has been very little research-based mathematics curriculum for talented elementary students. Yet the gifted education and mathematics literature suggest support for curriculum that is both enriched and accelerated with a focus on developing conceptual understanding and mathematical thinking. Project M3: Mentoring Mathematical Minds is a 5-year Javits research grant project designed to create curriculum units with these essential elements for talented elementary students. These units combine exemplary teaching practices of gifted education with the content and process standards promoted by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The content at each level is at least one to two grade levels above the regular curriculum and includes number and operations, algebra, geometry and measurement, and data analysis and probability. The focus of the pedagogy encourages students to act as practicing professionals by emphasizing verbal and written communication. Research was conducted on the implementation of 12 units in 11 different schools, 9 in Connecticut and 2 in Kentucky. The sample consisted of approximately 200 mathematically talented students entering third grade, most of whom remained in the project through fifth grade. Students in this study demonstrated a significant increase in understanding across all mathematical concepts in each unit from pre- to posttesting. Thus, Project M3 materials may help fill a curriculum void by providing appropriate accelerated and enriched units to meet the needs of mathematically talented elementary students.
Self-Regulation of Learning and Academic Delay of Gratification: Gender and Ethnic Differences Among College Students
Authors: Bembenutty Héfer
Published: June 2009

Self-regulated learners engage in self-generated thoughts, actions, and feelings while pursuing academic goals. The most successful learners use appropriate learning strategies and maintain high levels of motivation. Few studies on the self-regulation of learning have examined individual differences such as gender and ethnicity among college students. The study examined gender and ethnic differences in the relationships between academic performance, self-regulation, motivation, and delay of gratification using correlational analyses. The study also investigated whether students from diverse gender and ethnic groups differed with regard to their use of self-regulation, motivation, delay of gratification, and academic performance using multivariate and univariate analyses of variance. Participants were 364 college students enrolled in introductory psychology courses in a public university. The results suggested the presence of gender and ethnic differences in motivation, use of cognitive strategies, and delay of gratification, and use of self-regulation of learning is ambiguous. The reported self-efficacy beliefs of all groups of students were moderately to highly correlated with grades. The results also suggested that, independent of gender or ethnicity, the student's evaluation of the importance and usefulness of the course task was related to achievement in the class. There were differences in the relationships between delay of gratification and the use of cognitive strategies, between ethnicity and gender groups. In examining the mean differences of each group, there was a significant difference between course grades, with Caucasian students obtaining higher grades. In addition, minority males also reported significantly lower self-confidence in their ability to perform academic tasks.
A Collective Pursuit of Learning the Possibility to Be: The CAMP Experience Assisting Situationally Marginalized Mexican American Students to a Successful Student Identity
Authors: Reyes Reynaldo
Published: June 2009

Many students of Mexican descent must learn how to be successful students. This study describes 5 students of Mexican descent from situationally marginalized lives who were a part of a support and retention scholarship program (College Assistance Migrant Program—CAMP). These case studies document how they perceived their learning and how they changed as students after their first college experience and involvement in CAMP. Through her involvement in CAMP, Laura, a high school dropout without a supportive home or school environment, came to see herself as a successful student. As an English Language Learner, Cristina felt ill-prepared to begin a college career; however, by experiencing successes in her first year of coursework and being involved in CAMP, she gained self-confidence. Maria, a teen mother with two children, saw college as the only way out of poverty. She exhibited resiliency and the desire to use the experience to gain insightful and practical knowledge about herself as a student and mother. During high school, the continual relocation between Mexico and the United States negatively affected Luz's ability to be successful. Through CAMP, she gained confidence in her ability to relate with others, particularly with teachers and professors. Ruben, a former gang member, struggled in his first semester as he acclimated to the structured environment of a classroom. Despite this struggle, the CAMP staff and his professors saw growth in Ruben's social behavior. These case studies show that students who would not normally be considered “college material,” when given the opportunity and appropriate support, can become successful. This success hinges on their new perspective of themselves and their participation in a community of practice.
How Do High-Achieving Students Approach Web-Based, Copy and Paste Note Taking? Selective Pasting and Related Learning Outcomes
Authors: Igoa L. Brent , Kiewra Kenneth A.
Published: June 2009

Previous research has indicated that most students copy and paste notes from Internet sources in a mindless way; they typically paste large sections of text into their notes and then later can recall little of what they have stored. However, supplying students with a note-taking framework that restricts the amount of text that may be pasted can prompt them to engage in more selective pasting, and this seems to result in greater learning. But the extant research has not specifically addressed copy and paste note-taking behaviors of high-achieving students. The high-achieving high school and college students in the present study used a note-taking tool on the computer that consisted of an electronic matrix to cue students to note certain types of information. In one condition, the number of words that could be included in each cell was restricted, whereas in the other group, the students’ cells were unrestricted. After the note-taking sessions, all students completed assessments to document the amount of information they learned. High-achieving students in both conditions learned the same amount through the note-taking process. These results were inconsistent with the previous research. Follow-up analyses of students’ notes indicated that although the high-achieving students in the unrestricted note-taking group were not limited in the number of words they copied, many of them selectively chose which information they pasted into the grid. The relationship between text-pasting selectivity and learning remained: High-achieving students were more selective in their note taking, and they also were more successful on the posttests.
Transporting Pedagogy: Implementing the Project Approach in Two First-Grade Classrooms
Authors: Hertzog Nancy B.
Published: June 2009

This study explores how a project-based approach, based on gifted education pedagogy, was implemented in a public school program where the majority of students were from low-income families. The 2 first-grade teachers in this study were able to change their teaching practices to include more strategies commonly found in gifted programs such as brainstorming, creating surveys, and collecting data. The teachers also indicated a greater comfort level with a child-centered and project-based approach to curricular units over the course of the study. In addition, classroom observations indicated students were better behaved when engaged in project and small-group activities, as seen in classroom observations. This paper also highlights several challenges to implementing project-based approaches in the early childhood classroom. Teachers in this study perceived barriers to implementing the project approach that they had been taught in their professional development course. They felt constraints from their school context, as well as from their own beliefs and assumptions about their students. They often had difficulty assuming the role of facilitator and releasing control of learning to the students. However, as the teachers in this study implemented the new approaches, they were able to overcome many of the internal and external limitations that they expressed prior to beginning the units. This study has practical implications for reform initiatives related to the identification of strengths and talents in students who are typically underserved in gifted programs.
Closing Achievement Gaps: Revisiting Benjamin S. Bloom's “Learning for Mastery”
Authors: Guskey Thomas R.
Published: June 2009

The problem of achievement gaps among different subgroups of students has been evident in education for many years. This manuscript revisits the work of renowned educator Benjamin S. Bloom, who saw reducing gaps in the achievement of various groups of students as a simple problem of reducing variation in student learning outcomes. Bloom observed that teaching all students in the same way and giving all the same time to learn—that is, providing little variation in the instruction—typically results in great variation in student learning. Students for whom the instructional methods and amount of time are appropriate learn well, and those for whom the methods and time are less appropriate learn less well. Bloom believed that all students could be helped to reach a high criterion of learning if both the instructional methods and time were varied to better match students' individual learning needs. In other words, to reduce variation in the achievement of diverse groups of students and have all students learn well, Bloom argued that educators and teachers must increase variation in instructional approaches and learning time. Bloom labeled the strategy to accomplish this instructional variation and differentiation mastery learning. Research evidence shows that the positive effects of mastery learning are not limited to cognitive or achievement outcomes. The process also yields improvements in students' confidence in learning situations, school attendance rates, involvement in class sessions, attitudes toward learning, and a variety of other affective measures.
More Than One Gap: Dropout Rate Gaps Between and Among Black, Hispanic, and White Students
Authors: Carpenter Dick M. , Ramirez Al
Published: June 2009

The achievement gap, traditionally measured by test scores, also can be documented by dropout behavior. Examining dropout behavior among Black, White, and Hispanic students, with a particular focus on gaps within groups and not just between Whites and minorities, shows a clearer picture of the achievement gap. The results of our study show multiple achievement gaps both between and within groups, ultimately concluding that within-group gaps were often more significant than gaps between groups. Through hierarchical linear modeling, we found two common predictors for all three groups—being held back and number of suspensions. Hispanic and White students showed three additional predictors in common—time spent on homework, gender, and family composition. White and Black students shared only one common predictor beyond suspensions and being held back: parental involvement. Black and Hispanic students shared no additional common predictors. Finally, race/ethnicity generally proved not to be a significant predictor of dropping out. Gaps within groups may be more significant than those between groups. Such differences further reinforce our concern about the practice of establishing policy initiatives that conflate all minority group students into a monolithic whole. Our research suggests that policy makers and school leaders should craft dropout prevention policies and programs with sufficient flexibility to allow school-level personnel to individualize said policies and practices based on local conditions.
Closing the Achievement Gap Through Teacher Collaboration: Facilitating Multiple Trajectories of Teacher Learning
Authors: Levine Thomas H. , Marcus Alan S.
Published: June 2009

How should district and school leaders improve education for students traditionally underserved by public education: by increasing control over teaching and curriculum, or by empowering groups of teachers to have more collective autonomy, responsibility, and opportunities for professional learning? The second approach — promoting multiple trajectories of learning among groups of teachers—has advantages, as well as some challenges, as a means of closing various achievement gaps. Sociocultural theory informed our research, as it helped us envision how people who work together create opportunities for the adaptation and learning of new practices while increasing the likelihood that individuals internalize new skills and ways of thinking. Through the analysis of a conversation among teachers about Vickie, an English Language Learner, we examine the larger context of a school's reforms. This analysis illustrates both the possibility and desirability of helping teachers engage in multiple and evolving types of teacher learning in order to succeed with students like Vickie. Closing the achievement gap likely will require more than just choosing the right intervention and implementing it with fidelity. Conceptualizing the work of closing the achievement gap as requiring multiple, ongoing trajectories of teacher learning suggests what teachers, administrators, and district leaders can do to: foster and influence trajectories of teacher learning, promote internalization of new approaches, and sustain teachers' efforts to close the achievement gap in an “exhausting and exhilarating process that never feels finished” (Ellen, English teacher, Mountain High School, report to faculty meeting, August 21, 2003).
Expanding Opportunities for High Academic Achievement: An International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in an Urban High Schoo
Authors: Mayer Anysia P.
Published: June 2009

Students of color are consistently underrepresented in honors and gifted programs nationwide. Research suggests that even high-achieving students share many of the risk factors with their low-achieving peers. As a result, their continued academic success is far from assured. In addition, research on academic intervention programs designed to help these students suggests these programs are not widespread or institutionalized in schools in ways that will lead to meaningful gains in closing the achievement gaps at the high end of the academic spectrum. The study presented in this paper employed mixed methods to investigate the relationship between the design of a rigorous college preparatory program, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB), and the socioeconomic status of the students the program serves. The study found that an open admission International Baccalaureate (IB) program was successfully attracting and retaining African American, Latino, and Native American students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Findings are attributed to IB teachers' deeply held belief in the ability of the students to meet the rigor of the program. This IB program also has instituted a number of academic and social support mechanisms to keep students motivated to pursue the challenging curriculum.
The Civic Leadership Institute: A Service-Learning Program for Academically Gifted Youth
Authors: Lee Seon-Young , Olszewski-Kubilius Paula , Donahue Rob , Weimholt Katrina
Published: June 2009

The need for quality service-learning programs has increased according to greater interest in service-learning and civic engagement for academically gifted students. The Civic Leadership Institute (CLI), a 3-week residential program for gifted adolescents, is a service-learning program created to help academically talented students explore complex social issues that are faced by communities and society today. Class activities are comprised of rigorous academic coursework, community volunteer service, meetings with top community leaders, seminars on specific topics of interest, and rich residential and recreational experiences. This study examined how students perceive and evaluate their service-learning experiences with the CLI program using surveys from program evaluations and narrative comments from 230 gifted high school students who participated in CLI at two different sites in its first 2 years. Overall, the students indicated positive perceptions of the CLI program and were satisfied with its components, particularly the service projects and various field experiences. Overwhelmingly, they perceived that the coursework combined with hands-on experiences enhanced their awareness of civic issues, increased their motivation to engage in social issues in their communities, and allowed them to gain a new understanding and respect for diversity. Suggestions from students included more frequent field experiences, service projects tightly linked with academic content, and meetings with local community leaders. Because this study is the first evaluation of the CLI program, a longer term follow-up study with students who have participated in CLI and comparisons between students who have participated and students who have not participated in the program are needed to corroborate the positive perceptions found among this first cohort of student participants.
Enhancing Early Numeracy by Promoting the Abstract Thought Involved in the Oddity Principle, Seriation, and Conservation
Authors: Kidd Julie K. , Pasnak Robert , Gadzichowski Marinka , Ferral-Like Melissa , Gallington Debbie
Published: June 2009

Although many students who enter kindergarten are cognitively ready to meet the demands of the kindergarten mathematics curriculum, some students arrive without the early abstract reasoning abilities necessary to benefit from the instruction provided. Those who do not possess key cognitive abilities, including understandings of conservation, insertions into series, and the oddity principle, are at a disadvantage when attempting to master mathematical concepts and skills that require early abstract thought. Recognizing the need to address this gap, this study examined the effects of an intervention designed to teach children conservation, insertions into series, and the oddity principle. The study included 78 kindergartners enrolled in a culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse metropolitan school district. Students were randomly divided among one of three groups: cognitive intervention, numeracy instruction, and art instruction. Instruction for each group was matched in number, timing, and extent of sessions. The study found that kindergartners who received the cognitive intervention scored significantly higher on measures of cognitive ability than those in the comparison group who participated in the art instruction or those who received numeracy instruction. On the Woodcock-Johnson III Applied Problems scale, those in the cognitive intervention scored significantly higher than those who received art instruction. Those in the cognitive intervention and those in the numeracy intervention performed similarly. These results suggest that it is possible to provide instruction that enhances the cognitive abilities of kindergartners who do not possess key reasoning abilities. In addition, there is evidence that promoting early abstract thought can enhance kindergartners' mathematical abilities.
Quality of Instruction: Examining Discourse in Middle Schoo Mathematics Instruction
Authors: Piccolo Diana L. , Harbaugh Adam P. , Carter Tamara A. , Capraro Mary Margaret , Capraro Robert M.
Published: June 2009

According to the NCTM reform suggestions, when teachers are orchestrators of student interactions, students adopt a more active role in explaining and learning mathematics. This research, which mapped the nature and role of meaningful mathematical discourse, provides insights into discursive practices that lead to rich mathematical interactions. We observed, coded, and analyzed middle school algebra, number, and data lessons using a grounded theory approach. We organized the observed paths that emerged into a map depicting actual paths for mathematics discourse. The results indicated that communication pathways between the teacher and students occur in many ways, and certain student-initiated questions may trigger predictable teaching patterns. Conversation that originates with the teacher often results in dialogue that is one-dimensional, mostly provides factual information, and rarely results in rich, meaningful mathematical dialogue. However, when students engage in the teacher's conversation or they are persistent in their own questioning, teachers tended to provide more detailed explanations, and teachers often embellished with new examples and representations using nuanced solution methods. Although results seem to indicate that teaching children to be persistent with their questioning will enhance understanding, this behavior may be interpreted as threatening to some teachers. Therefore, caution is warranted when attempting to turn these findings into action. It is important that, before instructing students about being persistent with questions, teachers understand the students' intentions. Although participants did not have negative reactions to persistent student questioning, some children might experience negative responses without proper professional development for teachers.
Explaining Relationships Among Student Outcomes and the School's Physical Environment
Authors: Tanner C. Kenneth
Published: June 2009

This descriptive study investigated the possible effects of selected school design patterns on third-grade students' academic achievement. A reduced regression analysis revealed the effects of school design components (patterns) on ITBS achievement data, after including control variables, for a sample of third-grade students drawn from 24 elementary schools. The sample means on the ITBS per school represented approximately 1,916 third-grade students. The independent variable set for developing a possible explanation of student achievement was the school's physical environment, defined as four sets of design patterns: movement and circulation (e.g., adequate personal space and efficient movement patterns throughout the school), large group meeting places (e.g., social gathering places), day lighting and views (e.g., windows with natural light), and instructional neighborhoods (e.g., large and small group areas that accommodate wet and dry activities). Each of the four full regression models, which included subsets of the design elements, explained between 2% and 7% of additional variance in achievement when compared to the reduced model, which included a measure of school SES. Therefore, each of the four design variables was positively related to student achievement, even after controlling for school SES.
The Relation of High-Achieving Adolescents' Social Perceptions and Motivation to Teachers' Nominations for Advanced Programs
Authors: Barber Carolyn , Torney-Purta Judith
Published: June 2009

The discrepancies between test-based and teacher-based criteria of high achievement are well-documented for students of all ages. This study seeks to determine whether certain high school students who score high on tests of academic achievement are more likely than others to be nominated for advanced academic programs by their teachers. Using Gagné's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent as a guide, this study focused on three categories of correlates: social perceptions, individual motivation, and demographic background. Analysis of data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 revealed separate correlational patterns for nomination to advanced English programs and nomination to advanced math programs. High-achieving English students were more likely to be nominated by teachers for advanced work in the subject if they had high intrinsic motivation to read, if they were female, and if they were not Black. To contrast, high-achieving mathematics students were more likely to be nominated by teachers for advanced work in this subject if they had high math self-efficacy, if they were female, and if their friends did not place high importance on social relationships. Moreover, high-achieving male math students were more likely to be nominated if they had high levels of intrinsic motivation in math and if their friends valued academic goals. These results speak to the importance of considering the context of a particular subject area when deciding on who is eligible for enrollment in advanced programs. They also show a potential bias against poorly motivated male students in subjects that are traditionally male dominated.
A Restart of What Language Arts Is: Bringing Multimodal Assignments Into Secondary Language Arts
Authors: Benson Sheila
Published: June 2009

Multimodal assignments in language arts involve student learning through not only print and verbal language activities but also visual, kinesthetic, aural, and spatial activities. Language arts teachers can use these elements as a means of developing stronger critical thinking among their students. Traditionally, in language arts classrooms, print media has been at the top of the media hierarchy. Multimodality instead posits print texts as part of a wider range of communication options. Students who participate in multimodal activities fall into one of three groups: students who struggle to connect the multimodal course activities with what they see as real language arts and literacy work; students who connect quite actively and dramatically with multimodal course activities and see them as highly relevant to language arts; and students who are not certain how nonprint and print texts are connected but who start to accept such connections as important over time. These contradictions within student experiences highlight a need for educators to carefully consider both the conditions under which multimodal assignments are given and the underlying reasons for bringing multimodal thinking into the classroom. Multimodality can free students' thinking, but only if students understand that multimodal activities are part of an overall orientation towards thinking and communication. If students see them as a temporary change of pace before returning to print-based thinking, then such activities can easily be devalued or seen as a way to avoid traditional reading and writing as well as thinking. Larger curricular goals also need to be made clear for students so that they have an opportunity to move beyond a mindset of assignment completion and think about how multimodal thinking fits into broader communication purposes.
Gender Differences in the College and Career Aspirations of High School Valedictorians
Authors: York E. Anne
Published: June 2009

Valedictorian profiles published in a regional newspaper for the 2003, 2004, and 2005 graduating classes in the Research Triangle area of central North Carolina revealed graduates' aspirations, in terms of intended college major, the selectivity of chosen college, and future labor market earnings in intended careers. Based on 92 profiles, female valedictorians were equally likely to intend to major in a field in the sciences but were more likely to intend to major in fields in the humanities and social sciences; were less likely to intend to major in mathematics, computer science, or engineering; and were planning careers in lower paying occupations. The female valedictorians were also, on average, planning to attend less selective colleges. In examining the future career aspirations of the male and female students, female valedictorians chose, on average, lower paying careers. This difference mimics the current gender gap in pay equity. Although there have been many studies that examined the career intentions of high-achieving students, the college selection process merits more attention. In addition, counselors should not only encourage females to pursue interests in mathematics and sciences, but also encourage male students to pursue interests in the humanities.
A Text Readability Continuum for Postsecondary Readiness
Authors: Williamson Gary L.
Published: June 2009

Although high school graduates may be able to successfully navigate high school course content, they may not be prepared to handle the readability of texts they encounter in various postsecondary endeavors. The average readability of high school texts is lower than the average readability of citizenship, workplace, community college, university, and graduate admissions text collections. Previously successful students can appear to be unprepared after high school simply because their reading skills are insufficient for postsecondary texts. Students reading at the highest difficulty levels of high school texts should be able to access the majority of texts in workplace and community college text collections and perhaps as much as 75% of the texts in military and citizenship text collections. However, students reading at the level of the more typical high school texts may be comfortable with only about one fourth of the reading materials in military, citizenship, and workplace text collections and perhaps as little as 5% of postsecondary texts. A graduating high school senior who is confidently reading (with 75% comprehension) at the average level of 11th- and 12th-grade texts may enter a university 3 months later where the average text readability results in less than 50% comprehension for that student because there is a substantial gap in text demand between widely used high school textbooks and typical postsecondary textbooks. High school students should be exposed to more demanding texts in high school, and they should be provided with support for learning the reading skills necessary for reading post-secondary materials. Additionally, educators should strive to achieve better alignment between the reading demands of high school and the postsecondary world.
Cultural Identification and Academic Achievement Among African American Males
Authors: Irving Miles Anthony , Hudley Cynthia
Published: June 2009

Although most African Americans are aware of the importance of education, many still continue to suffer from poor school achievement. School failure, high rates of educational dropout, low college enrollment, over-representation in special education classes, and low standardized test scores reflect a pervasive problem of educational underachievement among African Americans. Our work with African American males reveals a positive relationship between cultural mistrust and oppositional cultural attitudes and an inverse relationship with outcome expectations, outcome value, and academic achievement. Cultural mistrust is a significant predictor of academic achievement. As African American males' mistrust increases, their academic outcome expectations decrease. As mistrust increases, oppositional cultural attitudes also increase. Students with high cultural mistrust, oppositional cultural attitudes, and low valuation for educational outcomes have lower expectations for the benefits of their educational outcome. A presence of cultural mistrust and oppositional cultural attitudes clearly undermines educational outcome expectations. These findings have implications for educational research and practice, particularly concerning the education of African American males living in urban environments. Resistant cultural identity or cultural mistrust may be early markers of risk status for educational underachievement. School policies and practices that support identity development may help more African American youth cultivate a strong positive cultural identity that is consistent with academic achievement. African American students who value outcomes associated with education and who exhibit oppositional identities may not anticipate being able to achieve those outcomes through educational means.
Emotional and Cognitive Self-Regulation Following Academic Shame
Authors: Turner Jeannine E. , Husman Jenefer
Published: June 2009

In the face of shame, students may need to turn the global focus of their failures into more discrete behaviors that they can control. Instructors can facilitate this process by informing students of specific behaviors they can enact to support successful achievement, including study and volitional strategies. Students' use of multiple study and volition strategies can facilitate their self-regulation of stressful emotions and failure perceptions. These strategies provide students with options for controlling their learning. Study strategies provide students with multiple alternatives for connecting with course material while volition strategies provide students with multiple alternatives for boosting their motivation to engage in learning activities. Many entering college students are not aware of multiple learning strategies, particularly strategies needed for deeper processing, nor do they come to college with a repertoire of volitional strategies. Colleges and universities can identify common first-year classes, as well as major entry-level classes, in which instructors can incorporate class discussions about the use of multiple strategies to support students' learning and volition. Students should receive messages about the need to flexibly choose strategies to facilitate both short- and long-term goals. They also should be taught to confront failure by changing study strategies and/or initiating volition strategies. Instructors can show students how to use study strategies and volition strategies to help them become more engaged with course material to positively affect their academic achievement. Additionally, colleges and universities would do well to help instructors align their course goals, objectives, and assessments, thus eliminating the “guesswork” involved in students' study-related decisions.
Self-Regulated Learning in Reading: Gifted Pedagogy and Instructional Settings
Authors: Housand Angela , Reis Sally M.
Published: June 2009

Personal processes, the environment, and individual behaviors of both teachers and students are factors that facilitate students' use of self-regulation learning strategies in reading. Some environmental conditions, such as organization of materials and clear expectations, support the development and use of self-regulation learning (SRL) strategies in reading. Teachers who use explicit instruction and modeling of SRL strategies have more students who can use self-regulation to read for longer periods and respond to higher order thinking questions. However, there are highly self-regulated students (even though fewer numbers) in low self-regulation classrooms, suggesting that individual differences in SRL strategies exist among gifted students and perhaps some gifted students as early as fifth grade have already attained the individual ability to use self-regulated learning SRL strategies to read and learn. The combination of domain-specific strategy instruction in reading combined with the use of SRL strategies to support knowledge acquisition seems to help more students in the higher self-regulation classroom achieve and maintain focus during reading instruction.
Effectiveness of the Self-Regulation Empowerment Program With Urban High School Students
Authors: Cleary Timothy J. , Platten Peter , Nelson Amy
Published: June 2009

Impacting the academic performance of high school students in core academic content areas is important because of the high-stakes nature of secondary school course grades relative to their vocational and post-secondary pursuits. Getting students to become more active, strategic participants in their learning by teaching them empirically supported learning strategies as well as specific forethought and reflective thinking skills is an important pathway to academic success. The importance of self-regulation processes also has been established in recent survey research with teachers and school psychologists showing that students who are referred for academic problems often have self-regulatory skill and motivation deficits. Intervention programs like the Self-Regulation Empowerment Program (SREP) can be conceptualized and implemented within the context of school-based service delivery frameworks. Tier I interventions typically occur at a classroom level and thus are designed to provide all students with the potential benefits of an intervention. With regards to classroom-wide self-regulation interventions, there are many empirically supported techniques that teachers can readily infuse into the daily routine of a school day, such as requiring all students to set performance goals, engage in progress monitoring, and utilize self-reflective processes. Students who do not respond (i.e., continue to exhibit poor test performance) to this general level of intervention support would be eligible to receive more intensive, Tier II pull-out programs, such as SREP.
Self-Regulation and Ability Predictors of Academic Success During College: A Predictive Validity Study
Authors: Kitsantas Anastasia , Winsler Adam , Huie Faye
Published: June 2009

Knowledge about self-regulation and motivation processes enables students to maximize their college career paths and allows universities to implement better intervention programs to encourage struggling students to persist and complete their educational studies. College administrators and instructors should focus on developing interventions to instill a healthy sense of self-efficacy in students and teach them how to manage their time effectively. Interventions in the form of learning how to learn courses and/or workshops should be designed specifically for first-year students to provide them with helpful adjustment strategies such as setting strategic goals, planning effectively throughout the first year of undergraduate study, and seeking help when needed. Furthermore, instructors of introductory-level classes should provide first-year students with successful peer role models to enhance their self-efficacy beliefs in completing their course requirements. For example, they can make available samples of past projects to their current students, which may allow them to observe successful peers and encourage them to believe that they can succeed. Equipping students with self-regulatory strategies and positive motivational beliefs earlier on in their studies will prepare and sustain their motivation for more demanding, upper level courses as they progress through their academic career.
Effects of Self-Correction Strategy Training on Middle School Students' Self-Efficacy, Self-Evaluation, and Mathematics Division Learning
Authors: Ramdass Darshanand , Zimmerman Barry J.
Published: June 2009

Teachers need to monitor students' self-efficacy judgments, as well as their mathematics learning, to provide optimal instruction. First, inaccuracies in self-judgments appear to be a major liability for elementary and middle school children. Classroom practice must cultivate the knowledge to succeed and should nurture the belief that one can succeed. Second, accuracy training can be incorporated in a curriculum. After students solve the problems, teachers can show them how well they judged their capability to solve the problems. Students who can assess what they know and do not know will become better self-regulated learners. Third, strategy training in mathematics is very important. Students learn various strategies in school to solve mathematics problems, but they may not apply the strategies if they do not see their value. Teachers need to show the connection between strategy training and self-efficacy judgments and how these psychological variables relate to better mathematics performance. Students who utilize strategies in problem solving will develop higher efficacy compared to those who do not utilize them. Fourth, accurate self-reflection is important to students' success in math. Teachers can help students to hone this invaluable self-regulatory skill by giving them frequent opportunities to evaluate what they have learned or where they erred after completing a task. Students' self-efficacy is strengthened with tangible indicators of progress. Finally, unrealistically low self-efficacy beliefs and not lack of ability or skill may be responsible for avoidance of challenging academic courses such as math. Teachers will have to identify these inaccurate judgments and design and implement appropriate interventions to change them.