Education, Secondary

The purpose of the study was to determine if the
learning of the Spanish language is a determinant of
knowledge of Hispanic culture in secondary schools.
The consulted literature provided a dichotomy of
opinion regarding the generally accepted statement that
foreign language instruction does automatically afford
students an opportunity to become aware of the cultural
aspects of the targeted group in comparison to students
who had never studied a foreign language. However, the
literature also indicated that this assumption has not
been substantiated by research.
A total of 408 students (204 Spanish language
students and 204 non-Spanish language students) from
eight high schools in Brevard County, Florida, were
selected to participate in the study. Half of these students had attended a minimum of two years and a
maximum of three years of Spanish language classes.
There was no attempt to control for sex, race, age,
socio-economic status or measured intelligence. Since
an appropriate commercial instrument to measure the
intended goal was not located, the writer designed a
data collection instrument. The instrument was validated
by standard statistical procedure.
The researcher found that no significant difference
in knowledge of Hispanic culture existed between students
in Spanish language classes and students in non-Spanish
language classes. However, a significant difference did
exist in knowledge of Hispanic culture between Spanish II
and Spanish III students. Students in Spanish III
language classes scored consistently higher than students
in Spanish II language classes. It was also evident that
when students in Spanish II were parcelled out and
Spanish III students' performance on the test was compared
with non-Spanish language students there was a significant
difference in favor of Spanish III language students.
Recommendations that a careful analysis of the
Spanish language curriculum be undertaken and that there
be developed and implemented cultural component objectives
starting with the Spanish I course were among those growing
out of the study.

This qualitative case study investigated how six National Board Certified secondary mathematics teachers integrate knowledge of students into their practice to create socio- academic spaces for learning. Individual audiotaped interviews were utilized to generate data about what knowledge these teachers had of their students, how they gathered this knowledge, and how this knowledge of students influenced their decisions related to curriculum and instruction. The data were used to form an understanding of the nature and function of the socio- academic spaces that teachers create in planning for and delivering instruction. The study revealed that as teachers interact independently with the curriculum, they create spaces for analysis and reflection. In addition, as they interact with their students around the curriculum, they create spaces for their students to practice, to make connections, to communicate, and to apply and experience math.

The existing body of knowledge within the field of experiential education is reviewed in relation to its potential for use in secondary school study tours. Existing techniques and procedures within the field are applied to a specific itinerary for an archaeological study tour of Maya sites in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. Anthropological and archaeological goals for the tour are suggested and a blend of experiential and pedagogical teaching and assessment strategies are presented for use by travel studies coordinators who would attempt such a tour. A logistical lesson plan is presented for consideration in offering the study tour for academic credit.

In this study we correlate academic and non-academic descriptors with Organic Chemistry final grades for students enrolled at a Florida public university. Using multiple regression analysis, the following predictors are analyzed for a sample population of 904 students: age, gender, ethnicity, academic classification, SAT scores, major, overall grade point average (GPA), semesters lapsed between courses, institution where General Chemistry was taken, prerequisite grades, and number of math and science courses taken with their respective grades. Results indicate strong correlations exist between final grade in Organic Chemistry, GPA and General Chemistry final grade. Additionally, Organic Chemistry final grades correlate with academic course load and the type of institution where General Chemistry was studied. We believe these results can be employing as a tool for advising students in planning their academic programs.

This study examines the activities of 17 students and four teachers who participated in a 15 day study tour to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. It describes how the school staff, who planned and conducted this tour, accomplished their supervising, teaching and facilitating tasks. The study seeks to determine how the students learned during this academic program and how travel to a foreign country affected their learning. The researcher accomplished the study as a participant observer, observing and interviewing students and staff while they were involved with the tour. Other data was collected by reviewing documents and analyzing responses to a questionnaire. Findings concerning the staff's participation are descriptive in nature. The researcher followed an analytic progression to describe actions of the school's board, administration and travel staff during the southern Africa program and describes what the staff's activities caused students to do. The investigation of student activities uses an interpretive approach to the analysis of collected data. It describes their activity and attributes intent to their behavior. Through the descriptions of the staff's activities and the analysis of the students' activities the researcher was able to answer the questions originally posed for the investigation; How do educators facilitate learning during foreign travel studies programs for a secondary school and how do students learn during these tours? The study found that the Lake Worth Christian School's staff developed and implemented the southern Africa program using procedures that were predetermined by school policy and procedures developed specifically for this particular trip and the students who were selected for it. The study found that the school staff utilized both classroom and experiential instruction methodology to prepare students for their encounters and to facilitate their learning in the field. With regard to students' learning activities the study found they accepted and understood the concept of experiential education. Students demonstrated an overwhelming enthusiasm for learning through direct involvement with their subject matter. The study confirmed a dominant social nature of the students' activities and suggested that the convivial atmosphere both attracted the students and enhanced their learning process. The study confirmed that, during the southern Africa program, learning behavior was affected by contrasts and similarities of student characteristics. Students demonstrated wide varieties of interest and significant differences in age and experience. The study also confirmed differences in student and staff approaches to subject matter they encountered within the various historical, cultural and natural sites. It found students approached information gathering differently in these disparate sites.

The purpose of this study was to examine criteria used by public school administrators who select from among applicants to fill elementary and secondary classroom teaching positions in a large southeastern school district. The study was designed to determine the relative importance of criteria used by hiring officials when selecting first-time classroom teachers. The sample for this study included 76 South Florida public elementary (47) and secondary (29) principals. The survey instrument included 16 criteria. Each criterion was categorized into one of two subscales of the teacher selection process (credentials or interview). The design of this study included a series of eight factorial analyses of variance (ANOVAs) performed to examine the relationships between responses on the two subscales and school level, and selected administrator demographic variables. All eight analyses included identical school levels (elementary and secondary) and identical criteria subscales (credentials and interview). However, each of the eight analyses included a third factor pertaining to one of the eight administrator demographic variables (highest degree completed, number of years taught, number of certifications, number of years in administration, number of years at current school, age, gender, and ethnicity). Results indicated that means in the credentials subscale were significantly higher for secondary than for elementary administrators (p <.05). This difference in means was consistent regardless of which of the eight other demographic variables were included in the factorial analysis of variance design. Means in the interview subscale for elementary and secondary administrators were not significantly different. Means in both the credentials and the interview subscales for the eight demographic variables were not significantly different as main effects, or along with school level as two-way interactions. T-test results that indicated elementary administrators rated the interview subscale higher than the credentials subscale were in agreement with ANOVA results that indicated the credentials subscale was rated higher by secondary than by elementary administrators. The highest rated criterion, "enthusiasm for teaching" was rated most effective by 89% of the elementary and 97% of the secondary administrators surveyed. The lowest rated criterion, "test scores" was rated most effective by none of the elementary and four percent of the secondary administrators surveyed.

The purpose of this two-year study was to develop a model for predicting the success of ninth grade students enrolled in the pre-International Baccalaureate Program. The program's rigorous academic curriculum was offered to students throughout the school district who met admission requirements. The predictor variables were eighth grade grade point average (GPA) and Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Total Language, Total Work-Study, and Total Mathematics subscores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills Battery (ITBS). The study involved 195 students (79 males and 116 females; 83 Blacks, 100 Whites, 5 Hispanic, and 7 of Asian descent). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between the predictors of eighth grade GPA (p\ <.001) and the ITBS battery (p\ <.001) and the criterion of ninth grade GPA. All ITBS subtest scores were significantly related with GPA at p\ <.001 with the exception of Vocabulary (p\ <.05).

The focus of this study was to determine whether the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum improved knowledge and understanding of the U.S. Constitution of middle school minority students. A second focus of this study was to determine if the same curriculum improved student perception of their rights and responsibilities in American society. The Test on the History and Principles of the United States Constitution Level II was used to determine whether there existed a difference between middle school minority students participating in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and middle school minority students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven civics education program. The second instrument, Student Perception Questionnaire, measured perception of the rights and responsibilities of middle school minority students who participated in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven civics education curriculum. The instruments were administered to a total of 247 8th grade middle school students. The inquiry found significant differences in knowledge and understanding between 8th grade students who used the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and students who used the traditional textbook-driven civics education curriculum. Independent sample t tests revealed mean pretest values to be nearly identical but posttest values to be higher among students using the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum. The results demonstrated that the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum had a greater impact on the knowledge and understanding of the U.S. Constitution of middle school minority students participating in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum compared to students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven civics education program. The study also found that there was only a marginally improved student perception between those students who participated in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven curriculum. Independent sample tests revealed that the change was insignificant. Research on effective citizenship education programs in American schools can play a significant role in the continuous efforts of social studies educators in promoting political participation among minority populations.

The purpose of this study was to identify (1) the effectiveness of the Intel Essentials model of project-based learning based on student Florida Comprehensive Assessment test (FCAT) reading scores; (2) the differences in student engagement between students in classes with teachers trained in the Intel Essentials model of project-based learning and teachers not trained in the model as measured by the Beliefs about Classroom Structures Survey; (3) the level of implementation (high, average, or low) of teachers trained in the Intel Essentials model of project-based learning; and (4) any correlation between the level of implementation and the level of student engagement. A total of 32 teachers participated in the study. The teachers were split into 2 groups: the experimental group (N = 16) that participated in the Intel Essentials Training, and the control group (N = 16) that did not participate in the training. The results for this study were mixed. The students of the experimental group teachers (N = 780) had significantly higher (p < .05) FCAT scores than that of the control group students (N = 643). The control group with the exception of Motivating Tasks subscale had significantly higher levels of engagement. The correlation between level of implementation and student engagement produced a moderate negative correlation, meaning that the Intel trained teachers with the highest levels of implementation had the lowest levels of engagement.

The accountability measures implemented by the states as a result of federal government mandates required by the No Child Left Behind Act (2001 [NCLB]) have created the need for states to develop standardized benchmark assessments as part of the compliance requirements set by the federally mandated act. State and local standardized tests have become an everyday part of public school life. A quantitative study was conducted to assess the correlation of students' scores on the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and students' reading percent scale-scores on one Florida county's benchmark reading assessment (CBAT) with students' teacher-assigned grades (TAG) for 10th-grade, English Language Arts courses. The study also assessed the predictive values of the 3 criterion variables and the moderating effects of 6 categorical variables: Race (White, Black, and Hispanic), Socioeconomic status (SES), English Language Learner status (ELL), and Students with Disabilities status (SWD), which contribute to Florida's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) ranking of school grading policy. The study found that there was a moderate and positive correlation among the 3 criterion variables and that the combination of students' scores on the reading portions of both the CBAT and the FCAT showed a significant predictive value in predicting students' TAG. The study showed an even higher predictive value of the combination of students' scores on the CBAT and students' TAG in predicting students' scores on the FCAT. The study showed there was a moderating effect of the categorical variable Race on the correlation between students' CBAT reading scores and students' TAG; however, Race did not moderate the correlation between students' scores on FCAT and students' TAG.