Cohort Of High School Students Research Articles

The Technical-Scientific Circles Within the Children’S Palaces and Clubs, Educational Alternatives in Developing Skills in the Field of Science and Technology

Extracurricular activities serve as a valuable complement to the formal educational system in terms of their goals, content, and practical execution. These activities adopt a student-centric approach, tailoring their content, methodologies, and tools to individual students' abilities and interests. They offer flexibility, remain optional, and rely on voluntary participation, augmenting the formal educational process while nurturing the development of individual personalities, creativity, and essential competencies (Bocoș, 2017). Technical-scientific activities place a strong emphasis on the formative aspect of learning by identifying effective methods to structure and guide students' engagements (Albulescu, 2008). Through these activities, students amass knowledge, cultivate skills and abilities, and foster attitudes that bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and its practical application. This questionnaire seeks to investigate the role and significance of technical-scientific activities in skill development. By analyzing the responses, we aim to establish a correlation between students' performance in national assessments and the practical knowledge acquired through extracurricular pursuits. These activities also aid in nurturing students' creativity, problem-solving capabilities, and offer insights into their perspectives on the interactive methodologies employed in organizing extracurricular events. This study was conducted among a cohort of high school students who completed an online questionnaire (N=445). The findings underscore the complementary nature of technical-scientific activities, which, in conjunction with formal education, contribute significantly to the enhancement of competencies in science and technology. The study affords an opportunity to scrutinize the strengths and weaknesses of specialized extracurricular programs, shedding light on students' demands within the realm of science and technology activities and the extent to which these supplementary initiatives can mitigate school dropout rates.

Sex-Specific Depressive Symptom Trajectories Among Adolescents in Los Angeles County, 2013 to 2017

After remaining stable for many years, the prevalence of depression among adolescents increased over the past decade, particularly among girls. In this study, we used longitudinal data from a cohort of high school students to characterize sex-specific trajectories of depressive symptoms during this period of increasing prevalence and widening gender gap in adolescent depression. Using data from the Health and Happiness Cohort, a longitudinal 8-wave study of high school students residing in Los Angeles County from 2013 to 2017 (N = 3,393), we conducted a multiple-group, latent class growth analysis by sex to differentiate developmental trajectories in depressive symptoms scores measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies- Depression (CES-D) scale (range, 0-60). A 4-class solution provided the best model fit for both girls and boys. Trajectories among girls included low stable (35.1%), mild stable (42.8%), moderate decreasing (16.2%), and high arching (5.9%). Trajectories among boys included low stable (49.2%), mild increasing (34.7%), moderate decreasing (12.2%), and high increasing (3.9%). Average scores consistently exceeded or crossed the threshold for probable depression (≥16). Across comparable sex-specific trajectory groups, the average CES-D scores of girls were higher than those of boys, whose average scores increased over time. In a diverse cohort of students in Los Angeles County, depressive symptom trajectories were comparable to prior time periods but with a higher proportion of students in trajectories characterized by probable depression. Trajectories differed by sex, suggesting that future research should consider differential severity and onset of depression between boys and girls.

Nature, Nurture, and the Meaning of Educational Attainment: Differences by Sex and Socioeconomic Status.

Estimated heritability of educational attainment (EA) varies widely, from 23% to 80%, with growing evidence suggesting the degree to which genetic variation contributes to individual differences in EA is highly dependent upon situational factors. We aimed to decompose EA into influences attributable to genetic propensity and to environmental context and their interplay, while considering influences of rearing household economic status (HES) and sex. We use the Project Talent Twin and Sibling Study, drawn from the population-representative cohort of high school students assessed in 1960 and followed through 2014, to ages 68-72. Data from 3552 twins and siblings from 1741 families were analyzed using multilevel regression and multiple group structural equation models. Individuals from less-advantaged backgrounds had lower EA and less variation. Genetic variance accounted for 51% of the total variance, but within women and men, 40% and 58% of the total variance respectively. Men had stable genetic variance on EA across all HES strata, whereas high HES women showed the same level of genetic influence as men, and lower HES women had constrained genetic influence on EA. Unexpectedly, middle HES women showed the largest constraints in genetic influence on EA. Shared family environment appears to make an outsized contribution to greater variability for women in this middle stratum and whether they pursue more EA. Implications are that without considering early life opportunity, genetic studies on education may mischaracterize sex differences because education reflects different degrees of genetic and environmental influences for women and men.

Income-Based Gaps in College-Going Activities: High School Classes of 1992 and 2004

There has been widespread concern about widening disparities in parental investments that may be associated with widening gaps in educational attainment. Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 and the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, this study examines parents’ investments and engagement in the college-going process for two cohorts of high school students, focusing on adolescents from low- and high-income families. Between the high school classes of 1992 and 2004, income gaps widened in financial preparation for postsecondary education expenses and student college-admissions test-preparation. In contrast, the income gap in parents-child conversations about the college-going process narrowed, due to a larger increase among low-income parents. I examined potential explanations for growing gaps and found evidence supporting both rising income inequality and changing associations between income and college-going activities. Implications for educational attainment gaps are discussed.

Prospective prediction of substances use among a cohort of Tunisian adolescents

Abstract Background The risk of substances use increases during adolescence. In Sousse (Tunisia), an upward trend of these risk behaviors has been observed during the last years among young adolescents. Among older adolescents, the trend of their use is unknown. Objectives To determine the incidences and the most influencing factors on substances use among high school students in Sousse between 2018 and 2019. Methods A prospective longitudinal study was conducted among a cohort of high school students from Sousse. The same pre-tested questionnaire served to collect data in 2018 and 2019 from the same participants in their classes and in the presence of pre-trained investigators. Results A total of 404 high school students have participated in the study. Their median age was of 17 (IIQ: 15.8-17.6) years. Girls represented 66.8% of participants. The incidence rates of lifetime tobacco use, alcohol consumption, lifetime inhalants use and lifetime illicit substances use between 2018 and 2019 were 13%, 3.5%, 1.8% and 2 .9% respectively. Lifetime tobacco use was the main predictor of inhalants experimentation. This latter was the main predictor of becoming a user of e-cigarettes while alcohol consumption was the most influencing factor on cannabis experimentation among high school students. On the other hand, illicit substances use among friends predicted e-cigarette use, alcohol consumption, and cannabis experimentation among participants. Conclusions The existing prevention programs aiming at reducing tobacco use and substances use in the schools of Tunisia should be reinforced and integrate a comprehensive and multi-sectoral prevention program. The implementation of a national observatory of substances use would ensure the continuous improvement of this program. Key messages • There is an upward trend on using substances among the adolescents of Sousse, Tunisia. • Tobacco experimentation and alcohol consumption are the gateway to later substances experimentation among the adolescents of Sousse, Tunisia.

Associations among internet addiction, lifestyle behaviors, and dental caries among high school students in Southwest Japan

Internet addiction (IA) negatively affects adolescents’ lifestyle behaviors. Inappropriate lifestyle behaviors could have negative effects on dental health. This cross-sectional study aimed to test whether IA was indirectly associated with dental caries through unhealthy lifestyle behaviors among high school students in southwest Japan. IA was characterized by a Young's Internet Addiction Test score of ≥ 50, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors by a cumulative count of 8 different lifestyle behaviors (termed the unhealthy lifestyle behavior index [ULBI]), and dental caries by the number of decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth (DMFT). Poisson regression and linear regression models were fitted to the relationship, with IA as the exposure, the ULBI as the mediator, and the DMFT as the outcome. The natural indirect effect (NIE) and the proportion mediated by the ULBI were estimated by performing a mediation analysis. Overall, 1562 high school students were included. IA was observed in 406 participants and was associated with a larger DMFT. The ULBI significantly mediated the association between IA and the DMFT (NIE: incidence rate ratio = 1.05, 95% confidence interval = 1.03–1.07, proportion mediated = 64.3%). Dental caries was more common in our cohort of high school students with IA, which is partially explained by these students having unhealthy lifestyle behaviors.

Relationships in context and contexts of relationship: a normative transition at the end of Secondary Education

High school is an institution where teens spend a large part of their time. Consequently, in this context, a dense network of relationships tends to be formed during the period of study at the institute. However, at the end of secondary school, this set of contextualized relationships begins to disintegrate. In this study, we analyze the transition from high school to university of a cohort of high school students. First, we interviewed all the students who were in their last year of high school at an institute in the province of Seville (n = 69). A year and a half later, we interviewed them again when many of them were already studying at university (n = 57). Using a hybrid research design, we collected personal network data from each interviewee in the context of a longitudinal whole network design of the entire cohort analyzed. The results show a decrease in the structural cohesion of the networks, both for personal networks and for the complete network. Furthermore, less cohesive personal networks seem more likely to experience short-term changes in ecological transition processes. In the discussion we reflect on the impact of educational transitions on friendship relationships.

Towards school-based mental health programs in Nigeria: the immediate impact of a depression-literacy program among school-going adolescents and their teachers

BackgroundDepression-literacy, which is the foundational requirement for symptom recognition, positive attitude and help-seeking, is poor among adolescents in Nigeria. This study, therefore, aims to determine the impact of a school-based training program on depression-literacy among a cohort of high-school students and their teachers in South-West Nigeria.MethodsAn adapted version of the Break Free from Depression, a 4-module depression awareness curriculum for staff and students, was implemented among students and their teachers. Paired-sample T-test was used to assess the domain-specific (knowledge, attitude, and confidence) impact of the training by comparing the baseline and immediate (within the week of the training) post-scores.ResultsA total of 3098 students and 294 teachers from 21 schools across three states in South-West Nigeria successfully completed the training. There was a significant positive difference (p < 0.05), at post-test, in the knowledge, attitude, and confidence among the students. The same was observed among teachers except for attitude where positive change did not reach significant level (p = 0.06). When statistically significant, the calculated effect size (eta squared) was highest for knowledge (students: 0.07, p = 0.001; teachers: 0.08, p < 0.000) and least for attitude (students: 0.003, p = 0.002 teachers: 0.085, p = 0.06). Multiple regression analyses result showed that the level of pre-scores predicted the magnitude of change in all domains of depression-literacy (p < 0.05) after controlling for age, gender, and type of school among the students, but not for teachers.ConclusionsSchool-based depression-literacy programs can lead to significant positive change in knowledge, attitude, and confidence of students and teachers.

Alcohol and Nicotine Use among Adolescents: An Observational Study in a Sicilian Cohort of High School Students.

In recent years, the mode of alcoholic intake known as binge drinking (BD) has become a common practice, especially among adolescents who, due to socio-environmental motives, tend to reach a rapid state of drunkenness. This drunkeness leads to alterations in brain areas responsible for executive functions and cognitive processes, as well as to the genesis of factors that predispose to lasting addiction. Likewise, nicotine leads to a comparable degree of addiction. On this basis, the aim of this research was to evaluate, on a cohort of 349 high school students (15–17 years old) in the province of Palermo, the following: (I) the drinking model of alcoholic beverages; (II) the use of nicotine and the degree of dependence; (III) the correlation between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the use of nicotine. We employed the AUDIT-C test and the Fagerström test, two valid and standard instruments, in order to assess alcohol and nicotine use, respectively. Statistical analysis of the data showed that male and female students consumed alcohol prominently in a BD mode (77.2%, audit score (AS) 3.497, confidence interval (CI) 3.206–3.788; 69.6%, AS 2.793, CI 2.412–3.274) and nicotine (41.5%, Fagerström score (FS) 3.882, CI 3.519–4.245; 28%, FS 3.286, CI 2.547–4.024). Furthermore, a positive correlation between alcohol consumption and nicotine use was found for male (r = 0.6798, p < 0.0001) and female (r = 0.6572, p < 0.0001) students. This study provided further insights into the use of legal substances of abuse in adolescents, evidencing the obvious need for the promotion of specific school educational programs aimed at the wellbeing of youth populations.

Persistent Inequalities in College Completion, 1980–2010

Abstract Fewer than half of America’s college students complete their bachelor’s degrees. To many, cost seems to be the crucial barrier. Sociologists of education have long argued, though, that inequalities start before costs matter. Entrenched “sort and sieve” processes apportion outcomes to family background. The whole system of grading, testing, and selecting some students while rejecting others makes a degree much more likely for students from higher status families—and that system was in place long before states limited appropriations and tuition skyrocketed. Analyzing longitudinal data from three cohorts of high school students, we find only small changes in the college graduation rate as of 1988, 1998, and 2010. Second, baseline socioeconomic and racial disparities in college completion were just as high in 1988 as in 2010. Third, mediation analysis shows that half of the socioeconomic disparities work through pre-college factors such as grades and curriculum choices. The other half reflect higher graduation rates at selective colleges. Fourth, the only notable change concerned community colleges; the potential disadvantage of starting at one declined after the 1980s. Our analysis affirms sociologists’ focus on persistent aspects of academic sorting, not recent changes, as the root of inequality of opportunity in American higher education.

Study protocol for a cluster randomized trial of a school, family, and community intervention for preventing drug misuse among older adolescents in the Cherokee Nation

BackgroundThe national opioid crisis has disproportionately burdened rural White populations and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Therefore, Cherokee Nation and Emory University public health scientists have designed an opioid prevention trial to be conducted in rural communities in the Cherokee Nation (northeast Oklahoma) with AI and other (mostly White) adolescents and young adults. Our goal is to implement and evaluate a theory-based, integrated multi-level community intervention designed to prevent the onset and escalation of opioid and other drug misuse. Two distinct intervention approaches—community organizing, as implemented in our established Communities Mobilizing for Change and Action (CMCA) intervention protocol, and universal school-based brief intervention and referral, as implemented in our established Connect intervention protocol—will be integrated with skill-based training for adults to strengthen social support for youth and also with strategic media. Furthermore, we will test systems for sustained implementation within existing organizational structures of the Cherokee Nation and local schools and communities. This study protocol describes the cluster randomized trial, designed to measure implementation and evaluate the effectiveness on primary and secondary outcomes.MethodsUsing a cluster randomized controlled design and constrained randomization, this trial will allocate 20 high schools and surrounding communities to either an intervention or delayed-intervention comparison condition. With a proposed sample of 20 high schools, all enrolled 10th grade students in fall 2021 (ages 15 to 17) will be eligible for participation. During the trial, we will (1) implement interventions through the Cherokee Nation and measure implementation processes and fidelity, (2) measure opioid and other drug use and secondary outcomes every 6 months among a cohort of high school students followed over 3 years through their transition out of high school, (3) test via a cluster randomized trial the effect of the integrated CMCA-Connect intervention, and (4) analyze implementation costs. Primary outcomes include the number of days during the past 30 days of (1) any alcohol use, (2) heavy alcohol use (defined as having at least four, among young women, or five, among young men, standard alcoholic drinks within a couple of hours), (3) any marijuana use, and (4) prescription opioid misuse (defined as “without a doctor’s prescription or differently than how a doctor or medical provider told you to use it”).DiscussionThis trial will expand upon previous research advancing the scientific evidence regarding prevention of opioid and other drug misuse during the critical developmental period of late adolescent transition to young adulthood among a sample of American Indian and other youth living within the Cherokee Nation reservation.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04839978. Registered on April 9, 2021. Version 4, January 26, 2022

How do high school students' genetics progression networks change due to genetics instruction and how do they stabilize years after instruction?

AbstractLearning progressions (LPs) serve as frameworks for understanding the level of complexity of students' ideas within a domain. Multifaceted LPs contain multiple interrelated constructs where increased knowledge in one construct may increase knowledge of a separate construct. While it is challenging to identify and test these contingencies between constructs, our research group has used Bayesian structure learning methods to determine how mental models of genetics change with instruction. In this study, we follow a cohort of high school students for 3 years, measuring their genetics knowledge prior to instruction in 10th grade, immediately after genetics instruction in 10th grade, and at the end of 12th grade. We investigated how their idea networks change as a result of instruction and how they stabilize 2 years after instruction ended. We found students move from a phenotypic to a more molecular/mechanistic understanding of genetics immediately after instruction; students idea networks 2 years after instruction stabilized grounded within molecular explanations of diversity of life and how genetic diversity drives evolution. This study provides a robust mechanism for researchers to test connections between constructs in multifaceted LPs, illustrated by a genetics framework unable to be detected by previous methods.

Changes in the perception of school climate and self-identified race in two Toronto cohorts

Drawing on Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Student Census data (2006 and 2011), we examine if there have been changes in the perceptions of school climate between two cohorts of high school students. First, we contextualize our study and review relevant policy changes to student inclusion and equity to set the stages for examining, by way of a sort of “natural experiment”, to see if there was a change in the perception of school climate by students after these policy changes occurred. We then review the scholarship on school climate, its relationship to race, and its relationships to educational experiences and outcomes. We then examine how self-identified race is associated with students’ perceptions of school climate in both cohorts, interpreting our results within a Critical Policy Analysis framework. We find evidence of improved school climate from 2003 to 2008, although the changes have not been uniform by self-identified race, and in some cases have worsened, particularly for self-identified Black and Latin American students.

High school science fair: Experiences of two groups of undergraduate bioscience students.

Science fairs offer potential opportunities for students to learn first-hand about the practices of science. Over the past six years we have been carrying out voluntary and anonymous surveys with regional and national groups of high school and post high school students to learn about their high school science fair experiences regarding help received, obstacles encountered, and opinions about the value and impact of science fair. Understanding what students think about science fairs will help educators make science fairs more effective learning opportunities. In this paper, we focus on the findings with two national groups of post high school students–undergraduate research fellows (SURF students) who did research at UT Southwestern Medical Center during 2014–2019 and undergraduates biology students attending the 2019 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Education Alliance (SEA) summer symposium. About 25% of the students who completed surveys indicated that they had participated in high school science fair, but more than half attended high schools where science fairs were unavailable. Effectively, 6 out of every 10 students participated in science fair if available. Students who could have participated in high school science fair but chose not to do so identified not enough time and coming up with their project idea as major reasons why not. About half the SURF students favored requiring non-competitive science fair regardless whether they themselves had participated in science fair. On the other hand, less than 1 in 5 thought that competitive science fair should be required. Introduction to the scientific process and general learning were mentioned most frequently as the reasons to require non-competitive science fair; these reasons were mentioned rarely in connection with competitive science fair. Unlike the national cohort of high school students we surveyed previously, who mostly did science fair in 9th and 10th grades, SURF students participated in science fair throughout high school and were twice as likely as high school students to have carried out science fair more than once. In conclusion, our findings suggest that participation of the undergraduate bioscience majors in high school science fairs occurs far more frequently than recognized previously and provide insights into how these successful college students (gauged by the fact that they are doing summer science research) view science fairs. The findings emphasize further the importance of incentivizing rather than requiring science fair participation, especially in 9th and 10th grades, and the potential value of developing non-competitive science fairs.

Grouping Students by Skill Level in Mini-Volleyball: Effect on Game Performance and Knowledge in Sport Education.

The purpose of this study was to explore any differences in game performance variables and knowledge among a cohort of high school students who participated in either homogeneous or heterogeneous skill level groups (N = 126) across a 12-lesson mini-volleyball sport education unit of study. This study followed a mixed-methods approach using a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design. The quantitative variables analyzed were decision making, skill execution, game performance, game involvement, and game knowledge. We also evaluated students' performance qualitatively, employing two methods: (a) experts' analysis of students' game performance, and (b) students' and teachers' perceptions of students' performance. We analyzed quantitative data through a series of paired samples t-tests comparing pre- and post-test scores according to the grouping strategy. Students became more competent in their game play and more knowledgeable in their technique, the sport's rules, tactical awareness, and general game knowledge. However, grouping students by skill level had no impact on gains in game performance variables and knowledge. Although sport education literature shows a preference for heterogeneity in ability-based grouping, within our data both heterogeneous and homogenous groups of higher and lower skilled students achieved improvements in game performance and knowledge, leading us to suggest that teachers who are interested in grouping students to create a meaningful learning experience should consider criteria other than student ability.

Did Self-Directed Learning Curriculum Guidelines Change Taiwanese High-School Students’ Self-Directed Learning Readiness?

With the rapid changes in globalization and technology advancement, self-directed learning is argued repeatedly as a key competency needed to survive in the twenty-first century. In August 2019, the Taiwan Ministry of Education implemented the new Curriculum Guidelines for 12-Year Basic Education. Being Taiwan’s first official curriculum that promoted self-directed learning, this study contributed to the emerging knowledge of how the introduction of the curriculum guidelines affected students’ readiness for self-directed learning. Three cohorts of high school students from seven schools returned 10,020 valid surveys. The Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS), a reputable instrument developed by Lucy Guglielmino (2000), was used in the study. The results provided a bird’s-eye view of evidence supporting our explanations for the positive, though slight, effect of implementing new curriculum guidelines in fostering self-directed high-school learners. Moreover, the progression of self-directed learning readiness appeared differently among schools and among different demographic associations. We suggest that future researchers both (a) qualitatively explore how specific latent variables were changed in different instructional interventions, and (b) conduct panel studies to advance our understanding of curriculum reform and learners’ self-direction.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40299-021-00582-w.

Symptom Checklist-90-Revised: A structural examination in relation to family functioning.

The accurate assessment of psychopathological behaviours of adolescents and young adults is imperative. Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) is one of the most comprehensive and widely used scales addressing this purpose internationally. Interestingly, associations between the different SCL-90 symptoms and family functioning have been highlighted. Nevertheless, the scale’s factorial structure has often been challenged. To contribute in this area, this study scrutinizes the psychopathological dimensions of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) in a large cohort of high school students (Mean age = 16.16; SD = .911) from Greece. It addresses this aim by: a) using first order and bi-factor confirmatory factor analysis, and exploratory structural equation models and; b) investigating the factors’ associations with family functioning. A total of 2090 public Greek High School students completed the SCL-90-R and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale IV (FACES-IV) covering family functioning, satisfaction and communication. Six different solutions, yielded by separate permutations of CFA, ESEM, and bifactor models, were evaluated. Based on global fit, the clarity, reliabilities and the family functioning links of the dimensions in the models, the ESEM oblique model with the theorized nine factors emerged as the optimum. This model had adequate fit, and symptom dimensions were well defined. Also six of the nine factors demonstrated external associations with family functioning, satisfaction and communication. The clinical assessment benefits of these results are discussed.

P54 Youth CAN: Cultivating Community Change Through Youth-Driven Health Initiatives

BackgroundThe Youth CAN (Change.Activity.Nutrition.) project engages and empowers adolescents to become agents of change for health within their community. Students become active researchers through youth-led participatory action research (YPAR), an innovative approach to youth-driven community assessment and project development.ObjectiveTo engage low-income, urban youth to identify an issue; connect with community stakeholders; and propose, develop, and implement a community-based project to promote healthy eating and active living.Study Design, Setting, ParticipantsTwo cohorts of high school students were recruited to conduct community assessments; cohort 1 (n = 20) consisted of students from a neighborhood high school and cohort 2 (n = 30) included participants in a summer leadership program at a local, non-profit organization.Measurable Outcome/AnalysisYouth shared their experiences through multiple mediums of YPAR: PhotoVoice (photography), Spoken Word (poetry), and Street Art (graffiti-style artwork). Project themes were compiled and used to facilitate discussions between youth and community stakeholders using the World Café method. Perceived barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and active living were explored and discussion outputs were synthesized into common themes to determine potential community-based projects.ResultsStudents’ projects were displayed in an exhibit to inspire dialogue for the World Café. PhotoVoice (n = 32), Spoken Word (n = 8), and Street Art (n = 10) projects portrayed the lived experiences of youth in their community. The World Café consisted of discussions driven by youth (n = 20) with input from community stakeholders (n = 20). Themes included addressing the current school lunch environment, implementing community gardens, and introducing composting at schools. Students are currently working with community stakeholders and researchers to design and implement a community project.ConclusionsYouth empowerment is fundamental in building connections within the community and yielding community projects to promote health. Future research efforts should incorporate multiple applications of YPAR into nutrition education programs to engage a broader youth audience. The Youth CAN (Change.Activity.Nutrition.) project engages and empowers adolescents to become agents of change for health within their community. Students become active researchers through youth-led participatory action research (YPAR), an innovative approach to youth-driven community assessment and project development. To engage low-income, urban youth to identify an issue; connect with community stakeholders; and propose, develop, and implement a community-based project to promote healthy eating and active living. Two cohorts of high school students were recruited to conduct community assessments; cohort 1 (n = 20) consisted of students from a neighborhood high school and cohort 2 (n = 30) included participants in a summer leadership program at a local, non-profit organization. Youth shared their experiences through multiple mediums of YPAR: PhotoVoice (photography), Spoken Word (poetry), and Street Art (graffiti-style artwork). Project themes were compiled and used to facilitate discussions between youth and community stakeholders using the World Café method. Perceived barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and active living were explored and discussion outputs were synthesized into common themes to determine potential community-based projects. Students’ projects were displayed in an exhibit to inspire dialogue for the World Café. PhotoVoice (n = 32), Spoken Word (n = 8), and Street Art (n = 10) projects portrayed the lived experiences of youth in their community. The World Café consisted of discussions driven by youth (n = 20) with input from community stakeholders (n = 20). Themes included addressing the current school lunch environment, implementing community gardens, and introducing composting at schools. Students are currently working with community stakeholders and researchers to design and implement a community project. Youth empowerment is fundamental in building connections within the community and yielding community projects to promote health. Future research efforts should incorporate multiple applications of YPAR into nutrition education programs to engage a broader youth audience.

Career and Technical Education in High School and Postsecondary Career Pathways in Washington State

In this study, we describe the postsecondary transitions of students taking CTE courses in high school using administrative data on one cohort of high school students from Washington State. Our findings indicate that CTE students are less likely to enroll in college overall, especially four-year college. But among students who do enroll in college, CTE students are significantly more likely to enroll in and complete vocational programs, especially in applied STEM and public safety fields. Among students not enrolled in college, CTE students also are more likely to obtain full-time employment—and to work more intensively—within the first three years following high school graduation. Thus, despite the reduction in four-year college enrollment, the higher completion rates of vocational credentials among CTE concentrators in college indicate some important positive outcomes for this population.

Measurement of High-School Students’ Trait Math Anxiety Using Neurophysiological Recordings During Math Exam

Math anxiety (MA), i.e. a trait factor describing the feelings of tension, apprehension, and fear during mathematics-related situations, has attracted increasing interest in recent years, due to its importance in people’s daily life and career development, especially in our modern digital world. Although the measurement of individuals’ trait MA has mostly relied on self-reported psychological scales, emerging studies are seeking for objective measurement by using behavioral or neurophysiological data. The present study, for the first time, investigated the neurophysiological signatures of trait MA in a cohort of high school students during their 90-minute real final-term math exam. Wrist-worn wearable devices were used for recording their autonomic nervous system activities, including skin conductance (SC) and heart rate (HR). The calculation of pairwise correlation revealed that both SC and HR could reflect the individual’s math evaluation anxiety (MEA) score, which is one of the two sub-components of trait MA. Specifically, the tonic level of SC was negatively correlated with MEA during the 5-minute pre-exam period when the students were anticipating the exam, whereas HR was positively correlated with MEA at two later time windows during the exam (63–65 minutes and 82–85 minutes, after the start of the exam). A leave-one-out regression analysis revealed a correlation ( $r =.349$ , $p =.094$ ) between the self-reported MEA scores and the scores predicted by these neurophysiological signatures. Our findings provide neurophysiological evidence of trait MA in a real-life context and demonstrate the potential of implementing an objective measurement of trait MA based on neurophysiological signals.