Attitudes and Values of High School Students

¶ … attitudes and values of high school students. Reforms to the high school system in the United States are also explained. Additionally, the reason why students need not be involved in the planning of reforms is elucidated.

High School Students: their Attitudes and Values

Of a crucial age, climbing a milestone, conscious to their fullest with no fear of prospects, high school students have interested researchers and policy makers for centuries. They have quite a few common traits -- they behave as individuals of their own age group in a rather full-fledged way. They are go-getting to achieve their independence, they are show-offs, impressionable persons desiring to be their best (something to be learned) and to suit the times they live in. Their self-esteem is fragile and they are pretty sensitive to criticism, attention, and dilemmas, for instance, within their families.

Students from different socioeconomic backgrounds behave differently as has been known to researchers for many decades. It is known that many (if not most) high school students love to enjoy themselves with friends. Oft times they have to congregate with groups that are engaged in smoking, consumption of alcohol, and abuse of drugs. There is high probability that peer influence would dominate and those previously not exposed to drugs, as an example, may try drugs themselves and possibly even begin to abuse them. Although this possibility may exist for all high school students, research has been indicating that students from inferior socioeconomic backgrounds would be at a greater risk for the abuse of drugs, consumption of alcohol at an early age, smoking, and other wrongful habits.

When we talk of socioeconomic groups, automatically in the mind of anybody knowledgeable of the divisions in United States based on socioeconomic status, would know that African-Americans it is always reported about that they are at a much higher risk for drug abuse, alcohol consumption at an early age, and smoking. African-American high school students, in this case, are considered to be of a socioeconomic status lower than that of the European-Americans or whites. Hispanic-Americans too are thought of as lesser in socioeconomic position than the white Americans. The way African-American high schools students are at a higher risk for engaging in illegal conduct (with its basis being what the students are exposed to), Hispanic-American high school students may also be said to be at a relatively high risk as compared to European-American high school students. It should be added here that there is no dearth of European-American high school students at risk either. Basically, anybody vulnerable enough to start imitating behavior that he has not taught is incorrect, will indulge in it. High school students are susceptible because they are confidently struggling to find maturity and to be grownup. They like their friends whom they relate to better at this time than they do with their near relations. It is almost inevitable then that they follow what their peers do.

The above example has been used to illustrate the point of this chapter -- to examine the attitudes and values of high school students in the light of research (secondary), with particular attention to dissimilarity in attitudes and values when seen from the perspective of diverse socioeconomic groups or races that reside in the United States of America. In addition, we will explore certain reforms of high schools with respect to the interest of the students.

Attitudes and Values: Who are High School Students?

Using self-esteem as a moderating factor, J.S. Coleman conducted a wide range of research to find that interscholastic athletics was a determining factor in values of male high school students. Athletic success was given preference over scholastic proficiency and popularity among peers (of significant importance to high school students) -- in this research. The American school system encourages this value. The sportsmen sense independence, popularity (of its own), seriousness of goals, and great amounts of energy based on their athletic performance in high school (Simo, 1994). African-Americans are known to be particularly good at several sports in which they have left a mark -- basketball (that suits the stature of many of them), baseball, soccer, and nearly all sports played in the U.S. Decades of research have been showing that for male students, athletic success still is the most appreciated trait (Simo). This suggests that although studies on the African-American students have shown them to achieve less academically (scholastically) than the average European-American high school students, the African-American students still might have a great self-esteem because these students are physically brawny, sturdy and strong. Moreover, they play very well on their school sports teams. It may be deduced from this also that the African-American males may have higher self-esteem at high school age than the African-American female students.

Research revealing that male students chose athletic success over scholastic achievement, also showed that girls wanted to be remembered as leaders in extracurricular activities or as the most popular girls in school rather than for being academically proficient. Another study let it be discovered that girls would rather be athletes than be academically successful (Simo). At high school age, being academically successful is valued but not seen as something that must be achieved as a last resort. In other words, being academically rich is not the end that high school students see as their immediate target. By this age, students come across the notion of "more is less." They are ambitious and less realistic because they have not yet lived in the 'real world' as they call it -- the world outside school, the world of occupations.

Girls who are into sports may find it easier to fit in. Same with those who are looked upon as beautiful or popular in other respects. Academic success would be a bonus in this instance, but not a necessity for many, especially those involved in sports. Of course, the students may still want to fulfill minimum requirements of their courses. These students do not wish to be left behind in any way.

Concurrent studies either reconfirm the evidence unearthed previously or disprove it. In either case, the results scientific in nature are relied upon. On the same topic, Furst and Di Carlo (1991) conducted research. Contrary to the facts mentioned before, these researchers found that the value order for girls might have changed -- they now viewed academic success as something surpassing popularity and athletic achievement. It has been in the past been speculated upon that girls are more interested in academic achievement than are boys. While girls like to concentrate on their reading and writing in the classroom, boys would rather be in the playground, it is popularly believed. The study by Furst & DiCarlo confirmed this idea to the extent of their research.

Simo (1993) notes that being a leader in extracurricular activities still may be the value of greatest consequence to female high school students, however. Hence, it is easy to infer that differences in opinions exist even among the results of scientific studies. In a similar context, cross-cultural different in adolescent values have been observed nationally and internationally. Yet, we have determined that athletics are considered the best way to receive recognition in the schools of the United States.

The African-American community is noticed more than is the Hispanic-American one. One reason for this is that there has been an influx of Hispanics into the country over recent decades only whereas the blacks have lived here for over a century. Additionally, the African-Americans have been given special attention in a multitude of important offices around the country. This they have achieved over a long time they spent also protesting for their equal rights with the whites. Nevertheless, the Hispanic-Americans are growing in the United States, and classrooms now have unique programs to not only ease the transition of the Hispanics in the country, but also to make it accessible for them to gain education and thereby contribute to the American society effectively in the long run. Two-way programs integrating native English speakers and English language learners in the same classroom and providing content instruction in both English and the native language of the learners, have proved to be highly successful among Hispanic students in the U.S. Such programs are given the name of two-way immersion, also called two-way bilingual or dual language education. As is obvious, such programs "aim to provide high quality educational experiences for all students and promote higher levels of academic achievement. (Lindholm-Leary et al., 2002)"

Lindholm-Leary and others carried out a study and thereby determined the effects of two-way immersion on Hispanic-Americans as compared with the European-Americans. As expected, the Hispanic-Americans were fairly excited about the dual language education. They reported high motivation to do well in school, valued education strongly and believed that getting a good education is the best way to have a better life. They too reported understanding that it is important to get good grades to enter college. With high positive attitudes with respect to their academic competence, the two-way students were enthusiastically preparing for college. They were participating in classroom discussions, going back over work they could not grasp, taking time to figure out schoolwork, and submitting homework on time. Moreover, most of these students are aware of entrance requirements for various colleges; they attended college presentations at their high schools. It was further learned that Hispanic immigrant students typically enrolled in lower level and basic math courses compared with European-American students who may be said to show greater discernment a propos the significance of mathematics.

As mentioned before, the results of studies sometimes throw skewed or contradictory light upon the topic in question. A survey prepared by Public Agenda, for instance, showed that higher education is seen as the means to the American dream by the American public; and African-American and Hispanic parents place a higher value on college education than do parents of European-American students. Naturally, these parents are the first school their children have attended, suggesting that Hispanic and African-American students may be keener on attaining good education. Nonetheless, the participation rate in higher education among the 18 to 24-year-olds is lowest for Hispanics, followed by African-Americans. Whites have double the participation rate as Hispanics (The National Center, 2000). It must be stressed that the lower is the socioeconomic status of a family, the lower are the chances of buying college education. In this matter again, individuals belonging to races that are susceptible to discrimination (as has been thought) had been complaining of denial of their rights. This situation has been remedied to a great extent by now since we can sense silence at this end.

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education carried out a study with Hispanic high school students. In this he saw enormous variety among the Hispanics -- a generic term because there are many types of Hispanics. Also, the research divided the high school students among three classes: "college-prep' students (typically coming from middle-class families) who are poised for an easy transition to higher education immediately after graduation; 'non-college-bound' students, often from working-class families, who display little chance of going to college in the near future; and the 'college-maybes,' students who share many of the same obstacles as the non-college-bound students, but who appear to have more of the academic preparation needed to go on to college directly after graduation. (The National Center, 2003)"

Hispanic families of the college-prep students in the above study, are like other upscale families around the country, in particular the upper middle class families of the nation. Research has shown that Hispanics endeavor to find two-year institutions for themselves. They want to ease the transition into college and also stay close to home, based on the present study. It implies that perhaps the Hispanics do not feel at home in the whole of the United States, they feel like foreigners in transition.

Families of the non-college-bound students in this research were less educated, and the high schools students in this group seemed to lack academic skills, work habits, and a sense of direction, ambition and focus required to get into college. A number of female students in this group were mothers, quite a few male high school students had had problems in the past with the criminal justice system. They were "troubled students" with no concrete plans for the future whatsoever. Conversely, they were very much informed of the reality that going to college is a means to success. In fact, whilst interviews were being conducted as part of this study, various participants among the non-college-bound students appeared "extremely bright." This factor left itself conclusive: "massive intervention -- both academic and social -- would be required for them (these students) to launch a successful college career any time soon. (The National Center, 2003)"

The college-maybes belonged to families that were not very educated; however, the college-maybes were students that had prepared themselves better for college. These students were doing well in school, making it hopeful for them to carry on with their education. Then again, these students were indecisive and unstable to a degree. They are important from the policy perspective though because changes in Hispanic higher education participation rates will be first reflected through these college-maybes alone (The National Center, 2003).

We have established how social class affects one's education just as race appears to, principally in our country. Besides, it has been documented that there are very man ambitious students among most races resident of the United States of America. What is interesting here to point out is that Harvard Graduate School of Education have reported: immigrant students attach greater significance to their schooling and school authorities than do their nonimmigrant counterparts. This research was carried out using the following four groups of subjects: (1) non-Latino whites; (2) second generation US.-born Latinos; (3) newly arrived Mexican immigrants; and (4) youth in Guanatajuato, a Mexican town with high levels of emigration to our country (Harvard Gazette Archives, 1998).

Mexican immigrants have been found to hold cultural attitudes and values that appear highly conducive to a productive life in the U.S., and "U.S.-born youth reveal more dystopic attitudes toward school and school authorities." Research also revealed that while white students felt bored at school and displayed an ambivalent attitude toward their schooling, immigrant students seemed gratified and appreciative. The latter also showed a more positive attitude toward school and school authorities. Furthermore, this group was a hopeful, optimistic one that believed in success as a consequence of hard work. Research showed that the second-generation youths (no more fresh immigrants) were not as enthusiastic as their ancestors may have been upon entering the United States. The energy and faith of the immigrant students was missing in the second-generation youths.

Immigrant students take pride in school and schoolwork more than the Mexican- or U.S.-born students do. There is very little probability that the immigrant students would view their school authorities negatively. Also based on research, it has been found that these students have a strong commitment to learning English because they believe it is essential for their future success (Harvard Gazette Archives).

From the outlook of plain humanity, it can be presumed that all humans want improvement in their lives. For this reason, it is understandable that not only do immigrant students, but all Americans view college as the key to a better life. To say that all Americans view college as the road to success is not to mean that there is everything wonderful about this story. Monitoring the Future is an ongoing study of the behaviors, attitudes and values of secondary school students. What does it find? Well, they have reports on how much high school students use ecstasy, other illegal drugs, how much they smoke and drink. Yes, this is a common problem among the teenagers of today. One report of Monitoring the Future says, however, that party animals rarely exist after college (Monitoring the Future, 2003). This should be good news for those wishing to see loved ones out of drug experimentation and the like. As mentioned before, high school age is a very suggestible one and great care must be taken by students to guard their self-respect even in the friendliest of circumstances. Date rapes and other crisis related to sexual harassment are not uncommon among teenagers. Unwanted pregnancies are an old story by now. Many mistakes can be caused by irresponsible behavior, and it may be sometimes difficult to turn back the clock.

Other destructive activities of high school students? They are not eating healthy foods based on research findings. Junk food is increasing youth obesity that has reached its record level in California. So, the Public Health Institute of California commissioned a study to research the prevalence of fast food shops on California's high school campuses, and student access to healthy foods at school. It was found through this research that high school students like fast foods, and fast food sellers were all around the areas of the schools. Fast foods were being sold as a la carte items, and the main items available on sale were pizza, cookies, chips and burritos. The most common fast food brands in the school areas were Taco Bell, Subway and Dominos Pizza. Plus, fast food and beverage advertising is allowed on campus by the majority of schools, it was discovered (Samuels, 2000).

Eating unhealthy is not as harmful as the abuse of drugs in the common man's mind. Just as high school students and people of all ages in this day and age get lectures on why to avoid smoking or consumption of alcohol in addition to the spread of AIDS, high school students now are given necessary training by some schools about how to eat healthy. There are programs such as California Project LEAN's Food on the Run Program with a campaign called The Simple Solution to the Energy Problem. This was aimed at reaching, educating and motivating high school students to make better nutritional choices. Into the bargain, the provision of healthier food choices was an objective that this campaign worked to advocate in schools (Samuels, 2000).

Such campaigns are of great value to society. Nevertheless, the first station of learning is home, followed by the school. For the reason that the high school students with young minds still can adapt and change their values, they must be taught by their schools especially about the benefits of having a proper diet. Mental exercises for issues that must be dealt with reasonably, like real-life activities as part of schoolwork, on healthy diet -- may assist in the understanding of these young students.

Teenagers are conscientious and caring individuals too. They often partake in drives that serve a meaningful purpose. Teams from schools do a tremendous amount of community service in many places. They help society sometimes even through the donation of their blood. Policy makers or regulators should use this as a plus. High school students can be trained to indulge in healthful activities like this: the Public Health Institute is preparing teen leaders to take action on healthy eating and physical activity. They are doing another unusual thing: creating an adolescent nutrition and physical activity policy agenda. Would this be used to control physical activity of most students in school? - Perhaps. The Public Health Institute is also addressing a School Board Nutrition Policy Project (Public Health Institute). It is high time that schools begin to provide the tools necessary to build healthier lives. The food that children eat most of the day is what constitutes their lives to some extent. In earlier times, fast food, junk food, or convenient food may be all that educators found suitable for students in their schoolyards. Perchance they did not have time to dwell upon this subject. But now we know that obesity is one problem resulting from the lack of concern shown in this department. For the self-conscious high school student who wants to appear his best, obesity should certainly be a 'no.' In this case, students should have to change their attitudes toward eating.

Unhealthy eating habits are one thing. A shocking piece of information is that nearly half of school students in this country have easy access to guns and more than one in five boys took a weapon to school in the year 2000 -- this is based on a the results of a survey published in 2001. Forty-seven percent of high school students said that they could obtain a gun if they wanted to. It has been disturbing to grasp that today's teenagers are more likely to use violence when they get angry. They have an easy access to weapons, drugs and alcohol. What's more, nineteen percent of high school boys and twelve percent of high school girls admitted to being drunk at school during the period that the survey covered. It was revealed that those who brought guns to school were more often than not also the ones that carried guns. As a result, more than one in three high school students reported not feeling safe at school (Guns easy, 2001).

Teenagers are highly emotionally charged individuals with extreme likes and dislikes since their personalities are taking shape at the time they are in high school. They are in transition, betwixt and between. They can be careless because they do not know their limits, they may or may not hold strong values about life in general. Their attitudes and beliefs are going through alteration, radical or otherwise.

At their sensitive age, high school students like to fall in love, date, have sexual encounters, and a lot of their time is spent fantasizing their potential or then current relationships with the opposite sex. At this age, individuals wish to normally make pairs or couples with the opposite sex, have steady partners, and thus, their energy is also considerably diverted in this pursuit. When they are appreciated among their school friends or in the home, they feel exceptional and exceedingly happy. When confronted with their flaws or criticized, they may brood for long periods, even go into depression and believe that they would never come out of it (since they have a short-term view of life).

It is usual for a high school student to feel unloved and unappreciated in the home. This happens because there is power struggle at this time between parents and their children. Teenagers desire a great deal of independence and the freedom to make choices for themselves. Their parents wish to restrict this great amount of liberty because they do not yet trust their children sufficiently.

Teens look like adults but are really swiftly growing-up kids. One conflict they face at home for this reason is that they are overburdened with responsibilities for the reason that they are expected to behave like adults (also because they are seeking more freedom). For school too they have a lot of work to complete. Problems arise for the high school students at this time, and they may either release their frustration at school or in the home, even both in some cases.

Decision-making is a skill that the teenagers must learn at some point or another. A lot of bad choices result in long-term unhappiness. It is frequent now for teens to attend parties where they get drunk and engage in sexual practices with or without their partners' consent. Here, sexual decisions and coercion are two ideas to be pondered upon. The health coordinator at Cohasset High School said: "The line is very blurred for teenagers in today's sexual culture. One line is set by parents and family values; another is set by the media, and they are light years apart. It is difficult for kids to know where they are supposed to be. (Schieble, 2002)"

Experts have cited some conflicting influences on the youth of today. First, children are being exposed to violent and sexual messages at an earlier and earlier age. Second, adults overlook or tolerate a variety of sexual misbehaviors in this day and age -- from harassment to assault. Third, sex and violence are glamorized in the popular culture through television, movies, advertisements, magazines, newspapers, radio and videos. Finally, in cases of sexual or domestic violence, society continues to blame the victim and remains ambivalent about the use of alcohol. Domestic violence expert, Maria Moscaritolo says, "I have seen cases where a young woman takes out a restraining order against a young man in her school, and the administrators remove her from the class and leave him in."

The above is an example of an utter violation of basic humaneness. Teenagers seem to lack peacefulness in their dating relationships. It has been reported that there is more intimidation in these relationships than the adults acknowledge. Findings have given astonishing figures: twenty-three percent of girls participating in a survey said that they had been emotionally or physically abused in a relationship, and nearly fifty percent said that they knew someone in their school who had been abused (Schieble).

At a younger and younger age, there is a general acceptance of sex nowadays, according to psychologists. Says a psychologist working with adolescents: "There is a bravado about it, and the line between what is acceptable and what is coercion is always a moving target for kids. Kids cross the line and they don't always even know it. They say they know it's not O.K. To force sex, but what does that mean? And drinking continues to be an issue, when they have no control over impulses and judgment is distorted." This could be the responsibility of the girl, the boy, or both. If both the girl and the boy had been drinking, the boy alone should not be held responsible for nonconsensual sex.

Teens should be better prepared to make the right choices. And parents, teachers as well as the media should dwell on how culture portrays sexuality and domestic violence, and how through positive change, an impact can be made to curb risky or harmful behavior of teenagers. A dialogue should be encouraged to achieve this end. It is vital to solve this issue on an urgent basis while it is known (and admitted by high school students) that television and movies (even music) give a distorted image to teens about the normal behavior for teens. The media is pervasive and powerful influence for high school students. Certain characters in TV sitcoms and in films are supposedly teenagers, for instance, living full adult lives. Impressed by them, the teens of today attempt to live artificial grownup lives by the time they are fifteen or sixteen. Thus, they routinely find themselves in sexual situations, do drugs, and drink (Schieble). Nearly everybody is aware of the ordeals faced by single teen mothers in this nation; it is viewed as a menace to be a single teen mother, in fact. These mothers who are growing children themselves, cannot study diligently due to more pressing responsibilities, and many of them find themselves in juvenile delinquency centers for indulging in inappropriate causes for the sake of escapism whereby they wish to forget their worries through drugs or alcohol, or take short cuts to achieve their ends. Even not going to school is punished in some cases as in the state of Ohio. Reckless behavior could have severe consequences: high schools must emphasize.

It is tough for high school students to say "no" to their peers. They irrationally fear retaliation and overall, their future, and they find it hard to resist risky behaviors. Their standing among peers is fundamental in their minds. It is for these reasons too that parents and teachers keep open lines of communication with them. Time must be reserved for conversation although the high school students may act uninterested. Later they may recognize the value of such guidance sessions, however. These youngsters must be presented with different scenarios during these conversations or sessions; the goal of this would be to get teenagers to recognize danger and react appropriately. Lessons concerned with acceptable behavior are necessary for these young individuals. In addition, it must be stressed to youngsters that they have a choice in the way they respond in a variety of situations (Schieble).

High school students are among those that shun the victims of dating violence, for example. Their focus shifts from the perpetrator to the victim since this appears easier than is concentrating on how the perpetrator must be dealt with or punished. It is alarming but understandable then that one in three young women before their eighteenth birthday, would be assaulted in this country (Schieble). The molesters get away; they find it effortless thus to take sexual liberties rather than genuine responsibilities.

These are not the only problems of high school students in our time. There is more to abuse: profane language is plaguing schools -- this too is reality that must be faced currently. According to educators questioned as part of a survey that was reported by USA Today, obscenity and insults in the classroom are persistent problems, and only about a third of the educators have been able so far to deal with these effectively. Provocative insults toward teachers and fellow students are commonplace at this time. Such incidents can happen daily, weekly or monthly. The good news is that thirty-eight percent of those facing this problem have begun to combat it, and their success level is nearly seventy-three percent (Barber, 1997).

There has been found to be a direct correlation between the values students hold and contemporary reports of scandals on the business, government or professional athletics front. Additionally, principals of secondary schools were supporting Bill Clinton's proposal for academic reforms at the time -- to make education a national priority. National standards are liable to interfere with the local control of schools, pointed out some supporters of such reforms (Barber). It is possible that through academic reforms, the concentration of students could be focused in the desired direction of educational competence, and misbehavior would lessen. Also, those who have been less successful at dealing with profanity, vulgarity or abuse in schools, may find it more convenient to work on academic reforms instead, so that some positive results can be obtained anyhow.

Why is misbehavior in the first place? There are very many factors affecting this. Again, one's socioeconomic status plays a role, so does the education of one's parents in addition to one's gender. Males may be said to use more obscene language than do females. All in all, it may not be one person's responsibility alone when a growing child or new adult makes disastrous errors.

Even the distribution of knowledge about environmental issues related to energy and pollution is not one individual's responsibility by himself. A study analyzing this distribution of knowledge revealed that parental level of education, quantity of high school science courses taken, and gender (in favor of male students) -- all are significantly related to a high school student's level of knowledge about environmental issues connected with energy and pollution. Gender differences remain also when the number of science classes taken is controlled (Gambro & Switzky, 1999).

Research findings tell that Americans are not too knowledgeable about environmental issues. They lack resources to draw from in the case of making environmental decisions. Adults and children have proved severe lack of awareness as regards acid rain, the greenhouse effect, energy and pollution. Hence, the nation is kept from making right choices in most cases when environmental values are in question (Miller, 1990).

Gambro and Switzky (1999) argue that in the recent years, there has been much talk of nuclear power by the citizens of the country. In future also, democratic decisions will be made on environmental issues. Therefore, it is central to policy makers and in general, the entire country, that the peoples of the United States of America be well informed as regards environmental issues. The young generations like the high school students of today are the next generation of voters. It is imperative that these young people be taught values as regards the upkeep of a good environment in which we all dwell. Such values can be ingrained in young minds and the whole nation can benefit through them. As suggested before, young individuals are quite interested in honorable causes such as the protection of the environment, conservation of wildlife, and other charitable deeds. At the school level, they can be trained best to understand the reality of their world. Of course, school achievement and knowledge gained academically are connected with many different factors as related before. It is of note however, that values about caring for one's world are necessary for high school students and their communities.

High school students express that their teachers leave a lasting impression on them by helping them to set priorities and challenging them to be successful (Mueller, 1997). This means that teachers are the ones that can teach everything responsible to their students and issues that are troublesome to consider at this time because something is going wrong, must be resolved by the teachers first so that their students can follow their example and be leaders with consequential values and attitudes.

One graduating senior reported that the most important value taught him in high school was to keep a positive attitude in order to stay focused on schoolwork and making good grades. It was refreshing to know that this senior had tasted success as a result of hard work -- on a generalized level, this suggests that high school students are adult enough to realize that they must be profiting from their experiences, i.e., learning, using their intelligence in most situations they encounter. They can think of behaviors and their consequences, they can also reflect on rights and wrongs and judge for themselves in part things that they are attached to. Moreover, this high school student knew the value of accomplishing one's goals and completing what one set out to do. As expected or not, he had planned to do two programs simultaneously at college; surprisingly, he even had in mind what he would like his career to be -- that of a music producer (Mueller).

Another graduating senior expressed appreciation for the religious knowledge given him at school, believing that this would improve his work ethic as well and keep it strong. As a matter of fact, there was great energy, zeal and strength seen in responses of these graduating seniors (Mueller). They were graduating from school finally -- this was a reason. Secondly, they were fresh, young blood about to bloom into complete beings, open minded and experimental to explore the truth yet conservative enough to accept many values passed on to them as givens.

The third graduating senior said that it was self-discipline that got him success at high school which taught him the values of honesty, respect and cooperation. This student believed in working to the best of his abilities at all tasks. Besides attempting to do everything gracefully and with excellence, the student shared a valuable phrase he had learned from one of his teachers: "plan your work and work your plan. (Mueller)" female high school student reported learning from school the value of putting others' needs before one's own. Her high school required that she do at least forty hours of community service before graduation. The student enjoyed this thoroughly. Having volunteered at the humane society and with children having special needs, she was much inspired so much so that she planned to attend college to major in special education for a potential career with children having disabilities (Mueller). Apart from other students' accounts of how they value what they value -- all important -- this female high school student's lessons tell the tale: high schools could be doing a marvelous job training young people to take responsibility for themselves and their communities.

Teachers and guidance counselors have jobs of great magnitude. They can either make or break young students through the priorities they set for young minds to acknowledge and receive. Fortunately, other high school students too have expressed gratitude toward their high school systems that set high expectations for them and taught them to struggle, go on and never give up (Mueller). This is good news because through this it is established that teachers and guidance counselors may usually be able to intervene when the going gets tough in relation to high school students. Of course, this does not work with every high school student. Those that land in correction centers, for example, are also provided counseling by other professionals but they fail to learn as swiftly as do most intelligent students. Why? - Reasonableness is one key to an elevated existence. The ones using their commonsense have an easier time feeling confident, successful and positive toward school and school authorities.

A high school student in Bath, Maine admitted cheating on a math test because he was too "achievement-oriented," according to his own belief system. His school ironically -- a twenty-eight-year-old high school, Hyde School, "operates on the premise that if you teach students values such as courage, integrity, leadership, curiosity and concern, then academic achievement naturally follows." The school's headmaster reveals that the school is preparing students for a way of life that will affect all young individuals. Hyde School has a program at an $18,000-a-year prep school well-known for its work with troubled youth. The school appears to have high standards for students as its founder was promoting his Character First doctrine to the inner-city, public schools willing to expend their tax dollars on the traditional program for the new approach. The program based on the quest for truth is supposed to be intensive even for teachers, and a lot of educators are eyeing it with curiosity (Henry, 1994).

The Hyde School system, now widespread, assumes that each individual has his unique potential based on character, not intellect or wealth. Conscience and hard work are appreciated, and success is gauged by growth instead of academic achievement. What's more, students are required to take responsibility for each other, instilling in them a long-lasting sense of togetherness to achieve their individual and collective goals. Performing arts, sports, and community services are parts of this high school system, and students are not only awarded a grade for academic excellence but also for "best effort." Most of the students leave Hyde to enter four-year colleges. Their parents support their education fully through also the acceptance and demonstration of the school's philosophies and concepts. Once parents have given their commitment to the school program, they can be effective role models for their children on a daily basis. The majority of parents of the Hyde high school students attend special workshops, seminars and get-togethers for the welfare of their children. In this way, they stay fairly involved in their children's education. When their children see their parents seeking excellence in their daily lives, the children follow suit, and this is positive for both parents and their offspring. Furthermore, teachers find this system satisfactory too. At Hyde School, the teacher-student relationship has great value before the course books take over for the teacher and confuse the relationship. "The character curriculum Hyde expects all students to develop these traits:

The courage to accept challenges

The integrity to be truly themselves

Concern for others

The curiosity to explore life and learning

Leadership in making the school and community work

With these traits, five principles develop:

Destiny. Each of us is gifted with a unique potential.

Humility. We believe in a power and a purpose beyond ourselves.

Conscience. We attain our best through character and conscience.

Truth. Truth is our primary guide.

Brother's keeper. We help others attain their best.

Expected results for students:

Core knowledge and skills

Capacity to use education and a reverence for learning

Self-confidence, perseverance, creativity and personal vision

Integrity of relationships

Responsible and effective citizenship

Expected results for parents:

Personal liberation from children's challenges

Vision beyond parenthood

Simultaneous personal growth with children (Henry).

Consider the example of Clark County high school now. Hundreds of its students get at least one "F" on their report cards. Despite much effort on the part of the school system, the failure rate is not declining as rapidly as educators want. Teachers are under pressure to connect with the failing students and to get them back on track to graduation, also owing to President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act. Nevertheless, linking students with academic support can be a difficult task but not an impossible one. Both Hyde School and Clark Country are known to have helped troubled students. The approach of Hyde was very different though. It teaches values substantially whereas Clark County's teachers are not adamant about the values that their students must hold; rather, these teachers are struggling successfully to help their students regain academic achievement (Doyle, 2003).

Educators want the failure rate of students to drop to zero. The attainment of this goal is far-fetched at present, it appears -- approximately fourteen hundred students in the Clark Country high school system got at least one "F" on their reports last year. Failure of students results in late graduation. This is a nuisance for the school system because Clark County is going to face the loss of sanctions as a threat if its students are taking a very long time to graduate or are dropping out radically. The school system is making every effort to combat this threat by allowing failing students to get all extra help they require to do well in school. However, many failing students refuse to accept this help. They have a "Who-cares" attitude. Besides, "to many high school students, the future means next week. Planning and foreseeing the repercussions of their actions -- or inactions -- isn't part of their mental development, teachers say."

As mentioned before, high school students are short sighted. Young people do not consider that they would be troubled in future or they would have to cope with severity followed by blunders too in their lifetimes. This view of things is distorted although one cannot hold only the mental development of a normal teenager responsible for the occasional mistakes he makes. The teachers of failing students have to figure out why they could not connect with their students. Additionally, schools have been ordered to increase their graduation rates. There is a law of "Adequate Yearly Progress" too that the school systems are trying to meet based on new federal laws. If missed, school systems fear losing their students to other schools. In this way, the school systems mostly are being held accountable for the progress of their students. Further extents of this law are that failure to miss target for three consecutive years renders school systems accountable for the payment of extra tutoring and after-school programs. If the "Adequate Yearly Progress" law is not abided by within a span of five years, the federal government may take over the school. Many of Clark County's high schools, therefore, are dealing with the threat of fundamental loss to the school system if the schools do not increase their graduation rates and reduce the dropout rates. Of course, besides the schools' responsibility to get their students back on track, parents who support their children to do their best academically have children who do well most of the time. It is thus vital for high school students to have their parents back their education in order for them to keep from failing (Doyle).

Evidently there is no dearth of high-achievers in the high school systems either. It has been discussed that high school students are moldable individuals that take immense pride in good deeds as well. It is a great pleasure to know when these students do achieve recognition for contributing something valuable to their communities. Wells High School sophomores Samantha Hurley and Brandon Balyga were the recipients of the 2003 Rotary Youth Leadership Award, for instance. They were selected for their "leadership potential, academic achievement, overall attitude, accomplishments, community awareness and written essays submitted to the Rotary club." This was an honor for Wells High School and also for the district that the school was part of. The two students receiving the awards were identified as potential community leaders (High school, 2003). It can be comfortably stated that such students own the hallmarks of superiority that all Americans must be searching in the high school students of the nation -- potential voters to determine the course of history for the nation; the leaders and parents of tomorrow to pass on values that add to the welfare and education of the U.S. peoples.

Reforms substantial section of this chapter can be occupied by a discussion of high school activity programs -- sports, music, speech, drama, and debate -- where young individuals learn lifelong lessons as vital as those taught in the classroom. High school activities use up one to three percent (sometimes even less) of the overall school budget. Unfortunately, however, there could exist today "a creeping indifference toward support for high school activity programs by the general public. This neglect undermines the educational mission of our schools and the potential prosperity of our communities. (NFHS, 2003)"