Indiana University test administered in 26 states
High school survey results released
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

A few of the interesting survey results received after 90,530 students from 103 high schools across 26 states include:

· Freshmen are less likely than seniors to feel safe at school (54 percent compared to 67 percent).

· Male students are more likely than female students to spend more than seven hours a week exercising (40 percent compared to 28 percent).

· Sixty-four percent of students polled say they feel like they fit in at school.

The Indiana University tests were given to the students to provide data on experiences that influence high school students academic performance, according to information from the Office of Media Relations in Bloomington.

The High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE), was designed to identify the student's behaviors and school characteristics that can be changed to enhance their learning.

Martha McCarthy, HSSSE director and Chancellor's Professor in the School of Education at IU Bloomington, said educators can learn from this survey and actually change the course of a student's learning process. She sites an example such as students surveyed said they spent more time on personal reading online than to assigned readings for their classes. "Schools can change expectations in this regard by providing assistance, such as a homework hotline, or offering incentives, such as bonus questions on homework assignments," she noted.

She further noted that teachers could alter instructional activities based on the data that pertains to students writing patterns. The survey showed that three out of 10 students had written no papers longer than five pages during the current year. They were more likely to have written shorter papers.

McCarthy noted that HSSSE results can be used to "almost immediately help schools identify where to focus attention and resources to improve student learning and school effectiveness."

Some more interesting results from the survey show:

SAFETY:

· 58% of the students reported they feel safe at school.

· Students who felt they were supported by teachers felt more safe.

SELECTED ACTIVITIES:

· 70% of seniors spent more than 10 hours a week working for pay, compared to 11 percent of freshmen.

· 37% of students reported they were not involved in school athletics,
clubs, student government, publications or other school-sponsored activities.

· 29% reported devoting at least seven hours a week to school-sponsored activities.

STUDENT VOICE/ENVIRONMENT:

· 51% of the students indicated they have a voice in making classroom decisions.

· 84% of the students said it is important to make good grades, yet only 56% said they put forth a great deal of effort in their school work.

· 64% said they feel they fit in at school.

· 59% reported that their school placed a significant amount of emphasis on treating students fairly and with respect.

DIVERSITY:

· 47% of the students said they had serious conversations with students who differed from them in terms of religious beliefs, political opinions
or personal values.

· 41% said their school placed substantial emphasis on encouraging contact among students from different backgrounds and beliefs, while 24% of the students indicated their school placed very little emphasis on encouraging such contact.

ASPIRATIONS:

· Four out of five students reported that they expected to continue their education after high school, with as many as 71 percent aiming for a four-year bachelor's degree or higher.

· Three out of four students reported that their schools placed a substantial amount of emphasis on preparing them for post secondary education.

More HSSSE 2004 results and information about how schools can participate in the survey in 2005 can be found at http://www.iub.edu/~nsse/hssse.