Introdução: A mediação, na perspectiva do Ensino para Compreensão (EpC), está pautada na mudança de postura do professor, que assume atitudes motivadoras e mobilizadoras do conhecimento. Centraliza no aluno o processo de ensinagem e sua prática docente. Objetivos: 1. Avaliar como se dá a mediação do processo ensino-aprendizagem na percepção dos docentes pelo uso do marco teórico do EpC. 2. Identificar e avaliar as estratégias de ensino adotadas pelos professores na mediação do processo ensino-aprendizagem pelo uso do marco teórico do EpC e 3. Construir com professores propostas pedagógicas relacionadas à estratégias de ensino e à mediação do processo ensino-aprendizagem. Método: Pesquisa qualitativa que utilizou como referencial metodológico a pesquisa-ação. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida em duas etapas: a primeira, chamada diagnóstica, por meio de entrevista de 14 participantes. As entrevistas gravadas foram transcritas e realizada a análise de discurso para identificação das unidades de significado e categorização que deram origem a 4 categorias: 1. Implantação do Currículo Integrado, 2. A mediação do professor, 3. Estratégias de Ensino e 4. Avaliação, estas categorizações deram origem a um texto disparador utilizado na segunda etapa, onde foram realizados 4 grupos focais (um para cada categoria) que contaram com a participação de uma observadora. Ao final de cada grupo era feita uma súmula da discussão por cada um dos participantes e depois construída uma síntese apresentada no grupo seguinte. Resultados: as sínteses produzidas em cada uma das categorias mostraram que a mediação nesse processo foi modificada, intensificada após a adoção do EpC e permanece até o momento na prática docente. O professor transformou seu processo de ensino e assumiu uma postura reflexiva, autocrítica, de busca para a construção coletiva de suas ações, colaborando com os alunos e com seus pares. As estratégias de ensino desenvolvidas, na sua maioria, foram motivadoras, centradas no aluno e tiveram relação estreita com o processo de avaliação proposto pelo EpC. A avaliação da aprendizagem ainda é um grande desafio e precisa maior discussão para seu aperfeiçoamento. Os professores focados nos princípios educacionais do curso aprimoraram seus conhecimentos e vislumbram manter um grupo coeso, que invista no desenvolvimento de suas práticas no curso. Considerações finais: Os participantes do Grupo Focal avaliaram que os encontros permitiram a eles revisitar o processo ensino-aprendizagem e repensarem sua prática docente. Em relação à construção das ações educativas, ficou proposto que o grupo terá encontros regulares agendados e abertos a todos os professores do curso com o propósito de manter um espaço para dividirem suas experiências e expectativas, desenvolverem projetos e avaliarem suas práticas / Introduction: Mediation in the perspective of Education for Understanding (EfU) is based on changing the attitude of professors, who take a more encouraging and mobilizing approach in relation to knowledge. It places students in the center of the teaching process and the teaching practices. Objectives: Evaluate how the mediation of the teaching/learning process takes place, according to professors, by using the EfU theoretical framework; Identify and evaluate the teaching strategies adopted by professors to mediate the teaching/learning process by using the EfU theoretical framework and, build with teachers pedagogical proposals related to teaching strategies and the mediation of the teaching-learning process. Method: We resorted to a qualitative study that used action research as its methodological framework, making it possible for participants to think about their experiences and to create an intervention action based on the reality that was studied. The research was conducted in two stages: the first one was called the diagnostic stage, when the 14 participants were interviewed. The recorded interviews were transcribed and a speech analysis technique was used to identify the units of meaning and to create categories. As a result, we came up with four categories which were called: \"The implementation of an Integrated Curriculum\", \"The Professors mediation \", \"Teaching Strategies\" and \"Evaluation\"; in the second stage we promoted group discussions in four focus groups, with the participation of an observer and discussions focusing on each category previously mentioned. Results: The summary created for each of the four categories showed that mediation in this process did change, became more intense after the EfU was adopted and still remains in teaching practices. Professors changed their teaching process and took a more reflective and self-critical attitude in the search of a collective construction for their actions, collaborating with students and peers. Most of the teaching strategies developed were motivating, learner-centered and had a close relationship with the evaluation process proposed by the EfU. The learning evaluation is still a major challenge and requires further discussion in order to improve. Professors who focused on the educational principles of the course improved their knowledge and intend to maintain a cohesive group and to invest in developing their practices for the course. Final thoughts: Those who participated in the focus groups mentioned that the meetings gave them the opportunity to revisit the teaching/learning process and to think over their teaching practices. Regarding the construction of educational activities, the group decided to have regular meetings and to be open to all other professors of the course in order to have a place where they can share their experiences and expectations, to develop projects and evaluate their practices

Introdução: Há um hiato teórico- prático no ensino dos processos de trabalho em enfermagem. Pensando que a integração desses processos tenha origem no ensino, pressupomos que as ações concernentes aos processos de trabalho administrar e cuidar são desenvolvidas de modo descontinuado e desarticulado entre si. Adotamos como referencial teórico do Planejamento Estratégico Situacional e Teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa. Objetivos: Compreender, no processo ensino-aprendizagem, a articulação dos processos de trabalho cuidar e administrar em enfermagem; identificar os fatores intervenientes no ensino da graduação em enfermagem dos processos cuidar e administrar, segundo a percepção dos graduandos e docentes; conhecer as estratégias de ensino-aprendizagem utilizadas pelos docentes, empregadas no ensino dos processos de trabalho em enfermagem; analisar o inter-relacionamento teórico e prático dos processos cuidar e administrar; propor estratégias de ensino-aprendizagem que privilegiem a articulação dos processos de trabalho cuidar e administrar. Metodologia: Estudo qualitativo, realizado em dois cursos de graduação em enfermagem, um público e um privado, do Município de São Paulo. A primeira fase, conduzida pelo Planejamento Estratégico Situacional, momento explicativo contou com 13 docentes e 17 estudantes, concederam entrevistas analisadas pelo Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo. O diagnóstico situacional achado permitiu o momento normativo, identificados 13 nós críticos, utilizados no momento estratégico. Adotamos a técnica de grupo focal para coleta de dados, na segunda fase, elaboramos plano de ações possíveis para intervenção no ensino da graduação, contando com a participação de quatro docentes e cinco estudantes da instituição particular. Não houve adesão dos sujeitos da escola pública. Resultados: Aproximadamente metade dos docentes apresenta arcabouço teórico sobre os conteúdos dos processos de trabalho em enfermagem; proporcionalmente, o mesmo ocorreu entre os estudantes. O quantiqualitativo de recursos humanos no campo de ensino prático influencia nessa articulação. O grupo focal destacou, como propostas de melhorias: a realização de metodologias ativas para o ensino, e a descrição de um plano de acompanhamento e avaliação diagnóstica, pactuada no projeto político pedagógico. A aprendizagem significativa, momento tático-operacional, conduziu a construção de um mapa conceitual e um rol de estratégias ativas de ensino. Conclusões: É preciso romper os paradigmas. Práticas pedagógicas ativas estimulantes para docentes e estudantes favorecem aprendizado com significado. O planejamento estratégico situacional apoiou assertivamente o desenvolvimento da pesquisa / Introduction: The articulation of work nursing processes promoted this study. Thinking that the integration of these processes originates in education, we assume that the actions pertaining to the work processes are developed to manage and take care of discontinued mode and inarticulate amongst themselves. The Strategic Planning Situational and Meaningful Learning theory was adopted as theoretical benchmark. Objectives: To understand, in the teaching-learning process, the articulation of work processes and administer nursing care; identify factors involved in the teaching of undergraduate nursing processes of care and manage, as perceived by graduates and teachers; know the strategies of teaching and learning used by professors, employed in the teaching of nursing work processes; analyze the theoretical and practical inter-relationship of processes and manage care; suggest strategies for teaching and learning that emphasize coordination of work processes and administer care. Methodology: Qualitative study in two undergraduate nursing a public and a private, in São Paulo. The first phase, conducted by Strategic Situational Planning, explanatory currently featured 13 teachers and 17 students, granted analyzed using the Collective Subject Discourse interviews. The situational analysis findings allowed the normative moment identified 13 critical nodes, used in strategic moment. We adopted the technique of focus group data collection, in the second phase, we prepared for possible actions plan for intervention in undergraduate teaching, with the participation of four teachers and five students of the particular institution. There was no adherence of the subjects of public school. Results: Approximately half of teachers presents a theoretical framework about the contents of the work processes in nursing; proportionally, the same occurred among students. The human quality resources in the field of practical teaching were considered influences in these joint. The focus group proposal highlights improvement: performing for active teaching methodologies, and a description of a monitoring and diagnostic evaluation, the agreed political pedagogical project. Meaningful learning, operational-tactical moment, was to build a conceptual map and a list of suggestions of active teaching strategies. Conclusions: It is necessary to break the paradigms. Stimulanting pedagogical practices enable meaningful learning in practice theoretical joint of nursing work processes. The development of research did supported for the planning situational strategic assertively

Introdução: A multiplicidade de metodologias de ensino e a necessidade de aprimoramento dos resultados da formação dos estudantes impõem, às Instituições de Ensino Superior, a busca de um plano de avaliação dos graduandos, do curso e da instituição, contemplando novos e diferentes métodos avaliativos nas matrizes e projetos pedagógicos. Dentre a diversidade de modelos e técnicas de avaliação disponíveis nas metodologias ativas de ensino, optamos por estudar a Prova de Progressão, que é um tipo de avaliação de desempenho individual do estudante, destinada a medir o conhecimento cognitivo relativo ao conteúdo teórico do ensino didático pedagógico do curso, de forma longitudinal e progressiva; fornece, também, informações importantes para avaliação do curso e da instituição. Acreditando neste tipo de avaliação e buscando apoiar a disseminação e utilização dessa ferramenta avaliativa, este estudo traçou como Objetivos: Geral: Propor diretriz para o processo de avaliação progressiva; para tanto, os objetivos específicos foram: avaliar a Prova de Progressão aplicada no Curso de Graduação em Enfermagem; conhecer o desempenho dos estudantes nas provas de progressão e verificar a existência de relações entre as variáveis relativas à prova e às do desempenho dos estudantes. Método: Estudo de natureza quantitativa com desenho exploratório e descritivo, desenvolvido no Curso de Bacharelado em Enfermagem da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo. Constituiu-se material de análise, as 462 provas de progressão realizadas no período de 2012 a 2106. As 320 questões das provas foram categorizadas em temas conforme o conteúdo teórico do currículo do curso. Foi empregada estatística descritiva para conhecer a adesão e o desempenho do estudante e, estatística inferencial para verificar a existência de relações entre as variáveis. Resultados: Dentre os principais resultados, destacamos que as 320 questões analisadas apresentaram 88 diferentes temas, 42,04% destes temas foram abordados em apenas uma prova. O desempenho dos estudantes, de maneira geral, demonstrou aquisição de conhecimento longitudinal de 39,13% nas primeiras provas para 54,12% nas últimas. Na comparação entre as séries do curso e desempenho na prova, houve diferença significante entre as séries que realizaram as provas em: 2012, 3a>1a (p=0,033; 2=0,108); em 2015, 2a e 4a>1a (p=0,001; 2=0,166) e na prova de 2016, 2a, 3a e 4a>1a (p<0,001; 2=0,305), como é esperado. Conclusões: A prova de progressão mostrou-se uma ferramenta capaz e viável para avaliação de conhecimento dos estudantes e para avaliação curricular e institucional. Com os achados deste estudo, com fundamentação teórica e com revisão de pesquisas, foi construída uma proposta de diretriz avaliativa para prova de progressão, que, dentre outras, recomenda a elaboração de matriz temática para a construção de questões; análise estatística dos resultados das avaliações e realização de feedbacks, envolvendo estudantes, docentes e gestores institucionais. É indispensável, no entanto, o aprofundamento desta investigação para aumentar o poder de generalização dos dados, bem como a aplicação da diretriz construída para testar sua aplicabilidade. Este estudo adensa o conhecimento sobre a prova de progressão, pouco empreendida e pesquisada na enfermagem nacional e internacional, demonstrando os elementos constitutivos, teóricos e metodológicos para construção, aplicação e avaliação da prova de progressão, passíveis de reprodução em diferentes realidades. / Introduction: The multiplicity of teaching methodologies and the need to improve the results of student training impose on higher education institutions the search for an evaluation plan for undergraduates, course and institution, contemplating new and different evaluative methods in the matrices and pedagogical projects. Among the diversity of models and evaluation techniques available in active teaching methodologies, we chose to study the Progress Test, which is a type of individual student performance evaluation, designed to measure cognitive knowledge relative to the theoretical content of pedagogical didactic teaching of the course, in a longitudinal and progressive manner; also providing important information for course and institution evaluation. Believing in this type of evaluation and seeking to support the dissemination and use of this evaluation tool, this study outlined as General Objectives: To propose guidelines for the progressive evaluation process; therefore, the specific objectives were: to evaluate the Progress Test applied in the Nursing Baccalaureate Course; to know the performance of the students in the progress tests and to verify the existence of relations between the variables related to the test and those of the students\' performance. Method: This is a quantitative study with an exploratory and descriptive design developed at the Nursing Baccalaureate Course of the Pontífícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo. Analysis material consisted of the 462 progress tests carried out between 2012 and 2106. The 320 test questions were categorized into topics according to the theoretical content of the course curriculum. Descriptive statistics were used to know student adherence and performance, and inferential statistics to verify the existence of relationships between variables. Results: Among the main results, we highlight that the 320 questions analyzed presented 88 different themes, 42.04% of these themes were addressed in only one test. The performance of the students, in general, demonstrated acquisition of longitudinal knowledge from 39.13% in the first tests to 54.12% in the latter. In the comparison between the year of the course and performance in the test, there was a significant difference between the groups that carried out the tests in: 2012, 3a> 1a (p = 0.033; 2 = 0,108); (p = 0.001; 2 = 0.166) and in the 2016, 2a, 3a and 4a> 1a test (p <0.001; 2 = 0.305), as expected. Conclusions: The progress test proved to be a viable tool for students\' knowledge assessment and for curricular and institutional evaluation. With the findings of this study, with a theoretical basis and with a review of researches, a proposal was prepared for an evaluation guideline for proof of progress, which, among others, recommends the elaboration of a thematic matrix for the construction of questions; statistical analysis of the results of evaluations and feedback, involving students, teachers and institutional managers. It is essential, however, to deepen this research to increase the power of generalization of data, as well as the application of the guideline built to test its applicability. This study adds to the knowledge about the progress test, which was little undertaken and researched in national and international nursing courses, demonstrating the constitutive, theoretical and methodological elements for the construction, application and evaluation of the progress test, which can be replicated in different realities.

There is an increasing number of International Baccalaureate programs in the United States that require instruction in an additional language to prepare culturally responsive global citizens, but there is little research on how the teaching of culture is addressed in elementary additional language programs. This study was guided by Vygotsky's and Dewey's social constructivism and investigated how the teaching of culture is integrated in additional foreign language classrooms in the State of Georgia's International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programs (IB PYP). It also investigated how personal, professional, or organizational factors such as values, beliefs, teacher training, or time constraints impact the integration of culture and language. This qualitative multiple-case comparative study examined the experiences of 3 teachers in Georgia who taught in K-5 additional language classrooms, using curriculum maps, student work samples, lesson plans, and semi-structured interviews as the data sources. Data were analyzed using Atlas.ti software and coded using constant comparative methods; the inductive qualitative content analysis included open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The study findings showed that a variety of factors impacted program goals including the attitudes of school community, teacher isolation, philosophy, Georgia Standards, and practices of the IB PYP. Findings are applicable to additional language teachers for further discussion on the current state of elementary language programs in Georgia's IB PYP and for informing choices on program design. This study contributes to social change by expanding the body of professional literature in the field of foreign language education and on the issues that affect teachers in additional language classrooms in the IB PYP.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program has been one of the fastest growing accelerated learning programs in recent years. At the high school level, the program offers a focus on critical thinking, combined with the accountability of external assessments of student performance. A significant portion of the program's growth is attributed to its effective marketing, presenting itself as a program that benefits the entire school community, above and beyond the benefits reaped by its graduates. To date, the research literature on IB schools has been clear about the benefits of participation; what remains unclear is how and to what extent the program affects the educational experience of non-IB students as well. In an effort to learn more about these claims, the researcher conducted a qualitative study of an IB school, specifically interviewing teachers and administrators about the IB and its impact on non-IB students. The study identified two general arguments the school was making to this end: 1) the IB benefits the whole school by attracting students (and the funding that follows them) through Open Enrollment, and 2) IB-trained teachers teach non-IB classes, providing the whole school with an improved teacher capacity. The principal findings of this study suggest that offering the IB program benefitted non-IB students in ways that the school claimed--but only to an extent. The results of this study reveal how certain social and political realities emerge alongside program growth, and how these factors influence the distribution of benefits over time. As test scores increasingly signaled program quality, the need to preserve the school's reputation seemed to prompt a corresponding shift of high-quality teachers towards IB. From the interviews, it was clear that IB classes were smaller than general education classes, and that the teachers with the highest status were disproportionately assigned to teach the upper-level classes. When put together, the case study data points at seemingly inevitable inconsistencies between the claims that the IB benefits non-IB students and the ongoing institutional necessities of the program.

High school students in accelerated academic curricula including Advanced Placement (AP) courses and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs are faced with unique challenges associated with their rigorous academic demands, in addition to normative adolescent stressors. Because of the increasing popularity of AP and IB among high-achieving youth and benefits realized by students who successfully manage such curricula, there remains a need to better understand the experiences of stress and coping among this population. The current study used longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons to (a) investigate the degree to which students in accelerated curricula experience environmental stressors and employ coping strategies to manage academic stressors, and (b) determine which stressors and coping strategies were associated with student success. The longitudinal sample consisted of 184 students from six high schools within three school districts who completed the six-factor Student Rating of Environmental Stressors Scale (StRESS) and 16-factor Coping with Academic Demands Scale (CADS) at Time 1 (grades 9-11) and one year later, at Time 2 (grades 10-12). The cross-sectional sample included 2,379 students (grades 9-12) from 19 high schools within five school districts who also completed the StRESS, CADS, and the Students Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS); grade point averages (GPAs) were gleaned from school records. Findings indicate that AP and IB students reported more frequent stressors specific to academic requirements over time, while older students (e.g., 11th and12th grade) also reported experiencing more frequent stress due to academic and social struggles and financial issues than their younger counterparts. Regarding coping strategies, findings from longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons suggested students tend to respond to higher stress by increasing their use of maladaptive strategies including reliance on substance use, reduce effort on schoolwork, and deterioration. Predictive analyses indicated that environmental stressors explained 4-7% and 17-23% of the variance in academic achievement and life satisfaction, respectively. High-achieving students' stress due to academic requirements was related to greater academic success, while it did not appear to compromise life satisfaction. Moreover, while stress due to academic and social struggles was predictive of diminished life satisfaction, stress within this domain was not predictive of poorer academic outcomes. Coping strategies used to manage academic demands accounted for 13-20% and 23-32% of the variance in achievement and life satisfaction, respectively. Students who employed time and task management, sleep, and deterioration to cope were more likely to experience higher academic achievement, while those who coped by seeking academic support, skipping school, engaging in social and creative diversions, using substances, reducing effort on schoolwork, and handling problems alone were less likely to be academically successful. Additionally, those who used cognitive reappraisal, turning to family, and social and athletic diversions were more likely to experience high life satisfaction, while those relying on creative diversions, reduce effort on schoolwork, handle problems alone, and deterioration were less likely to have high life satisfaction. Implications of findings for key stakeholders, including schools psychologists, and future directions for research are discussed.

Parenting style as a predictor of students' academic achievement is gaining increased interest by parents, educators, and psychologists. Current literature suggests that a combination of three parenting dimensions (i.e., responsiveness, supervision, and autonomy granting) is relevant to characterizing one's parenting style into four types (i.e., authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and neglectful), and each dimension of parenting behavior has a different effect on students' academic performance. Based on the different cultural backgrounds and the methods parents use to educate their children at home, some literature suggests that the school performance of some Asian American students could benefit from different parenting behaviors as compared to White students. Very little prior research has attended to links between parenting and achievement among high-achieving students who pursue college-level curricula during high school years, such as students enrolled in International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes. This study examined: (a) the relationships between parenting behaviors and students' achievement (i.e., semester GPA and mean score on end-of-course exams) among a combined sample of ethnically diverse IB students and then within two ethnic groups of interests (i.e., White and Asian American), (b) the differences in mean levels of students' achievement between the two aforementioned ethnic groups, and (c) differences in mean levels of parenting dimensions between two ethnic groups with regards to three parenting behaviors (i.e., responsiveness, demandingness, and autonomy granting). An archival dataset that includes data from 245 Asian American IB students and 533 White IB students was analyzed. The findings from the current study suggested that Asian American IB students earned significant higher GPAs than White IB students, while there was not a difference in performance on end-of-course exams between two groups. Second, White and Asian American IB students perceived different average levels of parenting behaviors. Specifically, White IB students reported perceiving higher levels of parental responsiveness and autonomy granting, while Asian American IB students perceiving higher level of demandingness. Additionally, responsiveness and autonomy granting both had positive relations with semester GPA within the entire sample of IB students as well as within the White IB students, while autonomy granting positively related to end-of-course exam scores within the entire IB students. All three parenting behaviors were associated with academic outcomes in a similar manner across White and Asian American IB subgroups. Specifically, responsiveness was the only significant and unique predictor of semester GPA for IB students. For end-of-course exam performance, demandingness was a negative predictor while autonomy granting was a unique positive predictor for IB students.

Timely student completion of undergraduate nursing programs in order to produce practicing registered nurses (RNs) is of concern to students, faculty, governments, employers, and health care consumers across Canada. The shortage of health care professionals in Saskatchewan, particularly in nursing, is an immediate and growing concern. The average age of RNs in Saskatchewan is 44.9 years (CIHI, 2003). With the inevitability of retirement of many RNs, recruitment and retention of new nurses is critical to the quality of health care in this province. The looming shortage creates a further challenge for key stakeholders in academia, government, and health regions who hold a vested interest in the retention of nurses educated in Saskatchewan. Currently, little is known about the impact of barriers to timely completion of students in the Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan (NEPS). Considering the aging nursing workforce, frequent, substantial numbers of nursing graduates are important to meet the demand for health human resources in the province of Saskatchewan (SRNA, 2004). <p>The purpose of this research was to conduct a secondary analysis of the NEPS Database including exit surveys completed by 363 graduates over a three-year period, 2002-2003; 2003-2004; 2004-2005. Group membership was determined by splitting data between graduates who had taken four academic years (September to April) or less to complete the program (timely completers) and those who took longer than four academic years (delayed completers). Objectives were to examine the differences between the two aforementioned groups in terms of the following variables: employment hours, financial burden, student loan status, dollar amount of bursaries awarded during the NEPS, primary responsibility the year prior to the NEPS, significant life changes during the NEPS, Aboriginal ancestry and core course averages. <p>Results show that 86% of females in the study group completed the NEPS in a timely manner compared with 58% of their male counterparts. There was a trend of higher employment hours per week in every year of the NEPS for delayed completers. However, this difference approached statistical significance only for students in year one, t (360) = 1.81, p < .07. Fifty percent of delayed completers had three or more significant life changes during the NEPS. Seventy-five percent of timely completers had two or fewer significant life changes. Students require various forms of support to ensure timely completion of the NEPS. It is anticipated that results of this research will inform policy decisions to facilitate timely completion of the NEPS.

Timely student completion of undergraduate nursing programs in order to produce practicing registered nurses (RNs) is of concern to students, faculty, governments, employers, and health care consumers across Canada. The shortage of health care professionals in Saskatchewan, particularly in nursing, is an immediate and growing concern. The average age of RNs in Saskatchewan is 44.9 years (CIHI, 2003). With the inevitability of retirement of many RNs, recruitment and retention of new nurses is critical to the quality of health care in this province. The looming shortage creates a further challenge for key stakeholders in academia, government, and health regions who hold a vested interest in the retention of nurses educated in Saskatchewan. Currently, little is known about the impact of barriers to timely completion of students in the Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan (NEPS). Considering the aging nursing workforce, frequent, substantial numbers of nursing graduates are important to meet the demand for health human resources in the province of Saskatchewan (SRNA, 2004). <p>The purpose of this research was to conduct a secondary analysis of the NEPS Database including exit surveys completed by 363 graduates over a three-year period, 2002-2003; 2003-2004; 2004-2005. Group membership was determined by splitting data between graduates who had taken four academic years (September to April) or less to complete the program (timely completers) and those who took longer than four academic years (delayed completers). Objectives were to examine the differences between the two aforementioned groups in terms of the following variables: employment hours, financial burden, student loan status, dollar amount of bursaries awarded during the NEPS, primary responsibility the year prior to the NEPS, significant life changes during the NEPS, Aboriginal ancestry and core course averages. <p>Results show that 86% of females in the study group completed the NEPS in a timely manner compared with 58% of their male counterparts. There was a trend of higher employment hours per week in every year of the NEPS for delayed completers. However, this difference approached statistical significance only for students in year one, t (360) = 1.81, p < .07. Fifty percent of delayed completers had three or more significant life changes during the NEPS. Seventy-five percent of timely completers had two or fewer significant life changes. Students require various forms of support to ensure timely completion of the NEPS. It is anticipated that results of this research will inform policy decisions to facilitate timely completion of the NEPS.

Student engagement is a multifaceted construct gaining increased interest within the fields of psychology and education. Current literature suggests that student engagement is linked to important student outcomes including academic achievement, psychopathology, and mental wellness; however, there is a dearth of studies that have examined all components of student engagement simultaneously as they relate to the aforementioned outcomes. Additionally, past literature has found support for a decreasing trend in student engagement across the school years, but less attention has been paid to student engagement in the high school years. Among high school students, a particular subgroup has been virtually ignored: high-achieving students enrolled in college-level curricula such as International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP). Research questions answered in the current study pertain to: (a) differences in the components of student engagement among IB and AP students, (b) differences in the components of student engagement of IB and AP students across grade level, (c) the extent to which student engagement relates to academic achievement, and (d) the extent to which student engagement relates to mental health. To answer these questions, self-report surveys and school records data from 727 IB and AP high school students were analyzed. Several main effects for program type and grade level were found among the various dimensions of engagement, as well as two interactions between program type and grade level. Regarding predictive relationships, results indicate that the linear combination of all seven indicators of student engagement accounted for 19.56% of the variance in students' academic achievement, 17.47% of the variance in students' life satisfaction, and 6.17% of the variance in students' anxiety. Implications for school psychologists and future directions are discussed.