Characteristics of the Participating Schools and Student Populations

Holmdel High School, located in Holmdel, New Jersey, is a suburban school with students from the lower-middle to upper socioeconomic strata. During the time the experiments were conducted, the school served approximately 1200 students in grades 9–12. The school's population was predominantly Caucasian students and also included Asian, Middle-Eastern, Black, and some first-generation Eastern European students with a minority enrollment of 26%. A small number of students studied English as a second language, and 3% of students were eligible for free or reduced price meals. The student to teacher ratio was 11:1. On New Jersey State standardized tests, Holmdel High School equaled the state average for proficiency in Mathematics and ranked in the top 50% for proficiency in Reading/Language Arts. Overall, Holmdel High School was ranked within the top 20% of New Jersey high schools. The graduation rate was 99%. A majority of the students attend college after graduation, but there is a substantial range of abilities among the students.

William R. Satz Middle School, located in Holmdel, New Jersey, is a suburban school with students from the lower-middle to upper socioeconomic strata. During the time the experiments were conducted, the school served approximately 600 students in grades 7–8. The school's population was predominantly Caucasian students and also included Asian, Middle-Eastern, Black, and some first-generation Eastern European students with a minority enrollment of 30%. A small number of students studied English as a second language, and 1% of students were eligible for free or reduced price meals. The student to teacher ratio was 10:1. On New Jersey State standardized tests, William R. Satz Middle School ranked in the top 20% for proficiency in Mathematics and in Reading/Language Arts. Overall, William R. Satz Middle School ranked within the top 20% of New Jersey middle schools. Most students from W.R. Satz Middle School attend Holmdel High School.

Port Chester Middle School, located in Port Chester, New York, is a small-town school. During the time the experiments were conducted, the school served approximately 900 students in grades 6–8. The school's diverse population included predominantly Hispanic students and also Caucasian, Black, and Asian students with a minority enrollment of 77%. Approximately 13% of students were classified as Limited English Proficient, and 64% of students were eligible for free or reduced price meals. The student to teacher ratio was 19:1. On New York State standardized tests, Port Chester Middle School students ranked in the bottom 50% for proficiency in Mathematics and in Reading/Language Arts. Overall, Port Chester Middle School ranked within the bottom 50% of New York middle schools. Most students from Port Chester Middle School attend Port Chester High School.