STRATEGIES

This paper reports on a project created to improve high school students ' academic success. Students in three schools in the suburbs south of Chicago were targeted. Lack of student success was attributed to several probable causes: teacher-student relationships, curriculum relevance and choice, family issues, teacher expectations, lack of incentives, past academic performance, risk taking, and teaching to just a few of the multiple intelligences. Interventions were based on motivational strategies, such as strengthening the student/teacher relationship, employing the use of activities that targeted the multiple intelligences, and providing students with academic choices. Following the interventions, almost half of the target population indicated that their motivation increased. Cooperative learning and activities that built the student/teacher relationship proved to be the most successful strategies in improving academic success of the targe