This study analyzed documentation from 50 state departments of education concerning high school graduation requirements for students in general and for students with disabilities. Preliminary information reviews research on graduation requirements, research on minimum competence tests, and legal issues and implications. Study findings are then…

This paper reports on a study conducted to assess number of credits completed nationally for a degree in Teaching English as a Second Language, what portion were required courses, and what courses were actually required. Data were gathered by a survey mailed to 159 institutions in November 1994; 94 responses were usable that covered 39 U.S.…

The increases in the number and level of foreign language requirements in school systems throughout the country are explained, and the problems and concerns that stem from these changes are described. Solutions to these problems are enumerated, including: (1) reducing class size; (2) increasing foreign language entrance requirements for both…

The goal of this policy analysis is to set fair standards for awarding units of credit to disabled high school students. Criteria used for selection include: (1) equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment; (2) education under the 1973 Vocational Rehabilition Act, Section 504; (3) feasibility; (4) flexibility; and (5) integrity of the high…

This analysis focuses on school offerings and practices that limit or increase the course work taken by particular groups of students. The National Commission on Excellence in Education has recommended minimal requirements for high school graduation consisting of 4 years of English, 3 years of mathematics, science, and social studies, and one-half…

There are many advantages of small schools: community acceptance, innovative teachers, faculty input in school administration, and a family atmosphere; however, smaller schools also have problems such as fewer staff members, little choice of teachers by students, fewer approaches to teaching, little use of specialists, and fewer books and…

A review of the literature on writing across the curriculum (WAC) programs indicates that most such programs have four components. First, the programs require that students complete one of the following before graduation: (1) a timed writing test, (2) a departmental endorsement system, (3) a quota of regular content courses designated…

Several major reports on the status of education in the United States have been presented to the public and to educators and government bodies in recent years. Nine of these reports provide the source material for this document on the state of the search for educational excellence: Adler's "Paideia Proposal,""A Nation at…

Many states have mandated two possibly far-reaching legislative reforms within secondary vocational education: minimum competency requirements and increased course requirements for graduation. Most legislated educational reforms include only selected aspects of competency-based systems, primarily the specification of and testing for minimum…

The question of how to best prepare nurses for practice continues to be debated extensively. The crux of the debate is whether a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) should be required of all registered nurses in the United States or whether an associate degree in nursing (ADN) and diploma programs adequately prepare novice nurses for practice.…