Test-optional and test-blind admissions policies accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic would appear to imperil College Board's SAT college-entrance exam, the rival ACT, and their respective parent organizations. This state of affairs follows years of complaints that the exams favor the affluent. And, in fact, both of the notoriously secretive…

This Study Snapshot highlights key findings from a study that examined which student demographic and academic preparation characteristics predict passing the Praxis® Core test and each of its subtests at the Unibetsedåt Guåhan (University of Guam, UOG) School of Education. This information is needed to increase admissions to the School of…

Edwin Herbert Hall (1855-1938), discoverer of the Hall effect, was one of the first winners of the AAPT Oersted Medal for his contributions to the teaching of physics. While Hall's role in establishing laboratory work in high schools is widely acknowledged, his position as chair of the physics section of the Committee on College Entrance…

The geographic skills, as outlined in "Geography for Life", provide an avenue for assessing students' work in geography. If used across the scope and sequence of the curriculum, a common scoring guide based on these skills offers opportunities for students to demonstrate their ability to use inquiry approaches to study geography and to…

Criticizes Jay Mathews'"Newsweek" article ranking the 100 "best" American high schools by a Challenge Index dividing the number of advanced placement/international baccalaureate tests taken by the number of graduating seniors. Clifford Adelman's research on good academic content and good teachers provides more useful criteria.…

Colleges have three types of admissions criteria: challenging course work, grades, and college admission test scores. Staff at a huge North Carolina high school found that offering challenging advanced-placement courses helped students get into selective colleges and graduate from them. The program benefited the entire school population. (MLH)

The honors program at Chandler High School (Arizona) which combines the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) programs is described in this brochure. Following a general overview of IB and AP programs, several benefits of this combined program are listed: (1) small classes with superior students; (2) the opportunity to earn…

For many people committed to strong academic standards, the "advanced" high school courses offered through the College Board's Advanced Placement program and, increasingly, the Diploma Programme of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) represent the curricular gold standard for secondary education. Admissions directors and…

The University of California's grading/credit policy for advanced placement (AP) courses taken by high school students is discussed. The university traditionally has encouraged high school students to take AP courses if they are prepared and mature enough to benefit from them. The university grants credit for scores of 3, 4, or 5 earned on AP…

The role of college admissions standards in promoting excellence in American education and the role of colleges and high schools in helping students make the transition to postsecondary education were topics of a 1982 public hearing. Concerns of the hearing included: the relationship of admissions standards to declining enrollments and to…