In June 2023, the Supreme Court held that the admissions systems at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and Harvard University were racially discriminatory, effectively ending affirmative action. Are race-neutral admissions policies at selective K-12 schools next? Bob Kim considers two circuit court cases -- "Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax…

Accreditation agencies and organizations calling for higher academic standards in the teaching profession have called for increasing minimum grade point averages and scores on standardized tests. However, it's not clear that these requirements actually improve teaching. Lisa Borden-King, Warren Gamas, Kathy Hintz, and Chelsie Hultz researched…

As students compete for college admission, some are tempted by invitations to join honor societies that promise learning opportunities, scholarships, and a leg up in the college admission process. Yvonne Vissing explains how these organization target millions of students each year, encouraging them to purchase "opportunities" that fail…

The Civil Rights Project was hired to identify barriers to equitable access in Buffalo (New York) Public Schools' criteria schools and propose solutions, which, if accepted by both parties, could resolve the civil rights violations and create more equitable access to those schools. The researchers found that students of color, low-income students,…

The challenges for increasing opportunities and college access for black students typically focus on the traditional barriers related to academic preparation, the racial gap in standardized test scores, and dropping out of high school. While these challenges remain, new and emerging challenges to college access are also important to discuss. They…

The attorneys general of 25 states have joined the American Council on Education in asking the Supreme Court to decide whether a college can deny a handicapped student admission into a professional training program because the college believes the student cannot fulfill the responsibilities of the profession. (Author)

Suggests some new admission criteria after arguing that present standards for admission to teacher education programs are generally inadequate to assure that even a high-quality program will produce successful teachers. (Author/IRT)

The special admission program at Davis goes so far beyond federal affirmative action requirements that a decision for Bakke would not affect current federal programs. (Author)

Outlines the benefits individual students experience at the Alternative Learning Center in Evergreen, Washington. An important element in the successful operation of a school of choice is the admissions procedure. To provide a clear and informed decision in school choice this school's admission procedure includes information, screening, and…

Argues that the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is an irrelevant concern because colleges, as a result of declining enrollments, are admitting a very high percentage of their applicants. Questions the predictive ability of the test and urges that other methods of evaluating and defining ability be found. (IRT)

Discuss whether high scores on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) are associated with high student socioeconomic status, including high family income, particularly in California. Concludes that the SAT is no more a "wealth test" than is every other measure of student achievement such as grades. Describes other factors influencing…

To prepare 21st-century superintendents, we must abandon the present university-based, research-oriented preparation model in favor of a professional studies model that is more intellectually challenging and more practical. This article recommends certain changes in administrator preparation programs and outlines skills needed by tomorrow's…

The good news in the Bakke case would be for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide that equal protection was denied and for the regents of the University of California to have to write a new, broader operational definition of equal protection for applicants to medical school. (Author/IRT)

In deciding that a person with a serious hearing handicap could be denied entry into a nursing program, the Supreme Court held that Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 does not require affirmative action but imposes the lesser obligation that institutions avoid discrimination against handicapped persons. (Author/IRT)