One-year and overall national trends in the scores of college-bound high school students on the American College Testing Program's (ACT) college entrance examination and on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) are examined, and data on the ACT subtest score trends by sex and race and on the SAT subtest score trends by state are presented. (MSE)

A 1986 national assessment of 7,812 high school juniors found them deeply ignorant of literature and history, with a lack of basic information as severe as their weakness in mathematics and science. The report by Diane Ravitch and Chester E. Finn finds that students score poorly because educators emphasize basic skills over content. (MSE)

While faculty salaries rose more overall, there are continuing signs of salary compression, with lower-ranking faculty getting larger raises than higher-ranking faculty, and faculty continue to lose purchasing power. (MSE)

Findings from the "American Freshman: National Norms for 1988," conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles, are tabulated. (MLW)

High-school student achievement on college entrance examinations remained the same in 1987 despite spending increases Secretary of Education Bennett reported, quoting from a Department of Education survey on teacher salaries, pupil-teacher ratios, education spending, the proportion of students taking the Advanced Placement examinations, and…

A national board to certify teachers is expected to be chartered by late this summer and begin issuing certificates within five years. The objective is to establish high standards for teacher competence with voluntary certification, not replacement of state licensing. The plan has received widespread support. (MSE)

The National Collegiate Athletic Association's new regulation preventing freshman athletes with low standardized test scores from participating in varsity sports, and the response of Black colleges, including a legal challenge, are discussed. (MSE)

Minority groups' scores on national standardized tests have risen while Whites' scores have dropped slightly. Large gaps between men and women persist. More students are taking the tests. (MSE)