Open enrollment is a form of school choice that gives families the opportunity to choose an educational setting or school within the public school system that is best for their children. In U.S. public school districts, students typically must attend the school that is in their neighborhood and often do not have a choice of attending a different…

This article reviews the literature evaluating the impact of school choice programs on racial integration. Evidence on the impacts of magnet schools, voluntary busing programs, open enrollment practices, charter schools, and voucher programs is reviewed. The literature is mixed on this question, finding that the impacts of choice on racial…

School choice programs continue to be controversial, spurring a number of researchers into evaluating them. When possible, researchers evaluate the effect of attending a school of choice using randomized designs to eliminate possible selection bias. Randomized designs are often thought of as the gold standard for research, but many circumstances…

Few cultural institutions so potently foster free thought and speech, appreciation for others unlike self, and community service as higher education. As such, universities catalyze democracy. One calls them the "Messiah" of that cause. Christian universities in particular, though not designed as political or religiously pluralist entities, assist…

The urban mission of two-year community colleges with open enrollment policies is to train, retain and graduate students from all walks of life, including the poor, displaced, under-employed, and unemployed. This mission can be undermined if management decisions are not informed by detailed enrollment data, especially on how the timing of student…

Articulation agreements have been part of the American educational scene for well over 100 years. Initially implemented as a tool for more effectively and efficiently delivering liberal educations, they became more common as the numbers of community colleges grew during the 1960s and 1970s. During the mid-1980s, the universal education promise of…

In recent years, many policy makers, including officials in the Federal Government and the National Governors' Association, have advocated public school choice as the answer to the problems of public education. In 1987, Minnesota was the first state to pass legislation implementing a statewide, interdistrict, open enrollment plan for public…

Administrators must remember that they are in the business of selling higher education and must pay special attention to marketing ethics. High standards must be maintained to preserve the integrity of education to those who truly want to pursue it. (JAC)

Most barriers to higher education fall into one of six categories: personal access barriers (e.g., lack of information, low self-esteem, or loss of motivation); socioeconomic barriers (e.g., lack of transportation or child care); sociocultural barriers (e.g., family pressures or language problems); socioeducational barriers (e.g., inadequate…

Special liberal studies baccalaureate programming for adults is discussed. Such programs may provide access through open admissions, have special seminar courses, recognize and grant credit for life experience, provide special counseling, schedule classes in the evening, and make available other desired options and services. (Author/MLW)

Discusses need for and effectiveness of remedial education at the college level. An understanding of the type of student involved, a faculty that cares, and enough funds to function are ingredients for successfully helping undereducated college students. (Author)

This update provides an overview of school-choice models and issues as they were defined in 1992. It describes how intra- and inter-district programs work and the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of a choice plan. Tensions in the choice debate center around the issues of diversity versus commonality, competition versus efficiency, and…

Discussion at a 1990 symposium on democratic values and higher education administration is summarized. Issues addressed include productive competition in higher education, open access vs. competitive selection, assessment of teacher performance and instructional quality, and the relationship between higher education institutions and national…

This retrospective picture of college students over the past 30 years reflects what has been written about students in "Change" magazine between 1969 and 1999. Using the analogy of a museum gallery, the student portraits are grouped into five eras; each of which dominated the literature for approximately 10 years. The Gallery of Student Protest,…

A sweeping parental choice bill passed recently in Minnesota spearheaded parental choice plans recently passed or under consideration in more than a dozen states. Explores the background and pros and cons of parental choice. (MLF)