This report summarizes the key discussions of a Conference of Directors of Carnegie-Funded Time-Shortened Baccalaureate Programs. Discussion centered on five major concerns, the nature of the baccalaureate; time shortening: where, when, and how; financing higher education; evaluation; and the dynamics of change. The report suggests that a number…

American high schools are more rigidly scheduled" than their British counterparts, which use the form" system. Author, an English schoolmaster, describes the two systems in detail. (SP)

A proposal is made to reduce the traditional three-year law program to two calendar years, providing both educational and financial advantages: student stimulation; earlier employment, more intensive teaching but more free faculty time, and more continuous use of facilities. (Journal availibility: ABA, 77 S. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60606.) (MSE)

Examines effects of academic year division on junior high school student satisfaction. Reports no relationship between semester organization and student satisfaction or achievement, although students report dissatisfaction with the length of certain classes. Advanced English students were more satisfied with semester courses than general English…

A national survey of colleges and universities gathered information on variation in academic calendars across schools and over time; how many days, weeks, or minutes are considered necessary for a semester or a unit of academic credit; and who sets those standards. Results suggest little standardization and a shrinking semester. (MSE)

This study examined reasons that some full-time students take longer than normal to complete a bachelor's degree, and whether students who extend their program are more like those who take only 4 years to graduate or are more like dropouts. One part of the study reviewed 64 transcripts of all traditionally-admissible new freshmen who entered the…

A graduate course in educational philosophy, having a uniform number of hours and the same instructor, was taken by eight different groups over three different periods of time: 15 weeks, 7-8 weeks, or 4 weekends. No significant differences were found in final examination scores among any of the groups. (GDC)

Compares the relative effects of three different kindergarten schedules (all-day, half-day, alternating day) on 216 children's end-of-the-year achievement and prosocial classroom behaviors. All-day kindergarten children scored higher on achievement than the other groups. Alternating day kindergarten children were lower on negative social behavior…

This report summarizes the evaluation of a national conference on "Education and Citizenship: Responsibilities for the Common Good" held in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 20-23, 1976. Participants were 400 persons who are interested or involved in political education. The conference involved speeches and papers from experts and…

Reports on college-level microeconomic classes to compare learning in short-term intensive course with traditional semester-length course. Found students in three-week courses performed better on achievement tests than those in traditional semester courses but this advantage disappeared when knowledge retention was measured. Raises policy…

Before outlining a proposal for a flexible trimester calendar to replace the traditional semester system at San Bernardino Community College, other alternatives such as the early semester, 4-1-4, and quarter systems are reviewed. The proposed trimester system, developed in accordance with the California Flexible Calendar and School Finance in…

This paper investigates the proper length of instruction in various curriculum areas. The 17th century educator, Johann Amos Comenius, believed that a teacher should be careful not to present too much for a child to learn. A review of the research shows that there are no clear and ironclad answers. Some studies have shown that large deficits in…

Background/Context: Recent research indicates that social studies is being "squeezed" from the elementary curriculum as instructional time is shifted to language arts and mathematics in response to state testing and the federal No Child Left Behind Act, especially in schools serving poor students and students of color. However, less is…

In 1969 800 questionnaires were sent in four languages to governmental and non-governmental agencies dealing directly with adult literacy in 123 countries. The purpose was to receive details on methods and techniques used. Only 80 replies were received, 73 of which provided information for the study. Replies were classified in seven main…