Assembly Bill 705 (AB 705) sought to increase successful completion of transfer-level math and English courses by addressing systemic problems in traditional placement policies and curricular structures. The law requires colleges to maximize the probability that students who enroll in credit English as a second language (ESL) courses complete…

These technical appendices are for the report, "English as a Second Language at California's Community Colleges: An Early Examination of AB 705 Reforms." Assembly Bill 705 (AB 705 Irwin) sought to increase successful completion of transfer-level math and English courses by addressing systemic problems in traditional placement policies…

Decisions about who gets admitted to college, especially to selective institutions, are the result of a complex mix of policy and practice, and math expectations are part of that mix. Regardless of whether calculus is necessary for a student's college major, entrenched beliefs about calculus as a sign of rigor can play a significant role in…

Having garnered national attention, high failure rates in developmental education present a significant barrier to state and national policymakers' goals of increasing the percentage of adults who earn a college credential. However, a majority of the research fails to consider why students place into developmental education. This piece examines a…

The field of special education, and specifically the area of intellectual disabilities, has undergone dramatic changes in terminology, evaluation practices, service delivery models, expectations for learning, career development, and independent living opportunities. "Guidelines: Intellectual Disabilities in Educational Settings" is…

Alternative education programs (also called alternative schools) first appeared on the American landscape in the 1960s. Despite the proliferation of these programs, a generic description of what constitutes an alternative education program, historically, has been elusive. Most alternative education programs have the general criteria of serving…

Graduates of the Mesa Public Schools Advanced Placement (A/P) program were surveyed to determine: (1) their attitudes toward their experience in the program; (2) college credits received for their A/P classes; and (3) their suggestions for A/P program improvement. A/P courses, offered within the regular curriculum, have grown significantly since…

Reveals significant correlation between older Maltese students and high test scores on their examinations to enter junior high. Older students are those born in the early months of the year. Study found little difference in scores between genders, although girls were more likely to pass the examination than boys. (MJP)

This document was designed to inform members of the policy, education, and research communities about existing state and institutional policies and practices associated with four accelerated learning programs: Advanced Placement (AP), dual/concurrent enrollment, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, and Tech-Prep. This effort was…

The guidelines focus on procedures for determining eligibility for services of children with specific learning disabilities. A 13-step process is delineated from the classroom teacher's response to individual learner needs through multifactored evaluation team function to annual review and reevaluation. Throughout the process, special emphasis is…

The article describes characteristics of gifted students who also have learning disabilities, and offers guidelines for assessment, early intervention, placement, and intervention strategies geared to the specific disabilities. (DB)

Discusses a new placement program that allows incoming university students to select courses on the basis of prior mathematics coursework and tests students after the first few days of review. Compares and contrasts this method with the previous program that tested students prior to placement. (MDH)

This paper describes characteristics of creatively gifted children and explains why new procedures are necessary to identify creative children with exogenous behavior disorders. Educational strategies are needed that will give these children independence, so that their creative potential can flourish. (PP)

The nine-year experience of the Northeast Louisiana University School of Pharmacy in developing an undergraduate toxicology program is described. A survey of 128 graduates revealed student characteristics and graduate employment and/or education patterns. Common job duties included industrial hygiene, analytical chemistry, technical writing,…

A review of the literature is presented on developmental mathematics courses in two- and four-year colleges and universities. The paper is organized within the categories of status studies, placement, program evaluation, class management, student characteristics, and thought processes. Highlights of the report include: (1) an average of 2.0…