The major challenges of college admissions directors and their staffs will center on the number of newly arriving students, the extent and record of their academic preparation, and their likely rate of on-time graduation. Tests will become increasingly important whether they are administered before or during the enrollment stage. (MLW)

Educational reform by Miami-Dade Community College is discussed by its president, Robert H. McCabe. In an action that is considered unusual for two-year schools, it has tightened controls on its curriculum, faculty, and students. A commitment to achieving higher levels of literacy is advocated. (MLW)

The quality of education in the United States has been seriously damaged by two factors: equality of opportunity equated with the results of education (unless all students perform equally well, the system is judged to be unjust); and societal preoccupation with self-satisfaction and rejection of personal responsibility. (MLW)

Most administrators approach program reduction as a budget issue; in reality, it is a governance and planning issue of major importance for the 1980s. Steps in a planning process for program discontinuance (including pitfalls) are described, based on a national study supported by the Exxon Foundation. (Author/LB)

Describes the career success of 96 former doctoral students in educational administration and measures their relationship to conventional academic and individual variables such as test scores, career experience, age, sex, and quality of reference. No practical or significant relationships were found between measures of academic success and career…

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside's comprehensive collegiate skills program is described from proposal to implementation. Junior year students must demonstrate competence in: writing, reading, mathematics, research paper writing, and library skills. (MLW)

The modern university is seen as an alien phenomenon in the Arab world, where it lacks societal support. Kuwait University is a microcosm of the Arab university with peculiar problems arising from unequal admissions standards, traditional societal values, paucity of indigenous staff, inexperienced administrators, etc. (MLW)

A review of current activities and thrusts in inservice education for primary and secondary teachers in Scotland, including national planning efforts. (SJL)

Concerns of Connecticut secondary and postsecondary shorthand teachers about the need for articulation to turn around declining shorthand enrollments include skills needed, types of tests, and recognition of different systems of shorthand. Connecticut's articulation activities with implications for all state departments are given. (MF)

Study investigated whether/how teachers of a team-taught college introductory course in Portuguese met National Standards on teaching of culture. Teachers met many of the standards, but students had few opportunities to develop perspectives on cultural patterns and products. Use of the term "native culture" and the complexity of cultural education…

Discusses the legal issues involved in setting content or performance standards. Recommends establishing clearly documented procedures that adhere to professional recommendations and are administrated fairly. Addresses such issues as parental rights, assessment security, nondisclosure agreements, and specific alternative assessment techniques for…

Reprints 11 standards for assessing quality in service learning projects from the Alliance for Service-Learning in Education Reform. Each standard provides a rationale and relevant examples. Standards include youth being involved in the planning, program requiring preparation and reflection, and project making a meaningful contribution to the…

Praises the efforts to develop a national standards for civics and government. However, discovers serious shortcomings in the current product. Claims that the current standards blur important distinctions and contain a number of factual errors. Recommends reducing the conceptual outlines and increasing illustrative cases and texts. (MJP)

Women are enrolling in college in greater numbers than men, but the imbalance is particularly acute at private liberal arts colleges. Administrators are concerned about implications for campus social life, athletic opportunities, and academic programs. Some colleges are trying new strategies to attract men. Critics are concerned about lowered…

Argues that learners and workers must be willing, not just able, to make informed, skilled, and fair-minded judgments as they solve problems, make decisions, and engage in professional practice. Makes recommendations for nurturing thinking and reflective problem solving in both classroom and workplace, including cultivation of a culture and…