An evaluation report on foreign language activities in the 39 state-supported institutions in Virginia is presented. After an overview of the state of the foreign language discipline, extensive information is provided for the state's two- and four-year institutions on foreign language offerings, enrollments, degrees, class size, state aid,…

At Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, Minnesota, individualized undergraduate programs are designed by the students. Educational objectives are stated in terms of competencies achieved through life and work experiences, or during enrollment at the university. Two issues were central to this study: (1) the criteria to be used in judging the…

This evaluation of the quarter system in Austin, Texas, public schools was designed to assess the impact of changes of calendar, curriculum, and other aspects of high school education. The initial first-year evaluation was intended to gather data that could serve as a baseline for examining the long-term effects of these changes. Data were…

In order to compose equivalent certification tests in the basic skills in reading, mathematics calculations and applications, and writing for high school graduation requirements, the San Jose Unified School District, California, used the Rasch computer program to arrive at the scaled difficulty level of test items. The procedure for achieving a…

TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW INFORMATION, THE WORKING COMMITTEES OF THE 1967 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE ON THE TEACHING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES PUBLISHED UPDATED REPORTS ON READING INSTRUCTION, LITERATURE IN THE LANGUAGE CURRICULUM, AND TRENDS IN REQUIREMENTS AND PLACEMENT. IN AN ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY, DISCUSS, AND PARTIALLY SOLVE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS INHERENT…

Factors influencing the performance of handicapped students on the North Carolina Minimum Competency Test (Fall, 1978 administration) were analyzed. Educably mentally handicapped (EMH) and learning disabled (LD) students represented 83% of the 3,043 handicapped students who took the Fall, 1978 test. A questionnaire was designed to collect the…

Oregon's new graduation requirements represent a bold effort to implement a mandated statewide competency-based program at the K-12 public school level. All the various ramifications of instituting a change of this magnitude cannot be predicted at this early date, but one major effect already evident is that local school districts have begun to…

Increasingly, researchers, policymakers, school leaders, and concerned citizens are recognizing that high schools in the United States are in need of major reform. Current research shows that high schools are not preparing students for college, work, or life, and that they are leading to increased alienation among students. In a much-noted speech…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Must be in the Front Row!: High Schools, Graduation Rates Receive New Attention from Policy Community and World of…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Teacher Excellence for All Children: Senior Democrat Offers Legislation Featuring Teacher Incentives and Induction…

The numbers are astonishing and unfortunately all too familiar--while four in five high school students expect to complete a college degree, fewer than a third will actually emerge from the high-school-to-college pipeline with a baccalaureate six years after high school graduation. A growing number of parents see a college degree as absolutely…

This report summarizes the results of academic, career and technical, adult education, and developmental education programs that were reviewed during fiscal year 2005. Summaries include both program strengths and the common challenges colleges face in keeping instruction relevant while maintaining cost-efficiency. Specific quality improvements at…

The nation's 50 flagship universities serve disproportionately fewer low-income and minority students than in the past, according to this fifth report in the Education Trust's series on college results. Students in the entering and graduating classes at these schools look less and less like the state populations those universities were created to…

This report describes the Hispanic population in the United States. Data come mainly from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 Census and the March 2000 Current Population Survey and Report on Hispanics. Six sections include: (1) "Introduction" (overview of the U.S. Latino population, translating the data, and the U.S. agenda for Hispanics); (2) "Strong…

This brochure provides an overview of the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network and describes the urgent need for improvements to the U.S. educational pipeline to ensure that all students are adequately prepared for the demands of the twenty-first century workplace. Through the ADP Network, states will: (1) make their high school standards,…