It is proposed that a national examination be used as the standard for awarding degrees to persons attending insitutions of higher learning. (CK)

The paper reviews the disadvantages, as well as the advantages, of minimum competency testing (MCT) with mentally retarded high school students. Among disadvantages pointed out are the discrepancy between teaching methods as testing methods and the unproven relevance of MCT for adult success. (SB)

Explored the relationship between intercollegiate athletic program success and the institutional graduation rates of 97 of the 112 universities that compete in both NCAA Division 1A basketball and football. Results suggest that successful intercollegiate sports programs often negatively impact institutional graduation rates. (EV)

Excerpts from an Internet debate identify issues and opinions on mandatory community service as a graduation requirement and court-ordered volunteering. The debate ranges over such topics as quality of the service experience, freedom of choice, intended outcomes, and values conflicts. (SK)

Discusses a report from the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which indicates that fewer male basketball players are graduating from college. Four out of ten players graduated from Division I colleges, the lowest rate in 11 years. Many coaches take issue with how the statistics are compiled; however, the NCAA is considering new academic…

Fueling the debate over high school graduation statistics, a University of Minnesota researcher is proposing a new way to gauge how states measure up when it comes to graduating students on time. But his method points to the same disappointing conclusion as other techniques to gauge school completion rates that have sprung up in recent years: In…

The classes of 2006 in California, Arizona, and Utah are those states' first that must pass high school exit exams to earn diplomas. Twenty-three states now have such exams. Maryland will require a graduation test for next year's class, and Washington state will do so for the class of 2008. In most states with such a requirement, students take the…

Purpose: Identify census-derived characteristics of residency graduates? high school communities that predict practice in rural, medically underserved, and high minority-population settings. Methods: Cohort study of 214 graduates of the University of California, San Francisco-Fresno Family Practice Residency Program (UCSF-Fresno) from its…

The level of success that has sustained community colleges in the past will not suffice for the future. Shifting environments, resources, competitors, accountability, and technology have changed the measures of organizational performance. This article provides a new framework and defines a new set of critical measures that will move community…

A central objective of state policy is to move larger numbers of citizens through the "educational pipeline" to attain a college degree. In part this objective recognizes that the U.S. is losing its historic dominance in the proportion of young adults with a postsecondary credential (OECD, 2007). Equally important in stimulating change…

This paper presents an addendum on Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) Academic Support Programs for the fiscal year 2006. This addendum supplements the report submitted in January 2006 regarding MCAS academic support programs for students who had not yet passed the grade 10 English language arts and mathematics MCAS tests…

Investing in a good education for all of America's students benefits both individuals and the nation as a whole. Some advantages are immediate; others pay off over the longer term. The benefits range from personal wealth to lower health care costs to increased tax revenue. The "Facts for Education Advocates" feature in this edition discusses some…

While graduation from high school may be common for students with learning disabilities, successful completion of a four-year degree program at the postsecondary level is not as common. This article contains the stories of the first three high school students with learning disabilities taught by the author who successfully graduated from…

While education professionals agree that students need to become information- and technology-literate 21st century learners, there is less agreement on the instructional strategies and assessments that will measure the skills students should master. The authors' application to the National School Library Media Program Year (NSLMPY) Award was an…