There are definitely individual reports of block schedule proving disastrous over traditional scheduling, so it is no wonder that school leaders would enter into it cautiously. This paper discusses the impact of implementing a Block Schedule on operating costs, curriculum issues, and early student graduation, as well as other problems that might…

Discusses the place of foreign language study in the public school curriculum. Argues that foreign language learning is an important part of education and that states should require high school students to take at least two years' study of a foreign language. Asserts that federal funding is not the answer. (WD)

Discusses the development of a decentralized and national qualification within the field of educational technology for the United Kingdom. (RAO)

Argues that the American high school has outlived its usefulness, largely due to the system's failure to respond to changes in adolescent development. Recommends terminating high school at age 16 and allowing students to pursue a variety of options after graduation. (EV)

A recent report by the National Collegiate Athletic Association on graduation rates indicates that athletes in Division II schools face as many challenges completing college as do their peers in Division I. Division II institutions are further hampered by lack of resources causing Division II students less likely to graduate in general. (SLD)

Based on state and federal statistics, minority students are not being over identified for Special Education, the students in Special Education have a lower dropout rate than the students in general education, and students in Special Education show growth towards closing their learning gap. There are three controversial issues concerning Special…

This brief calculates graduation rates for the state of Florida using longitudinal data. The authors describe their measurement strategies and compare them with the state's official measurement procedures. They calculate the diploma and General Education Development (GED) attainment rates of six separate cohorts of Florida 9th graders who began…

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of acceleration (dual enrollment) on college graduation. Over 9,200 student records from 1996 to 2006 at North Iowa Area Community College were analyzed in a logistics regression model. Holding all other independent variables constant the odds that an accelerated student graduates compared to a…

Allenworth's and Easton's 2007 study, "What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public High Schools," built on their earlier research. The aim was to understand more deeply the school factors that contribute to dropping out of high school. It emphasizes the importance of attendance in overall academic success, and it…

This report builds upon a series of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports on high school dropout and completion rates that began in 1988. It presents estimates of rates in 2006, provides data about trends in dropout and completion rates over the last 3 decades (1972-006), and examines the characteristics of high school dropouts…

The need to improve the success rate of students in South African universities is widely regarded as a national priority. Measuring this success is, however, more difficult. Although the NPHE sets some benchmarks for system performance, there is currently no indicator set for longitudinal student performance. This article reports on a study done…

Transitions in an era of globalisation and universal change impact on postgraduate training of students at higher education institutions. This study aimed to determine completion rates for postgraduate programmes in Education at one higher education institution, to identify the students' needs and to investigate their experiences of postgraduate…

This study examined the postsecondary outcomes of students with and without disabilities in the four major outcomes areas of post-secondary education, employment, independent living, and recreation and leisure. The target population included students graduating from one mid-sized school district from a southern state. A stratified random sample of…

Study abroad participation is increasing. National and institutional resources are being devoted to internationalization. Assessments stress the importance of learning outcomes among study abroad participants. The confluence of these influences led the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, to gather data on graduation rates of study abroad…

To policy planners in developing countries open and distance learning (ODL), because of its cost and delivery characteristics, is and has been a very attractive option for delivering tertiary education. Yet, we have very little evidence on outcomes and the system's effectiveness. Providing some of this evidence is the main contribution of this…