"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) "Profiles in Leadership": Alliance Releases a Collection of Essays from America's Foremost Education…

"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) "Leaving Boys Behind": New Report Finds Higher High School Graduation Rates for Females Across Every Racial…

"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) Senate Committee Reports Education Spending Bill: Senate Appropriations Bill Continues Cuts to Education Funding;…

State exit exams, also known as graduation tests, are tests that student must pass to graduate from high school. These tests are more influential than ever. Accordingly, in 2004, 20 states required students to pass an exit exam to graduate from high school, and six additional states will implement an exit exam by 2009. This affects more than half…

This report to the leaders of the minority and majority parties of the Illinois state legislature provides data on the number of students with disabilities who are estimated to exit the Illinois public school system after the 1996-97 school year. The data were prepared by averaging the information provided by districts regarding students who were…

The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has formulated a conceptual model of educational outcomes, including eight major domains, that is appropriate for all students, including those with disabilities. This document presents the results of matching 17 states' expected outcomes and the NCEO outcomes at the level of school completion.…

Migrant students graduation rates, although improving, are still significantly lower than those of their non-migrant peers. This manual is a comprehensive reference guide for Chapter 1 Migrant Program personnel counselors and teachers serving migrant students at the secondary level. Migrant students are those who move across school district…

College seniors constitute a pre-transitional population that may be struggling with issues of adapting to anticipated change while preparing to leave the college environment. In order to assess the relationship of students' gender and their views of women's roles to the stresses arising from the transition anticipated at college graduation, male…

Results are presented from a national study of requirements for educational certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees. The first sections of the study report present the objectives of the survey; look at the background and context of the study; review major findings; discuss recent studies and policy statements on the associate degree; and…

For students in most high schools, graduation is predicated on the successful completion of a specified number of courses or credits. In most cases when these students fail they are not retained in grade but become credit deficient. This report is concerned with a longitudinal study of loss of credit among high school students in the St. Paul…

Questions arise about the constitutionality of including some form of prayer, usually an invocation or benediction, in public school graduation ceremonies, and whether such prayer can appropriately be delivered by a minister or other religious leader. The U. S. Supreme Court has not addressed this precise issue, but an analysis of other courts'…

This document presents an outline of a streamlined student record-keeping and advisement procedure used at the Mississippi State University to assure students' logical progression through the total professional teacher education process. There are four phases in this procedure: (1) enrollment in the College of Education; (2) admission to teacher…

Based on a program which was developed in Maine, this guide provides specific suggestions for establishing a new "tradition" of substance-free celebration at graduation and prom parties for high school students. An introduction discusses the dangers of drinking at high school parties, the benefits of alcohol and drug-free parties, and…

The paper presents guidelines to assist Virginia's local education agency (LEA) personnel, particularly teachers, administrators, counselors, and test providers, in the implementation of the minimum competency program for handicapped students. An introduction traces the history of graduation requirements, outlines revised graduation eligibility,…

A number of important issues must be addressed during the process of graduation competency identification. Each school system must determine what it means by the term competency before identifying a set of graduation requirements. Graduation competencies may emphasize school subject skills, basic skills, or skills needed in everyday life. Life…