Major national policy statements driving the school reform movement ignore potential of interscholastic athletic programs for improving public education. A decline in public support for athletics, the "back to basics" movement, and athletics' traditional financial vulnerability point to an uncertain future. Research shows that athletic programs…

Trends in technology teacher education programs since 1995 include the following: the number of graduates continues to decrease; numbers receiving alternative certification are increasing; elementary-level technology education is being emphasized; undergraduate and doctoral programs are declining; and the gender/racial imbalance continues. (SK)

The great majority of high-school seniors expect to attend college and are at least minimally qualified, although far fewer enroll in 4-year institutions, and still fewer graduate. Noncompleters might fare better academically and economically at 2-year colleges. In 1994, 90 percent of college grads had college-level jobs. (MLH)

Whatever the school size, the total fees for the International Baccalaureate (IB) are between three and nine times greater than British-style A-level examination fees. There are also indirect administrative, staffing, equipment, and inservice training costs involved. A survey of 18 international schools claims that sound financial management can…

Teachers, principals, school systems, parents, and textbook publishers have been blamed for students' failure to meet tougher standards. Instead, expectations for achieving unreasonable state and Goals 2000 standards should be critically examined. Testing state legislators, school board members, administrators, and teachers might illuminate the…

Shows how high-school dropout and completion rates are used as tools for making decisions and why different decisions require different measures. There are tools for making comparisons with the United States at large, other states, districts within a state, or districts sharing common characteristics. (MLH)

Reports a study gauging the average oral proficiency as measured by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) of college students (n=20) studying German at the end of their fourth semester. Discussion centers on reasonable expectations for high school graduation and for college language…

In their quest to upgrade technologies, improve training techniques, and pursue innovations, counselor educators may be ignoring the power of traditions. This article illustrates how five rites and rituals enrich the training experience, strengthen the sense of continuity and community, support diversity, and offer affirmation of growth. (Author)

Examines the theoretical and practical issues of exit-control testing, and gives some practical suggestions about possible means of implementing such controls. Delineates the complexity of issues involved in implementing exit standard controls and proposes guidelines for implementation. (Author/VWL)

Examined career academy student outcomes for 18 cohorts of entering students enrolled in 8 urban schools nationwide, analyzing attendance, grades, and graduation status. Compared to what would have been expected of the same students in the same schools' general academic programs, career academy students had higher first-year grade point averages,…

Compared with minimum competency tests, curriculum-based external exit exams provide better measures of students' achievement levels. Analysis of Third Mathematics and Science Study data shows that 13 year-olds from exit-exam countries are ahead of nonparticipating countries. Effects on college enrollment, job success, and test scores are…

Bedford Hills has been offering degrees for some 15 years in partnership with Mercy College. This document discusses the programs offered at Bedford Hills that allow women to earn their GED and postsecondary education degrees while incarcerated and after they are released.

The decision to invest in education is influenced by a large number of economic, social, family, personal and institutional factors. Many of these changed in Australia during the 1970s and 1980s. Several of the more important of these changes, such as the Equal Pay for Equal Work decision of 1969, the Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value decision of…

In this paper, the author discusses the recent National Center for Education Statistics study of students from the 1998 eighth-grade who had dropped out. The study found a surprisingly high percentage of these students had managed to obtain further education. The study defined a dropout as a student absent from school for four consecutive weeks or…

From more rigorous courses during the twelfth grade to individual projects and internships, school districts across the country are taking a variety of steps for the purpose of keeping seniors engaged in learning during their senior year of high school. At the same time, they are also warning students about the possibility that students who have…