This article addresses a number of common confusions that characterize much of the debate about the status of American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign language option. The article begins with a broad overview of the nature and characteristics of different kinds of signing as they are used in the deaf culture and between the deaf and hearing…

The North Carolina State Board of Education, as part of the Quality Assurance Program, initially established a computer proficiency requirement for diplomas issued to the Class of 2000. In October 1995, the Board made the requirement effective beginning with the graduating class of 2001. Students who were in grade eight for the 1996-97 school year…

This report discusses educational outcomes for Washington state's public high school students, describing national trends in high school reform. Information came from surveys and interviews with teachers, students, and parents and national and state data. Many reforms have been tried nationwide. Most Washington high schools had students in…

This KIDS COUNT report examines trends in the well-being of Vermont's youth. The report balances at-risk youth data with survey results related to "positive youth development," an approach that promotes beneficial attributes of youth and their communities. Following an introduction and discussion of positive youth development and youth…

This guide for parents of students with disabilities in Florida provides information about the types of diplomas available through the Florida public school system and is intended to help parents and students make diploma choices in middle school and beyond as part of yearly transition individualized education program (IEP) meetings. Part 1…

This paper describes the outcomes of 11 California pilot projects designed to return students with disabilities to public education. A total of 220 students with severe disabilities who had been previously placed in private sites were selected to participate based on class communication between the public and private settings. Service delivery…

This survey of graduate work in engineering has for its objective the presentation of the development and present status of graduate work in engineering in this country. The relatively rapid changes that have taken place in engineering education in recent years have caused greater activity and increased responsibility in graduate departments,…

In more than 90 percent of the American colleges the prevailing method of transfer from secondary school is by certification, based on the pupil's record in secondary school. In the large majority of cases a record of graduation from an accredited secondary school is required of every student admitted to college. When it is considered that in…

While the effects of the shift from need- to merit-based grants on student enrollment and receipt of aid have been examined thoroughly by a number of analysts, very few recent reports have examined the effects of these grants on students' persistence towards completing bachelor's degrees. To examine this issue, this report explores the linkages…

Trends in college foreign language requirements and enrollment are reviewed, and the experience of Carleton College is outlined. The college's efforts to strengthen languages' role in the upper division curriculum have included special efforts to create interesting courses and incentives for further study, extracurricular activities, study abroad,…

Reviews a federal court ruling in Florida stating that minimum competency tests must be fair--that is, they must cover material that has actually been taught. Unfair tests used to determine eligibility for graduation violate the equal protection and due process clauses of the Constitution. (Author/WD)

Presents three addresses given at a conference at the College of St. Thomas (Minnesota) by Terrel H. Bell, Scott D. Thomson, and Theodore R. Sizer on the priorities of American secondary education from a national perspective. Jean Parent, Lloyd Nielsen, and Willard McGuire respond. (WD)

Japan produces more technicians and engineers than the U.S. as a result of higher standards for high school graduation and college entrance, highly effective teacher inservice training, and public support for science and technology. However, the reliance on imitation and rote learning remains a weakness in the Japanese educational system. (WD)

A study conducted at Alma College to determine how and why grade inflation occurred is discussed. Grade inflation is seen as being caused by many factors including calendar changes, requirement reductions, better defined grading scales, and shifts in faculty attitudes. (MLW)

Describes the theory of action linking the Chicano-Latino Youth Leadership Institute with positive youth development, highlighting promising practices. Selection of participants is based on an application process and Hispanic high school students are encouraged to apply. Data from surveys, focus groups, reflection forms, and analysis of Minnesota…