A study determined the effect of college-level trigonometry skills on the final grades of students enrolled in Introduction to AC/DC Circuits, the first course in the vocational electronics program at Seminole Community College (Florida). The literature was reviewed to develop a conceptual framework for the project. A pretest that measured…

Grades of 1982 Clemson graduates in various academic majors were studied. In addition to determining whether grade inflation occurs differentially across majors, the position of education majors was compared to that of other majors. The following 10 majors were assessed: early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education/science…

In the personalized system of instruction (PSI) used in beginning communication courses at George Mason University (Virginia), the students do more than read text materials and master cognitive course objectives. They are encouraged to have experiences that reinforce what they read and to consider how these experiences relate to everyday life. The…

This survey of the nation's state education agencies provides information on geography education in elementary and secondary schools. The questionnaire was sent to all 56 state and extra-state jurisdictions, and covered five areas: (1) state requirements for study of geography; (2) geography as part of other disciplines; (3) state personnel…

In fall 1988, Mt. San Antonio College undertook a study to determine the effect of prerequisite waivers on students' academic progress. Two groups who received waivers in the fall 1987 and spring 1988 semesters were selected for the study. Group I included 222 students who applied for and received waivers both semesters. Group II was comprised of…

Twenty percent of the nation's special education teachers preparation programs were examined to determine the extent of required research training. Results indicated that 80 percent of the surveyed undergraduate programs offer no courses devoted to research issues, while 65 percent of the graduate programs offered no or few courses. (Author/CB)

Reports on a survey of secondary schools and colleges in the British Midlands of students who were doing at least one foreign language and who were applying for courses in institutions of higher education which involved the study of a foreign language in the degree course. (SED)

Arguing that recent proposals for educational reform will at best only patch up the present system without bringing about the fundamental changes necessary, the author outlines a new design dividing up American schooling into two components: (1) a required core of basic education courses and (2) elective community education courses. (JBM)

The teacher education standards presented here provide criteria by which to assess both preservice and inservice programs that seek to improve the quality of social studies education. They can be used as guides for either planning or reviewing existing programs. (RM)

This report evaluates the college transfer policies of each of the 15 member states of the Southern Regional Education Board--Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. States are urged to develop common standards for core…

Both core curriculum and multiculturalism are highly contested issues in education today. For this discussion, a relatively broad definition of core curriculum is used, ranging from core programs that require students to take one mandated course or a series of them to generalized distribution requirements more commonly put into practice as a core…

Many educational institutions have already determined that American Sign Language (ASL) is indeed a language, that it has a culture, and it is sufficiently foreign to fulfill a foreign language requirement. Consequently, schools and universities struggle to place ASL in the context of academic foreign language programs. The challenge is to develop…

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…

Explains two factors that influence economic education: state mandates and teacher background. Gives an overview of a typical one-semester economics course and teacher ranking of course goals. Cites research showing that students' average economic understanding increases six percent after economics instruction. Concludes that although states are…

This paper argues that, although the current system of postgraduate-year-one (PGY-1) education for dentists is not promoting reform in licensing practices, the potential remains. Two scenarios, one in which advanced general dentistry remains voluntary and one in which it becomes mandated, are outlined and implications for licensure reform are…