For student organizations to bring realism into vocational education and develop a sense of vocationalism in students, organization activities must originate with the vocational curriculum, fund-raising should relate to the curriculum, and all members encouraged to participate. Wise use of student organizations can promote student learning and…

Student organization cocurricular activities may be integrated into office procedures classes to help students attain competency and employability. The article notes how organization activities, such as records management, travel arrangements, time management, and taking minutes of meetings, are related to school and job activities. (MF)

The student development transcript, conceived in the 1970s for recording and validating student learning experiences outside the classroom, may come closer to reaching its potential through interactive computer technology. Programs combining student assessment of the college experience, mentoring, and use of the transcript grew in the 1980s but…

Data from an annual national survey of 251,232 college freshmen are presented, including demographic and family characteristics, intended majors, educational attitudes and objectives, political attitudes, non-school activities, reasons for college attendance, probable careers, personal goals, and income. (MSE)

Describes a study investigating student involvement in community college organizations. Indicates that organization leaders were more involved in campus activities than ordinary members and nonmembers and that students who were highly involved in campus life tended to view community involvement more positively and anticipated engaging in community…

In "Mergens," the Supreme Court ruled that the Equal Access Act was constitutional and that students at a high school with a "limited open forum" could participate in a prayer club. Provides a chronology of First Amendment and Equal Access Act cases; advises school boards about policy issues; and lists the availability of a…

Strategies for encouraging affiliation in commuting students include special public relations efforts, providing special opportunities and access, providing special services such as free telephone use, offering leadership opportunities, presenting social activities at needed times, including off-campus students in traditional events, promoting…

Examined effects of preschool attendance on school achievement scores and out-of-school activities for second- and third-grade children, of whom 125 had attended preschool, and 71 had not. Findings indicated that for males, preschool attendance had a significant effect on later school achievement scores, especially in language-related areas.…

Examines the rituals of racial exclusion present in some public schools in southern Georgia. The author discusses the impact of these discursive practices relative to the continuing problem of self-imposed segregation in schools and posits some possible courses of action. Extended implications of these practices are illustrated through interviews…

Examined the relative importance of three variables on changes in students' orientations toward learning for self-knowledge. Academic and out-of-class experiences influenced students' learning orientation and also exerted a modest joint effect. Implications for theoretical models of student learning, for future research, and for administrative…

The legacy of gender inequity in education continues underneath an appearance of equal access. In elementary school, girls perform better than boys in most areas, but their test scores decline steadily through college. Females continue to be excluded in the classroom, in textbooks, and in extracurricular activities. Strategies for change are…

Interviews with the coordinators of 37 gifted education programs (20 rural and 17 urban) indicated that rural school districts are less likely to use ability grouping or academic acceleration and are more likely to use sporadic extracurricular activities. An earlier survey of 171 teachers also found fewer program options in rural areas. (DB)

Gifted elementary students at the Center for Gifted Education in Columbia, Missouri, participated in a seminar designed to teach them the fundamentals of chess and other strategy board games. Students learned that beginning chess is accessible to everyone, learned problem solving and concentration, and created their own strategy board games. (JDD)

A discussion of court litigation and legal issues concerning mandatory college student activities fees concludes that, if institutional policies are designed and implemented to accommodate the primary purpose of providing educational experiences and opportunities for students, students will have little inclination to force a legal battle over…

The three undergraduate schools of Columbia University work together to plan and finance free excursions with students, hosted by faculty and administrators, in and around New York City. An evaluation indicates that, although the program does not generate substantial student-faculty interaction, it is well received by students and faculty, for…