When the Mesa, Arizona Public Schools initiated an ambitious writing instruction program in 1978, two assessments based on student writing samples were developed. The first is based on a ninth grade proficiency test. If the student does not pass the test, high school remediation is provided. After 1987, students must pass this test in order to…

A study was conducted of shifts in student demand for programs offered by the Illinois community colleges, focusing on enrollment and completion patterns from fiscal years 1981 through 1984 by program area. Four indicators were used in the study. First, enrollments were analyzed by examining changes that had taken place in the fall opening…

The purpose of the bulletin is to provide information to teachers and students about the Social Studies 30 Diploma Examination for 1987. The information includes: (1) a description of the examination; 70 multiple-choice questions worth 70% of the total score and one essay worth 30%; (2) an outline of the objectives to be tested including…

Lane Community College's Computer Assisted Advising Tool (CAAT) is used by counselors to assist students in developing a plan for the completion of a degree or certificate. CAAT was designed to facilitate student advisement from matriculation to graduation by comparing degree requirements with the courses completed by students. Three major sources…

Minimum competency testing in American schools was examined for its effects on low-achieving high school students. Interviews with educators and results of a survey of more than 700 high school students were used. In the view of many educators, minimum competency tests were so rudimentary as to not be much of a barrier to completing school. Most…

The study surveyed the 50 states and the District of Columbia to identify current state policies that regulate graduation requirements and to determine how these policies have been applied to programs for high school special education students. Survey results produced four major findings: (1) all but three states have legislation or state board of…

A study was conducted to determine the effects of implementing the Ohio policy of permitting credit-deficient students to enroll in two-year vocational education job training programs. At issue were the perceived benefits to 16-year-old students permitted to enroll in two-year vocational job training programs, even though the students have not…

The report documents the evaluation of a New York City program, the State Incentive Grant to Improve Pupil Performance, in which high school special education teachers received training in general education curriculum and instructional techniques to fulfill a new regulation allowing high school special education students to meet general education…

College programs in the arts are described, and an essay on the role of the arts in liberal education is presented. In the essay, "Windows and Doors," Thomas K. Hearn, Jr. suggests that imagination is the primary agent of the educational process and is basic to moral development and moral thought. He argues that the arts have an…

The sources of variability in the Angoff standard-setting procedure, when applied to the Alabama High School Graduation Examination (AHSGE), were examined. The sources of variability examined are judges, rounds (replications), competencies (items), and interactions among these three sources. After training, the judges were given a statement of a…

Increasingly involved in curricular concerns, boards of education can determine the educational goals of the community by using the Educational Goals Assessment (EGA) and thus set priorities when cutbacks are necessary. The EGA is composed of four questionnaires listing 275 learning goals describing knowledge, attitudes, or physical skills and…

Project Basic is a program developed by the Maryland State Department of Education to assure that students attain basic skills in a variety of areas. Two levels of tests are given in grade 7 to monitor progress, and in grades 9 to 12 to determine whether each student has met the state minimum competency level. Students must pass the higher level…

A study was conducted at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) to examine occupational/technical programs with respect to student enrollment, program completion, and occupational opportunities for graduates. Study findings included the following: (1) during any particular academic term, occupational/technical students constituted…

A discussion focusing on whether American Sign Language (ASL) should be accepted in fulfillment of university foreign language requirements attempts to dispel misconceptions about the language; and to show that ASL can provide the same benefits as the study of more traditional foreign languages, including the opportunity to communicate in another…

The report of the National Longitudinal Transition Study presents initial findings on characteristics of school dropouts since 1985-86 among more than 8,000 youth (ages 13 to 23) with disabilities. The report also addresses characteristics of schools or programs that may affect the decision to drop out among disabled youth. The first section…