Discusses policy implications of cyber (online) charter schools, including cost and control, standards and records, participation in special programs, and graduation requirements. (PKP)

Maintains that graduation exercises are developmentally inappropriate for young children. Discusses developmentally appropriate alternative end-of-the-year activities. (BB)

Ways to accommodate vocational electives in light of increased graduation requirements include eliminating early dismissal, offering earlier and later courses, offering required courses twice a day, minimizing schedule conflicts, allowing independent study, encouraging vocational/academic department cooperation, spreading graduation requirements…

A five step process for the marketing of a teacher education program includes: (1) developing a college mission statement and planning document; (2) upgrading of admissions and graduation standards; (3) implementing necessary curricular reforms; (4) creating credibility within and outside the university; and (5) marketing of programs to the…

Examines the reasons why a larger proportion of students are not involved in any organized music activities, stating that most schools offer only performance courses. Discusses the addition of fine arts requirements for high school graduation, and urges music educators to develop methods for including all students in their music education…

A high school teacher reflects upon the graduation of her gifted seniors and ponders their future as she reorganizes student record files. (JDD)

Discussed is the need for professors to be able to obtain updated reliable data regarding the professional requirements of their graduating students. The development and design of a theory that will establish a definitional system for skills and knowledge required for graduation is described. (KR)

Lead news stories on intercollegiate athletics in newspapers and on television are increasingly common. If the media are to report accurately on college sports, campus leaders must be willing and prepared to share information on the related educational and fiscal issues, including graduation rates, admissions information, and program financial…

Criticizes the emphasis of sports over academics at all levels of schooling, and the short length of the U.S. school year compared to that of other countries. Advocates minimum academic standards as a prerequisite for athletic participation, and students' choice of a college based on graduation rates rather than athletic achievement. (BC)

The Supreme Court has decided to address the facts in "Lee v. Weisman" involving the validity of graduation prayer. Reviews the opinions of the current justices regarding the role of the tripartite establishment clause "Lemon" test and concludes with a projection of the court's resolution of the "Lee" case. (73…

The Supreme Court, in an upcoming case "Lee v. Weisman," will rule on whether prayer may be offered out loud at a public school graduation program. Argues that past court decisions have interpreted the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment over the Free Speech Clause of that same amendment. (57 references) (MLF)

Chinese education aims to teach students to be strong morally, intellectually, and physically. Those who excel are rewarded at each semester's end. Over three million candidates are eligible to take the college-entrance exam every year, but only 20% to 30% can be admitted to college. (13 references) (MLH)

Most states have only a 2-year foreign-language requirement for college-bound students. Two 1999 federal initiatives--the Foreign Language Education Improvement Amendments and the Educational Excellence for All Children Act--provide support for expanding foreign-language education opportunities. Four exemplary Georgia middle-school programs are…

To meet rigorous new graduation requirements, an upstate New York district rejected "packing" and pullout programs in favor of differentiation via individual learning-style instruction, Socratic seminars, performance-based assessment, tiered assignments, and academic intervention. Detracking forced staff to consider more inclusive…

Provides a chronological summary of the evolution of statewide achievement tests in Texas to facilitate understanding of the issues behind the "GI Forum v. Texas Education Agency" litigation (1999), which challenged the curricular links of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills and other "opportunity to learn" issues. (SLD)