Three issues (1984-85) of the newsletter address issues related to gifted and talented education. Articles include a review of counseling aspects, a summary of a meta-analysis of educational acceleration, a report of a summer program for gifted and talented students by a participant, discussions of master teacher qualities, an examination of the…

A 23-item questionnaire was sent to secretaries of education committees in state legislatures and departments of education of all 50 states to obtain data on (1) the basis of intrastate and interstate credit transfer, (2) how migrant students' academic program can be planned to provide continuity, (3) how credit transfers are made, (4) how many…

An overview of the foreign language requirements in the new Part 100 of the New York State Commissioner's regulations for public schools is presented to aid local school personnel in designing foreign language programs and advising students regarding the new statewide requirements. The summary first defines the terms used, and then outlines: the…

Views on current problems and future challenges in higher education are provided by a former U.S. Department of Education official who also was president of Chicago State University. Among these views are that: educators should have the integrity to exclude from the university any student who shows no possibility of academic success, even with the…

Ways to promote academic advising are suggested at a conference for deans and directors. Objectives that an institution should address are as follows: (1) to provide advisers with accurate and timely information about the policies, procedures, and processes that affect the advising relationship; (2) to provide advisers with additional skills often…

Due to the current legislative trend toward competency-based education, and the accompanying minimal competency testing, a variety of local school districts and state education agencies are concurrently developing programs to meet the standards set by their state's legislation. This selective bibliography was compiled in order to aid those…

Competency in the three skills areas of reading, writing, and mathematics is a requirement for high school graduation in the state of New York. The writing competency requirement consists of two tests: the Preliminary Competency Test in Writing, given to students in the eighth or ninth grade, and the Regents Competency Test in Writing, given to…

Completion of a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is required for graduation from high school in Louisiana. This bulletin presents the guidelines for a course in CPR and was prepared with the cooperation of the American Red Cross (ARC) and the American Heart Association (AHA). At the conclusion of the course, students will be prepared…

Minimum competency testing programs, which assess the basic skills deemed necessary for assimilation into society, have been mandated in several states. Some competency assessment devices, however, do not take handicapping conditions into account. Furthermore, disageement over what constitutes minimum competency prevails among the various state…

This model is based on the belief that all those affected by a competency-based high school diploma program should help formulate it. School systems should begin by considering two fundamental questions: (1) What competencies should all graduates possess? (2) How can these competencies be tested? The first step is the establishment of an advisory…

This article discusses the fairness and legality of competency testing programs for the handicapped. The following concerns are addressed: (1) exemptions for handicapped students; (2) individual determinations; (3) differential diplomas and standards; and (4) differential assessment procedures. A discussion of the legal implications indicates…

Minimum competency testing has been mandated in one form or another by local school boards or by legislatures in 36 states. Court consideration of such testing has focused on the intent and the consequences of the testing. Where racial segregation in education has existed, courts have argued that even several years after desegregation, testing can…

Results of a survey of 180 community and junior colleges indicate that community college language programs continue to be largely connected with the transfer curriculum, and that their enrollments have declined in part as a consequence of the widespread erosion of language requirements among the B.A.-granting institutions to which community…

The development and implementation of the Dallas Independent School District's Basic Objectives Assessment Test (BOAT) are described. Beginning in 1979, this minimum competency test was administered system-wide to all students in grades 8-12 (except for those enrolled as special education students), and beginning in 1983 it will be used in…

A study of the relation between the reading competencies for high school graduation and the reading demands of auto mechanics began with determining job reading tasks of auto mechanics. Fifty auto mechanics, the majority of them bilinguals, were interviewed. From this data about the kinds of information mechanics get from reading and with copies…