The College Board's Advanced Placement Program was founded in 1955 to provide high school students an opportunity to take on the challenges of college-level work while still in high school. For 46 years, students have enrolled in AP courses, taken rigorous end-of-course AP Examinations to demonstrate their achievement, and frequently have received…

Criticism has been made of continuing to increase expenditures of funds to assist the economically disadvantaged and the handicapped. Past decades have seen discrimination against "gifted" children due to a fear of creating an "elite." Recent federal funding has begun to create special programs for gifted children. (JN)

Reports a study of gender differences in enrollment and performance of on the College Board's Advanced Placement Computer Science tests from 1984 through 1996. Although the gender gap in test performance has narrowed significantly over that period, the percentage of women taking the examinations has been consistently low. Argues that stronger…

The abbreviated (less-than-two-year) advanced-standing program in social work education was evaluated based on studies indicating that holders of bachelors' degrees in social work perform better than others in graduate social work programs. Admissions office record data allowed proper assessment of undergraduate grade inflation and graduate record…

Encourages a symbiotic relationship between secondary school library media specialists and teachers to promote the goals of Advanced Placement programs. Advanced Placement courses are explained, and recommended materials and support needed from the library media program are described for the curriculum areas of English, history, and mathematics.…

Although the myth of public education as the "great equalizer" is alive and well in the minds of many, the reality is that the notion of public schools as the savior of the less fortunate is fundamentally compromised when institutional decision making does more to suppress low-income and minority students through low expectations…

We present an alternative to a traditional first-year chemistry laboratory experiment. This experiment has four key features: students utilize stoichiometry, learn and apply principles of green chemistry, engage in authentic scientific inquiry, and discover why each part of a scientific lab report is necessary. The importance and essential…

Although 80%-85% of high school graduates in Geneseo, Illinois intended to enroll in postsecondary institutions, only 30%-40% completed the ACT-recommended college core curriculum and even fewer (10%-12%) enrolled in credit-based transition programs, such as AP or dual or concurrent enrollment courses. Students were fulfilling the high school…

This theme issue of a newsletter for academically talented youth focuses on getting the best precollege education. It encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning by becoming aware of all the options their school offers; making use of them; supplementing and enriching the basic school curriculum; and participating in…

This paper reports on the status of desegregation of students, teachers, administrators, and central office personnel in the Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky) for the 1987-88 school year. The report indicates that although all schools were brought within the student enrollment guidelines for the 1987-88 school year, many problems remain…

A one-year follow-up study of a 1988 report on Wisconsin's internal "brain drain" indicates that the state's historic educational advantage is shrinking. Assessment of performance on the American College Testing Program (ACT), the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) reveals that scores are…

The University of California's grading/credit policy for advanced placement (AP) courses taken by high school students is discussed. The university traditionally has encouraged high school students to take AP courses if they are prepared and mature enough to benefit from them. The university grants credit for scores of 3, 4, or 5 earned on AP…

An evaluation of the implementation process for the electronics articulation program at the Community College of Rhode Island was undertaken to identify the factors and features of the program that contribute to the attainment of its articulation goals. Information for the evaluation was obtained by reviewing documents and records, observing…

The placement and proficiency system of the University of Illinois was designed to promote good student attitudes towards courses into which they were placed enable students to perform near their maximum capability, reduce the instructor's burden by generating relatively homogeneous ability groupings in courses, and encourage students to begin…

Presents results of a survey of high school history teachers which shows that advanced placement teachers are more likely to have a master's degree. Reports that such teachers are more academically demanding than general enrollment history teachers. Emphasizes the importance of adequate history preparation in teacher accreditation programs. (DK)