The relationship between course loads and grade point average (GPA) was studied in 1978-79 for undergraduate students at the College of Shariah of King Abdulaziz University, Saudia Arabia. Three groups of students were compared, based on the number of credit hours earned: 11 or less credit hours, 12 to 17 credit hours, and 18 or more credit hours.…

The purpose of this survey of the grading policies of the AACRAO member institutions was to determine: (1) the nature and extent of changes from the traditional grading system; (2) practices in accepting transfer students and credits from institutions with nontraditional grading systems; (3) the rate and recency of change in grading systems; and…

The Committee on Transfer of Credit from Technical Education Centers recommends that 4-year colleges and universities in South Carolina accept all associate degree credits from accredited technical education centers. It is further recommended that degree credit be given for those courses that are comparable to courses offered on the 4-year campus,…

College would be wise to drop diplomas and degrees and extraneous paths to credits, the author believes, and make schools primarily teaching institutions which annually certify to completed efforts, for the year and at the school attended. (JT)

There has been sufficient experience with non-punitive grading to identify at least two principles that underlie its uniqueness and educational merit. These principles are (1) accumulated competence and (2) sufficient consequence. By contrasting non-punitive grading with the traditional grading system, these principles become distinctly apparent.…

This newsletter contains items of educational reform and development, either by national legislation, ministerial recommendation, or institutional action. Articles are in English or French; no translations are provided for the articles in French. (MM)

Survey of college students who managed credit cards wisely and those who did not (N=310), revealed that responsible users were more likely to have acquired credit cards before matriculating in college. Discusses implications for future personal-debt management and for institutions of higher education with regard to credit-card vendors. (EMK)

"Kids' Share 2011: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children through 2010," a fifth annual report, looks comprehensively at trends over the past 50 years in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. Key findings suggest that the size and composition of expenditures on children have changed considerably, but children have not…

A growing number of educators around the country are turning to technology and different teaching and learning approaches to give students personalized learning experiences that mirror the customized experiences they take for granted outside of school. To meet students' individual needs, they are putting in place 1-to-1 computing programs and…

Under the current economic environment and its high levels of unemployment, many people are turning to university education to attain higher education or simply to upgrade their skills and avoid continued unemployment. This paper examines student workloads, debt levels, and the debt perceptions of junior- and senior-level College of Business…

The 2009 Nevada Legislature approved Senate Bill 317 (SB 317) requiring that Nevada's public high schools, including charter schools, provide instruction in financial literacy. In an effort to assist school districts with implementation of instruction in financial literacy, the Nevada Department of Education assembled a task force (Financial…

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the research body of literature regarding dual enrollment, the impact and effectiveness of the program, and its relationship to college persistence. The goal was to provide information useful to governing bodies, educational leaders, parents and students. The theoretical construct, defined through the…

This study sought to compare the performance of students in the College Board Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) compared to non-AP students on a number of college outcome measures. Ten individual AP Exams were examined in this study of students in four entering classes (1998-2001) at the University of Texas at Austin. The four main groups of…

In 2002, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation started the Early College High School Initiative (ECHSI). Through this initiative, more than 200 Early College Schools (ECSs) opened by fall 2009. All of the schools aim to provide underserved students access to college classes while in high school. This article will provide an overview of the first 6…

This paper posits the position that if higher education and secondary schools wish to increase students' college readiness, specifically in mathematics and critical thinking skills, continuous enrollment in secondary mathematics is one avenue worth exploring as opposed to increasing mathematics graduation requirements only in terms of Carnegie…