The House Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education heard testimony about both the positive aspects of intercollegiate sports and overcommercialization and corruption. The information gave legislators little sense of the federal government's role in overseeing college sports. (MSE)

The scheduled raising of the passing grade on Florida's College Level Academic Skills Test is discussed. The critics say the higher passing standard would have a severe impact on otherwise-qualified minority students and on those for whom English is not the native tongue. (MLW)

Coach Bobby Cremins responds to questions concerning the coach's, faculty's, and institution's role in promoting academic excellence and personal growth among college athletes; the responsibilities of academic advisors for athletes; the freshman eligibility ruling; the academic experience of the college athlete; and the role of developmental…

Early evidence indicates that, contrary to what many educators fear, current efforts to raise standards are having a beneficial effect on at-risk students. (Author/TE)

This article calls for proactive accountability in education in order to identify effective educational practices and appropriate expectations for student results at different grade levels. A proposed plan of action urges civic leaders to champion proactive accountability concerning knowledge about effective educational practices, to target state…

Describes the status of the North Central Association's Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. Reviews the mission and culture of the Commission and characteristics of institutional membership. Assesses the impact of September 1994 revisions of criteria and general institutional requirements and summarizes accrediting activities for 1994.…

Identifies models for consideration of teacher quality and competence in nursing education. Presents a range of evaluation criteria in these categories: preparation, delivery, innovation, communication, self-assessment, instructional management, peer recognition, professional memberships and service, publications, and grants and contracts secured.…

This paper discusses the recent controversy over outcome-based education (OBE), arguing that while OBE may be correct in establishing high standards for student learning, its implementation has tended to establish rigid "assembly line" approaches to teaching. A call is made for more flexible and individualized systems that respond to…

Discusses the six goals and some of the ramifications of the "Standards for the Assessment of Reading and Writing," developed by the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association Joint Task Force on Assessment. (RS)

Increasingly, papers in scholarly journals are listing over 100 researchers as coauthors. In 40 years, the average number of authors of scientific papers has doubled. Some say the problem reflects the growing complexity of the research process in many disciplines. Journal reviewers find these papers generally of high quality. (MSE)

An Education Department study shows that high school coursework is a more significant barrier to student participation in college sports than is a controversial National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) requirement for higher standardized test scores. The stricter NCAA standard, to take effect in August 1996, has been criticized for…

Presents a collection of five essays on accreditation and the role libraries play in the process. Topics include: an overview of the accreditation process, librarian participation in the accreditation process, summary of what happens after the accreditation committee leaves, evaluation of libraries and services provided, and determination of…

Suggests that newsroom employees may have difficulty seeing a direct link between performance and assessment because they are operating from a paradigm based on their experience of academic courses and grades. Provides guidelines for both the newsroom manager and the college teacher on how to change attitudes and the perception of workplace…

In December 1992, the National Committee on Science Education Standards and Assessment (NCSESA) discussed preliminary working documents addressing Science for All, an ambitious plan to develop comprehensive science education standards by 1994. The science standards will define the understanding level that all students--regardless of background,…

Recent research shows that an achievement gap exists between U.S. and Asian students. One reason is that U.S. students, their parents, and their teachers maintain unnecessarily lower performance standards than their Chinese and Japanese counterparts. Even with higher standards, longer school days, and new curricula, academic achievement will not…