The sources of variability in the Angoff standard-setting procedure, when applied to the Alabama High School Graduation Examination (AHSGE), were examined. The sources of variability examined are judges, rounds (replications), competencies (items), and interactions among these three sources. After training, the judges were given a statement of a…

Ways to promote successful reform of colleges and schools in the 1980s are discussed. Attention is focused on issues pertaining to the curriculum, the teacher, and the student. Ways that colleges can contribute to reform of the schools are also addressed. It is claimed that many students have difficulty when they must use higher-order academic…

This planning guide begins with a working definition of "magnet school" and then gives short descriptions of six sample types of elementary level magnet programs: a fundamental or academic prep school, a Montessori school, a music academy, an earth science school or environmental center, a bilingual-multicultural magnet, and a fine arts academy.…

Proposed 1989 standards will raise the passing score on the College Level Academic Skills Test from 275 to 295 in computation, from 270 to 295 in reading and writing, and from 4 to 5 on the essay test. A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to examine the impact of these proposed standards on the passing rates of students…

In the late 1970's and early 1980's, Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) implemented a series of academic reforms, including the adoption of minimum academic standards, mandatory basic skills testing, and the establishment of new general education course requirements. In order to assess the success of the reforms in shaping the curricular patterns…

This monograph focuses on the virtually ignored issues of the academic problems of high school athletes. All the problems of college sport exist at the high school level. For example, "redshirting" occurs when a school has an athlete sit out a year so that the athlete can mature physically and have four years of eligiblity. This problem…

New standards set by the National Council for Accreditaton of Teacher Education (NCATE) focus on unit, rather than program, acccreditation. The unit is the body within an institution that is primarily responsible for the preparation of teachers and other educational personnel. Units are required to focus on the knowledge bases pertinent to…

A study examined the American experience of accrediting employer-provided training. Interviews were conducted with 16 persons: 2 representatives of accrediting agencies, 9 representatives of employers with accredited training programs, and 5 persons with expertise in a closely related field. Based on these interviews, it appeared that where there…

The committee that produced this report was asked to examine two major concerns: (1) that criteria for participating in various extracurricular activities were inconsistent between schools; and (2) that criteria for participating in all extracurricular activities (including athletics) contribute to the overall mission of teaching and learning in…

The central aspect of Connecticut's agenda for educational equity and excellence is the implementation of statewide mastery testing in mathematics and language arts. The program, designed for grades four, six, and eight, assesses the skill levels of students by measuring their performance on learning objectives they should have mastered in lower…

This task force report presents a review of the Intercollegiate Athletics Program at the College Park campus of the University of Maryland. Divided into five working groups, the task force examined in depth: (1) intercollegiate athletics--mission, goals, structure of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics; (2) recruitment, admissions,…

Results are presented of a survey questionnaire based on the 1984 Gallup Poll of Teachers' Attitudes Toward the Public Schools but adapted to solicit the opinions of K-12 public school teachers in South Dakota about South Dakota public schools. Responses were received from 60 percent of the 500 teachers surveyed. Question topics included: (1)…

This report describes changes that have taken place between 1980-81 and 1984-85 affecting admission/graduation requirements and recruitment efforts in teacher education programs. Specifically the survey requested information on: (1) specific requirements for admittance into teacher preparation programs; (2) changes in credit hour requirements over…

A Task Force of developmental education professionals in New York was convened to consider issues related to the evaluation of developmental programs from a statewide perspective. This report provides a summary of the two Task Force sessions and resulting recommendations and plans for action. Introductory material provides background on the…