Examines a number of problems raised by the practice among many colleges and universities of granting academic credit for what is generally termed "life experience". (Author/RK)

Complex social changes and criticisms of schooling have had an impact on the authority of the teacher in the classroom. (JD)

One of the most subtle but viciously effective cultural mechanisms for harming children in the United States is the persistent confusion between norms and standards. Investigates what can be done to prevent unrealistic and invidious labeling of children during their most vulberable years if their growth curve in achievement or some other factor…

A validation program using the CLEP General Examinations for Social Sciences and History, Humanities, and Natural Sciences is described. Discussed are the meetings and discussions regarding program implications, decision-making processes to determine cutoff scores and credit to be granted, and some problems encountered. (Author/LBH)

Decries the lifeless and mechanical language used in the national syllabus for oral communication instruction, arguing that it contradicts the interaction it seeks to describe, and that efforts to assess interpersonal communication are equally inappropriate. (HTH)

Evidence suggests a common and consistent failure by college faculty to read available signals of improprieties in college athletics programs. The structure of the link between academics and athletics should be reexamined and the responsibility of the faculty reconsidered. (MSE)

Outlines the components for educational reform proposed by the Carnegie report "A Nation Prepared." Includes discussion on the report's leadership-by-teachers recommendation as well as teacher training and salaries. Includes a summarization of eight points that make up the reform plan. (MD)

Expanding choice among public schools will improve student achievement and provide creative and decision-making professional opportunities for teachers. Three successful choice plans are discussed. Steps for developing choice plans are listed. (PS)

Four brief articles examine the implications of restructuring, a central element in the school reform movement, for special education. Major areas of focus include curriculum, organization, and school governance, academic standards, discipline, accountability, restructuring the teaching profession, and the relationship between special and regular…

Describes study of undergraduates at Florida State University that examined whether the criteria for mastering unit quizzes in a mastery-oriented course should increase, decrease, or remain fixed across units. Hypotheses tested are discussed, results of unit quiz performance and final examination performance are analyzed, and student attitudes are…

Stanford University's unique combination of high academic standards and successful, broad-based intercollegiate athletics provides a model for other institutions, and it is working hard to continue to attract smart, talented athletes. (MSE)

College assessment systems, suggest New Jersey's governor, must be built from two sides to have integrity: a common core of statewide information about college performance defined by public bodies and boards, and institutional mission-related information defined by college presidents, faculty, and trustees. (MLW)

Differential grading standards were examined in a sample of 1,029 Dartmouth College graduates. Fields of study that attracted students (as majors) who scored higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) employed stricter grading standards. These differential standards attenuated the substantial correlation between SAT scores and grades.…

Analysis demonstrates that interdisciplinary variation in scholarly journal rejection rates is linked to variation in consensus, not to journal space shortages; rejection rates are a good indicator of consensus. The different prospects authors face when submitting manuscripts to different journals result from structural differences between the…

Clearly stated educational objectives can help in educational evaluation. Because objectives sans assessment are little more than rhetoric, criterion-referenced tests are advocated for assessing objective-attainment. Performance standards are viewed as appropriately separable from objectives. Five guidelines regarding objectives are suggested for…