Analyzes the efficacy of the policies and procedures for accrediting the two-year branch campuses of baccalaureate-degree granting institutions and off-site extension courses. Reviews regional accrediting commissions' written policies and responses to telephone surveys. Suggests a more proactive approach to accreditation to maintain public…

Development of an advanced placement examination and certification program that guarantees admission to foreign universities is discussed as a means of promoting international educational exchange and assuring comparability of academic standards. Use of American advanced placement credentials is already common in some foreign countries. (MSE)

Although one national goal proposes that all Americans will have all knowledge necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise citizenship responsibility, others fail to explain how children incarcerated in standards-driven schools will make sense of the world. The microsociety school approach radically recontextualizes in-school learning by…

Offers John Hope Franklin's views on a range of topics concerning African Americans in higher education. Topics cover such areas as affirmative action, on-campus integration, white universities and their hiring of black faculty, and a review of a model program for preparing minorities for academic careers. (GLR)

Describes a project at Texas Woman's University involving adjunct class sessions to help underprepared minority students in teacher education succeed academically. Adjunct class sessions for three required freshman courses provided volunteer students with study strategies and course content discussions. Underprepared students who participated…

Criticizes the emphasis of sports over academics at all levels of schooling, and the short length of the U.S. school year compared to that of other countries. Advocates minimum academic standards as a prerequisite for athletic participation, and students' choice of a college based on graduation rates rather than athletic achievement. (BC)

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recently published two documents emphasizing solving nonroutine problems in meaningful contexts. "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics" (1989) describes what students should know and a framework for developing appropriate curricula. "Professional Standards for…

A comprehensive three-stage model of educational recruitment and student admission is proposed, consisting of preprogram vision, search, and choice; and program and postprogram activities. Raising the standards for recruitment and admission of students to programs in educational administration requires locating those activities within a more…

Pedagogical and administrative problems in teaching English to native speakers are reviewed, including criteria for students and teachers and lack of a graded syllabus. Guidelines for solving these problems are proposed. (LB)

A survey of 12 constituencies (totaling 2,288 respondents) concerning the National Board of Medical Examiners' (NBME) comprehensive Part I and Part II examinations revealed support for more even distribution of fail rates across examinations, support for a fixed standard, and favorable reaction to setting standards based on review of examination…

A National Collegiate Athletic Association study indicates Black athletes (n=835) entering Division I colleges in 1984 and 1985 were half as likely as White athletes (n=2,453) to graduate. Results seem unlikely to resolve the debate over the NCAA's Proposition 48 concerning eligibility standards. (MSE)

Recent books presenting the neoconservative criticism of higher education are reviewed including books by Allan Bloom, Charles Sykes, Jacques Barzun, Peter Shaw, Roger Kimball, and Thomas Short. Common assumptions include the worsening of American education resulting from warped curriculum reform and distorted performance standards. Agreement with…

Discrete mathematics are defined briefly. A course in discrete mathematics for high school students and teaching discrete mathematics in grades 7 and 8 including finite differences, recursion, and graph theory are discussed. (CW)

A proposed state policy requiring college students to maintain a 2.0 grade point average to participate in extracurricular activities is seen by supporters of athletics as discriminating against athletes and endangering Oklahoma's teams' success. If the extracurricular activities provision is removed, grade standards for good academic standing…

Discusses the Western Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities' new standards focusing on assessment as a means of enhancing institutional/program quality. Provides the background and context, the role played by the commission in implementing the initiative. Includes "A Compendium of WASC Standards Assessing Institutional…