A survey was conducted by the Learning Assessment Retention Consortium of the California Community Colleges to determine the extent of community college involvement with academic standards in California. The survey investigated the relationship of the colleges to adult education, assessment practices, entrance standards for vocational and…

Prompted by the increased possibility of teachers facing educational malpractice charges, this paper outlines the historical legal precedents through which plaintiffs have sought recognition for this new cause of action, the defenses established against it, and the rationale on which various courts have balanced their decisions. The paper also…

In fall 1985, a computerized prerequisite checking system was implemented in the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District (SJ/ECCD) featuring an informational mode, which provides information about whether a student meets a prerequisite, and a lock-out mode, which prevents a student from registering for classes if prerequisites are not met. A…

Although the topic of effective schools is a popular one among today's educators, researchers, and publishers, there still is no commonly agreed upon definition of an effective school. One definition given by Ronald Edmonds and Lawrence Lezotte is notably precise, measurable, attainable, and easy to determine. They defined an effective school as…

Steps that states, schools, and colleges should take to prepare students to meet higher college standards are identified, with a focus on two points: developing higher and clearer college entry standards and developing statewide assessments to identify high school students who need additional preparation. Eight suggestions are offered: (1) states…

The National Education Association (NEA) offers its vision of schools in the 21st century, describes today's schools, and identifies practical solutions for improvement. Nine overarching principles incorporate the recommendations made. These nine principles are the basis for the NEA's Action Plan for Educational Excellence: (1) students must…

The final report from the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation's (COPA) Self-Study Advisory Panel on its review of COPA's objectives, priorities, governance, and financing is presented. Following a letter from the Chairman of the self-study advisory panel, a panel membership list, and a charge to the panel and overview of the study, six chapters…

Examining the status of the United States National Study of the International Evaluation of Educational Achievement Study of Written Composition (IEA-SWC), this report discusses the results of SWC, which attempted to assess, nationally and internationally, the quality of student writing in schools by collecting and evaluating student compositions.…

The following major activities are discussed to guide educators through the complexities of curriculum organization. The first, defining outcomes, includes: (1) exit outcomes that express broad educational goals; (2) unit objectives; and (3) lesson objectives. The second major activity, developing learning units, includes: (1) opening lessons; (2)…

Equity was an invisible issue in the recent reports calling for higher pre-college standards and increased Federal spending on education. Although usually mentioned, equity was part of the (political) rhetoric, not a concrete goal. In "A Nation at Risk," for example, minority and handicapped students are discussed, but with the implication that…

The failure of colleges and universities to ensure that all undergraduates become scientifically and technologically educated was addressed at the 1982 Wingspread Conference. Representatives of education, business, government, and other professions considered the place of science and technology education within liberal education and formulated a…

A major barrier to minority student participation in the Arizona State University teacher preparation program is the state-mandated requirement that all sections of the PreProfessional Skills Test (PPST) be passed before any teacher preparation courses can be taken. This paper describes the significant features of a minority recruitment/support…

New educational standards and programs designed by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states are expected to help achieve national, and increasingly international, standards in education with the goal of readiness for college. Improving college readiness, or reducing the percentage of entering college students who need remedial work, is…

During the 1987-88 academic year, Williamsport Area Community College's Long Range Planning Committee acted as the steering committee for the development of a three-year long-range plan. The committee's first steps were to review the "Long Range Plan Update 1987," identify the strengths and weaknessess of the previous planning process, develop a…

The 1987 University of Wyoming (UW) Trustees Symposium focused on five major topics. The topics and keynote speakers are as follows: "An Introduction to the University of Wyoming--The Perspective of a Newcomer," (Terry P. Roark); "College: Making the Connections" (Ernest L. Boyer); "A Quality Faculty for the Second…