Proposition 48 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which calls for tougher academic standards for students seeking to participate in Division I athletics, discriminates against Black athletes and historically Black colleges and universities. The NCAA violates antitrust laws by price-fixing; it is not essential or even important…

Maintains that the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) achieved an important symbolic victory by being a primary developer of the National Standards for Arts Education. Presents and discusses five issues related to the Goals 2000 program in general and the standards related to music education in particular. (CFR)

The history and strategy behind the Muskingum College (Ohio) decision to reduce tuition by one-third are explained. The policy was adopted as part of a strategic plan to increase enrollment, improve entering students' test scores, boost student diversity, and slow the increase in the percentage of institutional budget earmarked for student…

Examines the different characteristics and consequences associated with the various methods and genres of academic publishing. Reveals that gender, rank, and type of institution (public or private) play an important role in the reception and dissemination of academic research. Includes 13 tables of statistical data and several citation analyses.…

This article summarizes efforts to improve educational outcomes of students with hearing impairments through the government-funded Deaf Education Initiatives Project. It discusses the project's origins, cooperative efforts of diverse interest groups, the role of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education as subcontractor, the…

A Milwaukee (Wisconsin) program to improve its public school education with the help of faculty from three universities (University of Wisconsin, Marquette University, and Milwaukee School of Engineering) is described. The program, EQUITY 2000, aims to bring systemic change to entire school districts by eliminating tracking and raising standards…

Presents ideas addressed at a discussion of the changing culture of the university attended by 17 academics from diverse disciplines, who have recently spoken or written against the "politically correct" academic trends. Discussion, based on the transcript, considers why democratic institutions were being undermined in the name of…

New Standards Project is consortium of 17 states and 6 leading school districts working with cluster of specialists to design and implement system of performance standards, authentic assessments, and professional development aimed at improving educational equity and excellence. New matrix examinations and portfolios will yield results that can be…

A teaching portfolio is to document, over an extended period of time, the full range of one's abilities as a college teacher. Seven dimensions can be documented: what is taught; how it is taught; changes in teaching and course activities; academic rigor; student attitudes; skill development efforts; peer assessment. (MSE)

Four national educational reform initiatives (national goals for schools, core curriculum, national student examination system, and teacher certification processes) are examined and policy implications discussed. It is argued that, although these initiatives are progressing, they will not succeed without sustained commitment on the parts of the…

Reviews the work of the Geography Standards Project, a national effort to develop standards for geography education in grades K-12. Describes committee structures, definitions of "world class" student performance and "standards," and the nature of the standards developed, indicating that they focus on outcomes, performance, and…

Describes three programs designed to attract students to science education: Project 2061, developing curriculum models and blueprints for science teacher education; the Scope, Sequence, and Coordination Project, recommending that science be taught each year in grades 6-12; and the National Science Education Standards project, developing standards…

Evaluation procedures and standards for a sound, strong evaluation process for medical residents are described, criteria for academic probation and due process when a resident is performing unacceptably are proposed, and the medical school administration's role in evaluation is examined. Statistics on dismissal of graduate medical students are…

Illustrates the importance of studying educational policy in the making with instances of multicultural history-social studies curriculum policymaking in California and New York in the context of movements for national standards and assessments and possibly a national curriculum. Attempts by neo-nativists to influence policymaking are discussed.…

Describes the pros and cons of Alaska's unique Family Partnership Charter School, which oversees distribution of public funding to home-schooling families, offers support to help home-schooling parents meet district standards on their own terms, and monitors required purchase of teacher time and expenditures. A sidebar describes an Alaskan…