Discussion at a 1990 symposium on democratic values and higher education administration is summarized. Issues addressed include productive competition in higher education, open access vs. competitive selection, assessment of teacher performance and instructional quality, and the relationship between higher education institutions and national…

Focuses on programs that address the needs of at-risk high school students and graduates through remedial and supplemental courses at community and technical colleges, citing models in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Discusses difficulties in funding. In the absence of reform, community colleges will continue in this role. (DM)

The effects of relaxed college admission standards vary across students. A relaxed standard may raise the number of graduates but reduces nongraduates' productivity. The effect on the graduation rate is ambiguous, since "marginal" college attendees are less likely to graduate. A lower admission standard reduces performance among students exceeding…

Survey of parents and guardians of 911 North Dakota students applying for open enrollment found that general education, family convenience, proximity, and school atmosphere/values/philosophy were the most important reasons for choosing a district outside their home district. Responders' educational level and income were higher than those of the…

The University of Toledo (Ohio) honors program, with a dedicated space for honors, a separate interdisciplinary curriculum, and the opportunity to do research, assists this open admissions institution to attract and retain academically talented students. A dramatic increase in honors enrollments in the last decade has provided both opportunities…

Seven middle-level schools in a large suburban district created an open enrollment system for advanced English and science courses. The advanced courses provided students with an opportunity to learn through the use of primary sources, high-level literature, and a variety of projects. A vertical teaming process in each middle-high school…

This book is intended to be both a biography of an extraordinary woman and a historical account of events leading to Open Admissions within the City University of New York (CUNY) in 1970, wherein every graduate of a New York City high school was guaranteed a place within the CUNY system. The book profiles Mina Shaugnessy, who devoted her…

In the spring of 1991 a two-part questionnaire was mailed to a nationwide sample of 100 uppersecondary teachers in England. Usable responses were received from 72 teachers. The purposes of this study were the following: (1) to describe the impact of the 1988 British Reform Act on Education; (2) to determine teacher perceptions in selected publicly…

This report completes phase 1 of a study of the school choice issue, by summarizing information regarding school choice options currently proposed or implemented in Virginia and other states. Methodology involved: (1) a survey of 127 out of 135 total school divisions; (2) a literature review; (3) interviews with school division personnel, other…

This report, compiled by the settlement facilitator, documents progress for year six of the 7-year Bronson Agreement. The agreement was entered into to settle the litigation entitled Mona Bronson, et al. vs. Board of Education of the City of Cincinnati. Its major goals were the following: (1) continuing to reduce racial isolation of students in…

The consideration of school choice plans raises policy questions for school administrators. This paper addresses pragmatic concerns about definitions and policy questions related to educational finance. Interdistrict choice, emphasizing families' right to choose among existing public schools, raises questions regarding transportation and…

A Coordinator of Performing Arts at Western Piedmont Community College in North Carolina describes the challenges and rewards posed by an open-door educational philosophy in which community service is as important as artistic excellence. The college's mission is to serve the special needs of the community, which primarily consists of state…

A comparison of the reading skills assessment programs at three community colleges in Virginia and New Jersey is presented as part of an examination of the kinds of placement decisions that are made from assessment test data. Introductory comments focus on the controversy surrounding the growing emphasis on skills assessment in open-door community…

The founders of General College, at the University of Minnesota, established the school in 1932 out of a belief in democratic access to higher education, the need to simplify the academic bureaucracy, and the desire for a liberalized curriculum. During its first 13 years, the college assumed and maintained three basic priorities: open admissions,…

A situation has existed in the specialized high schools of New York City in which criteria for admission (the admissions test and the summer program) have been applied without any systematic determination of their validity: data from the present study suggest a more rational educational approach. (Author/JM)