This article features South Texas High School for Health Professions in Mercedes, Texas. With the support and encouragement of their parents and siblings, students choose to attend South Texas High School for Health Professions, because it offers a way out of poverty through a rigorous education with a strong occupational career component. South…

While California community colleges are open to all students eligible and able to benefit, most students must demonstrate that they are ready for college-level academic work by passing the college's placement exam once they enroll. Because California does not explicitly define college readiness standards for high school students, the placement…

Existing choice plans, which allow parents and students to choose among a variety of schools, vary dramatically in size, shape, and purpose. Different types of choice programs have different impacts, especially on low-income and minority group students; and it is not yet clear how school choice programs should be structured to assure that those…

The Bidwell Training Center, Inc., in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, evaluated the effectiveness of IBM's Principle of the Alphabet Literacy System (PALS), an interactive instructional program to teach adolescents and adults writing and reading skills. Bidwell's goal was to use PALS to teach large numbers of adults who read below the fifth-grade level.…

The Open University offers part-time courses for adults by means of a multimedia distance teaching system. By adopting an open admissions policy and offering undergraduate courses, it is aiming for excellence and equality on a cost-effective basis. The university does appear to have achieved a high academic standard, both in its courses and its…

The Bachelor of Science (nursing) degree offered by the New York External Degree Program of the University of the State of New York is described. The degree program is designed to enable individuals to earn a college degree by using college courses, proficiency examinations, and/or special assessment. It provides a program of assessment rather…

Issues facing California's community colleges are reviewed in this response to the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) report, "Missions and Functions of the California Community Colleges." The paper first asserts that the most critical question facing the community colleges in the 1980's is whether they should and can…

A MEDIUM-SIZED NORTHERN CITY WITH A NEGRO POPULATION OF ABOUT SEVEN PERCENT WAS EMBROILED IN A DISPUTE ABOUT DE FACTO SCHOOL SEGREGATION WHICH WAS PRECIPITATED BY BOUNDARY LINE REVISIONS FOR AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. IMPELLED BY THE PRESSURES OF CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS, PLANS FOR RACIAL BALANCE HAD BEEN DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED--OPEN ENROLLMENT, BUSING,…

This plan, including all goals, projections, and policy directions, is predicated upon continued open access to community college occupational, transfer, and community services programs, in accordance with the educational needs of the citizens of the state. Enrollment projections suggest that growth in full-time enrollments will be moderate while…

LaGuardia Community College (LGCC) has recently initiated work on the development of a comprehensive system for computer storage, processing, and analysis of data pertaining to student performance, demography, and attitudes. This system is not yet wholly operative, but many of its components have been developed. This report presents the findings…

The Open Enrollment (OE) Program of New York City allows parents of minority group children the option to transfer their children to predominantly white schools. However, the program also includes students who were transferred to such schools through a Board of Education mandate. The objectives of this program are to improve personal competency…

A national survey of minority student admissions at large, primarily white universities was conducted for the fourth consecutive year. The report summarizes the data collected, compares them to those of the previous year, and examines minority group enrollment, admission criteria, and special programs for minority students. Results are discussed…

This document argues that for the 1.8 million students attending the 731 rural community colleges in the United States, the community college is often the only option for higher education. However, both access and excellence for rural students are being negatively impacted by recent federal and state policy that has decreased funding to community…

Proceedings of the 67th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers which relate to admissions, evaluation of credentials, student financial aid, marketing and recruitment, and articulation agreements and practices are summarized. Names and institutions of conference participants are included. (MSE)

University education should be more widely available to people who are older and less traditionally qualified than the matriculated, predominantly middle-class students of most universities. Two institutions with open admissions policies, the British Open University and the University of Paris Vincennes, are discussed. (MLW)