A research project was undertaken to analyze the effect of increased science and math high school graduation requirements and to develop models to minimize the impact of these increases on vocational course enrollments. Data from survey instruments sent to Colorado's 174 school districts, state directors of vocational education, and state…

In a question and answer format, this guide for parents discusses important issues about standardized reading tests, including the following: (1) scoring systems are obscure; (2) grade level equivalency scores are educationally inaccurate and misleading to child and parent; (3) standardized reading tests are meant to compare groups and not to…

A nationwide survey in 1984 asked teachers their opinions on a variety of reform suggestions for educational improvement. As a followup this survey sought to determine what the states were actually doing about these reforms. In the area of teacher-related reforms, information is provided on actions taken in each state on: (1) teacher compensation;…

In 1984 an evaluation team examined the Maryland Functional Testing Program (MFTP), a statewide competency-based, criterion-referenced testing program that was instituted to limit awarding of high school diplomas to those students who had earned scores above cut scores on a series of achievement tests. This article examines the procedures the…

This report, derived from a survey of foreign language supervisors in each state and the District of Columbia, provides an overview of the various state initiatives and activities in foreign languages and international studies. The report is intended to provide some useful information to national policymakers, state governments, and concerned…

Issues and suggestions regarding the use of comparable data on higher education in the European Region are reported, based on a meeting sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) was developed to facilitate the comparability of national…

Two groups of learning disabled (LD) secondary school students (ages 16-18) were studied to determine if such factors as levels of intelligence and achievement contribute to success in high school. The first group of students (N=10) were sophomores enrolled in special education resource classes for one period each day and were addressing Louisiana…

A model depicting dropping out of high school as a process is presented. Against a longitudinal mapping of student experiences, questions about standards or exit tests are addressed. Existing research on dropouts provided the empirical basis for the model. The central features of the model are the academic and social systems of the school.…

This twelfth grade diploma examination is written in both French and English. The test consists of 52 multiple-choice items and three written response questions. Two and one-half hours are provided for taking the test; approved calculators may be used. The test content covers a wide range of mathematical topics including: geometry; trigonometry;…

This report discusses the availability and use of instructional time in relation to the requirements contained in the Hughes Hart Educational Reform and Finance Act of 1983. The study draws on information from the California Assessment Program, which supplies achievement test scores, time and coursetaking information; verbal and mathematics…

Recent criticism of public education has led to demands for educational improvement. Responses to this criticism include the development of minimum competency tests (MCTs) and calls for increased academic requirements. This paper reviews a national survey of state graduation requirements that reveals a wide variance in requirements. Eighteen…

This brief report states that recent emphasis on minimum competency testing has been on using the test results to make better decisions for improving the instructional program and providing remediation. State and local school districts, using advisory committees and commissions, are in various stages of identifying instructional goals and…

More than thirty states, as well as numerous local school districts, have adopted some form of student minimum competency program. Such programs vary widely in their purposes which range all the way from instructional and curriculum planning to deciding whether students are promoted from grade to grade. Thus far, there has been little actual…

In recent years, significant economic, social, and demographic changes have occurred in the United Kingdom. These changes have set the stage for a number of changes in the country's adult and vocational-technical education systems as well. There have been several notable developments with regard to the statutory education system (which provides…

In 1972, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia instituted the Regents' Testing Program (RTP) to provide systemwide information on the status of student competence in reading and writing and to provide a uniform means of identifying those students who fail to attain minimum levels of competence in these areas. Since 1972, some…