The study presented in this bulletin is based on the analysis of the requirements for the bachelor's degree of 101 universities and colleges in the United States, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The first chapter contains a brief summary of the history of entrance and college graduation requirements for the bachelor's degree with special…

Recognizing the growing importance of the quality of teaching in America's schools and the need to prepare a record number of teachers in the coming years, the Congress included a new focus on improving teacher preparation when it reauthorized the Higher Education Act in 1998. Title II of the new law created three Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant…

The need for a clear definition of basic functional competency for the sight impaired student is considered, and an outline of the required functional competencies and performance indicators is presented. Performance indicators are listed for the following skill areas: communication, computation, citizenship, consumerism, decision making, and…

The history of the founding and early development of the University of Oregon School of Law is outlined, including student selection and makeup, curriculum, faculty, and graduation requirements. The early issue of the state bar examination as a threat to academic standards is discussed. (MSE)

Reports two studies comparing college students classified as learning disabled (LD) or as both LD and having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who had either substituted courses for a foreign language requirement or had fulfilled the requirement by passing foreign language courses. Findings suggest students classified as both LD and…

This article identifies several reasons for demands for teacher and student accountability. Minimum competency testing of students and teachers is discussed within the context of the accountability movement, and the implications of such testing as an evaluation tool are considered. (IAH)

A number of colleges are making a formal commitment to community service by encouraging their students to sign up for local volunteer projects, some programs are even compulsory. Critics of the new programs say that requiring community service violates the spirit of the community service ethic. (MLW)

Five methods of equating minimum-competency tests were compared using the Florida Statewide Student Assessment Test, Part II, for 1984 and 1986. Four of five methods yielded essentially comparable results for the highest scoring 84% of the students. Different lengths of anchor items were compared, using the concurrent item response theory equating…

The New Jersey High School Proficiency Test--a new, more rigorous competency test required for high school graduation in New Jersey--was evaluated for three years of its use. The impact of the state's testing program on curriculum, high school graduation, state compensatory education funding, and district certification is discussed. (SLD)

This article argues that, despite the demand for competency-based testing of college graduates, such efforts may be simplistic, costly, and counterproductive in light of the varied missions of higher education institutions. The assessments useful to improving higher education (campus-based, faculty-developed, and mission-related) do not appear to…

The presence and extent of overlap between checklist and written scores using data for over 400 medical students in 6 classes on an examination including clinical encounter stations with standardized patients were studied. Eighty-three cases used both measures. Written scores provide information in addition to that of the checklists. (SLD)

A review of the history of American Indian studies in the college curriculum traces the political, demographic, academic, and social changes affecting American Indian roles. The recent revival of native American studies and the emergence of graduation requirements in ethnic studies are seen as both beneficial and risky. (MSE)

This article reviews the research related to minimum competency testing (MCT) as a requirement for high school graduation for students with learning disabilities. It examines whether inclusive MCT requirements lead to positive educational outcomes, raises issues of accommodations and alternative diplomas, possible increased dropout rates, and…

The term "liberal arts" usually conjures up one central idea; that is, effective liberal arts education as strong academic achievement. A second, less dominant, and frequently neglected notion regards effective liberal arts education as producing intellectual interests and habits that endure throughout adult life. The two ideas are…

In 1998, the University of Charleston implemented an academic transformation, moving to an outcomes-based learning environment in which the university awards academic credit based on competences mastered rather than courses completed. That fall, for the first time, students no longer took introductory courses in composition, speech, and computing.…