Reports on admission requirements and program structures of 102 master's programs in journalism and mass communication. Suggests that master's programs are diverse. (SR)

Analyzes the graduation requirements of 40 community colleges to determine whether their general education requirements match their curricular offerings. Suggests that, in general, colleges do match general education requirements and curricular offerings and that their success assists in student transfer between two- and four-year colleges. (MAB)

A survey of 58 dental school periodontics departments revealed the frequency of predoctoral dental students performing surgery, the frequency of specific procedures, the degree of participation or performance of students, incidence of preclinical surgical laboratories in the curricula, and materials and anesthesia used. A wide range in…

A survey of 12 Canadian ministers of education and 18 colleges found that (1) high school graduation requirements reflect college entrance requirements; (2) the rigid pattern of course requirements for college entrance is not supported by research; and (3) conflicting views on this issue indicate a need for in-depth exploration. (SK)

A Northwestern University (Illinois) medical residency program requires each student to complete a research project. Project goals and structure are specific, but residents may choose any project that is original, ethical, and scientifically sound. So far, one-third of the projects have been published or presented at a regional or national…

Recounts two homeless teenagers' struggle to stabilize their lives and graduate from high school. To help other heroic, homeless students, high schools should adopt flexible admission criteria, attendance policies, course offerings, and class assignments and provide special education services, transportation vouchers, and emotional support when…

Describes how the Arizona Department of Education's rush to implement the AIMS (Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards) high school graduation exam provoked justifiable protest from parents, students, school officials, and education experts in the state. Argues that, if critics and advocates are unable to work together, it will be Arizona's…

A follow-up survey of 791 liberal arts graduates of the University of Iowa seven years after an initial post-graduation survey investigated whether their perceptions of the value of the general education requirements had changed over time and, if so, how. Results reinforced a 1996 revision of the general education program. (MSE)

The Federal District Court ruled in favor of the Chapel Hill, North Carolina, school board's requirement that, as a condition for graduation, each student must perform 50 hours of unpaid community service. (MLF)

Reports on the development of a learning package for a newly introduced test in Hong Kong, the Graduating Students' Language Proficiency Assessment (GSLPA)-English. Examines reactions of teachers and students to the learning package during piloting of the materials. (Author/VWL)

Reviews and evaluates compensatory and conjunctive standard-setting strategies, presenting and discussing the rationales for each approach. Results of a comparison of the two approaches for a state high school certification writing test provide insight into the problem of choosing either strategy. (SLD)

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Schools, researchers examined the relationship between three state policies (graduation requirements, test score dissemination, and site-based management) and changes in school practices between 1980-93. Results indicate that state policies influenced school practices in policy specific domains,…

A comparison of 46 college students with learning disabilities (LD) who received permission to waive a foreign language (FL) requirement with 21 students with LD who fulfilled the requirement found that more students who had petitioned had a 1.0 standard deviation discrepancy between IQ and achievement and were referred only for FL learning…

While Canadians tend to consider the American system to be overly litigious, they are catching up fast. Their own domestic set of plaintiffs is suing the agents of obesity and pollution, but actions pertaining to education seem to be spiking as well. A few of these cases are trivial. This morning's local newspaper reports that a judge has ruled…

A new study on the link between high school coursework and postsecondary success paints a challenging picture for education advocates: African Americans can succeed in rigorous courses, but too few get the opportunity. The report from Achieve Inc., finds that few states set high curricula and content standards that prepare students for college.…