Med-Cor is a program designed to improve the maturation, interest, and academic skill level of junior and senior high school students. The program is jointly sponsored by the University of Southern California School of Medicine and the Los Angeles Unified School District. Students are tutored with the expectation that their academic skills will…

This evaluation of the services and short-term impact of the 1987/88 Career Beginnings (CB) program found an increase in the average rate of college attendance of participants in the year following high school graduation. Career Beginnings targets urban high school juniors from low-income families who demonstrate average academic performance and…

More than half the minority group students who completed the 1988/89 Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) at Manhattanville College (New York) scored in the 90-95 percentile on tests of critical thinking, suggesting ability to do well in mathematics, science, and other studies. STEP comprises the following goals: (1) enable students to…

The goal of the 1985 Queensborough Community College (QCC) Pre-Freshman Summer Program (PFSP) was to ease the transition from high school to college for entering College Discovery freshmen in order to improve their academic performance and increase their chances for retention at QCC. The 6-week program included academic tutorials in reading,…

Upward Bound is a federally funded program designed to motivate and prepare selected high school students for a successful college education. Of the 54 students participating in the Keene State College Upward Bound Summer program, 35 received instruction in career planning and decision making (CDM). The remaining 19 students formed the comparison…

Students enrolled in high school "college prep" English courses (N=107) were compared to students enrolled in "regular" English courses (N=95). The gifted students were employed fewer hours, reported fewer incidents of conflict among family members, and rated the quality of their family relationships significantly higher than nongifted students.…

The use of high school transcipts, American College Testing Service composite scores, and first semester courses and grades of college freshmen is discussed as a way to statistically analyze the notion that high school college preparatory courses help students earn better grades in college than elective courses do. (MSE)

Many students rely heavily on their interests when making college and career choices. Understanding how interests develop and relate to academic achievement will help high school counselors and other educators determine both when and how to help students prepare for college and a career. Students make more informed educational and career plans if…

Course placement systems in the first year of college include both an assessment component (to estimate students' probability of success in standard courses) and an instructional component (in which underprepared students are taught the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the standard courses). The effectiveness of a placement system…

This paper shows how the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) can be carried out in a country with a very complicated upper-secondary educational system. The difficulties are not linked to the measurement of achievement, since the international project provides a common achievement scale. The challenge lies in the design of…

The College Readiness Policy Connections initiative is part of the effort by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to spotlight student preparation for college and careers. The initiative examines the educational spectrum from early schooling to entry into college and focuses on the policies that are necessary to sustain students' academic…

Argues that other kinds of student diversity such as academic, economic, and social rather than demographic will play a greater role in community colleges in the future. Also looks at the implications of these varying types of diversity in the area of counseling. Contains two data tables. (JDI)

According to a 1989 survey of urban high school juniors' and seniors' work experiences, these young people derive strong meaning from working, despite limits to the socialization power of work in their lives. Nonwhites had the highest career aspirations, but both whites and nonwhites were unclear about college plans. Businesses and schools should…

It is proposed that there are four ways higher education can contribute to the educational reform movement: (1) development of new academic standards and assessment methods; (2) higher priority for teacher education; (3) cooperation with schools to improve college preparation and enrollment rates; and (4) more political and financial support. (MSE)

Most school-to-career initiatives are limited to career education and applied learning, combining academic basics and workplace readiness skills. A high-school credentialing system would offer a structured pathway to academic and technical credentials, requiring that students earn a college-placement readiness credential and industry-recognized…