Questions have been raised about the status of English as a second language (ESL) in colleges and universities, especially with regard to ESL credit, admission of ESL students, and tenure for ESL instructors. These questions prompted Portland State University (Oregon) to send a questionnaire dealing with the topic to the directors of 174 programs…

A description is given of the Critical Needs Certification Program (CNCP), established in 1984 in South Carolina, which trains teachers in content areas experiencing critical teacher shortages. Under its provisions, college graduates with degrees in mathematics, science, library science, or foreign language begin teaching without the normally…

Everyman's University (EU) in Israel acts as a social safety valve by providing an avenue for education to students who are unable to attend conventional universities; however, the heterogeneity of EU's student population creates many problems for course developers and coordinators. Differing from other Israeli universities, EU operates by…

A proposal is presented for developing a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program at California State University, Bakersfield. The criteria for a MAT program are examined by outlining existing programs at: (1) Harvard Graduate School; (2) University of California, Berkeley; (3) Portland State University; (4) Stanford University; (5) University of…

A study identifying the relationships between quantitative academic characteristics--specifically, grade point average (GPA) and MCAT scores--and admission into medical school for minorities is presented. Explanations are proposed for contradictory findings related to this question that have appeared in literature. Data from 58 minority student…

The extent and effectiveness of access to higher education requires careful assessment. Especially for students who have been previously excluded from higher education for noneducational reasons, the experience of dismissal or withdrawal can be cruelly frustrating. Because the benefits of a college education are not gained by getting into college…

Raising academic requirements for admission to higher education brings about higher academic standards in secondary schools. Describes the relationship between a California high school curriculum and student course selections on one hand and university admission requirements on the other. (MD)

Describes academic programs and graduation requirements at a Massachusetts high school and the changing emphasis over the past decades. Points out college admission requirements are one of many factors affecting student course selection. (MD)

Critiques college admission requirements, pointing out that entrance tests determine what is taught in high school curriculum. For testing to be effective, colleges and high schools must specify the content of college preparatory curriculum. (MD)

The eighth grade student assignment project, an initiative of the School District of Philadelphia, assigns students to high school academic programs based on student preferences, academic preparation, program capacity, and desegregation requirements. These programs, called small learning communities (SLCs), emphasize areas such as design and…

This study examined new admission policies at the University of Virginia School of Medicine designed to increase the number of students likely to pursue primary care specialities. The study focused on whether there was a relationship between interviewers' predictions and applicants' career choice at the completion of their first year of medical…

Access to higher education in Great Britain has been restricted. The structure of British secondary education limits the number of potential college applicants. In order to maintain its funding and undergraduate enrollment levels, Oxford must admit more students from state-run schools. (AM)

Selected aspects of a self-paced chemistry program are described. These include student selection, supervision requirements, and grading indicating that student selection is the key to a successful program. Also points out that quality/quantity of learning (determined by testing) is comparable to traditional lecture courses. (Author/JN)

Issues relating to the optometry school's provision of remedial instruction for students in academic difficulty are discussed, including the adequacy of admissions policies and criteria, student unawareness of the required level of commitment, early identification of academic difficulties, remedial program design, costs, and legal considerations.…

A study supported use of the objective structured clinical examination for screening foreign medical graduates (n=67) wishing to enter a preinternship program in at the University of Toronto. However, it also showed that appropriate training for the candidates was the internship, not preinternship, program. (MSE)