This paper addresses the recommendation made by a recent study that the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree be rejected as the graduate degree in education and the corollary of this recommendation, that the Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) be the standard degree for advanced study in education. This paper reviews data on trends in the incidence…

This paper discusses the national movement toward increasing high school graduation requirements and the development of alternatives to the standard high school diploma for students with disabilities. Findings from a review of state policies indicate: (1) 38 states and territories apply some graduation requirements to students with disabilities;…

Provides an overview of developments in higher education internationalization, from traditional forms such as student/staff mobility to exporting via branch campuses, transnational university networks, and virtual delivery. Discusses quality challenges, particularly recognition of foreign degrees and credits. Suggests the solution is integration…

The University of Hull (England) has a 2-year commercial French course within its language program. The first-year of the course is required of all undergraduates. Materials are largely written by faculty. All faculty have additional training in French economy and culture. Testing occurs twice a year, with four written skill areas from the French…

Prior to the Virginian Standards of Learning Program most curriculum guidance was provided by the Board of Education through course requirement in-service sessions and through legislative action on mandated topics. The Standards of Learning Program gave Virginia teachers primary responsibility for establishing minimum competencies and assessment…

Interdisciplinary policies and practices at the University of Montreal were studied to determine their effectiveness. The three study objectives were to: (1) determine the magnitude of the range set up by the department degree structure to give student majors an opportunity to take courses outside their basic discipline; (2) assess the degree of…

Discussions about whether to implement associate degrees in British Columbia (Canada) date back to the mid-1970's, with the debate focusing on transfer arrangements and the viability of community college diplomas. One of the first acts of the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer, created in 1988, was the recommendation to create an…

Ambiguity concerning the professional value of the master's degree for graduate students in sociology is discussed. Four factors are identified as contributing to this ambiguity: (1) the lack of uniform standards and requirements for the degree in American higher education; (2) the decline in the prestige of the degree in academic circles; (3) the…

The British Open University (OU) offers university degree programs to adults who are employed and study at home. It does so through a nationwide universal access (open admission) policy. A key feature of this program is that it imposes traditional university standards of excellence. Access is not limited by formal entry requirements, geography,…

In the Caribbean, vocational education is provided through both formal and nonformal educational programming. An excellence-oriented vocational teacher education program to prepare individuals to teach in the educational system of the region should incorporate training in the history and philosophy of vocational education, instructional…

The quest for excellence in American higher education has been accompanied by the implementation of basic skills requirements and the corresponding assessment programs. Assessment results could provide feedback for curricular improvement, although they are frequently used as indicators of institutional quality. A study is presented that compared…