Since the 1960s, many colleges and universities have shortened their school years. Driven by debate about the quality of undergraduate education and about whether students are getting their money's worth in college, some institutions are reexamining their academic calendars. Practical considerations, including student attendance patterns, make…

The number of days in each quarter, semester, or trimester is compared for academic years 1968-69 and 1993-94, for 10 private and 10 public colleges and universities. Intersessions and January sessions are included. Total number of days per year have decreased in almost all these cases and now vary from 134 to 172. (MSE)

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the semester and the credit programs of high school education in Kuwait in terms of their graduating students' preparedness for continued and successful academic performance in programs of higher education. Students' percentile graduation rank from high school and their performances in the English, math…

The question of which calendar is best for Barstow College (BC) is addressed in terms of general considerations connected with academic calendars, the intended effects of the quarter system, the issue of cost effectiveness, and the advantages and disadvantages of both calendars. First, introductory material discusses BC's conversion to a quarter…

The calendar innovation at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is evaluated in this FIPSE-supported project. Five objectives are addressed: (1) assessment of changes in campus activities, climate, and attitudes of students, faculty, administrators, and the Oshkosh community; (2) measurement of student and faculty attitudes toward unique…

This report describes a study that investigated the effects of "full-credit semestering" in Ontario secondary schools. In full-credit semestering, the school year is divided in half, and students receive full credit for each course completed each semester. The study also explored the effects of trimestering, half-credit semestering, and…

In the Salinas Union High School District, California, diplomas are presented to qualified students at the end of either the fall or the spring semester. Graduation requirements specify courses, number of semesters, proficiency (or remedial in lieu of substitution), and number of cumulative units. Therefore, at mid-year two bodies of seniors are…

This study was designed to investigate whether student ratings of a modular instruction program were related to the cognitive style, field dependence-independence, of the 85 rating students. It was found that on 14 of 28 course evaluation items student response differed by cognitive style. (Author)

In February 1997, the Alabama State Board of Education authorized the Alabama College System to convert to a semester based academic calendar, effective for the 1998-99 academic year. The decision to move forward with the semester conversion was guided by the fact that collegiate research indicates that the semester system provides a superior…

This report presents the findings of a study done by a college-wide task force at the College of DuPage (Illinois) on academic calendar formats in an effort to determine whether to retain the quarter system or convert to another calendar. A brief introduction gives the background to the issue at DuPage. A section on procedures explains that the…

This group of readings describes the university examination system in India, and suggests improvements which can be implemented within the current framework of the system. The papers are grouped into six sections: (1) descriptions of the evolution of the undergraduate examinations in India and their present status; (2) discussions of the…

After reviewing types of college calendars (traditional semester, early semester, trimester, and quarter) and previous research on the use of various school calendars, this paper describes a survey conducted by Ocean County College, a medium-sized college currently using a traditional semester calendar, to determine the views of students, faculty,…

During 1970-71 partial or full semester systems were in operation at different secondary schools. Principals, teachers, students, and parents from schools in each of three categories: partial semester plan, full semester plan with a static timetable schedule, and full semester plan with a rotating timetable schedule, were sent separate…

Achievement and student attitudes were studied using data from 250 secondary Ontario mathematics classes. The differences between semester schools versus year-long schools were examined. Hours of instruction and teachers' experience were also noted. Lower achievement was observed in semester classes, with no advantage in student attitudes.…

In 1991, California's San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) formed a task force to investigate the effects of adopting academic calendars that end either before or after the winter holidays. To gather information, the task force performed a grade distribution analysis among district college students to determine the impact of fall semester…