The General Accounting Office (GAO) examined the allocation of vocational rehabilitation (VR) funds to determine whether and how states are prioritizing VR services to individuals with the most severe disabilities through the order-of-selection procedure mandated in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. GAO visited VR agencies in 20 states and analyzed…

The development and use of Oregon's Proficiency-Based Admission Standards System (PASS) are described and results of some evaluations of the PASS system are presented. PASS is to be used for college entry in Oregon and is designed to promote the seamlessness of high school and college education by guaranteeing that students would have the…

The issue of whether high school and postsecondary students with native language communication deficits can succeed in second language study is discussed. It is noted that before World War II, language education was considered primarily a good form of mental discipline. More recent trends toward "relevant" language learning have emphasized…

Separate but related developments in the new generation of school effectiveness research are discussed. The first part of the report presents a short historical overview that traces the change from a largely individualistic research approach to one that is more holistic. Whether schools make a difference is explored, and, if so, what makes them…

This report presents the framework for a legislatively mandated proficiency-based approach to admissions at Oregon's eight public baccalaureate-granting institutions. The goal of the report is to present a systems-level description of why and how a proficiency-based admissions system should operate. Part 1 considers the implications of the…

A dual screening device for teacher preparation programs was mandated by the Texas legislature in 1981. The two requirements included passing an entrance examination upon application to a teacher education program, and passing a proficiency examination upon completion of the program. The state must produce competent, well-prepared teachers; train…

Graduate programs were developed cooperatively by several U.S. universities and the Iranian Ministry of Education in response to the critical shortage of Iranian teachers and educational administrators. A variety of administrative, logistical, academic, and cultural problems were encountered in bringing mid-career educators to the United States to…

Surveys of admitted students (N=309) at the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) were conducted in order to obtain admitted applicants' views of the functioning of the Admission Office and to assess differences in responses of certain subgroups of applicants. The four classification variables defining the subgroups were: acceptance status…

This paper discusses ways that institutions can change the higher education system and environment to accommodate more minority students. The first section, "Institutional Climate and Minority Achievement," presents an overview of the problems facing colleges and universities with respect to recruiting and retaining minority students. In the…

Based on information obtained from the California State University (CSU) system, and the California Postsecondary Education Commission, this report examines Riverside Community College (RCC) students who transferred to CSU, focusing on the period between 1985 and 1989. The study presents data on the total numbers of California Community Colleges…

This two-part study report offers a longitudinal analysis of the performance of Riverside Community College (RCC) students who transferred to the University of California (UC) from 1963 to 1981; and provides an in-depth look at the academic achievement of 1984 UC transfers while at RCC. Section A includes information on: (1) first-time fall…

This monograph reviews literature on, and presents recommendations for, recruiting and selecting students who will train to become teachers for urban schools. Studies show that urban patterns of poverty, early parenthood, and other social ills make urban school children at high risk for academic failure. There is a critical shortage of teachers in…

This publication presents a statistical report of current general and financial information on Catholic elementary school education in the United States. The report is a companion piece to "United States Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1987-88." Both reports overview and analyze the core school, enrollment trends, and staffing…

Although by traditional measures of test validity, the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is not culture biased, it, along with the English Composition Test and the Test of Standard Written English, reinforces a narrow view of academic excellence that excludes culturally different youths. Designed to prevent admission errors, the…

Within the context of current discussions on improving urban public education, this report provides an analysis of the magnet school as a model for educational quality and excellence and gives an objective assessment of its potential as a method of improving urban education. A comparative case study methodology combined the collection of…