Lack of preparation and planning, lack of financial aid, and the complexities of the application process are the main reasons that American Indians and Alaska Natives do not enter or complete college. This guide provides information to assist Native American students in preparing for college and obtaining adequate financial assistance. Section 1…

An overview of innovative curriculum programs to increase student retention, with a focus on vocational instruction, is presented in this paper. The Pennsylvania Dauphin County Technical School is described, which utilizes a practical performance-oriented approach and individualized instruction in a vocation clusters system. The review of research…

The curriculum recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Articulation Between Secondary Schools and Ohio Colleges are presented, along with the recommendations of the Advisory Council for College Preparatory Education. The recommendations for college preparatory science programs include the laboratory experiences and scientific vocabulary, as…

A study examined various characteristics of learning environments that promote or retard the development of basic skills proficiency. Data on four school programs--vocational noncooperative, vocational cooperative, general education, and college preparatory--were collected in a repeated measure design via observations, testing, and interviews. A…

Evidence of decline in academic performance and academic standards in schools and colleges, and examples of reform are considered, based on work of a Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) task force. Declining scores on college entrance examinations and other standardized tests imply that students have been learning less in high school.…

A model for developing articulation between college and high school second language programs is presented. The four-step process involves discussion, planning, implementation, and expansion of the network. After the discussion, the following goals for a network were established: (1) to provide additional educational experiences for foreign…

Information about college preparation programs, opportunities for leadership experiences, funding sources, and resource organizations is presented to help schools develop preparatory programs for youths currently underrepresented in higher education. The following qualities of an effective university and college opportunities (UCO) program are…

Freshmen who received less than a 2.0 grade average during their first semester at college were asked to indicate on a written questionnaire the extent to which 68 factors were or were not a reason for their poor academic performance. Respondents were also encouraged to supply additional observations about their educational experiences that seemed…

Berkeley undergraduates were surveyed in 1970 and again in 1973 to identify determinants of the decision to leave college among four types of leavers: failing transfers, failing dropouts, transfers in good standing, and dropouts in good standing. The following student characteristics are analyzed: family background, academic preparation, family…

Factors contributing to Native students' college success were examined in a study of 50 Native freshmen and 42 non-Native freshmen at the University of Alaska in the 1973-74 academic year. The study compared students in relation to three common explanations of college success: level of academic preparation, goal orientation, ease in the campus…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Americans Speak on Education: Public Credits Education System for U.S. Success in the World, but Worries About Future…

A study examined rural, low-income students' experiences with online advanced placement (AP) courses. Interviews were conducted with 30 students, their mentors, and school administrators at four rural high schools in two Western states; 25 students were low-income. Positive comments about the online experience mentioned interaction with other…

This report looks at three areas of performance: (1) Access and Preparation--How well are students able to gain access to college and are they well prepared?; (2) Quality--Are students receiving a quality education?; and (3) Efficiency and Finance--How is Higher Education financed and what are the trends? The report also includes the findings of…

Central Queensland University's Women into Science and Technology program aimed to broaden the access of women to higher education, improve their career opportunities and employment prospects, and address the personnel shortage in engineering and technology by encouraging mature age women to consider these fields. The distance learning program was…

While the nation's public systems continue to fall short of delivering equitable educational supports to children and youth, youth workers have spent the last several decades insulating and, in some cases, patching the leaks in the "education pipeline"--a term describing the route students follow from early childhood through…