This response to criticisms of open admissions programs in U.S. postsecondary education addresses the following issues: that there are not enough jobs for graduates; that enrollments will decline anyway; and that expanding access to education is a myth that promises social mobility but only maintains social inequalities. (JMD)

Effective counseling with high-risk students must begin with interpersonal skills and then go beyond traditional practices to create a low-risk learning environment. (Author/LBH)

An analysis of developments at the Open University since 1973 indicates that there has been little reduction in average cost in real terms and that no improvement is likely on known developments to 1979. Reasons for this are explored, and suggestions for improving the situation are offered. (Editor/LBH)

Instead of a campus, the Community College of Vermont has four regional field sites. At regular intervals, the community is asked what it wants and needs to learn. Teachers are found, curricula developed, and instruction begun. At the end of a course students and teachers write narrative evaluations of learning outcomes. (Author/LBH)

Florida's mandate of open enrollment for the community colleges and maintenance of the state universities as a limited access system is examined from the perspectives of its origins, perpetuation, problems, and the need for articulation. (MSE)

Argues that although parents have primary responsibility for education society must ensure that it is distributed fairly and provides the skills and knowledge that every American should learn. Outlines arguments for and against "open enrollment" or unrestricted choice school plans. Describes a system of conditional choices implemented in…

Access, excellence, and equity can be combined, with the help of a revised-access model for community colleges that merges the desirable elements of competitive selection and open enrollment in an effort to protect democratic values while supporting quality and commitment. (MSE)

A three-year case study of education at "Oakwood Community College," an anonymous urban institution with an open access admissions policy, is described. What is happening to the students at open-access institutions, their learning styles, their objectives, their behavior, and whether these students are serviced or taught is discussed.…

Some of the common characteristics of remedial students are described and their relation to difficulty in mastering course content and completing course requirements are discussed. Teaching techniques are suggested that will afford students a greater opportunity to succeed. (MLW)

This report examines what has happened since 1985 with four statewide Minnesota public school choice laws. These include open enrollment, postsecondary enrollment options, second chance options, and charter public schools. Data collected over 2 years via interviews with and surveys of key stakeholders, including students at postsecondary…

One of the most controversial issues in contemporary education policy--school choice--plays a prominent part in the newly revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA 2001) legislation. In fact, ESEA 2001 provides support for public school choice through a number of provisions, including the Innovative Programs, Public Charter Schools…

Discussion of 2 themes, the minority student and special programs, comprise the bulk of this review. (Author)

Reviews the decline of educational standards as reflected in national test scores and discusses four pedagogic causes for this decline: the abandonment of written tests in favor of objective, true/false testing techniques; nonpunitive grading and attendance policies; excessive use of technology in the classroom; and academic grade inflation. (JP)

Sketches the historical movement from orality to literacy that Walter J. Ong theorizes, applying it to basic writing instruction for open admissions students. Suggests that teachers first concentrate on narrative and rhetoric to develop writing about particularized details, saving sentence control exercises such as sentence combining for…

Criticizes the efforts of community college instructors to achieve the status of college professors through over-specializing, opposing the open door policy, and emphasizing transfer programs. Asserts that community college teachers should be selected for teaching competence and experience, commitment to community affairs, and belief in the…