The Olympic philosophy is discussed and procedures for participation in the National and International Olympic Academies are presented. (JD)

Argues that the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is an irrelevant concern because colleges, as a result of declining enrollments, are admitting a very high percentage of their applicants. Questions the predictive ability of the test and urges that other methods of evaluating and defining ability be found. (IRT)

Analyzes the challenges to using academic measures (MCAT scores and GPAs) as thresholds for medical school admissions and, for applicants exceeding the threshold, using personal qualities for admission decisions; reviews the literature on using the medical school interview and other admission data to assess personal qualities of applicants;…

Presents a new model for attaining diversity goals in medical school admissions and meeting standards related to validity and legality. Analyzes one year's admissions data for applicants to a large Midwestern medical college, and discusses the impact of the selection techniques on both majority and underrepresented minority applicants. (EV)

Discuss whether high scores on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) are associated with high student socioeconomic status, including high family income, particularly in California. Concludes that the SAT is no more a "wealth test" than is every other measure of student achievement such as grades. Describes other factors influencing…

Analyzed 3 years of admissions to regional adolescent psychiatric unit to obtain information on referral, adolescent and family, and behaviors leading to admission. Found slight excess of male admissions; two-thirds of admissions to be 14 or 15 years of age; high proportion of social worker referrals. Intolerable physical violence was reason for…

Discusses the work of a task force at the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing that was appointed to develop guidelines for admission of handicapped students to the undergraduate nursing program. The task force proposed admission guidelines and made recommendations for progression. (JOW)

To prepare 21st-century superintendents, we must abandon the present university-based, research-oriented preparation model in favor of a professional studies model that is more intellectually challenging and more practical. This article recommends certain changes in administrator preparation programs and outlines skills needed by tomorrow's…

Describes experience of Bates College with optional testing, summarizing results of optional Scholastic Aptitude Tests over five years and presenting snapshot of totally optional testing over one year. Discusses enrollment, predictive, and ethical implications of an optional testing policy. Concludes with some brief speculations on definitions of…

Examined screening and dismissal procedures currently being used in counselor training programs. Survey questionnaire, Screening and Terminating Procedures, was completed by 133 master's level counselor education programs. Findings showed that, although counselor educators had developed and used formal initial screening procedures, they were less…

A new admissions screening process was pilot tested with 30 nursing school applicants and later with 230 1995-96 applicants, who provided reference letters and personal essays in addition to grade point averages (GPAs). Those admitted had slightly lower GPAs than in prior years, but were rated higher on qualities needed for the future health care…

A multiple-form structure (MFS) is an ordered collection or network of testlets (i.e., sets of items). An examinee's progression through the network of testlets is dictated by the correctness of an examinee's answers, thereby adapting the test to his or her trait level. The collection of paths through the network yields the set of all possible…

In this article, the author comments on the issue of race and education in America. The author predicts that although the Supreme Court's recent ruling sheds some welcome light on affirmative action for higher education, the debate over the merit and methods of diversifying the student body will continue. By proactively addressing diversity,…

Historically, the primary role of financial aid was to increase educational opportunities for those with inadequate resources, yet more recently institutional aid is increasingly becoming based on criteria unrelated to financial need. Various political forces have reinforced the institutional tendency to redirect dollars from the mission of…

When California adopted its new mathematics standards at the turn of this century, state leaders raised the expectations for its K-12 students, including encouraging them to take Algebra I in 8th grade. This brief looks at how California's high school students are meeting the state's high academic standards in math. It focuses on access to and…