Values of open admissions students,police students,and their teachers

This study compared the values of college open admissions students and of college police students to their teachers' values. It was found that for both groups new students differ from the faculty more than do advanced students, suggesting value changes in the direction of the faculty. Also found was no relationship between students' value similarity to the faculty and their academic success.     

College Talk and the Rural Economy: Shaping the Educational Aspirations of Rural,First-Generation Students

The college-going rates of rural students lag behind those of more urban students, a gap likely due, in part, to rural students’ lower educational aspirations. These lower aspirations appear to be tied to the dilemma that higher education presents for many rural students: whether to remain in their rural home, working in traditional trades and industries that do not require a college degree, or to leave in pursuit of an education that is often the first step toward an adult life lived away. This study seeks to better understand this dilemma by examining the messages that rural, first-generation students receive about the value of higher education. Drawing upon interviews and observations, it shows that high school guidance counselors, college admissions officials, and the staff of community-based college aspirations organizations adopt a strikingly consistent message: they cite struggling rural economies in their argument for the necessity of a practical degree for all students, one that can be easily leveraged into a career. Despite noting broad parental support for this message, many participants also describe continued resistance from some rural families, a perception that may heighten the dilemma of rural college-going for students.     

重点高校入学机会城乡不公原因析论

高等教育进入大众化阶段以后,重点高校农村生源所占比例不断下降,获取优质高等教育机会的城乡不公问题迅速成为社会焦点。重点高校农村生源比例下降与基础教育、高校招生考试、高校招生录取密切相关。基础教育的城乡差异使得农村学生输在了竞争重点高校的“起跑线”上,体现程序公平的高校招生考试在报考、施考、命题等环节渗含着“歧视”农村考生的因素,高校招生录取过程中的加分政策、生源属地化倾向也更加有利于城市考生。     

思维导图:打开美术思维之门的钥匙

美术思维的训练与培养是中学美术教育的一道难题。思维导图就像一把打开美术思维之门的钥匙,在美术思维训练中发挥着特殊作用。思维导图的发散思维,可以打开学生想象创造之门;思维导图的全脑学习,可以打开学生的右脑直觉之门;思维导图的图文并茂,可以打开学生的绘画思维之门;思维导图与美育结合,可以打开学生的学科整合之门。     

Defining and Measuring College and Career Readiness: A Validation Framework

This article reviews the intended uses of these college‐ and career‐readiness assessments with the goal of articulating an appropriate validity argument to support such uses. These assessments differ fundamentally from today's state assessments employed for state accountability. Current assessments are used to determine if students have mastered the knowledge and skills articulated in state standards; content standards, performance levels, and student impact often differ across states. College‐ and career‐readiness assessments will be used to determine if students are prepared to succeed in postsecondary education. Do students have a high probability of academic success in college or career‐training programs? As with admissions, placement, and selection tests, the primary interpretations that will be made from test scores concern future performance. Statistical evidence between test scores and performance in postsecondary education will become an important form of evidence. A validation argument should first define the construct (college and career readiness) and then define appropriate criterion measures. This article reviews alternative definitions and measures of college and career readiness and contrasts traditional standard‐setting methods with empirically based approaches to support a validation argument.     

网络时代“90后”高职院校学生管理工作中的问题与建议

网络对于高校学生的教育管理来说是一把"双刃剑",有利也有弊。由于目前高职院校招生困难,导致录取分数线不断下降,学生素质一再下滑,"90后"学生更是性格叛逆、个性学生比较多,导致高职院校学生的教育管理面临压力较大。针对网络时代"90后"高职院校学生的管理工作进行了分析研究并提出了相关建议。     

Performance,Perseverance, and the Full Picture of College Readiness

Although college readiness is a centerpiece of major educational initiatives such as the Common Core State Standards, few systems have been implemented to track children's progress toward this goal. Instead, college‐readiness information is typically conveyed late in a student's high‐school career, and tends to focus solely on academic accomplishments—grades and admissions test scores. Late‐stage feedback can be problematic for students who need to correct course, so the purpose of this research is to develop a system for communicating more comprehensive college‐readiness diagnoses earlier in a child's K‐12 career. This article introduces college‐readiness indicators for middle‐school students, drawing on the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS), a nationally representative longitudinal survey of educational inputs, contexts, and outcomes. A diversity of middle‐school variables was synthesized into six factors: achievement, behavior, motivation, social engagement, family circumstances, and school characteristics. Middle‐school factors explain 69% of the variance in college readiness, and results suggest a variety of factors beyond academic achievement—most notably motivation and behavior—contribute substantially to preparedness for postsecondary study. The article concludes with limitations and future directions, including the development of college‐readiness categories to support straightforward communication of middle‐school indicators to parents, teachers, and students.     

DOES VOCABULARY DECLINE QUALITATIVELY IN OLD AGE?

It has been asserted that standard scoring criteria of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) vocabulary subtest may be insufficiently sensitive to differentiate between qualitatively superior and inferior responses of younger and older adults (Botwinick & Storandt, 1974). Alternative “qualitative” criteria, based upon the premise that a synonym response is superior to other forms of definition such as an explanation or illustration of word use, have been used in several previous studies which demonstrated apparent decline in vocabulary skills of older adults. The present research uses the proposed new qualitative criteria, testing both superior and average‐ability subjects from contrasting educational settings: a selective private university and a two‐year public college with an “open‐door” admissions policy. Within both educationally balanced groups of subjects older adults performed significantly better than the young, judged by either standard or qualitative criteria. Variables such as lifestyle, occupational history, and choice of college major appear to be related to variations in scoring patterns     

Why some early college high school students do not transition to a 4‐year college: An exploration of perceived barriers and schooling experiences on students’ transition plans

This study examined why some seniors attending Early College High Schools did not plan to continue their education at a 4‐year college immediately after graduation despite attending schools designed to provide coordinated academic and social supports with the expectation that all students would continue their education. Most students in our study (75%) did plan to continue their education at a 4‐year college immediately after graduation. For the remaining students, we used cluster analysis to identify four distinct groups of noncollege bound students. These groups were evaluated based on background characteristics, perceived opportunities and barriers, and schooling experiences. Results indicate that noncollege bound students are diverse in their reasons for not continuing their education at a 4‐year program and that any reform efforts designed to personalize opportunities and supports for these students must take into account how combinations of perceived opportunities and barriers shape their postsecondary decisions.     

Community College Students With Criminal Justice Histories and Human Services Education: Glass Ceiling,Brick Wall,or a Pathway to Success

In spite of open access to community college education, specifically human service associate degree programs, students with criminal justice histories do not necessarily have an unobstructed pathway to obtaining the degree and admission to the baccalaureate programs in human services and social work that are almost always selective. The first obstacle may arise when a student must be placed in the field internship. This may mark the first time in a student’s educational career where he or she must disclose his or her ex-offender status. While higher education plays a well-documented role against recidivism, students who are ex-offenders who are enrolled in community college programs and also have their sights set on transfer, professional credentialing, and professional employment, may face similar barriers. There is a paucity of research related to students in community college with criminal justice histories and a clear need for qualitative and quantitative study in the area. The author calls for more active advocacy and community education roles for community college professionals in this arena as well.     

An investigation of the college and career counseling needs of economically disadvantaged,minority gifted students

This study is an investigation of the college and career counseling needs of economically disadvantaged, academically gifted minority students. Two groups of students were studied and compared ‐ one group of 50 low‐income students, predominantly minority, who were chosen for a special college counseling program, and a second group of 42 middle to high income students, predominantly Asian and Caucasian, who were participating in a summer academic program. Students were compared on college plans and preparations, aspirations and expectations about higher education, support from others, motivation, values, and career interests and maturity. Results showed that the gifted disadvantaged students had lower educational aspirations, felt somewhat less prepared for college and less confident about being admitted, had unrealistic ideas about how to finance college, and perceived that college life would be more frightening and lonely compared to nondisadvantaged students. Student groups were similar in motivation to attend college, support from significant others and values. Disadvantaged students had better skills related to selecting a career but expressed less confidence in making a career decision. The results suggest a need for differentiated college counseling programs for disadvantaged minority students.     

Legitimating status: perceptions of meritocracy and inequality among undergraduates at an elite British university

Given the frequent critiques of elite universities for admitting low numbers of state school graduates and, more recently, British Afro‐Caribbean students, how do students attending those universities make meaning of the admissions process? Through an analysis of 46 one‐on‐one in‐depth interviews with undergraduates attending Oxford University, we show that students believe in the fairness of the admissions process, while lamenting the lack of opportunities for educational advancement faced by some disadvantaged youth in British society. Despite their understanding that many British youth do not have access to educational experiences that make Oxbridge an attainable goal, most students do not support changes to make access more equitable across class or racial/ethnic lines. This perspective, which legitimates the status students gain through matriculation at an elite university, supports the maintenance of unequal access to an Oxford education despite the advantages that education is known to confer to graduates. The findings demonstrate elites acknowledging the disadvantages of particular groups in society without acknowledging their own advantages in the same system. They do so by recognizing two elements of merit: (1) intelligence, which most students assumed led to their own admission; and (2) cultivation of that intelligence, which requires elite secondary schools and which most students see as disadvantaging particular groups in society. In the paper we highlight differences in meaning‐making between graduates of grammar, comprehensive and private schools.     

High school grades,admissions policies,and the gender gap in college enrollment

The female advantage in college enrollment and completion has generated concern among university officials and sparked debate about gender-conscious college admissions. There are a number of explanations for this increasing gender imbalance on college campuses. This paper focuses on the role played by admissions policies that base decisions solely on applicants’ high school grades. Given that females earn higher grades than males, such policies can contribute to growing female shares in admissions. To exemplify this trend, I use publicly-available data from Texas to show that the Texas Top 10% plan, which guarantees public university admission to students who graduate in the top decile of their high school class, led to an increase in the female share of accepted students. The increase was particularly large among black students, where the female share of admitted students was already highest among the major racial/ethnic groups.     

关于开发外来务工人员开放教育市场的调研报告

中国在农民工继续教育上有着根本的利益,农民工聚居社区的政府、企业、农民工,甚至学校,他们在农民工教育方面也都有着共同利益.外来务工人员是一个非常好学的群体,在很大程度上是愿意为自己的继续教育买单的,平均每人年继续教育开支的意愿达700元.必须把教育基础设施建到农民工的身旁,在每个拥有1～1.5万元左右农民工的聚居区建立一个学习中心,一辆短程的公共汽车就能把一个学习中心和周围的学习中心联结起来,形成一个社区/开放大学.农民工需要职业技术培训和学历文凭相结合的教育项目,成人补习教育、娱乐休闲教育等需要创造性地运用网络和面对面授课相结合.我们需要一个真正的开放大学:即是没有门槛;教育超市;开放教育市场.我们建议“政府自上而下推动“ “有创意的红娘“ “社区利益相关者共建“的模式.中央政府和工业区密集的地方政府可以分别设立“工业区社区大学专项资金“,鼓励“有创意的红娘“来申请“赠款“,举办工业区的社区大学.工业区建立之前就存在的成人学校挂上一块社区大学的牌子来面对今天农民工这批新产业工人的多样性教育需求,弄得不好就是“刻舟求剑“、“削足适履“.因此,鼓励大学教育家举办社区大学,这不是传统意义上的国家所有制的大学,也不是民办大学,而是既有国家“赠款“,又有社区(镇/村)公共投入,还有企业和其他社会团体和民众投入的真正意义上的社区大学.这种社区大学是真正非盈利的,可定性为新兴的“事业单位“,产权完全归社会所有.当中国在五到十年内进入下一轮高等教育扩张时,可能这种“全工半读“的“开放大学“将成为高等教育的主力,一种提供“只要愿意,肯劳动,人人都可上大学“的新通道.     

Professor Paul Horst's Legacy: A Differential Prediction Model for Effective Guidance in Course Selection

The role of testing in determining college admissions and the impact of that testing on high school students are commanding increasing attention. There is emerging evidence that admissions decisions made solely on the basis of high school record can serve the college as well or better than decisions based, at least in part, on scores obtained on admissions tests. Further, though there is a recognized need for guidance, the tests in current use for admission provide limited information for helping students in making course selections that would make the best use of their abilities. This article reviews an alternative, long neglected and little known, for testing at the high school-college interface that would meet this need. Testing to provide differential prediction of college performance, as proposed by Paul Horst, focuses on allowing students to make the best match between their achievements, interests, and goals with the undergraduate programs of study available to them.     

TUITION AND THE OPEN‐DOOR: A RELATIVE PERSPECTIVE

This research was initiated to explore the effects of changing tuition rates on the open‐door policy of U.S. community junior colleges. Tuition trends in the two‐year colleges of 50 states were assessed using data gathered from the 1975 and 1980 editions of the AACJC Directory, 1980 Fact Book for Academic Administrators, and recently published journal articles. The relationship between tuition rates and enrollment levels in each state were analyzed. The analyses point to a trend of continuous increase in tuition rates for U.S. public two‐year colleges since 1951. Even though the percentage of increase in tuition for recent years has been higher for two‐year colleges than for four‐year colleges, there remains a substantial difference between the average annual tuition of the two types of institutions. There appears to be a negative correlation between tuition and enrollment at two‐year colleges for 1974‐1975 (—.27) and for 1979‐1980 (—.21). Based on these findings, it would appear that further increases in tuition might serve to close college doors for those not able to afford the rising costs of education. Suggestions are offered for internal and external actions to help maintain open access despite rising tuition costs.     

Bunny Hill or Black Diamond: Differences in Advanced Course‐Taking in College as a Function of Cognitive Ability and High School GPA

College students commonly have considerable course choice, and they can differ substantially in the proportion of their coursework taken at an advanced level. While advanced coursework is generally viewed as a desirable component of a student's education, research has rarely explored differences in student course‐taking patterns as a measure of academic success in college. We examined the relationship between the SAT, high school grade point average (HSGPA), and the amount of advanced coursework taken in a sample of 62 colleges and 188,985 students. We found that both the SAT and HSGPA predict enrollment in advanced courses, even after controlling for advanced placement (AP) credits and demographic variables. The SAT subtests of Critical Reading, Writing, and Math displayed differential relationships with advanced course‐taking dependent on student major. Gender and race/ethnicity were also related to advanced course‐taking, with women taking more advanced courses in all major categories except for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) where they took fewer, even after controlling for other variables. Socioeconomic status had a negligible relationship with advanced course‐taking. This research broadens our understanding of academic achievement in college and the goals of admissions in higher education.     

Comparing Academic Readiness Requirements for Different Postsecondary Pathways: What Admissions Tests Tell Us

Ensuring postsecondary readiness is a goal of K‐12 education, but it is unclear whether high school students should get different messages about the required levels of academic preparation depending on their postsecondary trajectories. This study estimated readiness benchmark scores on a college admissions test predictive of earning good grades in majors associated with middle‐skills occupations at 2‐year postsecondary institutions. Results generally indicated similarity between those scores, the corresponding scores for students preparing for high‐skills jobs requiring a bachelor's degree, and established readiness benchmarks for the general college‐going population. Subsequent analyses revealed small variation between readiness benchmarks for different college majors. Overall, results suggest that high school graduates need a strong academic foundation regardless of the postsecondary path they choose.     

A Review of: “Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter”

Scholarship matters. It allows faculty to fulfill the responsibilities of their three academic citizenships--in their institutions, in their disciplines, and in higher education in general. Current standards for community college faculty scholarship, however, have excluded faculty from exercising academic citizenship outside of their institutions. The sector claim to a unique teaching mission has been used to exempt or exclude community college faculty from the scholarly obligations and responsibilities understood elsewhere in higher education. The absence of generally accepted norms for scholarly production and validation at most community colleges continues to set them apart from other institutions, including those also serving non-traditional open admissions students. By discouraging externally validated scholarship, community colleges deny their faculty an appropriate voice in higher education and deny the rest of higher education the important voice of community college faculty. By encouraging scholarship that meets the tests of external scrutiny, community colleges can provide their faculty with legitimate higher education citizenship beyond the institution.     

如何推动高校学生课外体育活动之我见

课外时间大大多于体育课的时间,所以课外体育活动是实现高校体育目标的一条重要途径。应该寻找突破口来提高高校学生参加课外体育活动的主动性和自觉性,推动高校学生的课外体育活动的开展。