Read it all at The Wall Street Journal…

College-Entrance Test Scores Flagging
By Robert Tomsho

Only about a quarter of the 2009 high school graduates taking the ACT admissions test have the skills to succeed in college, according to a report on the exam that shows little improvement over results from the 2008 graduating class.

The Iowa City, Iowa-based ACT said 23% of this year’s high school graduates had scores that indicated they were ready for college in all four ACT subject areas, or had at least a 75% chance of earning a grade of C or better in entry-level courses. Last year, a similar ACT analysis found that 22% of the class of 2008 was college-ready.

“We’re not making the progress we need to be making,” said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, an advocacy group focused on boosting high-school graduation rates. “The only way you improve these numbers and get them higher is by improving your secondary schools.”

About 1.48 million of the 3.3 million members of the high school class of 2009 took the ACT, typically in their junior year. ACT said its report was based on comparing students’ ACT test scores in English, reading, math and science with the grades they earned in related courses during their first year in college.

Law school introduces online program
By Rheyanne Weaver

The College of Law has a new online undergraduate degree program for the fall that will provide more legal background for students interested in non-lawyer legal careers.

The Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies is an option for students who want to possibly become paralegals, legal assistants, social workers, entrepreneurs and more, according to Paul Berman, dean of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.

“The law school should be a multi-faceted legal studies center,” Berman said.

He said students can learn about legal institutions and discourse of law.