Value of Business Education at the Secondary School Level as Preparation for Advanced Study

44 leaves.The problem. The purpose of this study was to determ1ne to what extent high school graduates are permitted to enroll in intermediate or advanced business courses at post-secondary institutions, what are the factors used by post-secondary institutions determining which students are eligible for the intermediate or advanced courses, and to what extent students are granted credit for elementary or intermediate courses which they are not required to take. Procedure. A questionnaire was developed to gather information relative to practices currently in use at post-secondary institutions regarding advanced placement. This questionnaire was mailed to the 49 accredited post-secondary institutions in Iowa. After the initial response of 32 colleges, a follow-up was made, and an additional 13 responses were obtained, making a total return of 93 per cent. Three of the returnees indicated that they offer no business courses. Data were taken from the questionnaire, tabulated, and interpreted. Findings. Seventy-one per cent of the 42 respondents indicated that they allow advanced placement in business courses for high school graduates. Students qualify for intermediate or advanced courses by means of a placement exam, interview regarding previous instruction, and review of student's high school records. Sixty per cent of the respondents permitting advanced placement grant credit for courses that are by-passed. Conclusions and Recommendations. It is concluded that the post-secondary institutions are providing for advanced placement, although students are not availing themselves of the opportunity. It is recommended that the business educators from secondary and post-secondary levels should develop a sequence of instruction, providing college-prep courses that are uniform in intensity of subject matter with emphasis on conceptual problem solving. A future study to determine why students are not availing themselves of the opportunities for advanced placement is suggested