The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- February 1, 1999

Core-course 'Updates' delivered to high schools

The latest version of NCAA core-course review materials has been sent to designated recipients at 24,000 high schools nationwide.

The NCAA's "1999 Update" incorporates changes gleaned from suggestions from several national high-school organizations, counselors and principals in order to make the materials as informative and user-friendly as possible.

Many changes were made to the core-course review materials based on feedback solicited regarding last year's "1998 Playbook."

The most noticeable change for 1999 is that high schools will have the flexibility to return only those core-course submission forms on which there are changes.

If high schools have no changes to make to their list of NCAA Approved Core Courses (formerly Form 48-H), administrators are asked to complete only the High-School Information Update form.

Also included in the year's packet is a revised English as a Second Language (ESL) English policy, which permits core-course credit to be awarded to a specific student who has taken advanced ESL English courses while in high school.

Such credit is awarded through the initial-eligibility waiver process, not by the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. The re-

vised policy was approved last fall by the Initial-Eligibility Subcommittee of the Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet and the Division II Academic Requirements Committee.

Diane Dickman, NCAA director of membership services, said the NCAA is requesting that core-course submission forms and/or the High-School Information Update form be submitted to the clearinghouse by March 15. Dickman noted that will allow high schools to receive their updated list of NCAA Approved Core Courses in time to counsel students for the 1999-2000 school year.