SPORTS RULES - DESERVING STUDENTS AND SCHOOL REFORMERS SUFFER - THE TRAGIC IMPACT OF THE NCAAS EFFORTS TO IMPOSE STANDARDS ON HIGH-SCHOOLS

Is the National Collegiate Athletic Organization (NCAA), an organizati on whose central role is regulating college and university sports, rea lly the appropriate group to dictate high school course standards ? Th e NCAA's Initial Eligibility process illustrates the harm a poorly des igned, badly implemented effort to impose standards from ''on high'' c an do to deserving students and talented educators. The NCAA's questio nable standards and sloppy procedures have delayed or blocked thousand s of high school students, including a National Merit Scholar, class v aledictorians and other qualified students, from participating in coll ege sports. A strong athletic record, good grades, and high test score s no longer guarantee that students will be able to participate tit un iversity sports-they now must fake an acceptable number of NCCA-approv ed courses. The NCAA has also frustrated high school reformers by clas sifying many researched-based courses as inappropriate for college pre paration. This article describes a growing national challenge to NCAA policies and procedures, and proposes next steps.