While the National Collegiate Athletic Association has spent all summer putting a happy face on its annual Division I Graduation-Rates Report, others caution that, to avoid being misleading, the rates need to be put into perspective.

Claiming that Division I student athletes who receive athletic scholarships continue to graduate at a higher rate than non-athletes, the report is the fourth issued by the association since Proposition 48 -- which requires student athletes to meet certain academic requirements in order to be eligible to play sports as freshmen -- went into effect. The requirements included a minimum standardized test score, plus a certain grade-point average in a core of college preparatory classes.

According to the report, the number of student athletes who graduated in the class entering in 1989 was 14 percent higher than the class that entered in 1985-86, the last year before Proposition 48 became effective. During the same period, the total number of student athletes went up only 2 percent.

Also, according to the report, approximately 20 percent more Black student athletes graduated in the class that entered college in 1989 as compared to the class entering in 1985.

NCAA Executive Director Cedric Dempsey was enthusiastic about the report, saying, "Now that we have four years of data from classes that entered college after Proposition 48 went into effect, I'm pleased to see that the goal of higher graduation rates was met. By asking high-school student athletes to do a better job of preparing academically for college, we've ensured that more of them will be successful in getting a degree."

Undeserved Credit

But, there are those who believe the NCAA is taking too much credit for the improved rates while continuing to ignore those who are denied athletic scholarships because of the rigid academic standards. A disproportionate number of those who fall short of the standards are Blacks, generally tripped up on the required standardized test score. Blacks tend to score lower on such tests than their white counterparts. Marilyn Yohe, a program associate with Fair Play, which has rigorously protested Proposition 48, said the NCAA has put up a smoke screen with the graduation rates because, "as we've looked over the past ten years or so, graduation rates as a whole have gone up. The graduation rates of athletes and non-athletes reflect an overall trend in graduation rates rather than the result of stricter academic standards."