U.S. observers of German apprenticeships are impressed with the quality of vocational training provided, the sense of purpose given to (part-time) academic schooling, and the smooth transition apprentices make from adolescence to adulthood. In Broome County, New York, Cornell University has initiated a Youth Apprenticeship Demonstration Project to…

A Durham, New Hampshire, research team successfully pilot-tested an alternative to holistically scored, timed writing samples that corrects some evaluation shortcomings without added cost. The team used portfolios to measure production, perception, and reflection across a population of 27 randomly selected fifth graders. This method proved…

This pilot project in distance education at the University of Minnesota used compressed video technology to link two campuses. Applications ranged from education and training sessions to policy planning meetings, and participants from a variety of fields were involved. Responses to a questionnaire administered to participants to assess the…

Despite a number of organizational limitations and shortcomings, a pilot project in Pakistan designed to make adults functionally literate with the help of television has been demonstrated viable. Three references are listed. (Author/LLS)

Findings from a national evaluation of a (British) Department of Education pilot headteacher mentoring scheme suggest that the new headteachers involved significantly benefited. Mentoring offered a way to raise matters of concern and get appropriate advice, helped participants reflect on the headteacher role and gain a broader leadership…

Despite promising research findings and enthusiastic participants, multiyear teacher/student relationships remain uncommon in U.S. schools. The multiyear approach offers great potential for summertime learning. Ambitious pilot programs in Attleboro and Worcester, Massachusetts, and West Bloomfield, Minnesota, are briefly described. (MLH)

Faculty of the North Dakota State University/Tri-College University Educational Administration Program felt the need to assess its current plan for teaching via a statewide interactive video network. The system's technical and structural barriers are discussed and evaluated, along with field-tested innovations and network extensions.…

Reviews the government's progress in introducing a formal, systematic, and compulsory system of teacher appraisal across England and Wales, using comparisons with civil service, business, and commerce appraisal techniques. Describes national government-initiated pilot appraisal schemes, concluding with a discussion of implications for developing a…

The objective of this study was to identify, describe, and appraise existing behavior-oriented, vandalism-prevention programs using a case-study approach. This report summarizes an investigation of three programs in Ontario (Canada): Project PRIDE (Pupils Responsible in Determining their own Environment); Operation Aware; and a Diversion program.…

Great Britain's General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ) is an innovative further education program that is empowering students and outstripping enrollment projections. In 1992-93, GNVQ was piloted in five vocational areas: business, health and social care, leisure and tourism, art and design, and manufacturing. Under GNVQ, assessment by…

Although North Dakota boasts the highest graduation rate in the nation at 95.7%, the state is shifting its perspective from a system of inputs and methodologies to a system emphasizing student-centered learning and performance. This article describes North Dakota's progress in consensus building, developing performance standards, revamping…

This article opens with a desciption of a pilot project for physicians at the University of Southern California, in which the central theme is self-directed learning. Then follow three selections focused on the continuing education of nurses, including a policy statement and guidelines for self-directed continuing education in nursing. (Author/CT)

Various elements of the Runnymede (England) Adult Education Institute's Flexistudy program are explored. They include student characteristics, academic achievement, tutor/student relationship, financial arrangements, and administrative organization. (CT)

One major obstacle to collaboration is perception of value--especially in urban areas where resources are shrinking and social problems are increasing. Sharing of resources is weighted by considerations of proximal benefit and proximal concern. This article shows how a New Orleans full-services school pilot project successfully garnered funding…

Arizona At-Risk Pilot Project results suggest most effective means to involve parents are those that establish personal rapport between someone from the school and a parent and do not initially require high levels of commitment or participation. The "ideal" parent may be hard to find, but getting to know parents individually and…