The foundation of the first international schools of the modern era well over a century ago, and their burgeoning growth over recent years, provides the context in this book for a series of personal perspectives written by some of those who have been involved centrally in their development. As the schools themselves have increased not only in…

Defines competency-based adult education; provides a brief history of the Adult Performance Level (APL) Curriculum and Competency-Based High School Diploma program; explains the National Diffusion Network; examines how the APL staff offers training and technical assistance; and focuses on nontraditional APL program implementation. (CT)

Describes the University of Hawaii Community Colleges' attempt to meet student needs by transforming selected programs into noncredit, career-ladder modules, or "chunks." Describes the initial implementation, problems encountered, and the outlook for future applications. Highlights the need to guarantee accurate records and maintain full…

A survey of teachers' attitudes over the use of individual education programs (IEPs) for handicapped children revealed that they viewed the IEP more as a legal requirement than as an important guide for planning instruction. Few helped develop their students' IEPs. Recommendations for increasing teacher involvement in IEP are presented.…

Of the 110 public high schools in New York City, 11 are alternative high schools serving students who have been identified as "high risk," particularly dropouts and potential dropouts, as well as students who would benefit from learning environments and options not offered in comprehensive high schools. In 1984, the Curriculum…

The National Literacy Mission Authority has begun pilot testing an innovative open distance education program for newly literate individuals in 20 districts of India. Using open and distance education where literacy is at its infancy is feasible because newly literate persons can manage to read printed material and have the motivation to read and…

Distance education, especially in the form of correspondence study, is not a new phenomenon, but the success of the British Open University has given it a new image. Distance education programs have been developed to respond to a variety of societal and educational situations for which traditional classroom-based approaches are less feasible. They…

The Cooperative Alternative Education Center (CAEC) in Connecticut developed a building maintenance and carpentry vocational education program for adolescent special needs students with extreme learning, emotional, and social difficulties. Thirty-four students enrolled in the program, with a student-teacher ratio of 8:l, and classes met five times…

Distance education is a current "catch-all" phrase for any form of instruction in which the learner is linked to an educational institution and is formally enrolled, but instruction does not necessarily have to be delivered to or from an official school site. Distance education can provide equity and increase the quality of educational…

This paper proposes a new model for developing information access skills in an academic environment. In order to meet the increasing demand for "research competence" among students and faculty, it is necessary to move beyond traditional lecture formats and develop interactive multimedia instructional units which exploit ongoing advances…

Equivalency programmes (EPs) refers to alternative education programmes that are equivalent to the formal education system in terms of curriculum and certification, policy support mechanisms, mode of delivery, staff training, and other support activities such as monitoring, evaluation and assessment. The development of EPs is potentially an…

A project was conducted to develop a vocational instructional program designed to meet the vocational needs of students in small school districts. During the first phase of the project, a literature review was conducted to identify the philosophical bases, purposes, and structures that characterize cooperative vocational education programs and…

The third annual external evaluation of the Choctaw Special Alternative Instruction program is reported. The program has its roots in two efforts by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to improve their schools, an English-as-a-Second-Language education effort, and a curriculum implementation program. The Mississippi Band preserves many…

This final report and curriculum guide are products of a project conducted to improve existing at-risk programs through cooperation between vocational and academic personnel by coordinating lesson plans. The following project activities are described: (1) a literature review on the diverse needs of at-risk students enrolled in an alternative to…