The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shares the Governor's concern about the need to prepare students for the 21st century economy. Technology has the power to enhance students' learning, engage them, and ultimately prepare them for the competitive world beyond school. In order to prepare students for their future in this increasingly…

Online learning is growing rapidly as states and districts are creating new online schools, and existing programs are adding new courses and students. The growth reflects the spreading understanding that online courses and programs can serve a wide variety of students and needs. These include: (1) Creating opportunities for small and rural school…

Education depends on resources that may be tangible (teachers, facilities, textbooks, money) or intangible (political will, parental support). Considerations of space, usually in the form of questions containing the word "where", constitute another resource issue that confronts educational managers almost daily. Questions like…

The Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX; www.alex.state.al.us) is a network-based education system designed and implemented to help improve education in Alabama. It accomplishes this goal by providing a single location for the state's K-12 educators to find information that will help improve their classroom effectiveness. The ALEX system includes…

This hearing before the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services, Education and Related Agencies is about what will be done in the 21st century to improve the learning skills for children from the earliest age through all their education. Senator Tom Harkin (Iowa) presided. Opening statements were given by Senator Harkin and Senator Arlen…

To successfully create a Web site, schools and jurisdictions must plan for the site's content, design and development and learn the principles of effective page design. This report contains technical advice on implementing and managing Web site development in schools. Following an introduction which discusses functions of jurisdiction and school…

Presents the Virtual Reference Desk project, its activities, and a proposed information system architecture to build a human intermediated network of expertise and experience. The project seeks to study, support, and improve current K-12 digital reference services, as well as to build a foundation for a national cooperative digital reference…

Online learning is growing rapidly across the United States within all levels of education, as more and more students and educators become familiar with the benefits of learning unconstrained by time and place. Across most states and all grade levels, students are finding increased opportunity, flexibility, and convenience through online learning.…