This paper describes a development project aimed at reducing the large number of dropouts in online degree project courses. The idea was that the introduction of group tutorials in virtual seminars, combined with extensive support materials, would reduce dropout rates. Among the students who participated, the dropout rate was reduced by 50%…

A survey of distance-learning institutions in 88 countries was conducted in 1983 to discover whether a network of such institutions existed that would allow the international sharing of educational programs under the sponsorship of the United Nations University (UNU). Findings are based on responses from 304 institutions (33%), cover 468 different…

Representatives of several states met to identify basic elements of a tracking system designed to ensure that disabled and at-risk infants and their families receive continuous and appropriate services to improve health and developmental outcome. Discussants explored six clusters of questions concerning the following: realistic goals and…

The Family Support Project in Lansing, Michigan, provides a variety of family support services to help maintain severely mentally and severely multiply impaired children in their own communities, and whenever possible, in their own homes. Services offered include case management, family therapy, respite services, special needs purchases,…

The Wisconsin Forces for Four-Year-Olds Project promotes a collaborative community approach to offering universal access to four-year-old kindergarten services for Wisconsin 4-year-olds. Presented in three major sections, this report offers an overview of a community approach to serving 4-year-olds, summarizes experiences in seven communities…

This report of a project to develop and test a prototype system for the delivery of continuing education (CE) to two defined target groups of registered dietitians includes user needs, alternative approaches, the operational plan, the management plan, and personnel. Major tasks involved in the project are described: (1) development,…

Using a questionnaire developed for a 1985 national survey of educational practices for gifted students in both public and parochial schools (the Sid W. Richardson Study), this study surveyed 273 Iowa school districts in 1993 to determine types of programs in existence in Iowa schools and how Iowa schools differed from the nation's schools in its…

The progress report covers the first year activities of the East Central Kansas Cooperative in Education's interrelated service delivery system for providing services for handicapped students in rural areas. Following a presentation of the rationale for using the interrelated service delivery approach, the following project objectives and the…

This paper describes a collaborative effort aimed at province-wide dissemination and implementation of pivotal response treatment (PRT) for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Nova Scotia, Canada. Three critical components of the associated training model are described: (1) direct training of treatment teams (parents, one-to-one…

This inventory of model programs in rural postsecondary education is part of a larger project to provide current research and resource information to rural educators and policy makers. The inventory is illustrative--not comprehensive or exhaustive--and results from mailing 805 survey instruments which elicited 251 responses and 183 candidates for…

This report is the culmination of an 8-1/2 month study designed, at the request of the Washington State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, to provide the data base necessary for consideration of voluntary early childhood education programs in the common school system of the State of Washington. Four major tasks…

Texts of two keynote addresses, synopses of workshop proceedings, and a detailed conference evaluation comprise this report of a conference planned to foster information exchange and collaboration--networking--among rural early intervention professionals. The address by Barbara Zang discusses specific skills and techniques for influencing state…

A study examined the following four alternatives to traditional vocational-technical high schools for delivering vocational education: apprenticeship programs, Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) programs, cooperative education, and industrial training. Two survey instruments were created specifically for the study: (1) a worker…

The paper summarizes the first year (1983-84) of a 3-year rural education project entailing collaboration between the College of Saint Rose (Albany, New York) and rural chief school officers (CSOs) to improve service to handicapped students. Project objectives are listed: to improve education of mainstreamed handicapped students by helping CSOs…

Programming options for emotionally disturbed (ED)/behavior disturbed (BD) students in rural public schools include self-contained special classrooms, resource rooms, consultant teachers, management assistants, and regular teachers in the mainstream. All options are intended specifically for ED/BD students and have proven effective in school…