This report describes activities of the National Council on Disability (NCD) during fiscal year 2001. Activities were focused around NCD's four strategic goals: (1) to enhance the lives of people with disabilities of all ages and backgrounds through the development of policy recommendations; (2) to educate the public and elected officials on…

In this volume, experienced distance educators provide insights into new trends in computer-based teaching and learning in postsecondary education. The book is divided into four parts: (1) Issues and Trends; (2) Instructional Design Principles for Distance Learning; (3) Alternative Delivery Systems for Distance Learning; and (4) Administrative…

The foundations, development, and delivery of distance education were examined through a literature review and first-hand experience in administration and teaching in an international online school. The evolution of distance education was traced from the 1800s, when it was a print-based method of instruction conducted at a distance, through the…

Noting that prevention programs seldom work well, primarily because they are not implemented as required by the underlying program theory, this article summarizes literature suggesting that features of the implementing organization and its ecological context are related to the strength and fidelity of implementation. Schools are used as a focal…

This study surveyed local interagency coordinating councils (LICCs) required under Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act concerning: the composition of council membership; information regarding frequency of meetings, membership turnover, and other demographic characteristics of the groups; and how well the LICCs are…

This book gives practical advice to students and professionals for developing truly collaborative relationships with families. Long-term goals and proposed support models are outlined to help practitioners learn to address families' unique needs. Chapters of case examples highlight service integration problems. Section 1, "A Model for Practice,"…

The Internet offers trade and industrial (T&I) educators a wealth of readily available information for use as teaching aids, supplemental materials, and laboratory resources. These materials provide many distinct benefits; however, there are also several issues that must be addressed when using the Internet as an adjunct in teaching. These…

This executive summary of a final report describes activities and accomplishments of Iowa's 3-year program to improve the quality of educational and community-based services for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with deaf-blindness. The project provided technical assistance to schools, area education agencies, and other service providers. It…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of a project designed to develop, implement, and evaluate a new three-year longitudinal competency based curriculum for pediatric residents on their role in early intervention and special education. The curriculum consisted of four half-days per month for every resident in an ambulatory…

This paper offers arguments against some aspects of both the push toward a marketable curriculum and the extremes of student-centered teaching. The author uses as an example her own experiences teaching freshman composition telecourses at an off-campus location. The courses were offered at Inver Hills Community College, Minnesota, a small…

As child care becomes an increasingly important public policy issue on the national level, there is emerging concern about Georgia's readiness to meet the needs of its children in care. This study documented the state of child care in Georgia in comparison to other states, to national averages, and to national standards. A group of 12 comparison…

This commentary focuses on the role of the Canadian federal government in early childhood development policy. The commentary begins by exploring the twin pillars of Canada's family policy, income support and services, then asserts that policy must move beyond these traditional provisions to offer early childhood development initiatives that will…

Noting that Minnesota has developed many innovative services for parents and infants, but does not yet have an organized way to attend to infants' emotional development and mental health needs, this report details a study to ascertain the need for infant mental health services and examined the current level and types of services available. Data…

A new conceptual framework for comparative analysis of distance higher education systems, called the Systems Analysis, Typology and Shaping Mechanism (SATS), was used to compare the structures and functions of the DE systems of Australia (which includes external studies and open learning components) and China (which includes correspondence…

This booklet, which is intended for individuals involved in the delivery of service learning, provides ideas and strategies for developing or expanding service learning partnerships. The booklet begins with an overview of service learning that outlines service learning's benefits to schools, the community, and service learning partners. Discussed…