Interviews conducted with individuals involved in the early development and current operation of the Western Governors University allowed identification of 12 themes concerning early, formative decisions and decision-making processes. These themes were subsequently grouped into 5 categories: (1) politics, (2) organizational models, (3) changing…

As the prevalence of service-learning within higher education institutions grows across the globe there is value to explore, discuss, and describe the similarities and differences between the various expressions that are emerging. Such comparative analysis can deepen understanding of service-learning pedagogy, improve practice, and create a…

This paper discusses teacher education, institutional growth and the economy of information. It compares the sector of teacher education with global markets, described by Thomas Friedman in his book "The world is flat", as emerging and "flattening" in light of rapid technological and communication advances. The institutional…

This booklet identifies major trends and practices in special education and relates them to current and expected changes in school policies and practices. Four specific trends are identified as grounded in evolutionary social forces that are likely to persist and result in lasting changes in school and society. These trends include integration and…

This guide to learning disabilities is primarily based on the experiences of parents and staff at Landmark College (Vermont), a two-year college specifically for students with learning disabilities. Chapter 1 introduces a group of Landmark parents and students who share their feelings and concerns. Chapter 2 describes learning by seeing, hearing,…

This paper traces the origins of professional development schools (PDSs), describes their characteristics, examines a network of PDSs, considers the place of PDSs in developing the teaching profession, addresses problems and concerns associated with developing and sustaining PDSs, and draws implications for teacher preparation and the teaching…

This paper describes the planning and implementation of an instructional unit to teach the basics of American Sign Language to a class of nine elementary-aged male students with serious emotional disturbances (including one with a severe hearing impairment) in a laboratory school. The systematic instructional approach, direct instruction, was…

This paper on infusing a Christian approach into college teaching argues that the traditional definition of teaching is narrow and harmful, that the methods a teacher uses are content themselves, that some methods are more consonant with Christian principles than others, and that Christian teachers in a Christian post-secondary institution should…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a 2-year (1987 through 1989) project on the design and evaluation of specific marker and student outcome variables in school learning environments for effective mainstreaming of students with mild disabilities. The report is organized into eight sections; these include a project…

This text is intended to provide educators with increased understanding of the nature, origins, and causes of antisocial behavior and to offer information on the best available practices, interventions, and model programs for preventing and remediating antisocial behavior disorders occurring in school. The book is based upon principles of social…

Three ways to think about decision making in public high schools are to think about the types of decisions that are made, the approaches to the decision-making process, and the principles underlying decision making. The Design Group for New Designs for the Comprehensive High School refers to a set of principles as design specifications. They have…

In 1990, the Sid W. Richardson Foundation Forum was established to function as a design team to consider the critical features of a professional development school (PDS) and the important principles which should be taken into account in creating and field testing the PDS concept. This report emerged from the design team's deliberations.…

A sample of 1,000 members of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) was surveyed concerning their use of the CEC Standards for Professional Practice. Responses received from 381 members found that 51 had a copy of the standards and had used it, while 330 did not have a copy and had not used the standards. The "yes" respondents…

This monograph presents 15 position statements of The Arc, a national organization for persons with mental retardation. A preamble presents the organization's Mission Statement. Principles and assumptions stressing the uniqueness of all people and the importance of a sense of control over one's destiny are listed. The position statements are then…

The recruitment, selection, and preparation of teachers, counselors, and administrators are among the areas within the educational establishment which are subject to change. The Holmes Group, a consortium of nearly 100 American research universities, which addressed its attention to improving teacher preparation programs as a step toward improving…