This book explores the essentials of distance education and reviews issues facing large open universities (mega-universities) worldwide. It uses examples from industry and the knowledge media, to show how technology-based learning can be made attractive both to students and to institutions. The book's eight chapters, including 10 figures and 5…

This book examines the history of education of students with disabilities and the impact of educational reform. Section 1, "The Separate Special Education System," examines the current system; the limited outcomes for students; racial, social, and gender inequities; costs of special education; parental advocacy; the disability rights…

This working paper analyzes higher education faculty characteristics in Mexico and the United States. The first section describes and compares Mexican and U.S. faculty characteristics and conditions, including total number of faculty, student-teacher ratios, full- versus part-time status, rank, tenure, average salaries, gender and ethnicity, and…

This is the first publication in this series on education in South Africa that provides a picture of education in the new South Africa. For the first time in 1995, data were collected by nonracial education departments in each of the nine new provinces. In the past, data had been collected for 17 different, racially based departments. Data…

This paper describes a project conducted in 1991-92, based on research conducted in 1986-87 that demonstrated the need for a telecommunications system with the capacity of integrated services digital networks (ISDN) that would allow for sound, vision, and integrated computer services. Called the Tri-Centre Project, it set out to explore, from the…

This teaching module instructs preservice teachers about accelerating the progress of rural gifted students. Acceleration consists of various provisions that allow early completion of school, including grade-skipping, cross-grade placement, early entry, dual attendance, special class placement, and radical acceleration. In rural areas, the…

This second level of a portfolio for learners with special needs is intended for grades 9-10. A discussion of its conceptual design describes the four educational content areas from which it was developed (career development assessment, curriculum-based vocational assessment, community-referenced assessment, and work habits assessment) and four…

The reports in this document assess the effectiveness of South Carolina's public postsecondary institutions for the 1995-96 academic year. Ten tables provide data as required by Act 255 on accreditation, graduation rates, percent change in enrollment, sources of undergraduate degrees, transfers, and professional examination rates. Summary reports…

Often, parents walk into their children's schools and feel as if they don't have a place to "hang their hats." This guide argues that districts should establish a school family center as a focus of activity and learning for parents, school supporters, and children. The goal of the family center is to provide an avenue for participation…

The South Carolina Center for Teacher Recruitment (SCCTR) was created by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education to provide leadership in identifying, attracting, placing, and retaining well-qualified teachers. Its primary target groups are middle and high school students, college students, and adults. The SCCTR has developed into a…

This magazine, which is designed for managers of Australian companies who are interested in raising their firms' productivity and meeting quality standards by developing a comprehensive approach to workplace communication, includes a variety of materials for and about improving communication within their organization. Most of the magazine is…

For the 13th year, a national survey of changes in the academic and administrative practices of American colleges and universities was undertaken. Senior administrators at 403 colleges and universities completed and returned survey questionnaires (80 percent of a sample of 506). Responses were statistically weighted so that results were…

Understanding the principles of sustainability and the interdependence of the environment, the economy, and social systems can help individuals learn to make the changes necessary to become effective stewards of natural resources and the environment. This document describes three broad policy recommendations as to how Americans can build concepts…

The cornerstone of Alaska's effort to bring higher standards and accountability to the public school system was the development of content standards in 10 core areas. These standards represent what Alaskans want students to know and be able to do as a result of their public schooling. This booklet presents the following content standards and their…

The guide describes a vocational English-as-a-Second-Language program for pre-employment training of Southeast Asians seeking work in entry-level health care jobs. The program was conducted in cooperation with a hospital in Massachusetts. The guide describes the program and its four instructional units in detail, and includes lesson plans,…