After teaching the advanced spreadsheet course at a major university in Louisiana as a traditional classroom course for a number of years, it was decided to create a prototype-blended course, with a considerable portion offered via distance education. This research, which uses a prototyping methodology, is exploratory in nature. Prototyping can…

This digest examines a completed pilot program in performance-driven budgeting (PDB) in the New York City public-school system. PDB links school-level budgeting and school planning; that is, decisions about resources must be aligned with school-developed instructional-improvement plans. The digest highlights how PDB came about; its primary goal;…

A pilot program was designed to implement systemic changes by creating a collaborative approach and unified service delivery model for school counselors and social workers. The goals were to provide equal access to a meaningful education; increase school attendance and completion rates; increase appropriate student behaviors; increase safe and…

Two pilot Internet courses for isolated older adults were developed by the University of the Third Age of the Australian Capital Territory (U3A ACT) in Canberra, Australia, and were offered to 29 older adults selected from a pool of 64 initial registrants from across Australia. Student and tutor input regarding the courses was collected from the…

Since 1998 a consortium of six educational and community institutions in Australia have created a pathway into tertiary education for those not served by existing paths. The new path results in a Diploma of Further Education. The program is based on a philosophy of lifelong learning, including a foundation of eight lifelong learning goals.…

This paper describes the outcomes of 11 California pilot projects designed to return students with disabilities to public education. A total of 220 students with severe disabilities who had been previously placed in private sites were selected to participate based on class communication between the public and private settings. Service delivery…

The national contributions contained in this paper and on the Eurydice website formed the basis for the comparative study on the integration at school of immigrant children in Europe. Each contribution has exactly the same structure with four main sections entitled as follows: (1) National definitions and demographic context of immigration; (2)…

Describes a pilot program at Briar Glen School in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, in which academically gifted fifth grade students are introduced to microcomputers, taught basic programing skills, and allowed to develop computer programs in BASIC after they have mastered some fundamental computer skills. (JL)

Presents a study on secondary school science (N=47) and social studies (N=85) teachers' attitudes toward interdisciplinary topics and values issues in the classroom. (DS)

ARIEL is a high-speed, high-quality, cost-effective document delivery system that runs on the Internet. Advantages over the fax include no long-distance phone charges, high image resolution, original source can be scanned, can send/receive simultaneously, does not require dedicated equipment, and documents can be stored and forwarded later.…

Drawing from a project at Coventry University (England), this article discusses innovative ways to exploit computer-assisted language learning (CALL) methods in the classroom. Particular focus is on Role Reversal, an approach that transforms students into designers of their own courseware as a means of addressing the problem of grammar…

Introduces an issue devoted to the Schools Reaching Out projects at David A. Ellis School in Roxbury (MA) and Adolph S. Ochs School in New York City. Projects attempt to link the schools with parents and their communities to promote the students' academic and social success. (DM)

Describes a pilot project at the Department of Commerce Mountain Administrative Support Center Library that compared the cost effectiveness of CD-ROM with that of other media and examined the acceptability of CD-ROM by staff and users. A list of the CD-ROM products evaluated and the evaluation form used are appended. (CLB)

Describes an evaluative study of the use of interactive video in elementary and secondary school mathematics in the United Kingdom. The "Stepping Stones" game is described; and issues for the design of interactive media are discussed, including high quality sound and visuals, interactivity and pupil support, and activity off the…

Profiles the Master Teacher in Family Life Program developed by the University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension Service, which provides training and support to leaders within high-risk communities, who then act as counselors, role models, and advisors to youth and families. Discusses the development of the program in Springfield,…