Activities for gifted math students at North Carolina's Governor's School East are described, including college-level coursework in linear algebra, group theory, probability, and computer programing; guest speakers; small group work; competitive events; committee work; and completion of a challenge course at a nearby camp. (JDD)

Responses from 42 of 55 female and 92 of 110 male agriculture teachers revealed traditional preferences for instructional areas, although some equity progress was indicated by females preferring agricultural mechanics. Support for traditional beliefs in the advantages of single-sex classrooms was found, although male teachers acknowledged…

Facilitators can be and often are unaware of damage that may be caused by participation in interactive learning events (simulations, role-plays, games, etc.). This is sometimes due to a confusion about what sort of event is taking place. Two hypothetical situations and one real incident are provided and analyzed. Lessons are drawn and…

Western Governors University (WGU) was initiated by 15 western governors in response to perceived needs in the marketplace and as a supplement to traditional institutions. WGU features competency-based credentials (certificates and degrees) rather than course-based programs; distance learning; focus on nontraditional, working students; third-party…

Considers the experiences of two sets of students who attended schools that taught mathematics in completely different ways using traditional and project-based approaches. Emphasizes that the project-based approach produced equity between girls and boys whereas the textbook approach prompted many of the girls to underachieve. Discusses equity…

Describes results of an examination of the socialization process of alternative-school students. Reveals, through qualitative analysis of observations and interviews, that the at-risk alternative program did not socialize new students for conventional school and may be contributing to students' disengagement from school and/or learning. (SR)

The University of the Third Age (U3A) is subject to rapidly changing social pressures. Many of these pressures are predictable. If U3A adapts, it should remain important to future aging cohorts. (JOW)

Offers propositions about virtual reality in education, ranging from costs to the psychological affordances of virtual environments (VEs). Some of the propositions arise from empirical studies of performance and cognition in VEs; others come from behavioral, cognitive, and human-factors research. Much of the research is from the Human Interface…

Discusses three programs in which efforts are focused on reaching students with emotional and behavioral problems. The programs range from school-based partnerships and alternative schools to community programs. These programs address the needs of students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. (Author/MKA)

Outlines six successful components of effective programs serving special-needs students in alternative-education settings, with particular emphasis on the mandates of the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (SR)

Analyzes the need for a professional identity for alternative education, and claims that teaching in alternative and correctional settings should be recognized as a legitimate career path. (SR)

Describes the invention of the CIVA Charter High School, a 4-year school that began in 1997. Its curriculum emphasizes the development of character and personal integrity. It was founded by public educators collaborating with the teachers' union and community members in order to create a school that built on the best of public education while…

Investigated the relationship between teacher-rated student engagement and academic outcomes for at-risk Latino American students (both foreign-born and U.S.-born). Data from teachers' ratings of students, student grade point averages (GPAs), and records of 248 7th-10th graders attending alternative schools indicated that engagement was a…

Evaluates the implementation of a curriculum that married a lecture-based first year program with a problem-based curriculum in the second year. Demonstrates how this unusual curricular structure was successful in improving students' perceptions of and performance in basic sciences. (Author/CCM)

Reviews the history of charter laws since the first charter law was passed in 1991, examining the implementation of charter schools in California, Colorado, Minnesota, and Texas. The paper delineates issues and concerns and suggests educational practices within charter schools which are pertinent to the successful reinvention of public schools in…