Characterizes the University of Massachusetts School of Education Program as dynamic and creative and as offering a quality program based on change and innovation. (Author/DW)

Rather than insist on a needlessly high cut-off age for leaving school, educational administrators could ease the process of transition by introducing a variable school-leaving age and by replacing "schooling" with progressive periods in colleges of further education and employment. (Author/MW)

Discusses efforts and suggestions toward nationwide acceptance of professional teacher education preparation. Takes special note of the 1969 Interstate Agreement on the Qualification of Educational Personnel. (PC)

The philosophy of the open classroom is examined in detail by constructing two ideal typical classrooms to summarize both the open and closed classroom models, demonstrating how the open education approach responds favorably to three major areas of criticism for the present system: the classroom environment, teaching and learning, and…

A 1987 evaluation of the Brisbane College of Advanced Education's external studies operations was conducted using a survey instrument sent to a sample of 397 external students, not including dropouts or those who have temporarily withdrawn. The survey was designed to collect information about the college's external students, their pattern of use…

This 1985 survey of staff attitudes toward external studies at Brisbane College of Advanced Education is a follow-up to a 1984 survey, the results of which were reported to college staff in September 1984. Goals of the 1985 survey were to facilitate the detection of new areas of concern and to assess the degree to which success had been achieved…

A study examining the competencies, experiences, and skills desired of administrators and counselors of performing and visual arts schools is described in this paper. Survey questionnaires were mailed to administrators and counselors at 189 schools in the United States. A total of 64 surveys were returned. Findings indicate that administrators…

The Dial-a-Mentor Project (also called the Dial-a-Teacher Project) at Hinds Junior College in Raymond, Mississippi, was designed to provide an alternative delivery system for adult basic education (ABE) and to combat illiteracy. It was not intended to replace, but rather to enhance, established centrally located programs. Instruction was provided…

The creation of a new undergraduate curriculum in psychology is discussed. It is suggested that the undergraduate psychology curriculum is valuable as an end in itself rather than solely as preparation for a career in the field. The new curriculum would be structured principally around a program of intensive study of the practical, personal…

Comparison of teaching methods and instructional approaches is a basic component of beginning methods courses in teacher education. While many textbooks include overviews of some methods, they rarely cover a wide range of methods and they rarely provide pro/con agruments for the proper selection of a method in a given context. This bibliography…

City-as-School (CAS) is an alternative high school linking students to various out-of-school learning experiences throughout New York City. In 1985, the CAS was awarded a National Diffusion Network (NDN) four-year replication grant, given to exemplary programs to enable them to disseminate their model to other interested schools and districts…

This newsletter describes the features and cites potential obstacles to implementation of high school student community volunteer services for credit programs. Specifically, it documents the genesis of the Students Offering Service (SOS) in the Pasadena (California) Unified School District for the purpose of demonstrating the importance of such…

Students taking university-level courses through distance education have special needs, primarily because of their isolation from immediate contacts with instructors and special facilities. Developing instructional methods to meet these needs is important if the quality of distance education is to be high. Schools established solely to provide…

To overcome the barriers that deny part-time adult learners the opportunity for continuing their educations, the University of Mid-America proposes the creation of a nationwide American Open University (AOU). The AOU will be an independent, accredited institution with its own board, faculty, and administration. It will have regional centers across…

This study explores how and why parents choose to enroll their children in certain schools, and what criteria they apply in making an enrollment decision. Fourteen families with 10 typical and 6 special children were interviewed in depth about their experiences with preschool and school enrollment and their expectations regarding their children's…