Alternative schools and area learning centers are individualized, nontraditional programs that lead to a high school diploma. To assess how students were doing in these schools and learning centers, the Minnesota Student Survey was administered in 1996 to 3,764 voluntary participants. The highlights of the results are reported here. To gain an…

While the concept of choice is not new to families able to take advantage of the available options, the idea of giving parents nearly total freedom in selecting their children's public school is new. Proponents of choice claim it results in higher test scores, fewer dropouts, and more involved parents. Critics maintain that there is no proof of…

The six papers in this collection were presented at two seminars held at Monash University in August 1990. (The materials have not been edited in any way and, in some cases, they comprise copies of overheads which accompanied the presentations.) The materials were designed for people without much background or experience in distance education who…

This paper describes benefits of year-round education experienced by principals and teachers in 12 secondary schools in Jefferson County, Colorado. The Concept-6 three-track plan, which was implemented for 15 years, resulted in the following benefits: increased learning time and intensity; fifth-quarter enrichment; remedial intersessions;…

The total quality management (TQM) concepts of W. Edwards Deming were used at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, Alaska. The school is an alternative school with about 210 students and 13 teachers. The students are a mix of native Alaskans and immigrants from other states. TQM was introduced into the school by a teacher. Students used TQM to…

In 1990, Kent-Meridian High School in Kent, Washington, decided to implement four schools within schools, each with its separate academic and career focus. The first section of this paper outlines the 3-year evaluation plan for the Health/Science School (1992-1995), with a focus on identifying program outcomes and developing assessment measures.…

Since 1988 five evaluations of Federal demonstration programs in education have been implemented that had random-assignment designs to measure program impacts. The implementation of two of these evaluations, the evaluation of the School Dropout Demonstration Assistance Program and that of the Alternative Schools Random Assignment Program, are…

Using simple writing strategies, senior citizens at an elder camp workshop collected memories in journals. In some cases, readings were used to trigger memories. The exercise enabled students to make connections between their own life experiences and the life experiences of others. Workshops encouraging participants to tell their own stories for…

Overviews of 10 major restructuring initiatives in the United States are provided in this publication. The programs share a questioning attitude, vision-based goals, a focus on hands-on learning, an assumption of all children's learning potential, new approaches to thinking and problem-solving, and new participant roles. Each program is described…

The concepts, vocabulary, current uses, and technical aspects of distance education are introduced in this bulletin, which is designed to assist administrators in making decisions regarding distance education. The first chapter defines and discusses distance education in general and provides an overview of current educational applications.…

This paper describes a study of an alternative, innovative high school designed to serve at-risk students and dropouts returning to public school. The PRIDE (Positive Responsible Individuals Desiring Education) Center, located in San Marcos (Texas) Consolidated Independent School District, opened in September 1989. The center's program includes…

West Windsor-Plainsboro High School (New Jersey) offers a tightly structured, diversified curriculum in a nontraditional open setting. The school curriculum focuses on teaching basic skills in reading, writing, science, math, and social studies; using a variety of instructional techniques; maintaining high faculty/administration commitment to…

This report has two sections: an account of the meeting on autodidaxy, or self-directed learning; and a collection of studies and papers on the subject. The first part considers the following: (1) the conceptual domain of autodidaxy; (2) the constitutive elements of autodidaxy, and the plurality of definitions attached to it; (3) aspects of…

Summary of Proceedings of the Conference sponsored by AHEAD, the Association for Humanistic Education and Development of the New York State Personnel and Guidance Association at the Maritime College at Fort Schuyler, State University of New York, April 1975. (Author)

Examines contemporary models of undergraduate education, including their historical development and the reforms of the 1960's, asking whether the many social, political, and intellectual directions demand corresponding curricular responses or a new synthesis. Concludes that social complexity calls for emphasis on the aesthetic and intuitive as…