The Wood County (Ohio) Alternative School Program was studied to determine overall effectiveness as perceived by students, parents, probation officers, and school administrators. Results indicate that the alternative school was perceived as generally effective, due to small classes and individualized instruction. The alternative school/home school…

According to responses from 113 agriculture faculty, they had high levels of skill and interest in traditional teaching methods, but little interest or skill in such nontraditional methods as case studies, discovery learning, and peer observation. They had a high level of interest in learning about educational technologies. (SK)

Discusses the definition of the academic credit hour and its relationship to current social, political, and educational changes. Today, nontraditional delivery systems affect the way credit is offered and received. Faculty must consider how these changes affect what graduates know. Definition and validity of the credit hour is the key to the…

Summarizes recent work of the Montessori Teacher Education Collaborative Erdkinder Study Project which is starting up an Erdkinder community, The Montessori Farm School. Explains how the fundamentals for an Erdkinder plan are developed from children's actual experience of working on the land and from their integrated program of study. (JS)

Explores effectiveness of a distance education program for physicians, and what progressive administrators can do to remove the traditional obstacles to such a program. Discusses effects of global change and technology on the economy; University of Tennessee's Physician Executive MBA Program using a mixed-mode of delivery; and methodology,…

The Council of Europe's lifelong learning project affirmed the role of higher education in promoting social cohesion and equal access to lifelong learning opportunities. The need to change formal structures to accommodate nontraditional methods was recognized. The impact of information/communications technologies on educational processes and…

Interviews with staff and students explore the purposes of Puget Sound Community School (Seattle, Washington), which offers self-directed and community-based learning for students aged 12-18. Since its inception 7 years ago, the alternative school gradually became more scheduled, until the students initiated a restructuring to restore flexibility.…

Investigates the effectiveness of an Internet-delivered course by having one group of biology students learn the course material employing Internet resources while a second attends a traditional lecture-based course. By comparing student performance and attitudes using tests, surveys, and narrative interviews, concludes that Internet courses can…

This cross-sectional study investigated self-esteem in relation to age, gender, ethnicity, and risk behaviors among a sample of nonmainstream students. Participants were 149 students in the 6th to 12th grades from two non-mainstream schools (one charter and one alternative school). Self-esteem and youth risk behaviors were determined by using a…

Colleges and universities in other parts of Louisiana and the nation are opening their doors to the 72,000 college students in the greater New Orleans area who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Dr. E. Joseph Savoie, Louisiana's commissioner of higher education, says the state's board of regents is making arrangements to allow the students to…

This study is part of a directed research project funded by the Office of Special Education Programs. Using qualitative research methods, consisting of interviews and participant observations, the policies and procedures of three alternative education programs in various settings were investigated. These programs served youth with and without…

Purpose: To present an outsider's view of how management education can be significantly improved. Design/methodology/approach: Focuses on correcting several obvious deficiencies in courses and degree programs to create highly differentiated educational experiences that are more relevant to student's needs and the organizations that employ…

The alternative education program remains a viable response for engaging students who would otherwise be dropouts. Raywid (1994) synthesized and advanced an alternative school typology describing organizational characteristics with related effectiveness that appeared useful for considering and improving program practices. A Unique opportunity…

Mature-age students are a significant group within the Australian sub-degree and undergraduate commencing cohort. Nevertheless, little is known about mature-age student backgrounds or factors that affect their participation at university. This paper draws on a case study that examined the nature and outcomes of Australian alternative entry…

This article presents Fairhaven School, located in a still-bucolic area near Washington, which operates in a way that would baffle many educators, much less the public. Known as a "free school," Fairhaven offers students a radical alternative to the demands of traditional education since it was founded in 1998. In this article, the author…