This document describes programs that provide support for at-risk students in the various schools of the Charleston (South Carolina) school district. The 12 elementary schools implement a variety of approaches in their programs, from teachers providing mutual support to programs targeting specific curriculum areas, such as reading programs or…

A random sample of over 13,000 students participating in 4 of Minnesota's school choice programs during the 1989-90 school year were surveyed in 4 areas: (1) background and family participation; (2) reasons for participating and decision making; (3) sources for program information; and (4) satisfaction/expectations. The survey was performed to…

The public library in the town of Snowflake, Arizona, was administered for some years by a library technician under the supervision of a graduate professional librarian from the Snowflake Unified School District. When the technician departed, a decision was made to have the library board administer and run the library with the assistance of…

This booklet examines the development of a student enrollment contract designed for home study and discusses the items that need to be included in the document, what a home study contract is, how to begin to design it, what areas the contract should satisfy, and the items that should and should not be included. Finally, samples of enrollment…

Outcomes of a series of meetings held in 1990 by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) Roundtable on Public School Choice are summarized in this document's six chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the components (including motivations, vision formation, leadership, the design process, and the types of choice available) involved in…

Information about alternative education as a baseline of thought for school reorganization is presented in this document. Chapter 1 describes the perspectives of alternative education and identifies common types. Teaching methods, strategies, and beliefs of alternative education are discussed in chapter 2. Chapter 3 focuses on the structural…

In an analysis of school reform in Great Britain, this book shows how the landmark Education Reform Act of 1988 (ERA) imposed a radically new framework on British education. This framework is built on the same types of reforms that American activists have been proposing for years: school-based management (SBM), choice, and accountability.…

The role of the principal in implementing school choice policy is examined in this paper. Choice policy is viewed as a triad composed of three points--policy, consumer information, and diversity of the learning environment. Guidelines are offered for principals to help parents make school choice decisions, and several helpful booklets are…

Marked Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised (WISC-R) verbal-performance discrepancy commonly leads to the assumption that such children have brain pathology or cognitive disorders. Children without brain dysfunction may also exhibit wide discrepancy, but a discrepancy score of 30 is now assumed to occur in only 2% of the population.…

An exploratory study used stimulated recall to elicit a retrospective account from two alternative school students who choreographed a dance to depict their understanding of the relationship between the two central characters in a short story. Their account indicates that in composing their text they: (1) initiated their interpretation by…

Educators have long acknowledged that not all learning occurs in a classroom. This paper describes an innovative educational program in Minnesota, where the educational facility was built in a dedicated space at the Mall of America. The program is based on an outcomes-based, transdisciplinary curriculum for 16- to 19-year-old youth, featuring the…

California's charter-school legislation took effect January 1, 1993, and authorized the creation of up to 100 charter schools. By the end of the year, 44 charter schools were either operating or being planned. This document offers an initial look at California's charter schools. A total of 34 schools responded to a survey of the state's 44 charter…

Distance education may be considered in two ways: (1) as a substitute for conventional, face-to-face education; and (2) as a mode of education in its own right. Those who view distance education the first way treat students as members of a class and include a fixed schedule of classes, assignments, and course duration. Those viewing distance…

A magnet school has four essential ingredients: a distinctive curriculum; a unique district purpose for voluntary desegregation; an opportunity for school choice; and access to students beyond a district attendance zone. Most magnet schools have one of five types of curricular themes: the fine, applied, or performing arts; the sciences; social…

Two papers by B. C. Clewell and M. F. Joy and one paper by the Educational Commission of the States discuss the frequently debated questions of parental choice of the public schools their children attend. The first paper, "Montclair--A Model Magnet," describes the experience of the Montclair (New Jersey) school system in using a…