The fourth volume of a 10-volume report, this document provides a synthesis and analysis of indepth ethnographic case studies of 12 school districts engaged in school improvement efforts in a subsample of the study's 146 districts. All districts were implementing new practices, seven using National Diffusion Network innovations and five developing…

Alternative schools in public school districts and private institutions offer a choice of more than one educational option to students. These schools usually have some of the following characteristics: voluntary participation, distinctiveness, nonexclusiveness, comprehensive objectives, and a supportive learning environment. Instructional styles…

Teacher organizations should concentrate their power on the system that restricts institutional arrangements in education. In cooperation with parents and students, teachers can create the energy needed to construct workable educational options. (Author/WM)

We should reduce the work week to 25 hours and people should normally join the work force at age 16, and from that time on everyone should have the opportunity to work half-time (at a living salary) and to go to school half-time. This will revitalize the liberal arts. (DC)

The Chautauqua movement is described with a focus on its influences on American higher education. As the most influential wholly American institution in the social and cultural life of rural communities, its contributions to higher education included development of correspondence and extension courses and the creation of the summer term.…

This discussion of information literacy as a tool for achieving professional and personal goals argues that information literacy for individuals is a means of becoming empowered, i.e., being able to find and make sense of information to refute or verify expert opinion, without being utterly dependent on others for information. The value of being…

The New Zealand Technical Correspondence Institute (NZTCI) is described. (The NZTCI is the largest teaching institution in New Zealand, with 34,000 part-time vocational students taking courses in 950 subjects. Its students constitute about one-third of all vocational students in New Zealand.) Among the components described are the students (80…

This paper describes 15 dropout retrieval programs that have components with potential for helping migrant dropout youth return to an educational program. Each profile contains information on eligibility, identification or recruitment method, funding, services, and contacts. In addition, each program is categorized as to type of sponsoring…

The theme of the 1983 Australian and South Pacific External Studies Association concerned developing efficient teaching-learning systems and efficient management systems. Such an emphasis on efficiency was symptomatic in the United States' educational arena to a commitment to the practices of scientific management. The central role accorded to…

The mission of this conference was to explore and promote the integration of experiential learning with diverse communities and settings. The 60 presentations, workshops, and preconference events included in this proceedings manual are organized under the following topics: (1) foundations; (2) urban, school, and corporate environments; (3) social…

The prevalence of home schooling is increasing. Parents educate their children at home for the sake of security, morality, and educational quality. Not only does home schooling offer the advantages of closeness and security, but advocates also assert that education in the home results in greater reading proficiency. On the other hand, antagonists…

This adventure alternatives directory identifies organizations and agencies providing programs which link traditional therapeutic strategies with alternative practices to address a range of problems in corrections, mental health, and special populations. Its alphabetical format and user profile key, coupled with a state by state index, make this…

The Comprehensive Dropout Prevention Plan utilizes the resources of Broward County public schools and the community for dropout prevention. A matrix of dropout prevention options has been assembled from both existing programs and from new program designs. General components of the plan include the following: (1) dropout retrieval activities; (2)…

Essentially concerned with distance education as innovation in higher education, this paper identifies specific aspects of this innovation through references to three Canadian institutions offering university level courses for credit. It is primarily concerned with Athabasca University in Alberta, a distance education university which originally…

Traditional and non-traditional educational systems in Taiwan are examined. Section one, "The Confucian Continuum," includes the first seven chapters which discuss Terra Incognita, the intellectual continuum-Chinese educational philosophy, John Dewey, traditional education in Taiwan, academocracy in Taiwan, the Ta-Yuan Hsiang's Community…