During the 1984-1985 school year, a pilot dropout outreach program was instituted by the Los Angeles (California) Unified School District's Division of Adult and Occupational Education in cooperation with the senior high schools division. Dropouts from the 1983-1984 school year were identified and were sent personal letters inviting them to return…

The United States government has not adequately addressed the problem of youth unemployment. The unemployment rate among youth remains two and a half times that of adults. The rate for black youth is considerably higher. Low labor force participation rates among youth have serious social and economic consequences. In the south the problem will…

The outcome of a study workshop with participants from 11 Asian and Pacific countries, this report is broadly divided into four chapters. The first gives an overview of the philosophical concept and challenges of distance education at the higher education level in the context of this region. The second chapter contains synopses of reports…

The first part of this paper summarizes the experiences of the Open University in using print, television, and radio to provide postsecondary education to adults. Descriptions of these three components are followed by details on the functions served by each; i.e., how print, television, and radio differ in their ability to educate, and how the…

This directory on Iowa alternative programs for potential and actual dropouts begins with a brief summary of the state's dropout problem accompanied by nine references. Descriptions of some of the special programs and schools precede the full text of state legislation for funding and administering dropout programs. The next section, in outline…

The early emergence of nontraditional graduate education programs is traced with particular emphasis on Nova University's Center for Higher Education. Characteristics of the independent learner that are essential in providing transformational leadership are also addressed. Nova University's innovative approaches provide nontraditional choices for…

One of several papers in a symposium on Kensington School (in Missouri), this document describes the effects on this elementary school of demographic change and racial transition in Milford School District. The authors first present a historical overview of the development of the school district and the role of blacks in the town from the…

This document describes six alternative educational centers in the Wichita Public School System: (1) a program designed for students with talent in academic subjects or in the performing arts; (2) a program providing educationally meaningful learning in a disciplined environment; (3) a non-graded, multi-age program conducive to learning through…

A study was conducted to describe the use of study centers and study center networks as a support system in distance education in Australia. Information was obtained by interviewing students, tutors, and coordinators of study centers within four distance-education systems. The University of Queensland, the Riverina College of Advanced Education,…

West Virginia's Higher Education Instructional Television (HEITV) project is described. The program provides telecourses to viewers, or integrated learning units that combine instructional television programs with related print materials. Students watch the programs on their home televisions and complete readings and assignments at home. Three or…

To encourage the schools to train students in broad and flexible occupational competencies rather than specific job skills, the Oregon Department of Education has promoted the cluster concept of vocational education. Of the 14 occupational clusters identified as being economically significant in Oregon, business competencies in the accounting,…

The rebirth of the home as workshop, studio, and laboratory, due in large part to the advent of the microcomputer, will accelerate the spread of alternative modes of education and the process of "deschooling" society. Formal education as we know it developed as a result of social, historical, and economic factors that are no longer…

The beliefs and experiences of three college teachers at a college of business are described to examine assumptions about teaching and its improvement. One of the teachers was a full professor who had spent 12 years with a consulting firm and continued to work as a consultant. Classroom observation revealed that he was an outstanding narrator who…

The nature of education as a social process in workplace settings outside of schools was explored over 3 years at 35 intern settings for an alternative high school program in a large city. The experiences of students at the 35 sites were compared to identify essential features of work tasks and the social means to accomplish these tasks. Two…

These profiles describe the implementation of alternatives to a traditional high school diploma for programs based on demonstrated competencies or life skill experiences. Over 100 profiles are provided. The information is designed to assist adult educators, administrators, teachers, and students to identify various approaches for serving adults…