Part One of this book discusses the curricular cases, curricular changes, needed changes in instructional delivery, and the visible and invisible dropout. Part Two provides new data on delinquency and dropouts, alternative centers for learning, noncurricular changes, immigrant and seasonal farm workers, and current prevention practices. This book…

The Internet is a valuable tool to use as a teaching resource, but there are many factors to take into account for Internet delivery--not just how to use the technology most effectively, but also how to assess the results, monitor student progress, and ensure that your materials are used to promote real learning. This second edition examines the…

For this study, 12 part-time students in an early childhood studies program were interviewed and videotaped concerning their personal stories as students. Initial analysis of their responses revealed main themes: (1) economic barriers to full-time degree study; (2) domestic responsibilities/gender issues (for example, the stress of juggling…

The accountability program of North Carolina's 67 alternative schools was studied after its first year of implementation. North Carolina State Board of Education adopted a policy requiring alternative schools to participate in its ABCs Accountability Program during the 1999-2000 school year. The ABCs program is based on Accountability, Basics, and…

Two of the most popular delivery formats in distance education are video conferencing and online methodologies. The first step in the processes of recognition and reorganization needed for both forms of distance education is to identify the differences between the traditional classroom environment and the classroom that is augmented or replaced by…

This report examines what has happened since 1985 with four statewide Minnesota public school choice laws. These include open enrollment, postsecondary enrollment options, second chance options, and charter public schools. Data collected over 2 years via interviews with and surveys of key stakeholders, including students at postsecondary…

This paper examines the extent to which alternative education can meet the needs of disconnected youth who are at risk of economic and social hardship. It summarizes characteristics of disconnected youth, risk factors associated with disconnection, and characteristics of students in selected alternative education settings. The most common factors…

One of the most controversial issues in contemporary education policy--school choice--plays a prominent part in the newly revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA 2001) legislation. In fact, ESEA 2001 provides support for public school choice through a number of provisions, including the Innovative Programs, Public Charter Schools…

Based on a database of over 500 resources, this paper explores the educational alternatives that exist today between the cracks of mainstream education and culture. It presents information about the growing numbers of schools and education centers that call themselves learner-centered, progressive, and/or holistic. Sources of data for this summary…

This paper discusses trends in instructional technology and distance education (ITDE). The most notable trends are the lack of funding and resources for technology training, the lack of administrative support for ITDE issues, and faculty who are reluctant to adopt technology and distance learning. This paper identifies seven emerging trends as…

Appalachian State University (ASU) is a participating institution in the North Carolina Consortium for Distance Education in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). This Consortium initiated a successful distance education masters program in 1997. The distance education program at ASU is actually a hybrid program, providing the opportunity for…

Education is already a big business. E-learning, by making it easy to import information and skills to anyone, anywhere, anytime, and for any purpose will grow the education market. The big winners will be those vendors that identify and serve emerging and sometimes hidden markets. The biggest growth segments unleashed by e-learning are education…

In today's cut-throat economic climate, companies have to look more than ever for new ways of operating efficiently. When a company looks for ways of reducing its fixed expenditure it is inevitable that long-term investments, such as the budget allocated for training, will come under scrutiny first. As companies become leaner, and budgets become…

The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the ways in which graduate students engage in interactive online university courses and use discussion as a tool for thinking and for socially negotiating meaning. In particular, it investigates the idea that discursive interaction in asynchronous, text-based, online courses may be uniquely suited to…

The Galileo Outdoor Adventures Program (GOAPe) addresses the needs of high school students with a student-centered experiential program that is project- and community-based. At the Galileo Academy of Science and Technology, a public school in inner-city San Francisco, GOAPe is a semester-long program and a student club. From the first day of…