The system of education in agriculture in Iran has not been effective enough in its provision of human resources to facilitate substantial changes in rural areas over the last few decades. This paper explores the challenges to the staff in the College of Agriculture at Razi University in introducing an alternative educational programme. Methods of…

This report reflects the first year of a multiyear effort to examine B.A. completion cohort programs in early care and education in four California counties. The six programs under investigation were developed with similar goals: (1) To increase and retain a pool of B.A.-level professionals in the ECE field with culturally, linguistically, and…

State Compensatory Education (SCE) is a supplemental program designed to eliminate disparities in (a) student performance on assessment instruments administered under Chapter 39 of the Texas Education Code (1995, amended 2007), and (b) the rates of high school completion between students who are at risk of dropping out of school, as defined by…

Home schooling is one form of school choice that is on the increase. During the 1993-94 school year, Connecticut school officials estimated that there were 1,113 home-instructed students in the state, an increase of 305 students from the previous year and a 1,384 percent increase since 1983. This paper presents findings of a case study that…

This handbook has been prepared to assist Albertans in understanding the provincial charter school concept, to assist charter organizers with their planning and preparation for the establishment of charter schools in Alberta, and to assist those responsible for processing charter school applications. Bill 19, The School Amendment Act, which…

The Adult New Reader Collection-Model Project proposed to serve five targeted groups by providing literacy, language development, and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) materials. The five groups included: literacy tutors; students identified by the staff and matched to their trained tutors; adult library users not connected to a literacy program…

The problems of at-risk students will require diversity in intervention strategies that are implemented to address their problems. This paper reviews three alternative educational strategies that may be used successfully with at-risk students: (1) independent study; (2) home schooling; and (3) programs designed to meet the needs of homeless…

This book traces the first year of a magnet school called Mega Center for Learning, established in 1990 in a large midwestern urban school district. It focuses on how the primary metaphors embedded in school documents and in stakeholders' perceptions and practices helped or hindered reform. Data were obtained from classroom observation; informal…

Nontraditional instruction is increasingly available through the Internet and other technology-based delivery systems. The telecommunication network now in place can distribute high quality educational materials to students. This briefing paper argues that the "virtual university" created by the technological delivery of instruction, while…

For over 15 years, Tennessee's Chattanooga State Technical Community College has been offering non-traditional, distance education to reach "niches" of students who would otherwise find it difficult to attain a college education. Begun in 1979 with a laboratory-based independent study program offering a mix of purchased and…

This report provides state summary tables and district reports of graduation rates, dropout rates, and suspension and expulsion rates. The Colorado graduation rate for the class of 1995 was 77.4%, a decrease of 1.4 percentage points from the rate reported for the class of 1994. Computation of this rate included the 53 alternative and second-chance…

This chapter consists of a conversation between a third-grade teacher and a teacher educator about the advantages of the portfolio method of assessment. The advantages of portfolios are that they are a powerful learning tool as well as an assessment tool, they can make the separate subjects in a curriculum come together in an integrated way, and…

This essay--an example of narrative inquiry--draws on a fictional account of Merlyn the Magician acting as tutor to young King Arthur to illuminate the author's own experiences as a student and teacher. Those experiences are starkly contrasted in method and intent. On the one hand, stern Mr. Thompson with his white lab coat, map of the leaf, and…

Although the problems of high-risk youth are well known and raise widespread concern, few alternative educations exist to help troubled youth who are poor. This book describes various peer-group programs to rehabilitate high-risk youth. Following the introduction, chapter 1 describes the goals, stages, and techniques of peer-group programs.…

This brochure highlights educational materials for parents who teach their children at home. Many of the sources are available through libraries, public schools, government agencies, nonprofit institutions, and online services. The pamphlet lists 12 magazines and newsletters now available to homeschooling families, 8 electronic sources, and 17…