This book contains a report of a study commissioned by the California Legislature to examine charter schools in the state. The study considered the following four questions: (1) What population of students attends charter schools? (2) Is student achievement higher in charter schools than in conventional public schools? (3) What oversight and…

This book explores the necessity for building strong relationships among administrators, teachers, parents, and the community by applying what the book calls the five essentials of organizational excellence. The five essentials are planning strategically; benchmarking for excellence; leading collaboratively; engaging the community; and governing…

Increasingly, small and mid-sized businesses are becoming just as focused on work force training as large corporations are. The training being provided by smaller companies is extending beyond nuts-and-bolts instruction into the area of core business skills, such as leading, managing, thinking creatively, and solving problems. States are…

The poor state of the Lithuanian economy has led to a diminishing number of jobs and growing number of unemployed. Statistical data make it evident that the poor standard of education is one cause of unemployment. Stages of vocational education and training (VET) are initial, secondary, and postsecondary. The state oversees operation of education…

This study analyzed student contributions to an online interactive discussion forum. Participants included six graduate students enrolled in a graduate education course; the instructor also contributed to the online discussions. Students read articles, posted commentaries, and responded to each other on weekly discussion topics. Students also…

This three-part book contains 17 chapters that seek to explore and establish the framework around which global organizations might embed their own corporate virtual university. Part 1: Design Issues, contains the following chapters: "Customer Orientation and Motivation: The Key to Effective Learning Organizations" (Gordon…

This paper presents examples of best case practices of technology use in classes at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU). The examples include successful and not-so-successful applications, with insights on the overall process of incorporating technology into the classroom. The paper focuses on the authors' experience in languages, business, and…

This booklet outlines the information gained from five case studies in New Zealand primary schools on how the use of computers was integrated into the school environment and the curriculum. Principals, teachers, and information technology (IT) coordinators were interviewed about students' use of computers. Information on the equipment available…

The impact of research and development (R&D) on decision making and managers in vocational education and training (VET) was examined through a review of recent Australian studies in VET and health care. The framework adopted to analyze the relationships between R&D and decision making distinguished between the decision-making domain, the…

This paper provides a snapshot of the computer network security industry and addresses specific issues related to network security in public education. The following topics are covered: (1) security policy, including reasons for establishing a policy, risk assessment, areas to consider, audit tools; (2) workstations, including physical security,…

Wisconsin's school-to-work initiative, which was established in 1991, consists of six major components: local partnerships; youth apprenticeships; career counseling centers; tech prep; youth options; and at-risk youth programs. These programs are administered by Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and Department of Workforce…

This three-volume report provides a comprehensive picture of the vocational education and training (VET) system in Australia, its key policies, initiatives undertaken, and achievements during 1999. This publication contains volume 3, which presents a detailed statistical report against the key performance measures for the VET system. Volumes 1 and…

Although all New Zealand polytechnics and institutes of technology are making some use of new information technology and Internet-related technologies, developments incorporating effective use of these new technologies and media remain somewhat uneven. Educators seeking to embrace the Internet as a delivery medium face numerous critical design…

The thesis of the book is that the problems community colleges face were inherent from the beginning and became more prominent because the particular vantage points from which the schools were viewed prohibited the taking of any action on the problems. Chapter one presents a portrait of what the colleges have become, establishing the governing…

This collection of papers links policy, school leadership, and teachers' lives, three factors that are influential in creating quality learning opportunities for students. Each chapter provides contemporary insights and represents a range of original empirical and conceptual research focusing on the ideological, social, and educational policy…