The seven chapters of this theme issue present a state-of-the-art review of research studies into the effectiveness of economic and labor market results of continuing education. Substantive results and research methodology are examined in these examples of effectiveness research. Conceptual and methodological diversity characterize these studies.…

Reports how 163 students who had attended alternative elementary schools in Wichita (Kansas) performed in secondary schools and beyond, and compares them to 186 regular students. Alternative education intervention positively affects student achievement and completion of formal education programs. Parent involvement was a common, important factor…

Describes the Farm Management Home Study Program, a distance education program implemented in 1970 that has allowed over 10,000 farmers and land and business managers in rural New South Wales (Australia) to upgrade their skills through vocational programs in farm management, farm office management, and other vocational courses related to farming.…

Study examined types of pedagogical knowledge acquired by career-change preservice teachers in an alternative certification program. Researchers videotaped subjects, analyzed journals, and collected concept maps of teaching. Subjects exhibited four stages of pedagogical development. They showed a need to acquire theoretical knowledge about…

Presents a descriptive survey of North Carolina home schooling. Examines demographic variables, parents' reasons, and choice of curriculum materials, focusing on social studies. Finds most parents used commercially produced textbooks, supplemental materials, and field trips. Identifies texts used by parents motivated by religious factors. Stresses…

Project Achieve, New York City's new dropout prevention program, might benefit from the failures of the city's earlier Dropout Prevention Initiative. Project Achieve will organize all ninth and tenth grade students into houses, integrate support and academic staff, and achieve maximum personnel continuity throughout a student's high school career.…

The Florida Governor's Summer College on Public Issues was developed to stimulate the academic abilities and leadership talents of rising seniors, while reinforcing belief in themselves and commitment to their communities and state. This article describes the program's interdisciplinary curriculum, nine sample courses, faculty and student…

Describes an open-format laboratory school housed on the campus of Manakato University in Minnesota that was the antithesis of dominant schooling patterns in 1968. Wilson Campus School practiced early forms of authentic assessment, participative decision making, cooperative learning, nongraded student grouping, multicultural education, and…

Describes the philosophy and operation of schools based on the ideas of Celestin Freinet, founder of the Ecole Moderne movement. Discusses the child-centered approach, cooperative-learning techniques, and participatory decision making that are characteristic of these schools. Points out that the curriculum frequently emphasizes contemporary social…

"Experience Canada" is an experiential adventure-based program that is more academic than recreational. High school students interested in academic achievement but indifferent to the typical classroom environment, travel to explore controversial issues such as those involving aboriginal communities, logging, and mining. The program…

Presents the main design issues of a distance learning course on Business on the Internet. The instructional design is based on a learner-centered strategy which allows learners to construct their own knowledge while solving real business problems and transferring their knowledge to other learners. (AEF)

Highlights two recent studies in the field of distance education. C.N. Gunawardena and F.J. Zittle found a high degree of variation between learner satisfaction and social presence in a computer-mediated communication environment. J. McDonald and C. Campbell-Gibson study demonstrated that groups meeting in a synchronous computer-mediated course…

A Cambridge, Massachusetts, alternative public school's basic reading program is a rich combination of whole language and individualized phonics. Other strategies to hook kids on reading include 20-minute recreational reading periods with parent volunteers, a weekly book-bag program, reading buddies, special projects, and community helpers from…

Describes a graduate course on distance learning which uses seven kinds of asynchronous and synchronous interactive media. All students were able to find their voices in one of the media, and many achieved profound learning experiences at a distance. One of the disadvantages of using multiple media is the problem of measuring the outcomes of…

Children who attended the Fifth Dimension after-school computer club at least 10 times during the 1994-95 school year performed better on word problem comprehension tests than did non-participating children. Results support the hypothesis that experience in using computer software in the Fifth Dimension club produces measurable, resilient, and…