As part of the Atlanta Public School System, the Downtown Learning Center (DLC) uses personalized learning contracts to thwart potential dropouts and classroom troublemakers. Voluntary admission, screening by a student/staff committee, and parental approval precede the general agreement which details school attendance and work commitments. In…

With the aid of a grant from the Advanced Institutional Development Program, a group of Central YMCA Community College (CYCC) faculty were given released time to inquire into curriculum priorities. This document establishes the focal points of future curriculum discussions and outlines the developments which this faculty group hopes will ensue as…

The Syracuse City School District alternative high school program outline offers an individualized program of instruction that is occupationally rather than academically oriented. The curriculum is divided into three phases. The first phase covers an intensive development of basic skills. General reading skills, vocabulary, English grammar, and…

An educational reformer describes his views and his mode of analysis in his quest to deal with educational change. He suggests that, to survive in educational and political change, it is necessary to have what may be thought of as a map of the territory, together with some notion of the desirable directions and the available paths. He links the…

This volume includes ten articles. In the first, "After Deschooling, What?" Ivan Illich goes beyond his argument for deschooling, to the beginning of some thoughts about what society and education might look like following it. The remaining nine articles contain the reactions of a number of serious and active educators to the Illich article. They…

Based on the premise that learning takes place everywhere, not just within the confines of a classroom or institution, this catalog lists places to learn that don't include credentials, that are ongoing programs open to all ages, colors and persuasions, and that are not easily found by persons searching for alternative learning places. It is…

This document contains ten working papers on educational alternatives, which were presented at a regional conference attended by 24 educational decisionmakers from eight Southeast Asian countries. The papers touch on such topics as the systems approach to alternatives, alternative objectives, the technology of education, alternative teaching…

The external degree movement is raising critical questions for higher education. It is necessary for advocates of new programs to deal with the basic assumptions underlying higher education in America. Faculty governance, the determination of what constitutes worthwhile knowledge, the selection of some subject matters and the rejection of others,…

Participants of the twenty-first Lake Okoboji Educational Media Leadership Conference studied the role of instructional technology and of the media professional in the future of American education. This report presents the conference's proceedings and working papers dealing with eight subtopics: (1) facilitating the education of the whole child…

Rural development is a far more complex, long term proposition than has been generally admitted, for it involves a fundamental transformation across social, political, and economic lines. While the learning needs of rural populations vary considerably, educational planning for all rural areas should incorporate the concept of learning as a…

Learning alternatives available for seniors at a New York high school provide options to the regular senior year of studies via departmental electives. Nine ongoing programs are briefly described. (MLF)

Underemployment is the focus of this transcript of a radio series broadcast by the National Public Radio System, entitled "Can You Get There from Here?" The first of a 4-part series on the relationship between schooling and jobs, this program incorporates studio interviews with: James O'Toole of the Center for the Study of the Future; a ceramics…

Career guidance/career education are the focus of this transcript of a radio series broadcast by the National Public Radio System entitled "Can You Get There from Here?" The fourth and final part of a 4-part series on the relationship between schooling and jobs, this program incorporates studio interviews with career counselors and educational…

This book presents 11 case studies that demonstrate successful efforts to improve education through building new relationships between schools and communities. In addition to presenting the case studies, the book also contains an introductory chapter that discusses the potentials and pitfalls of local efforts at participatory democracy, as well as…

Reveals the role of literacy in the household of an Amish family, emphasizing that reading and writing are valued for their ability to reinforce cultural ties and identification more than for their educational value. Indicates that all literacy instruction should aim to help students understand their role in their society. (SKC)