The Hale County (Alabama) school system and the University of Alabama formed a long-range collaborative relationship targeted at meeting staffing shortages and improving science instruction in the rural county. Statistically significant gains were achieved in the science teachers' mastery of content, teaching methodology, and attitudes toward…

When it comes to student support, widespread agreement exists for moving in new directions. It is easy to agree that change is needed. It is harder to agree on what the changes should look like. And, it is even harder to get from here to there. The intent of this paper is to focus the discussion about new directions for student support by…

This literature review surveys the varieties and purposes of connections between schools and communities, from home-school relationships to schools as social service centers and communities as school curricula. It explores the benefits of school-community connections to students, communities, and schools. It describes the processes by which…

The sixth in a series of studies investigating the educational context and outcomes for high school students with disabilities (SWDs), this study compared views of general education and special education administrators on the educational programs for SWDs and other at-risk students. Administrators in three high schools in urban areas, three in…

Denmark has a long tradition of adult learning with roots that go back to the 19th century folk high school movement. Since the late 1950s, an independent adult vocational education and training (VET) system has developed. In the last decades, attempts have been made to link adult VET systems with adult liberal education. More recently,…

This paper describes the experiences of a non-technologically oriented composition instructor who began a writing course that incorporated online computer technology. Following the Northridge (California) earthquake in 1994, the administration at California State University Northridge (CSUN) recognized the importance of creating electronic…

The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) supports the aims of European Community (EC) activities and initiatives to promote lifelong learning and access to training. To promote competencies and lifelong learning, CEDEFOP has monitored development of lifelong learning skills, clarified main differences in the…

This compendium profiles 11 career planning programs that the U.S. Army Recruiting Command and National Consortium of State Career Guidance Supervisors have recognized as being exemplary coalition-based programs offering complete and effective career planning opportunities to the youths and/or adults they serve. Presented first are a discussion of…

This report details the action plan of Alberta, Canada to build on recent progress in restructuring and refocusing the province's educational system. The report describes the most common concerns of Albertans regarding the school system, especially related to keeping students in school, meeting special needs of students, and developing a highly…

A 3-day retreat on rural education leadership in Alaska focused on how the Alaska Department of Education, the University of Alaska, rural communities, and school districts can better cooperate to address the long-term educational needs of rural communities. Recommendations were formulated in three focal areas. First, developing an Alaskan rural…

Educational reform poses problems for administrators in rural areas who have limited time and resources. This guide offers a process that can be used by rural administrators to engage the community in activities that will enhance children's success in the classroom and in their adult lives. Section 1 discusses the importance of community…

This paper reports on outcomes of community college programs monitored by the Wyoming Community College Commission (WCCC). The document covers the following WCCC objectives: (1) Study of tuition rates for the community colleges; (2) Negotiation of contracts and provision of financial support for administrative computing system components and…

This issue focuses on the National Alliance of Business's work with employers to sort out how certificates can most effectively indicate workplace skills and requirements and confirm that certified individuals possess them. "Skills Certificates Signal Competencies in a Demand-Driven Economy" discusses the needs to which certificates respond; how…

The Pennsylvania State Coalition for Adult Literacy's Building Communities for Learning (BCL) Project was conducted to improve the delivery of adult basic and literacy education services through interagency collaboration and community-based planning at the local level. The project awarded community-based planning grants to locales through a…

In this book, the Consortium for Community College Development's Think Tank (Michigan) identifies four critical and enduring issues for change in community colleges: (1) attracting and recruiting students in an increasingly competitive market; (2) improving student success through innovative approaches to teaching and learning; (3) encouraging…