Two day-long college events--wilderness orienteering and a role-playing canoe trip into the past--illustrate ingredients critical for experiential learning: active learning, student focus, clear purpose, emotional investment and risk, holistic engagement, mixture of content and process, stepping outside one's comfort zone, meaningful…

Overviews the charter-school phenomenon and these schools' basic design. Discusses the government's role in education and identifies various school-choice options. Explores overall autonomy via legislative provisions and examines empirical evidence on charter schools' innovative features, teacher and student characteristics, and parental contracts…

This article discusses the development of Able Pupils Extending Opportunities (APEX) Saturday Workshops and Summer Schools in England. The APEX program is focused on building confidence and extending the experiences of pupils from Year 1 to Year 9. Identification, recruitment, application procedures for workshops and summer schools are described.…

Describes how, as part of the Middle School Achievement Project, Minneapolis parents and community members shadowed students and teachers, and experienced middle level classrooms while collecting data about curriculum and classroom environments that led to middle level school improvement. Details study procedures including study instruments,…

Reflects on previous articles in the same journal that address preservice teacher education for special education teachers. The conflicting views, disagreements about instructional strategies, and increasingly broad views of how special education interfaces with other education enterprises, are believed to distract from core principles of the…

Comments on previous articles in the same journal that address preservice teacher education for special educators. The differing viewpoints are seen as potential strengths that will contribute to the growth of special education as it moves toward the future. Urges support of diverse viewpoints. (CR)

Describes the goals of assessment in early childhood education programs, suggesting that assessment plans should focus on knowledge, skills, dispositions, and feelings. Argues that the younger children are, the more errors are made in assessment, and that efforts should therefore balance global and specific assessments. Suggests assessment…

A University of Canberra (Australia) program pairs new researchers with experienced researchers as mentors. Mentoring is supplemented with a workshop on research skills and on researchers' issues, questions, and projects. Participants benefitted from support of mentors and other peers. Mentors assisted participants with specific aspects of their…

Explores why few disabled students of color use student services. Details why some of these students were unnecessarily placed in special education programs and focuses on the experiences of this group. Addresses general cultural differences that can affect responses between people of color and disability services. Provides guidelines for service…

In this interview, Seokee Cho, the Director of the Research Center on the Education of the Gifted and Talented, discusses the implementation of gifted education in Korea, key issues in gifted education, the role personality plays in giftedness, the importance of mentors, parental involvement, ability identification, and fostering giftedness. (CR)

This article discusses the development of gifted education in Hungary and the special counseling services for gifted children available at the Centre for the Gifted in Budapest. The Centre provides professional help from psychologists, counseling for choosing an appropriate school and/or supplementary programs for gifted children (ages 3-14), and…

Examined parent, teacher, and child care staff views on coordination between part-day school and child care. Found some key differences among the groups in priorities for programs for kindergarten-age children. Devised arguments in favor of small-scale demonstration programs to expand provision of child care services and for rigorous evaluation of…

A study examined how 28 components of Outward Bound Western Canada (OBWC) courses affected student self-concept, motivation, and interpersonal skills. Data from questionnaires, interviews, and observations of 92 OBWC students generally supported previous research, but also indicated that the objectives of compassion and service received less…

This article explores common, recurrent themes in the development of our understanding of approaches to emotional and behavioral disorders. It identifies the following eternal verities: behavior can change, intervention is second to prevention, instructional reactions, transparency in communications, empathy and equity, boundaries and challenges,…

Three 2-week international courses using a holistic experiential program design--dramaturgy--were evaluated. Seventy participants completed questionnaires 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after the courses. Dramaturgy enhanced the challenge to participants through innovative nonphysical activities and can be adapted during the program for specific…