All schools can benefit from giving students the option of online learning, but for many rural schools, online learning is a lifeline. In the past two years, Lane Education Service District in Oregon, USA, has developed online resources for 14 Lane County school districts, which vary in size from 170 students to as many as 17,000. Many of the…

The human brain develops rapidly in the first five years of life. High-quality early learning experiences can have a profound and lasting positive effect on young children during these years, setting the stage for success in kindergarten and beyond. This is especially true for young children with high needs who are from low-income families; who…

In January 2007, the Oregon State Board of Education mandated a new Oregon diploma that strengthened high school graduation requirements with the aim of improving student readiness for college and career. Among the major changes was a requirement that students demonstrate proficiency in nine "essential skills" that included the…

A community school is a place and a set of partnerships connecting a school, the families of students, and the surrounding community. A community school is distinguished by an integrated focus on academics, youth development, family support, health and social services, and community development. The community school strategy is central to efforts…

Discusses the importance of Head Start programs understanding the changing profile of today's family and meeting the subsequent demands for more services. Points out that Head Start agencies around the country have already formed partnerships to deal with diverse issues such as child abuse, incarcerated parents, and preventive mental health.…

This manual reviews thirty projects selected by the Oregon Educational Coordinating Council (ECC) as exemplary in method, operation, and development. The projects are organized into 9 broad classifications: large group-small group alternatives, autotutorial programmed instruction, process centered, computer and simulation, on-site/field study,…

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to Western Oregon University (WOU) on November 17-18, 2008, to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program. These interviews, along with additional materials provided by WOU and identified by the AED research team,…

The Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) Community Schools Initiative is a community-driven model that allows each school community to design the programs that fit neighborhood needs, while working toward core goals that stretch across all SUN Community Schools. In this article, the author describes the history of SUN Community Schools and its core…

This report describes school and departmental changes that supported newly stated goals in a junior high school that departed radically from its traditional program. New goals for this particular school focused on the individual, and program agents were charged with helping each student (1) become his own agent, (2) become personally involved in…

This special hearing, held in Portland, Oregon, addressed the concept of allowing states and local governments more flexibility in their use of federal funds designated for educational programs in exchange for increased state and local accountability. It focused on programs and policies in place or under consideration in the states of Oregon and…

In September, 1969, a radically innovative program for middle school children was undertaken at Theodore Roosevelt Junior High School, one of eight junior high schools in School District 4J, Eugene, Oregon. Because the Roosevelt program is one that goes far beyond the usual idea of innovation, it is anticipated that this program description will…

This report presents the framework for a legislatively mandated proficiency-based approach to admissions at Oregon's eight public baccalaureate-granting institutions. The goal of the report is to present a systems-level description of why and how a proficiency-based admissions system should operate. Part 1 considers the implications of the…

This book reveals why so many students are entering college unprepared for college level work and often unable to complete a degree. This important book presents the findings of the Bridge Project, a major national research study conducted by Stanford University and funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the U.S. Department of Education. The…