In 1996, faculty at Sitting Bull College (SBC, Fort Yates, North Dakota) developed its Environmental Science (ENS) Program, basing it on the scientific method and techniques students would need for employment in environmental technician positions with local and tribal agencies. Over the course of 15 years, this employment-based training evolved…

In this paper we present a history of the idea of Open Educational Resources, overview the current state of the Open Educational Resources movement, report on critical issues facing the field in the immediate future, and present two new projects to watch in 2009.

An experiment is described which uses a real-world sample of lawn fertilizer in a simple exercise to illustrate problems associated with the sampling step of a chemical analysis. A mixed-particle fertilizer containing discrete particles of iron oxide (magnetite, Fe[subscript 3]O[subscript 4]) mixed with other particles provides an excellent…

A video mock-up is a "design story", described by Patrick Parrish in a recent "TechTrends" article as "imagining the journey of a learner's experience in engaging with a finished design". A design story allows designers to show their design vision to others and to observe features and benefits of the program as a learner would experience it. The…

This report describes the Experimental Schools Project (ESP) conducted by the Franklin Pierce School District in Tacoma, Washington, under funding from the National Institute of Education. The ESP was a five-year program designed to provide the optimum learning environment for each student. Each of the district's 13 schools attempted, through…

This publication presents a brief summary description of an experimental dropout prevention program developed at McClymonds High School in Oakland, California. The program described is Project MACK (More Advanced Careers and Knowledge), a four-year program funded under ESEA Title VIII that operated from the 1971-72 school year through the 1974-75…

In August 1970 the Ford Foundation announced the establishment of a Venture Fund grant program to help strengthen and to encourage innovation in undergraduate education throughout the country. Criteria for selection were: (1) evidence of creative programs in the past, (2) the quality of current educational programs and leadership, and (3) the…

This publication discusses plans for an experimental "middenschool" program, which is being considered for adoption in the Netherlands. The middenschool program would extend the period of basic education beyond primary school into the first stage of secondary school, serving students in the 12-16 or 11-15 age bracket. This booklet…

The Soloworks project is based on the belief that student-controlled computing is a promising innovation in secondary mathematics instruction. The Soloworks project is following up three years of experience in the Pittsburgh public school system with a new program encorporating both student-controlled computing and modern math curricula. The work…

This publication offers a brief overview and description of the Educational Management Project, a comprehensive inservice program for educational administrators that was developed by the Tucson Public Schools. A series of short sections discusses all the project's major facets, including its target population, its general approach, its structure,…

This publication discusses a school evaluation model developed by the Center for New Schools (CNS) for use in evaluating Cleveland's New School. Section 1 describes three key principles that underlie the CNS model and discusses the rationale behind each of those principles. The three principles include (1) facilitating community participation in…

This is an annual report of science education research undertaken in Sweden in 1976. It includes reports on work done by government commissions and projects of national boards, a brief review of projects reported on in Swedish journals, and a report on recent trends in Swedish science education research and future plans. (BB)

This publication offers a brief description of the content and instructional methods used during the three years of the Educational Management Project's inservice programs for educational administrators in the Tucson Public Schools. The discussion is organized into three sections that focus in turn on the activities and results of each of the…

This paper examines the anticipated advantages and disadvantages of a proposed trimester plan for a Birmingham (Alabama) high school. The proposed plan would maintain the usual length school year, simply dividing it into three "mesters", rather than the traditional two. The Birmingham trimester plan also would lengthen each class period…

This booklet is the second in a series of annual publications that list and describe a wide array of promising and innovative educational practices in hopes of stimulating the development of alternative educational delivery systems and strategies involving students, teachers, administrators, and parents. Included in the booklet are brief…