Parents and private schools are generally satisfied with Milwaukee's voucher program. Four results are fairly negative: loss of active parents from public schools; student attrition from private schools; closure of four private schools; and lower achievement-test scores. Also, proponents are using dubious findings to support unwarranted program…

Discusses the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) for health professionals by open and distance learning, focusing on the experience of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland). Describes the needs-analysis and pilot evaluation of a primarily text-based resource, reporting high satisfaction with content…

Evaluates the Career Opportunity Program 2000, a six-year collaborative effort of Des Moines (Iowa) public schools, a community college, and a university to increase minority teachers in the area. Aspects of the development process are examined and a literature review and data-collection procedures discussion are provided. (MMU)

Adolescent pregnancy is a challenge for teens and their families as well as for service providers, social scientists, and legislators. A cost-effective "solution" that consistently demonstrates its effectiveness in reducing unwed pregnancy has not been found. Three related articles (this issue) are discussed; issues for clinicians and researchers,…

Presents the results of an evaluation of an experimental program designed to speed up the acquisition of Dutch by immigrant children in the Netherlands. In a longitudinal study that tracked both the experimental and a comparison group, both groups of children were pretested and posttested each year with curriculum-dependent and -independent…

Describes the development and evaluation of new classroom materials, including a Class 1 textbook, teacher textbook, and eight supplementary readers, designed to teach children in India to read and write in Telugu. Notes that in schools using the new materials, children showed significant learning gains, and teachers and parents were highly…

Describes findings gathered from evaluation of the University of Central Florida's distributed learning system with respect to student demographics, perceptions, success strategies, learning styles, and success/withdrawal rates. Discusses how classes featuring reduced face-to-face presence, combined with Web-based instruction, produce superior…

Examined satisfaction and improvement among university counseling center clients (n=98) who received short-term, individual counseling. Clients expressed satisfaction with services and demonstrated a reduction in distress. Perceptions of the therapeutic working alliance significantly contributed to their satisfaction. (JBJ)

A survey of 452 public and private two- and four-year colleges and follow-up interviews at 32 institutions investigated the integration of academic program review into other institutional decision-making processes, particularly those of planning, budgeting, and student outcomes assessment. The extent to which this effort has been successful is…

A discussion of secondary education in Europe in the last 30 years focuses on the appropriate scope and function of secondary education, trends in policy concerning comprehensive schooling, changes in student assessment and program/institutional evaluation, and the overall direction of secondary education. Reference is made to events and trends in…

Examines the impact of institutional evaluation on Mercy College (New York) library's bibliographic instruction program and its evolution into an information literacy program responsive to changes in student demographics, curriculum content, assessment methods, and communication technologies. Topics include course-integrated instruction,…

A survey questioned 22 early childhood professionals, 10 parents of preschoolers with disabilities, and 20 parents of typical preschoolers on inclusion at the beginning and end of a school year. Both parents and educators were concerned about general educators' preparation to meet the needs of children with complex special needs. (Contains…

Discussion of part-time distance education for adult learners in Africa focuses on an evaluation of an adult education degree program at the National University of Lesotho (South Africa). Topics include program management; characteristics of adult learners; program delivery; performance assessment; gender differences; and socio-metric variables.…

The ways that users of the modern library select and move among its services can be investigated and the picture so obtained complements that obtained from surveys on the effectiveness of individual services. A methodology is described that aids in the acquisition and analysis of data on the order of use of information services (applicable to any…

In an interview, the managing editor of a major publication in higher education explains what the media want to know about such issues as college and program rankings, affirmative action, college costs, crime on campus, and how colleges can communicate their positions better, make their messages more coherent, and influence the opinions of both…