The partnership for reform of Albania's government with several sources of financial support in the system of secondary vocational education is examined. The context of secondary vocational education in 1990-91, a time of turbulent political transition, is outlined and the assessment of educational needs is chronicled. Planning priorities,…

The Edison Project will reconfigure time, deploy truly professional teachers, and utilize technologies in powerful new ways. Other Edison design highlights include its research basis; clear, defining values; high universal standards; five-domain curriculum; proven, individualized instructional methods; creative organization; true accountability;…

Similarities and differences in cooperative and collaborative learning are examined, and areas in which the two educational strategies converge are discussed. College and university teachers are urged to broaden their horizons of research and practice by investigating these strategies and their implications and by sharing ideas. (MSE)

An unacceptably high first-grade retention rate prompted a study of the early childhood program in the District of Columbia Public Schools, because the system had invested heavily in the program with little success. This report summarizes how the study began, what the study has revealed, and how this research is transforming a major urban school…

Two divergent views concerning how experiential educators affect social change. The first editorial views experiential education as promoting the individual development of students but asserts that this alone does not lead to political action. The second editorial suggests that experiential education processes teach the art of compromise and…

This study used semistructured interviews to examine the views of 10 teachers in integrated preschool settings for young children with and without special needs concerning integrated program development and implementation at the early childhood level. Findings suggest considerable variation in conditions of implementation, with teachers…

A discussion of the changing economic climate for higher education looks at college costs in relation to other economic indicators, higher education costs in other countries, and hypothetical changes in spending and productivity in the next few decades. It is concluded that while the situation looks bleak, reconception of practices and…

The change process was examined in a community college in which there was evidence of events precipitating change, including leadership succession, new management/governance structures, proposed cultural shifts, and a period of rapid growth. The case illustrates that not all organizational change is positive, and that those promoting change should…

Increasingly, college and university teaching assistants are unionizing to address issues of wages, health benefits, recognition for their contribution to undergraduate education, and faculty privileges. Administrators on most campuses have strongly resisted unionization efforts, insisting that teaching assistants are students first, then…

Analyzes technological and pedagogical developments in telematics-based distance education. Discusses early uses of telematics in distance education, changing educational organizations, management issues, management of the learning process, and management of the "virtual telematic organization." Also presents results of a case study of…

Negative attitudes toward disabled people are fostered by society's body-beautiful ethic, success orientation, nondisabled guilt, the concept of "spread," and media stereotypes. Strategies for improving camper and staff attitudes toward disabled people include precamp training, social skills training, role playing, a positive camp…

Discusses what is typically meant by systemic reform, describes a study of five science reform efforts, then examines the cautions about systemic reform that arise from the study of the reform efforts. The paper ends by discussing alternative ideas about state level efforts to reform science teaching and learning. (SM)

Shifting the budgetary decision-making authority to individual schools provides principals, teachers, and parents greater control over the allocation of resources. (MLF)

This article argues that, despite the demand for competency-based testing of college graduates, such efforts may be simplistic, costly, and counterproductive in light of the varied missions of higher education institutions. The assessments useful to improving higher education (campus-based, faculty-developed, and mission-related) do not appear to…

Presents a conceptual model for better understanding how poverty jeopardizes a host of childhood and adulthood abilities. Links the model with various policy initiatives that attempt to curb poverty or its detrimental effects. Suggests that low family income compromises children's physical growth, cognitive development, socioemotional functioning,…