The establishment, design, and location of American higher education institutions correlate directly with the evolution of American thinking regarding the nature of democracy, the knowledge required by the citizenry for full participation in democracy and the "American Dream," and the progression of the American economy from an agrarian to an…

In May 1993, the California Community Colleges' Board of Governors adopted systemwide guidelines recommending student registration priorities to help address current discrepancies between available resources and courses and the colleges' open-door mission. This report describes the guidelines and results of a study conducted to determine their…

On November 5, 1996, California voters approved Proposition 209, which prohibits discrimination against or the granting of preferential treatment to anyone on the basis of race, sex, color, or ethnicity in the operation of public employment, education, or contracting. Regarding the prohibition of discrimination, 209 creates no new restrictions…

This digest examines the spread of mentoring in the United States, obstacles to realizing the potential of mentoring as a vehicle of reform, needed research, and selected issues of policy and practice. While the education community understands that mentors have a positive effect on teacher retention, the question of what mentors should do, what…

This study uses Pierre Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital to understand varying levels of parent participation in schooling. Bourdieu argues that schools draw unevenly on the social and cultural resources of members of the society by invoking particular linguistic styles, authority patterns, and types of curricula. The cultural properties…

Robert Gagne's theories and research have had a significant impact on practitioners in general, especially instructional designers. He has influenced teaching and curriculum development and used standard practices as a stimulus for the development of theory. This paper explores Gagne's influence on practice by examining the relationship between…

Robert Gagne has been a central figure in the infusion of instructional psychology into the field of instructional technology, and in the creation of the domain of instructional design. Gagne's design principles provide not only a theoretical orientation to an instructional design project, but also have prompted a number of design conventions and…

The implementation, delivery, and impact on students of news programs delivered to schools by Channel One and CNN-Newsroom were examined in seven rural districts in Wisconsin. Investigation covered three districts using CNN and four districts using Channel One within a three-county area. Involved administrators, teachers, and students responded to…

Successful principals of urban schools are able to understand the interactions between the city school and its environment and are able to take advantage of the array of urban resources, buffer the school and its students from some negative environmental influences, and provide services that help offset negative factors. Against a backdrop of…

This report discusses the use of mediation and alternative dispute resolution approaches in special education disagreements between the school and the parents of a child with a disability. The procedural safeguards and due process provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are explained. The report notes alternative…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a 3-year project in Mississippi to encourage the use of best practices in early intervention with children having disabilities and to increase community-based service options through use of a flexible inservice training and support model. The outreach training model focused on…

Authentic assessment differs from traditional paper-and-pencil assessment in that it is designed to reflect students'"real world" experience. Authentic assessments may assume a variety of forms (including demonstrations, oral interviews/presentations, simulations, self-assessments, and peer/instructor evaluations); however, their focus is always…

A common theme in current school reform efforts is that teachers within schools must become reflective practitioners if they are to become more successful in improving instruction to meet the needs of increasingly diverse populations. In an effort to help schools promote district-level reflection about instructional improvement, Boston College's…

This study, based on the findings of a doctoral dissertation by the author, compared the policies and procedures adopted by state special education agencies concerning the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education and evaluated the level of implementation of inclusive practices. Responses of 36 state directors of special…

This digest reviews a variety of the policies, programs, and practices to prevent youth violence so that local leaders can base decisions on the experience of other communities. The effectiveness of school violence prevention initiatives is increased by public policies that reinforce their message and by community programs that attempt to prevent…