Over 16,000 students are enrolled in Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Spain), a virtual university that has agreements with public and private institutions to provide resources in students' communities. Because student service is the staff's vocation, student satisfaction is high. Ongoing research focuses on continuing innovations. (SK)

By 1993, New York City's multicultural and innovative Children of the Rainbow curriculum had been discontinued and the education chancellor fired. This article examines the curriculum's development and implementation and the controversies surrounding it. After-effects linger, as other U.S. districts address various social issues in the school…

The International Telementor Center, founded by Hewlett Packard and housed at Colorado State University, facilitates e-mail mentoring between professional adults and students, under teacher supervision, in eight countries. Having an interested adult paying attention to them inspires students to improve communication skills, get more involved in…

Describes the development of a distance education program within one Slovenian university's department of economics, showing how the synergy created through the combination of existing resources as well as the local and social educational environment with outside expertise brought about a self-sustainable distance education program and improved…

Examines intended and unintended results of the charter school movement, addressing both sides of the debate and explaining that increased autonomy can heighten inequalities, and choice can sometimes exclude certain members of society. Discusses: autonomy for accountability; autonomy for efficiency; competition; innovation; and choice. Notes that…

Discusses the essence of child education in Poland, focusing on preschool education. The concept of the playgroup is examined as a place concerned with providing students with knowledge. An alternative is suggested which which takes into account the child's feelings and relationship with the family and close environment. (JPB)

Provides a rationale for the use of cognitive developmental theory as a framework for counselor education, discusses the implications for preparation programs, and suggests evaluation and research possibilities in this area. Discusses theory's theoretical background, reviews components of successful programs, and presents specific strategies. (EMK)

Offers some ideas concerning promotion of gender equality and diversity within European Union-funded programs and activities. Reviews efforts since the 1970s to foster equal access in European schools and universities, examines some principles of innovation and entrepreneurship, and considers stages in diversity policy development. (DB)

This study describes the Behavioral Assessment and Technology Support Systems (BATSS) group who have been conducting functional analyses of disruptive behavior in children with emotional/behavioral disorders for 24 months in two school districts. Functional analysis outcomes and intervention data are presented on 3 male elementary school students.…

Describes efforts of the Baldrige in Education Center and Quality Leadership Academy in Santa Cruz County, California, to support teacher and administrator efforts to improve student performance in selected schools through the use of continuous-improvement techniques adopted by many American corporations to improve product quality and increase…

Describes a technology-based partnership between Richard Daley College (Illinois), a high school, the National Center for Education and the Economy, and the Associated Equipment Distributers Foundation. Reports that the resulting program has motivated students and resulted in an 84% graduation rate, including 32 graduates with one year of college…

Although the educational community has learned much about better educational practices, less is known about processes for implementing new practices. The standard model of diffusion suggests that people change perceptions about the value of an innovation through communication, and these perceptions then drive implementation. But implementation can…

Portfolio work has become recognized as a significant if under-researched form of work emerging in changing work structures. This article presents findings of a qualitative study of nurses and adult educators who function as 'portfolio professionals', in that they contract their services to multiple employers and organizations. Proceeding from…

The current paper discusses the introduction of computers into education as an educational innovation and as a policy issue. First, it distinguishes computer use in two fundamental categories (IT and ITE), linking their characteristics with two main issues that, according to educational innovation studies, influence the process of innovation: the…

Since the inception of charter schools over a decade ago, policymakers have wanted to know how charter schools are performing. This is difficult to answer because there is no single charter school approach to educating students. By design, charter schools have innovative and distinctive education philosophies. In this research, we capture some of…