In 2001, a group of 25 national and regional leaders in the field of developmental education met in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the second Meeting on Future Directions in Developmental Education. The meeting was co-sponsored by General College (GC) and the Center for Research on Developmental Education and Urban Literacy (CRDEUL) at the University…

George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, Virginia, offers a doctoral program that concentrates on teaching in the community college. Many higher education programs in the country include community college education courses, but the focus of these programs is educational leadership and administrative responsibilities. The National Center for…

This paper examines educational environments that promote learning and explores the ways that such environments produce differentially positive results. It is based on a study that investigated the effects of a theoretically based social-constructivist approach to education, in contrast to the more classroom-based "abstract" instruction used in…

This document lists learning-centered principles, and discusses their application to student affairs practices in general and to student services programs at Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) in Arizona in particular. Learning-centered practices in student service programs identify, measure and evaluate learning objectives; encourage…

This issue reviews publications that provide school leaders with guidance in determining how to choose and implement the schoolwide program that is best for their school. American Institutes for Research's "An Educator's Guide to Schoolwide Reform" provides educators with comprehensive profiles and evaluations of 24 of the leading…

This report provides an overview of the federally funded State Improvement Grants (SIGs). Information was obtained from the 17 individual state profiles compiled for the Regional Resource Center Network SIG Report. Results of the analysis found: (1) 18 states were awarded SIGs in 1999 and the average SIG award was $1,002,949; (2) recruitment and…

This book is intended to be a practical guide to the encouragement of reflection in teaching and learning within the context of the British higher education system. The book emphasizes the use of questions for focus; the use of examples to answer the questions; more generalized discussions based on the examples; the use of ordinary language…

ExceL through Innovation (ExceL) is a local funding initiative of the Austin Independent School District (AISD), Texas, created to enhance elementary student achievement through innovative programs designed at the campus level for the specific students served. By 1998, 68 campuses were receiving ExceL funds. In spring 1998, principals of the ExceL…

Determining the value of school-choice programs depends on an assessment of consequences on the differing elements of the school system. The International Conference on School Choice and Educational Change at Michigan State University explored the themes of governance, equity and access, innovation, student outcomes, and accountability from the…

This digest defines interdisciplinary courses, presents the benefits and challenges of offering them in the community college, and describes six existing interdisciplinary courses at community colleges around the country. Interdisciplinary courses are characterized by the following: they tend to be highly innovative; they incorporate concepts and…

In this book, the chosen theme is the democratic school or, more precisely, the democratization of school processes. Democratization as a concept provides a firm basis for concocting a strong antidote to the norms, standards, and uniformity of the application of market logic to educational analysis and policymaking. By pointing the spotlight…

This handbook introduces some fundamental ideas on designing, implementing, and facilitating a distance learning course. It offers specific strategies for topics ranging from choosing delivery technologies to encouraging collaboration among scattered distance-learning students to testing and other evaluation methodologies. The book is broken down…

This paper describes a preservice elementary education program that incorporated more time spent at school sites. The program consisted of three consecutive semesters of courses combined with fieldwork. The first semester included a methods course, a reading class, and a children's literature class. Additional time was spent in the field observing…

The expert contributors to this volume tell how state laws and policies have stacked the deck against charter schools by limiting the number of charter schools allowed in a state, forbidding for-profit firms from holding charters, forcing them to pay rent out of operating funds, and other ways. They explain how these policies can be amended to…

Presents portions of a journal kept while student teaching in English in a high school. (TO)