This paper focuses on the relationship between institutional factors and the intention of undergraduate students to withdraw from or complete their distance education courses in the Arab Open University (AOU). The model was examine on a pilot sample of 127 students and then re-examined on the field study of 587 students. Mixed paradigms were…

Governments, public funders of research and universities worldwide are increasingly recognising that improving the dissemination of research raises their research profile and contributes to national competitiveness. The traditional system of research publishing is inefficient, uncompetitive and restrictive. It limits access by researchers and…

Evidence suggests that students throughout the nation are not being adequately prepared for post-secondary life and that students with disabilities face even greater post-school challenges (Wagner, Newman, Cameto, Garza, & Levine, 2005). In response to such evidence, many states and localities are initiating high school reform activities and,…

"Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006--Midwestern Edition" is based on data collected for the fourth annual report on the state of online education in U.S. Higher Education. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and based on responses from over 500 Midwestern colleges and universities, this year's study,…

While the high cost of education draws headlines, the cost of not educating America's children goes largely ignored. "The Price We Pay" remedies this oversight by highlighting the private and public costs of inadequate education. In this volume, leading scholars from a broad range of fields--including economics, education, demography,…

The UCLA Library has had a long-standing commitment to the attributes espoused by the teaching library model outlined in the seminal essay by Stoffle, Guskin and Boisse, "Teaching, Research, and Service: The Academic Library's Role" (1984). Information literacy was identified as a goal in the Library's strategic plan in late 2001. This…

In many ways, science classrooms and school library media centers are parallel universes struggling with their own reform issues and with documenting their own positive impacts. As the trend toward data-driven decisions grows in the school setting, it is increasingly important for every component of the learning environment to have demonstrable…

This article traces the development of policy in regard to the provision for children with special educational needs from the report of the Special Education Review Committee in 1993 to the enactment of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act in 2004. It begins with definitions of the terms special educational needs and pupils…

This paper presents the findings obtained from a detailed questionnaire completed by selected head teachers (n = 129), deputy heads (n = 81), middle managers (n = 178) and form tutors (n = 91) in schools within local education authorities located throughout England and Wales. The questionnaire focused upon the respondents' views on the best ways…

A constant dilemma for teacher education in Australia and overseas is the difficulty of finding sufficient numbers of placements for preservice teachers to complete the professional experience/student teaching component of their course. Statements related to quantity of placements gain both public and professional attention while less attention is…

The process of immigrating to the United States is full of stressors, both prior to and after arrival, that are unique to immigrants. Even immigrants who are well-educated and professionally credentialed often experience an initial drop in their status and earnings while they improve their English skills, re-take courses, and pass licensing exams…

Historically, many state education agencies (SEAs) have formally or informally used risk pools to provide extra funds to local education agencies (LEAs) serving students with high cost special education needs. With the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), SEAs have been encouraged to formalize their…

The late teens is an important transitional period as adolescents move into new social worlds which support or challenge their smoking. This paper draws on research with 99 Scottish 16- to 19-year olds which explored their understanding of their smoking and attitudes towards quitting and cessation support. The study involved qualitative interviews…

Treatment motivation is required for virtually all psychosocial treatments because clients must participate actively in the treatment process. In child and family treatments, it is the parent who must be motivated to manage treatment participation; however, no measures are currently available for evaluating parent motivation for treatment. The…

The failure of our current transition planning for culturally and ethnically diverse students with disabilities has been documented throughout the literature. Despite transition mandates, students with disabilities, particularly those from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds, continue to be unemployed or underemployed. The purpose of…