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Researchers have found that high-quality service learning programs are rich with benefits for schools, communities, and students. One hallmark of successful service learning programs is that they honor youth voice (meaning that they include young people in the creation and implementation of service opportunities). Elementary, middle, and high school students can all contribute meaningfully to their communities and shape service learning experiences with their ideas and insights. Because of the many benefits, many schools now strongly encourage or mandate service hours as a requirement for graduation. Research has identified strategies for overcoming the following challenges facing service learning: (1) not everyone shares the same definition of "youth voice"; (2) adults and young people have preconceived notions about one another's understanding of and capacity for a truly successful youth voice component; (3) not everyone in the organization buys into the concept or practice of youth voice or wants it incorporated; (4) youth voice often becomes merely the "tokenizing" of young people; (5) the teacher, educator, or other adult has difficulty relinquishing decision-making responsibilities to young people. (The strategies are included, along with six research-identified recommendations for adults, eight recommendations for policymakers, and seven recommendations for young people involved in service learning. The bibliography lists 47 references/resources and the World Wide Web addresses of 24 resource organizations.) (MN)

Cultural services and tourism are among the United Kingdom's fastest growing sectors in terms of employment and consumer demand. Cultural services and tourism bring the following elements to lifelong learning: active rather than passive learning; a means of interpreting the world around us; exposure to cultures other than one's own; confidence and interpersonal skills; innovative uses of new technology; team-building skills; an expanding sector that values training and development; an accessible and inclusive environment; buildings and spaces that cost nothing to enter; a powerful means of communicating ideas; the experience of risk in a controlled environment; an opportunity to test the body and the mind; introduction to the natural world and the world of our ancestors; flexibility; opportunities for independent learners; options for learners to determine their own level of engagement; and fun. The cultural services and tourism sectors should promote their contribution and be represented in Early Years and Learning Partnerships. The forthcoming Learning and Skills Council should seek to establish links with cultural services and tourism. The Best Value initiative and new duty to promote economic, social, and environmental well-being will present local authorities with opportunities to take a holistic approach to strategic planning in the areas of education, lifelong learning, culture, and tourism. (Seven case studies are included.) (MN)

This paper identifies some of the benefits and challenges that warrant consideration by families, educators, and dispute resolution practitioners as they create opportunities for students to participate in the mediation process. Perspectives and assumptions regarding student participation are captured and strategies are presented that may contribute to an improved process for all involved. While acknowledging potential challenges, the authors propose that students should participate as fully as possible in mediations regarding the educational services they receive. Given the variability in participants, processes, and practitioners, this discussion serves as an introduction to the complexities and nuances raised by the involvement of students in their mediations. Mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Act as amended in 1997, peer mediation and student-led Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings are discussed. The authors note that special education mediations typically include parents and educators; sometimes include advocates or attorneys, related services providers, and administrators; and less frequently include the students themselves and that a range of abilities and capacities to effectively engage in the mediation process must be considered for all participants, particularly when gauging the appropriateness and potential for student participation. Also highlighted are differences in culture, language, and educational background that may impact both the process and participation. The authors conclude that adjustments and accommodations may need to be made to make mediation a more useful process for all. Before and After the Mediation Process is appended.

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) believes that prior to the start of each season, all high school head coaches, assistant coaches, and volunteer coaches should be required to participate in a comprehensive orientation to the sport program. This orientation should be planned and conducted by the athletic director or individual who has administrative responsibility for the overall sport program and monitors coaches' compliance with all school, program, and state association policies. This orientation is not a replacement for the need for coaching education, certification, and ongoing professional development. Provided in this brief document are the elements that should be included in a comprehensive program orientation for high school sport coaches. A list of related resources is also included.

Given the range of student learning, behavior, and emotional problems experienced each day by teachers and families, meeting the challenge of supplying appropriate support is complex. Efforts to do so may be handicapped by the way in which student support interventions currently are conceived, organized, and implemented. Student supports are frequently mandated, developed, and function in relative isolation of each other. The result is an ad hoc and fragmented enterprise that does not meet the needs encountered at most schools. Over the years that school reform has focused on improving instruction, less attention has been paid to rethinking student supports. As a result, essential resources are not being used in ways that are essential if schools are to accomplish their mission. This concept paper highlights the problem and suggests new guidelines for student support, including: (1) Major areas of concern related to barriers to learning; (2) Timing and nature of problem-oriented interventions; (3) General domains for intervention; (4) Specialized student and family assistance; (5) Assuring intervention quality; and (6) Evaluation and accountability. (Contains 4 endnotes, 4 footnotes and 1 table.)

To benefit from the support of public and private sector leaders and to ensure that all students receive effective services, the adult education system must identify program models that have empirical evidence to support claims of effectiveness. The U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences defines evidence-based education as "the integration of professional wisdom with the best available empirical evidence in making decisions about how to deliver instruction." An evidence-based adult education system would have the following components: (1) basic and applied research; (2) program model evaluation; and (3) practitioner knowledge. These three components would work together in a cycle that continually improves program models. The main steps in establishing an evidence-based adult education system are as follows: (1) define groups of students to focus on in the initial baseline program evaluations; (2) for each group of students, identify specific achievement outcomes and tools for measuring them; (3) choose a few groups to begin with first; (4) support a team to develop the baseline program models for each group; (5) engage research methodology experts to design an evaluation of the baseline program models; and (6) publish a detailed description of the baseline program models and the program model evaluation methodology. (Contains 28 references.) (MN)

The institutional view of literature in the National Curriculum of Great Britain shows a dramatic belittlement in its revised version. It lacks a coherent literary or pedagogical rationale and substitutes a functional one in which over-simplification purports to be clarification. The institution is primarily concerned to define English literary heritage; it is more interested in control than in curriculum. For this reason, the issues of literature and learning are ignored; tests of levels of attainments are the levers of control. Opposition to Great Britain's National Curriculum could focus on three basic issues that have been the subject of advances in literary studies over the past 25 years and are either neglected or misunderstood in the National Curriculum. First, policy makers must understand that texts are no longer autonomous but are rather fluid, conditioned by the culture and personal inclinations and experience of the reader. Second, a child's reading ability is not systematic but idiosyncratic and serendipitous. Third, a prescribed canon of books is not workable. Current literary scholars regard the canon as evolutionary, subject to the shifting values being negotiated by a culture. (Contains 40 references.) (TB)

Assessments should improve performance by providing usable feedback, and should not merely audit it. Problems with educational accountability policies stem from a flawed view of student assessment. Intellectual excellence cannot be obtained via one-time mandated tests composed of proxies for real challenges. Common standards should be developed for use in evaluating local standards and measures, not common tests. A more performance-based accreditation process is proposed, with policies that induce schools and colleges to explicitly benchmark local work, chart progress over time, and give incentives for meeting high performance standards. Authentic educational tests simulate problems of knowledge use found in professions and after formal education. Assessments must teach students that tasks, criteria, and standards found in schools and colleges are appropriate for all rational inquiry and fruitful intellectual life. Assessments with flexible and context-sensitive opportunities reveal student expertise. Two vignettes for focusing policy reform and 10 guidelines for developing a consistent system of assessment are given. Outcome-based education and site-based decision making ensure that all local testing from kindergarten through graduate school (K-GS) involves the worthiest tasks and best exit-level challenges, and adapts to all grades. A seamless K-12-graduate school system includes: authentic tasks and standards linking different system stages that are known to all students and teachers at lower levels and recur throughout their work; and authentic standards and measures that are thoroughly explained, taught, and practiced with constant opportunity for revision and improvement so that schools and students are genuinely culpable for substandard performance. The appendixes provide guidance about assessment practice from various sources in terms of general principles and recommendations, specific suggestions, scoring scales for writing activities, literacy profiles (reading), and "work requirements" in literature study and chemistry. (35 references) (RLC)

This report describes current book deterioration in libraries, the status and economics of acid free paper production, and categories of books which should be printed on acid-free paper. Recommendations are discussed for publishers and librarians regarding the use of acid-free paper. Technical guidelines on paper acidity, a table on manufacturers of acid-free paper identifying types, shades, and surfaces of paper as well as definitions and a list of members of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council of Library Resources are provided. (Author/RBF)

Topics related to characteristics of mother/daughter relationships in contemporary patriarchal societies are discussed in this seminar paper. The first section describes cases intended to illustrate ways patriarchal social structures limit contemporary mother/daughter relationships, provides a brief historical contrast, and suggests possible explanations of how and why mother/daughter relationships become ambivalent and sometimes negative. In the second section, the contemporary context of mother/daughter relationships is examined. Topics discussed include patriarchal fears and contempt of women, restricted patriarchal models for female identity, and outcomes of maternal guilt and ambivalence, as well as daughters' rage at mothers and the threat of men to the mother/daughter relationship. Images of women in literature are briefly discussed. Against this background the third section discusses the development of self and identity in the mother/daughter relationship from birth through the preschool years, middle childhood, and adolescence, to identity in young adulthood. Problems of sex role autonomy and identity development in middle childhood, nurturance, identity development in preadolescence and sex differences in parental response to adolescent autonomy are among the topics discussed. The fourth and final section offers suggestions for mothers seeking help with problems in their relationships with their daughters. (Author/RH)

Addressed to professionals involved in program evaluation, this working paper covers various aspects of evaluation planning, including the following: planning as a sociotechnical process, steps in evaluation planning, program planning and implementation versus evaluation planning and implementation, the literacy system and its subsystems, and some evaluation questions for use in evaluating literacy programs. Discussed next are situation-specific evaluation agendas and approaches to evaluating literacy programs. Following an examination of management information systems, various aspects of managing evaluation systems are covered, including developing evaluation subsystems, staffing and recruitment, staff development, linkage with support institutions, decision networks and nodes, intersystem communication, program development, resources and control, and monitoring as a management tool. Provided next are strategies for making the evaluation findings more probable and for limiting some of the politics of evaluation. (MN)

The Secondary School Physical Education Council of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education sets forth here recommendations for sound and comprehensive physical education programs in secondary schools. Role and function of the following components of a physical education program are considered: (1) the instructional program; (2) the intramural program; (3) the interscholastic program; (4) the teacher; (5) student health and safety; (6) scheduling, time allotment, and class size; (7) facilities, equipment, and supplies; (8) measurement and evaluation techniques; and (9) accreditation standards and procedures. (LH)

This paper comes from an educator who worked on the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Guidelines for the Preparation of Teachers of English Language Arts in 1996. The paper states that the work offered the educator/author the opportunity to discuss the many dimensions of English language arts preparation programs for undergraduate and graduate school candidates in the participating colleges and universities. It also states that since 1996 he has followed the implementation of the Guidelines through various matrix outlines that the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and NCTE program evaluators have developed based on the Guidelines. The main part of the paper deals with his observations about the field of literary studies. It voices some concerns about the existing Guidelines and the related Matrix used as part of the NCATE project. Thee was concern that the inclusive approach taken while writing the Guidelines resulted in a posture toward literary studies that avoided the prescriptive stance of earlier editions. Earlier editions of the Guidelines required candidates to study the history of literature in courses designated as American, British, and world literature surveys. The earlier editions favored the broader and more inclusive requirement that candidates be exposed to "literatures of human cultures" or an "exhaustive body of literature and literary genres in English and in translation." The paper explains why dropping these designations will have a loosening effect upon curricula accepted under the new NCATE standards, and offers some examples. (NKA)

The processes of learning about and exploring different vocations should begin in elementary school. Elementary school teachers and administrators planning career education must be careful to develop sequential objectives that are achievable, challenging, and tailored to students' interests. Elementary-level career education may emphasize separate units of study or be integrated into ongoing units of study. Objectives of elementary-level career education can include helping students achieve the following goals: become responsible, caring individuals; develop habits of cleanliness; develop good human relations skills; learn to balance personal and societal needs; and learn to think effectively and make decisions. Because they may well become vital in students' career education, the language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, health, and music and art must all be integrated with career education. Elementary-age students also need ample opportunities to experience vital careers in separate and/or integrated units of study, including through the following activities: (1) listening to community members discuss their careers; (2) developing scrapbooks illustrating different careers in the societal arena; (3) participating in role-playing activities; (4) developing collages and murals showing salient careers; (5) researching careers of interest at their individual development level; and (6) taking excursions to observe significant careers firsthand. (MN)

As a medium for delivering lifelong learning, the Internet makes it possible to customize education to individual needs, deliver education anywhere and anytime, and enable learners to interact with other learners and teachers collaboratively to solve problems and learn new skills. Nevertheless, as a medium for delivering lifelong learning, the Internet is still fraught with the following problems: (1) learning not tailored to meet individual learners' needs in a culturally specific manner may be ineffective; (2) because English is the predominant language of the Internet, many learners who are not native English speakers cannot make full use of the Internet; and (3) learning materials may need to be redesigned for the online environment. A group of New Zealand educators who have offered education via the Internet since 1995 and who now have major mirror sites in Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Canada, and South Africa, offer the following lessons to educators seeking to embrace lifelong learning on the Internet: (1) interaction is a key ingredient in the learning process; (2) providing feedback is an essential element of learning on the Internet; (3) offer courses in learners' native languages; (4) abandon the concepts of copyright and ownership; and (5) when designing courses, seek a balance between investment and change by designing courses for obsolescence. (Contains 37 references.) (MN)

Recent calls for educational reform focus on the need for curricula emphasizing conceptual learning that is integrated across traditional subject areas. In response to this, the major national subject-matter organizations (including the National Council of Teachers of English) met to discuss and develop guidelines for integrating the curriculum from Pre-K-Grade 4, and the result is this position statement. The position statement outlines eight principles that should guide the implementation of an integrated curriculum. It states that an interdisciplinary education which draws from the knowledge and processes of multiple disciplines should encourage students to become active learners equipped with the analytical, interpretive, and evaluative skills needed to solve real-life problems. (NKA)

Each year, the Policies Commission for Business and Economic Education develops statements regarding business education. The following are among the commission's guidelines regarding planning the business education curriculum for the new century: (1) making business education an integral and equal partner within schools' educational communities requires that business educators proactively respond to industry needs and connect with changing student learning styles; (2) preparing students for emerging careers in e-commerce and other job clusters requires helping them develop both business knowledge/skills and people skills; (3) business educators must teach soft skills by modeling behavior, establishing the classroom culture, and interacting daily with students in a project-based environment; (4) at all educational levels, business educators must transform classrooms into virtual enterprises and help learners apply their learning "just-in-time" for the business's daily operation. (The following attachments constitute approximately 80% of this document: sample scope and sequence for business education courses; a sample philosophy and general goals for graduates; rationales and descriptions of 22 business education courses; information about the Missouri business education competencies; and an overview of integration and articulation that lists five integration models along with the benefits and challenges of integration and guidelines for articulating business education.) (MN)

The licensure requirements for technology teachers vary widely from state to state. The goals of the alternative teacher licensure movement have been to allow more individuals to become certified as teachers more quickly and to attract more people with life experiences into teaching without the necessary completion of traditional undergraduate teacher preparation programs. Most generic alternative licensure models have evolved into programs targeting specific populations. Competency-based programs, both traditional and alternative, appear to be the way of the future. At least 14 different alternative licensure models currently exist. The following complementary components of a proposed model for alternative licensure for technology education were developed after a careful review of the literature and state licensure and alternative licensure regulations and key documents from the field of technology education: (1) a "conceptual model" combining the set of competencies adapted from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education-approved curriculum guidelines with the limited licensure model already used in several states; (2) a set of suggested competencies for alternative licensure mode; and (3) a listing of possible course titles for proposed alternative licensure models. The model is based on the belief that alternative licensure should allow adequate flexibility without compromising the quality of the profession. (16 references) (MN)

The results of a 2-year study on the interactions between government and private sector information activities are presented in terms of principles and guidelines for federal policy to support the development and use of information resources, products, and services, and to implement the principles. Discussions address sources of conflict between the public and private sectors; the roles of private enterprise, libraries, and government in providing information; and a summary of recent policy statements to avoid or resolve conflicts of interest in information dissemination. Definitions of key terms are provided. Appended are a list of Task Force members, definitions used in previous policy statements and publications, and a list of cases illustrating the application of the principles and recommendations of the task force. An extensive bibliography is included. (RBF)

Summarizes major points of NAEYC's revised position, describing how the revision builds on and expands the previous document through the growing knowledge base and the input of practitioners who used the original publication. Discusses the historical context within which the position statement was written, and summarizes the revisions. Discusses major issues of early childhood practice addressed by the revisions.(AMC)

Schools connect students with peers and mentors, channel youthful energy into productive pursuits, teach essential academic skills and knowledge, and give overwhelmed parents room to breathe and work. Adapting to the challenges of COVID-19 gives America's schools the opportunity to provide what is uniquely possible in the schoolhouse while seeking new ways to fully use technology and community partnerships. As communities and public officials start to think about the problems ahead, states, districts, and schools should consider at least six different buckets of work: (1) school operations; (2) whole child supports; (3) school personnel, (4) academics; (5) distance learning; and (6) other general considerations. Together with a task force of accomplished educational leaders--including former state chiefs, superintendents, federal education officials, and charter network leaders--this report sketches a framework that can help state policymakers, education and community leaders, and federal officials plan appropriately for reopening. [Written with Chris Cerf, Carrie Conaway, Sharif El-Mekki, Dale Erquiaga, Kaya Henderson, Duncan Klussmann, Wayne Lewis, Phyllis Lockett, Candice McQueen, Karega Rausch, Nina Rees, Gerard Robinson, Andrew Rotherham, Ian Rowe, Irvin Scott, Hanna Skandera, David Steiner, Joanne Weiss, and John White. For a shortened version of the report "A Blueprint for Back to School. Education Studies," see ED606267.]

The paper discusses report of The Spellings Commission for Future of Higher Education that was set up to look into the issues facing the higher education system in the U.S., outline the challenges and offer recommendations to tackle the problems. Most importantly, The Spellings Commission Report raised the issue of the role of federal government in the development of higher education system. The paper focuses on one of the issues raised by the Spellings Commission, access to higher education. The paper suggests that today access still remains an issue for higher education in the U.S. Adjusting to changing demographic trends, increased ethnic diversity and increased enrollments with limited federal resources and complicated federal aid system is still a challenge of the future. The question that remains to be answered is: "Will the federal government sustain its traditional commitment to equalizing opportunities for higher education?" (Contains a list of 9 references and resources.)

This report contends that public events are effective ways for community colleges to provide a venue in which the burgeoning population of immigrant Americans may have a voice. The ten successful goals to successful public-event planning are: (1) determining goals; (2) selecting a date; (3) reserving facilities; (4) creating a student planning committee; (5) selecting a theme; (6) creating a timetable; (7) determining a budget; (8) publicizing the event; (9) enjoying the event itself; and (10) giving credit to contributors. This paper presents a plan for successful development of public events, including student plays, student speakers, student science fairs, student multi-media projects, student art exhibits, student story-telling, student forums, student inductions, student recognition ceremonies, or any event that features students. The author argues that virtually every new American in attendance will bring others to the event who will see their student modeling the use of a public forum as a means of expression. Step one should be considered in light of the goals of the college. Step two requires planning well in advance, and consideration of the schedules of students, faculty, and staff, as well as possible conflicts with other events. (Author/NB)

This paper presents advice on what questions to ask and what points to consider when purchasing classroom furniture. The suggested questions help purchasers determine how safe and appropriate the furniture is for a particular age group. The paper also provides easy-to-use references that cover planning a furniture purchase, making the actual purchase, and choosing a furniture vendor. (GR)

This paper proposes a high school curriculum that incorporates education in oral communication as an essential graduation skill--a skill taught systematically by trained instructors in a communication course. The paper points out, however, that other innovative arrangements are possible as long as the instruction is systematic; follows professionally developed guidelines; and uses instructors who have had competent instruction in multiple facets of communication theory. The paper notes that three major thrusts compose this proposal for the ideal curriculum: identification of the curriculum-approaches to skills; identification of how these skills will be taught systematically; and identification of the training of classroom instructors. The paper states that the proposal must then be followed by a diffusion plan following Everett Roger's diffusion model. The paper identifies an excellent already available model curriculum developed by the Speech Communication Association (SCA). In conclusion, the paper points out that various groups in SCA might undertake the following actions to offer greater leadership for schools in this country: (1) K-12 and EPB could select 30-40 people to commit themselves to submitting 304 articles over the next 2-3 years to various education journals as a way of creating a knowledge base; (2) SCA could finance the massive distribution of new curriculum guidelines; (3) workshops on new curriculum goals could be held in each state; (4) research studies could be encouraged to show that each element of the curriculum goal is viable; and (5) graduate students could be encouraged to do research concerning the ideal secondary school curriculum. (TB)

This paper explores why comprehensive high schools should consider implementing tech prep and what they need to know about tech prep programs. It first presents 14 principles of high school-community college articulation (the basis for tech prep). Following these principles, the paper explores the history of tech prep, definitions by Congress, and definitions by others. It then outlines some tech prep models, lists their components, and describes a tech prep example. A discussion of what Congress wants and the potential meaning of the tech prep articulation model for education follows. Finally, the following resources for implementing tech prep are listed: three publications on apprenticeship; names and addresses for two clearinghouses, five curriculum centers, one database, and six guidance sources; four guides; three newsletters; four sources for resources for special education; one publication on technology; and one book on workplace basics. Contains 14 references. (KC)

This report offers an evaluation of services for families in New York State, finds that system is in chaos, and proposes a 5-year commitment to integrate programs and funding in six agencies. The report finds that billions of federal, state, local, and private dollars are committed annually to support separate service systems with no imperative for the systems to work together. These separate systems have functionally crippled themselves by adding layer after layer of complexity producing a system immobilized by separate bureaucratic requirements. The paper argues that one root of the problem is the more than 200 separate funding streams supporting services for multi-problem families. In addition, the culture within New York State agencies has contributed to agencies not sharing information and resources. The paper goes on to argue for the implementation of community-based integrative service planning, which would result in more productive, effective, and economical service provision. The balance of the document offers further information on and a detailed discussion of the proposed plan of reform, including a discussion of delivery of services, economics and service needs, structural change, models that work, and an action plan. (Contains 18 references.) (JB)

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role state departments of education, a professional organization and a leading internet organization play in providing recommendations and guidelines in the construction of new high school libraries. Four state agencies were identified and specific square footage formulas noted as well as information provided by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and Eduscapes internet organizations. An overview of a small public high school library in southwest Virginia, Franklin County High School, was also included, with its collection, and first semester circulation and student use statistics noted. Results show that some state agencies and organizations provide no recommendations, while those that do show significant disparity in those recommendations. It is concluded that smaller may in fact be as effective as larger libraries and that any decision to build big should be based on a qualitative assessment.

A rapidly growing number of rural students are increasingly involved in some form of distance learning for all or part of the school day (or night). The precise long-term impact of distance learning technologies on schooling will not be known for several years. But this paper embraces the likelihood that distance learning will revolutionize the concept of 'schooling'--not by abandoning schools and individualizing and isolating students in the process, but rather by enhancing individual and class educational opportunities most often in the context of a school. It focuses on the applicability and potential of two-way interactive television for small and rural K-12 schools as a primary asset in improving educational access and equity and calls for the adoption of enlightened distance learning policies and guidelines at the state and local levels. The following are appended: (1) Characteristics of Major Distance Learning Technologies; (2) Types of Distance Learning Technologies; and (3) a Categorization of State Videoconferencing Policies. A glossary is also included. (Contains 2 tables and 27 endnotes.)

Despite the setbacks of many virtual education programs at the collegiate level, the public's widespread, growing acceptance of electronic learning (e-learning) argues for continued expansion of virtual education. When designing virtual programs, colleges and universities typically follow an administrative model that is hierarchical, bureaucratic, labor intensive, and thus ill-suited to the fast-paced, ever-changing world of virtual education. Most successful players in the world of e-learning have displayed the following features of entrepreneurial organizations: real-time opportunistic responses; reliance on self-generated revenue; localized decision making, the relative absence of hierarchy, small size, and a strong and a culture supportive of risk-taking behavior. Higher educational institutions wanting to be successful in the world of virtual education must adopt the following strategies: (1) apply previously developed expertise in addressing the needs of part-time students; (2) begin with small experiments and rigorously examine the outcomes; (3) study the larger environment of success and failure; (4) follow the ball and try to anticipate where it will bounce; (5) encourage the best people to become involved in developing e-learning programs; (6) promote a supportive environment for experimentation, including following up with additional resources for further growth; and (7) accept that successful strategies must continue to evolve to ensure generating "value" for the organization and the consumer. (MN)

The Internet offers trade and industrial (T&I) educators a wealth of readily available information for use as teaching aids, supplemental materials, and laboratory resources. These materials provide many distinct benefits; however, there are also several issues that must be addressed when using the Internet as an adjunct in teaching. These benefits and issues must be weighed when deciding whether to use Internet resources in T&I classrooms and laboratories. Above all, using the Internet in T&I programs helps students develop computer and related technical skills. T&I students may use the Internet in many ways; for example, students can conduct research on historical aspects of their discipline, find vendor sites, or explore employment opportunities. The Internet can also be used for integration activities with academic disciplines. Students will need access to some type of Internet service provider. Security-related issues include ensuring that students do not gain access to individual student, school, or district information and ensuring that students do not access sites containing inappropriate materials. T&I teachers must address these same security issues when deciding whether to use course software to place portions of a class on the Internet. T&I teachers must also realize that using course software creates a time constraint. (MN)

This paper is a summary of a "how to" workshop, focusing on design guidelines when moving from an onsite course to an online course. Three most basic considerations are content knowledge, pedagogical skill, and higher-order thinking dispositions. Transferring content to an online environment requires technological expertise, and facilitating growth in a student's knowledge base through interaction of literacies requires mindfulness. The workshop is intended for teachers of adult learners who are truly concerned with building thinking persons. The following principles of best practice learning are summarized: student-centered; experiential; holistic; authentic; expressive; reflective; social; collaborative; democratic; cognitive; developmental; constructivist; and challenging. A model to guide teachers in designing online courses to increase learning through improved teaching is presented. (MES)

This paper presents two types of approaches to media selection--rational-choice approaches and social-influence approaches. It is argued that designers should combine the two types of approaches in a bottom-up/top-down media-selection process. As examples of the two types of approaches, two conceptual frameworks are described--task/media fit and core/complementary media. The complementarity of the two choices is also discussed. In summary, the following three guidelines are listed: (1) consider for each educational-design situation what is an "objectively" optimum choice for each particular task (rational-choice approach), and combine this with the best choice within the social context (social-influence approach); (2) consider task/media fit as a rational-choice framework and core/complementary media as a social-influence framework for thinking about media selection; and (3) approach media selection as a creative and heuristic, combined bottom-up/top-down design process, in which these guidelines may serve as resources. One figure illustrates task/media fit according to media richness theory. (Author/DLS)

Since its inception in 1972, Title IX has changed how the American higher education system functions at all levels. Colleges and universities continue to struggle to comply with Title IX's unspecified standards for accommodating the interests and needs of students. Due to community college administration structures and funding sources typically being tied to local taxes, minimum tuition fees, and state federal agency politics, efforts to comply with Title IX have been addressed with trepidation. Politically "hot" problems include teacher cutbacks, inadequate facilities and equipment, too many students, and lack of community and administrative support as institutions unable to comply with the unspecified Title IX standards are making decisions out of fear of lawsuits rather than out of practical concerns. This paper re-examines Title IX in an attempt to establish limits and objectives more clearly, as well as to define its purpose. By reducing ambiguities related to Title IX, higher education institutions would be released from responsibilities of its interpretation, thereby avoiding unnecessary court cases. Consequently, savings from litigation expenses could save millions of dollars that could be spent on educational programs. (AS)

In this paper, a panel of four new faculty discuss the challenges they have faced and the lessons they have learned in attempting to create a research agenda for themselves. To provide a point of reference, brief biographical sketches are provided of the panel members and the responder. The panelists' comments are provided on several principal topics and recommendations that emerged: (1) build skills and one research focus through the dissertation; (2) choose an institution/environment that fits your interests; (3) at first, watch for research problems and resources as you deal with the onslaught of demands; (4) select research projects from these identified possibilities and resources; (5) seek out others to collaborate with on research projects; and (6) develop discipline for writing. Additional comments are included from one of the panelists on the social responsibility, politics, goals, methods, and practical steps that go with establishing a research agenda. (AEF)

This paper provides additional guidance to states in the form of supplemental questions and answers to facilitate the development of policy for service delivery areas (SDAs) and other subrecipients of funding under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Amendments, which took effect on July 1, 1993. Topics covered are the following: definitions, relocation, Higher Education Act coordination--Pell Grants, on-the-job training, work experience, administrative standards, performance standards, monitoring and oversight, sanctions for violations of the JTPA, transition, state planning--Human Resource Investment Council, 8 percent state education and coordination and grants, older individuals, incentive grants funds, Private Industry Council certification, program design, eligibility determination, Title IIB summer youth programs, and Title III questions. (KC)

The role of school board policy as an instrument for empowering leadership is explored in this paper. Currently, the majority of policy handbooks are not designed to provide motivation or vision and are not part of an ongoing effort to create a congruence of district expectations. When policy becomes a statement of a school board's expectations and visions, rather than a tool for crisis management, it can serve as an instrument of leadership. For policy statements to become effective instruments of leadership and empowerment, they must be written to reflect the overall vision of the school board and participants. A conclusion is that to fulfill their roles, school boards, particularly those in rural communities, need to take active leadership roles, one of which is policy formation. To achieve district goals, policy handbooks must be reviewed, reformulated, and rewritten so that they embody the goals and ideals shared by the board and its constituents and are written in terms of "superobjectives"--that is, objectives that go beyond the surface concerns which dominate the average policy handbook or guide and give coherence and meaning to the leader's performance. (LMI)

This paper reports on cases in which colleges have handled confidential assessment reports of students with special learning needs in a manner that violated the students' rights to privacy. Guidelines are suggested for students in order to ensure that information that is shared with postsecondary institutions is used in a way that will enhance student-faculty communication and student success. These guidelines include keeping original reports of assessment information, ensuring that information provided to faculty is accurate and comfortable for the student to share, using short direct ways to share information, allowing enough time for the disabilities office to prepare adaptations, and enrolling the support of an advocate in dealing with the disabilities office. (JDD)

The background and purpose of course assessment are examined. The paper includes suggestions for classroom instructors in setting up formative assessment plans based on qualitative research. Focus is on the interview technique. It is discussed as a practical source for evaluating what actually takes place during a course, including the appraisal of the course itself, instructional procedures, and content. Steps for conducting student interviews are intended to promote student involvement and to aid instructors in determining ability levels and course focus. In the drive toward academic excellence, formative assessment assists students and instructors in reaching the goal of successful learning in the classroom. There is a 24-item list of references. (SLD)

Traditional methods for task analysis have been largely based on the Instructional Systems Development (ISD) model, which is widely used throughout industry and the military. The first part of this document gives an overview of cognitive task analysis, which is conducted within the first phase of ISD. The following steps of cognitive task analysis are outlined: (1) identification of key job tasks and training issues; (2) visual representation of the knowledge structure; (3) description of cognitive processes underlying performance; (4) identification of differences between experts and less-experienced personnel; and (5) implications of results for the design phase. Following this overview, the paper presents, in outline form, guidelines that describe the procedures and deliverables for a cognitive task analysis. The deliverables (research proposal, interim report, and final report) are described, and the information contained in them is outlined. Guidelines for conducting a cognitive task analysis are presented in the following steps: establishing analytic goals, selecting subjects, selecting data collection methods, analyzing data, validating results, communicating and interpreting results, and formulating training recommendations. Attachments include two figures that provide examples of network scaling and an example of an expert mental model. (YLB)

This paper outlines a method of transforming traditional learning methods into a competency-based approach in a series of steps. The paper is organized in three sections. The first section defines competency-based education (CBE) and explains how this approach differs from traditional education. It also advances reasons why the competency-based approach is superior to traditional methods. In the second section, the paper outlines the steps to be taken to make the transition to CBE. These steps include focusing instruction on specific competencies (tasks) rather than on content or material, and shifting from large-group instruction delivered by or dependent on the instructor to a modularized, well packaged and well mediated approach in which students can master each task at their own pace before going on to the next. The final section deals with management concerns and approaches in competency-based learning, such as planning each student's work, keeping up with daily and weekly progress, and organizing and managing the facility (learning resource center). Samples of instructional materials and administrative materials are included in the outline. (KC)

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: Conflicts over schools in general and curriculum and materials in particular have increased in recent years. A contributing factor is that organized groups, determined to reform society by imposing their values on others, insist that textbooks and other educational materials reflect their views. Whether educators agree or disagree with concerns expressed by critics, they must act responsibly. When challenges arise, school officials should bear in mind that education is governed by the public because it fulfills an important public purpose. They should recognize the value of citizen participation and respect the right of parents to shape their children's schooling. At the same time, educators should insist that, as in other fields, professional judgment must not be completely subservient to the popular will. Educators' primary allegiance must be to the integrity of knowledge and the welfare of students. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development affirms that: Parents and other citizens have the right and the responsibility to express their views about the merits and appropriateness of public school curriculum and materials. School systems should have well-defined procedures by which concerns can be communicated to school officials and responded to promptly, thoughtfully, and courteously. Adoption of such procedures is based on the presumption that some complaints may be valid; that decisions about choice or use of materials are properly subject to reconsideration. The best hope for a sound decision when materials are questioned is through use of a predetermined process that ensures thorough consideration of the issues by an objective group. Actions by individuals--whether citizens or educators--that circumvent such deliberations are a threat to individual liberty and democratic process. Materials should always be evaluated in reference to educational criteria formulated in advance of any particular controversy. As stated by the United States Supreme Court in Pico vs. Island Trees, materials must never be removed or restricted for the purpose of suppressing ideas. --Approved by ASCD Executive Council, October 1982. (Author)

Gender based learning has become an acceptable facet of the differentiated classroom. The female learner has unique needs that can be addressed through differentiated instruction. There are distinct differences between men and women. These differences effect how females approach learning as well as how they retain information. "A fundamental premise of differentiating instruction is that certain steps must be taken to guarantee students will learn what they need to learn in order to meet curriculum guidelines and state standards." (Preszler 2006) (Contains a list of 6 resources.)

The purpose of this essay is to instruct teachers how to write a letter of recommendation for their students. It includes when to say no, what the student needs to provide the teacher and how to write a strong letter. I am a teacher with sixteen years experience and therefore have written many letters for students. This instructional essay will give the teacher who has been given the honor of writing a letter of recommendation for a student some helpful tips in order to make the letter less stressful as well as giving the teacher confidence they are writing a strong letter.

The purpose of this presentation is to identify the challenges faced by special educators throughout North America in meeting the needs of Mexican-American students. Recommendations will also be provided for collaborating with families from Mexico along the following dimensions: population and demographic factors, urbanization and the decline of rural communities, emigration to the United States, language and ethnicity, religious factors, interpersonal factors and family relations, schools and education and special education in Mexico. The following information and recommendations were gathered from interviews conducted in schools, clinics, communities and homes in multiple states and cities in Mexico. Informants were parents, teachers, administrators, university faculty, children and others.