Education & Pedagogy

Adding distance education would provide Andover College with unlimited growth and potentially increased revenue. Andover has three groups of students: nontraditional evening students aged 25-59 who want a degree to advance in their careers; traditional students aged 17-24; and certificate candidates. A distance program would make classes more available and allow students to complete degrees or certificates in a guaranteed amount of time. To recapture some of the market it has lost to its three competitors, Andover needs to be the first to offer a distance education program. Its major advantages are its six starts and program length. Distance education would enable Andover to market an "accelerated program." Although the competition is less expensive, Andover could easily rebut by selling a faster and more convenient degree program. To add a distance program, Andover would have to add to the main server, and the information technology department would have to design a system to support the influx of online participants and add staff. Strict controls would be needed, such as a password program, creation of a distance education department, and faculty trained to identify security and identification problems. The benefits of distance education outweigh the alternatives for Andover College. (YLB)

Many believe that the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 represents the most sweeping national education reform legislation in decades. NCLB's provisions have created numerous potential opportunities and challenges for career and technical education (CTE), including in the following areas: (1) teacher quality; (2) expansion of the Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 (Ed Flex); (3) professional development; (4) assessment; (5) counseling; (6) adequate yearly progress; (7) opportunities for Native Americans, Hawaiians, and Alaskans; (8) comprehensive school reform; (9) women's education; and (10) opportunities for other specific groups, such as individuals with limited English proficiency and immigrants, inmates of correctional institutions, and homeless children. Specific implications of NCLB for CTE are as follows: (1) some state CTE programs with a role in core academic courses will have to adhere to new requirements regarding teacher qualifications; (2) NCLB makes various Perkins Act programs eligible for participation in Ed Flex; and (3) all students, including CTE students, will be expected to perform at "proficient" levels on state assessments by 2014. Eight World Wide Web sites dealing with NCLB are listed. (MN)

Noting that a coherent financing system is critical to ensuring that investments in early care and education are effectively cultivated and allocated, and that there are a number of parallels between early care and education and higher education, this project examined the financial support strategies in higher education and their potential use in early care and education. The areas of inquiry were: (1) financial aid need analysis; (2) financial aid packaging and administration, including a model for community-based financial aid administration; (3) use of diverse forms of financial aid, including family loan programs; (4) use of diverse sources of revenue, focusing on the feasibility of using community early care and education endowment funds; and (5) approaches to institutional (program) support and pricing. Following an executive summary, the report examines the current situation in early care and education service delivery and then considers each of the above areas. The report concludes with a summary of the key features of the proposed early care and education financial aid system. Recommendations are made with regard to: (1) the financial aid system; (2) resource and referral; (3) fund development and distribution; (4) licensing and accreditation standards; (5) professional development; (6) data system; and (7) funding. Appended to the report is a list of project participants. (Contains 22 endnotes.) (KB)

Over 10 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in public schools and more than 18 percent of AI/AN students in Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal schools are eligible for or placed in special education programs. This digest addresses four selected issues in the education of AI/AN students with disabilities. First, the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provide for the awarding of personnel preparation grants to colleges and universities; some grants have been awarded specifically for training special educators to work with AI/AN students. Grant recipients include a program on the Navajo Reservation that trains both Indian and non-Indian service providers, programs aimed at AI/AN college students, and grants to tribal colleges. Second, IDEA guarantees parents certain rights concerning their involvement in their child's education. Suggestions are offered for facilitating the involvement of AI/AN parents. Third, IDEA mandates that all students be evaluated using nondiscriminatory evaluations and multiple forms of assessment and using their native language. Suggestions for culturally and linguistically appropriate assessments are offered. Finally, IDEA requires education in the least restrictive environment. The inclusive model of education adopted by Kayenta Unified School District (Arizona) is briefly described. (Contains 13 references.) (SV)

The two issues of Linking_Learning published in 1999 update the education community and others regarding six migrant education technology projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The projects are the Anchor School Project, InTime (Integrating Technology into Migrant Education), MECHA, KMTP (Kentucky Migrant Technology Project), ESTRELLA, and SYNERGY. These projects test the utility of technology to improve learning opportunities and life choices for students in migrant labor families. "Mentors and Mentees Meet on the Rio Grande" describes a special weekend event in which 17 migrant secondary school students and the college students who serve as their online mentors in the ESTRELLA project attended workshops on mentoring and preparing for college. "Online Coursework Expanding as Projects Meet Needs" examines the use of online courses in ESTRELLA, KMTP, and InTime. "Families Make TV a Learning Asset" discusses InTime's delivery of Ready to Learn workshops for Oregon's migrant preschool children and their families via public television. Other articles include profiles of the six project webmasters; "Visual Learning Activities in ESTRELLA" (Jeri Kinser); "Kids in Space: Migrant Children Go to Space Camp" (Christy Casbon); "Kentucky Kids Explore and Learn" (on field trips to a zoo and a science center); and "MECHA Migrants Talk to Teachers Online." (Contains photographs and project contact information, including Web sites.) (SV)

With a clear focus on the needs of consumers in Montana, the task force for the Commissioner of Higher Education developed recommendations for nursing education that address access, articulation, and diversity. In its needs assessment, the task force determined that there is currently a shortage of licensed nursing personnel in Montana and that the shortage can reasonably be expected to escalate in the foreseeable future. The task force also finds that educational mobility within the state is lacking and that upwardly mobile nurses are leaving Montana to further their education. The task force reviewed a wide range of options for nursing education and developed full consensus on the plan of action as outlined in this report. The plan calls for: (1) clarity of focus on the consumer: students, employers, and patients; (2) articulation: based on a common core and sequence of nursing courses, and agreement on competencies to be demonstrated for exit from education/entry to service or further education; (3) differentiation of the work of nurses at all levels-Baccalaureate RN, Associate RN, and Licensed Practical Nurse--based on respect for all levels of nursing and on the core competencies; and (4) partnerships at a variety of levels between educational programs and between education, service, and regulation. (VWC)

This report tells what has been learned about reporting on higher education performance in the last 10 years and describes the kinds of information being used to inform policymakers and the public about higher education in the member states of the Southern Regional Education Board. The report provides examples of how the information is linked to states' goals for higher education and is being reported, and it illustrates how the information can help develop state and institutional policies and practices that are likely to achieve goals for higher education. There is more and better information available for making judgments about higher education now than there was 10 years ago. There are several reasons why it is important that the public know more about higher education performance and the return on investment from higher education. For one thing, the public increasingly insists on accountability for all of state government. In addition, competition for funding forces colleges and universities to show their efficiency and effectiveness. Higher education must also demonstrate its value to students, business and industry, and the public to gain the support it needs. Higher education performance indicators and report cards are most valuable when the information results in improvements in campus operations and student learning and the information contributes to public understanding and better policymaking at the state level. (SLD)

The Florida Department of Corrections (DC) offers a variety of academic and vocational programs to a limited number of inmates. Funding is discretionary and provided through state general revenue, nine federal grants, and the Inmate Welfare Trust Fund. Profiles of typical Florida inmates indicate almost 75 percent of the inmate population test at a ninth-grade level or below and at or below basic literacy skills. Academic and vocational training for Florida inmates has yielded these positive results: a "return on investment" to taxpayers of $1.66 for every dollar spent; and fewer major discipline reports, higher earnings after release, more employment and staying off public assistance after release, and less recidivation. Educational services are also provided through Florida's five privatized correctional facilities and public education system. For Fiscal Year (FY) 1998-99, the DC served 32,187 inmates in academic, vocational, or special education programs at a cost of $28,407,704. For FY 1999-2000, $34,679,542 were appropriated. Innovative approaches such as distance learning show promise. Recommendations that support the DC's mission of preparing offenders for re-entry and release into society include: expand the use of the Corrections Distance Learning Network and target additional vocational programs toward DC youthful offender institutions. (21 endnotes) (YLB)

This study combined survey data with qualitative analysis to explore the preservice preparation of teachers of English language learners (ELLs). The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education disseminated surveys to member institutions and Web site users, examining the breadth and depth of preparation programs for such teachers. The National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education compared survey findings to its analysis of both state level bilingual education teacher licensure requirements and the content of courses required by institutions for degrees/licensure in bilingual education. Licensure and course requirements were categorized by areas of knowledge, revealing that while typically emphasizing the areas of pedagogy and cultural/linguistic diversity, linguistics received less emphasis at both state and institutional levels. There was great variance in how states mandated requirements for bilingual education teacher licensure, though state requirements did impact institutions' programming. Programs varied in the depth of their coverage of areas of knowledge, with bachelor's programs more likely to cover studies within an area of knowledge through a broad overview or survey course combining various topics within one course. Very few higher education institutions offered programs that specifically prepared bilingual education teachers. Even fewer required preparation for mainstream teacher regarding ELL education. (Contains 44 references.) (SM)

This report records tasks completed during the last 3 years by the Commonwealth of Learning, which has promoted, supported, advanced, and enriched the practice of distance and open learning Commonwealth-wide since 1989. It begins with two messages: "There Will Have To Be Another Way" (H. Ian Macdonald) and "Achieving Goals, Working Together" (Gajaraj Dhanarajan). A section highlights programs that addressed basic, vocational, and nonformal education; used information and communications technologies; focused on gender and development; provided academic and professional services, including training and creating opportunities for youth; adapted learning materials and resources; provided information and support; and advocated use of distance and open learning. Other sections address collaborative course offerings; alliances and partnerships; governance and management; responding regionally; and support from and for governments. The report includes one-page descriptions of these special projects: virtual learning; the suitcase station, which is a portable radio project; Canada Caribbean Distance Education Scholarship Program; the Media Empowerment program that uses digital technology to produce farm instructional videos; Commonwealth Educational Media Center for Asia; and Literacy Project. Appended are lists of publications, Board of Governors, and senior staff; and summary financial information. (YLB)

This annual report on the status of Missouri's system of higher education is organized around five strategic initiatives. The report notes such positive trends as the more than 325,000 students who are pursuing degree programs and the nearly 50,000 students who graduate each year from the state's public and independent colleges, universities, and private career schools, and the fact that students are reporting higher levels of satisfaction with their collegiate experience than they did three years ago. The report also identifies challenges, finding that financial access to a public higher education has become increasingly difficult, with nearly 19 percent of Missouri's youth financially at risk of not being able to continue their education after high school. The bulk of the report uses text, graphs, and charts to examine achievements and challenges concerning strategic initiatives in the following five areas: (1) institutional mission review and enhancement; (2) coordination of all student financial assistance programs and services in one division; (3) telecommunications-based delivery system; (4) postsecondary technical education; and (5) funding for results. Appendices provide additional information about academic affairs, higher education funding, higher education legislation, higher education statistics, planning and policy development, and the proprietary school certification program. (DB)

Since 1999, Access to Intercultural Bilingual Education (AIBE) has endeavored to improve the quality of education in the rural department of El Quiche, Guatemala, where most people speak a Mayan language as their first language. AIBE focuses on education at the preschool and primary levels, with emphases on parent participation, bilingual methods, and Mayan cultural content. This paper describes seven educational strategies that have proven effective in the project. It has become evident, through project experience, that the best results are achieved when these strategies are used together to modify the educational environment in the classroom. The strategies are: (1) educating children within the framework of Mayan culture, worldview, and history, including nonformal activities with family and community; (2) involving parents in their children's education in the classroom, at home, as participants in school management, and via political advocacy; (3) using the child's first language, explicit teaching of that language, and related teacher training; (4) teacher training in participatory education techniques, which facilitate development of critical consciousness; (5) producing and using culturally and socially appropriate materials; (6) systematically teaching Spanish as a second language; and (7) teaching and using Mayan mathematics. (SV)

In 1994, the government of Indonesia began to provide universal education for at least 9 years' duration. Enrollment rates of children aged 7 to 12 years rose to about 90 percent. Nevertheless, there is ample evidence that many children may not be able to participate fully in schools because of work or other reasons. This book presents an outline of a study of educational programs for disadvantaged youth managed and delivered by government institutions and by private organizations. The report includes an overview of each of the programs run by the Indonesian government and examples of best practices from private organizations. The report also discusses such issues as certification, linkages, and national legislation, and the challenges these issues pose. Following an introduction (Section 1), the report contains five additional sections: (2) "Characteristics of the Young Disadvantaged in Indonesia"; (3) "The Impacts of the Current Crisis on Education"; (4) "Strategies for the Young Disadvantaged: The Roles Played by Different Stakeholders"; (5) "Trends and Challenges in Providing Alternative Education for the Young Disadvantaged"; and (6) "Concluding Remarks: Reconstructing Alternative Education." (Contains 32 references, 20 tables, and 4 boxes.) (WFA)

This paper provides information about creating Professional Development Schools (PDSs) linked with university teacher preparation programs. It focuses on PDS programs in three regions of the United States at very diverse institutions, noting what has been learned from their experiences. All of the PDS partnerships in Towson University, Maryland's College of Education are reciprocal and based on mutual respect between partners. In 2000, a unique partnership began when Towson University Department of Early Childhood Education faculty and faculty from the Infant-Primary Special Education Department started discussions among themselves (and then with Baltimore County Public School personnel) about planning a joint PDS effort to enrich the professional preparation of teacher candidates in their respective areas. The Western Maine Site is one of five partnership sites for the Extended Teacher Education Program at the University of Southern Maine. The site accepted its first cohort of interns in 1993. This program emphasizes education as community service. Gonzaga University, Washington's, School of Education offers certification in general and special education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Its PDS partnerships with the local schools have been rocky because of faculty turnover, which served to derail the PDS relationships. However, once the university developed relationships with the new faculty, the collaborations became effective again. (SM)

This final report describes activities and achievements of a 5-year project by San Francisco State University (California) to prepare doctoral candidates for careers in college teaching with an emphasis in urban, multicultural special education. The project was also intended to offer an alternative route to doctoral preparation for mid-career special educators, particularly those from groups underrepresented in educational leadership positions. The project identified and supported master's degree students, with a priority on minority and bilingual candidates. The project used supervised training in higher education, multidisciplinary instruction provided by general and special education faculty, an integrated cross-disciplinary curriculum, and extensive preparation in research skills. The following project goals were met: (1) recruitment of 9-12 doctoral candidates and 10 pre-doctoral candidates from underrepresented groups; (2) provision of financial assistance for doctoral and pre-doctoral candidates; (3) implementation of an integrated doctoral program in college teaching and research with an emphasis in urban, multicultural special education; (4) implementation of a leadership training model that uses doctoral students to teach and supervise interns in a credential/master's degree program; and (5) dissemination of information on an alternative model for recruiting and preparing doctoral candidates to serve urban, multicultural special education children and their families. (DB)