The author discusses the development of community colleges in the United States and Canada, outlines some of their key distinguishing characteristics, and explores the possible relevance of the community college for Australian higher education. (Editor/KC)

This article describes two employment and training programs for older people funded by the government of the United States and carried out by a variety of agencies: the Senior Community Services Employment Program and the Job Training Partnership Act. The examples demonstrate the ability of older adults to learn new skills and perform new jobs.…

In this research report we share results of a study of an adaptation of Lesson Study, a form of professional development typically used in Japanese elementary schools, with secondary mathematics teachers in the United States. We draw on Wenger's (1998) concept of "communities of practice" and Grossman, Wineberg, and Woolworth's (2001)…

Reviews the history, ideology, patterns of development, and effectiveness of U.S. community colleges. Concludes that, despite criticisms, their multiple mission and outreach service make them a useful guide for British further education colleges. (Author/SK)

Examines three community colleges from the United States and four from Canada, using a qualitative multiple-case-study design to define changes in the colleges' institutional missions during the 1990s. Suggests that a new globally oriented vocationalism dominated the community college mission at the end of the twentieth century. (Contains 51…

Comparison of governance structures in English further education colleges and U.S. community colleges concludes that the U.S. experience of trusteeship is the more successful model. Examination of six myths about educational trusteeship provides useful lessons for change in governing bodies. (SK)

A paradox exists in community prevention of violence and drugs. Good research now exists on evidence-based programs, yet extensive expenditures on prevention have not produced community-level results. Various multiproblems are quite prevalent in the United States, such as violence, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), conduct problems,…

This study involves a two-year longitudinal investigation of adolescent participation in unstructured youth recreation centres and the development of antisocial behaviour. Participants were 1163 adolescents who represented 92% of all eighth-grade students in the town of Orebro, Sweden, during the fall of 1999. Antisocial young people and those…

The ninth recommendation in ACTE's high school reform position statement is to move beyond "seat-time" and narrowly defined knowledge and skills. United States high schools operate on a well-established set of expectations for size, time of day and seasons of the year that programs and classes are offered, how instructional material is…

Background: Schools are in a unique position not only to identify mental health problems among children and adolescents but also to provide links to appropriate services. This article describes the characteristics of school mental health and social services in the United States, including state- and district-level policies and school practices.…

This issue focuses on several efforts in maternal and child health education and environmental sanitation throughout the world in which bridges between technical content and participatory education have been built successfully. The following articles are included: "Editorial" (David Kahler, Bonnie Mullinix); "Women's Health…

In this speech the author discusses Project Chance: Alternatives for Women. The innovative community-based program in New York City was designed to meet the special needs of adult women whose education has been interrupted. The first half of the presentation briefly describes varied aspects of the program, such as re-entry non-credit courses,…

MDRC's Opening Doors Demonstration is measuring the effects of various combinations of curricular reforms, enhanced academic advising, and increased financial aid intended to increase the persistence and improve the academic achievement of students at six community colleges across the United States. To determine the impact of the Opening Doors…

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducts surveys of postsecondary students to inform policymakers and the general public on a variety of issues facing higher education in the United States. An American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) researcher prepared this brief using data from NCES's Baccalaureate and Beyond…

This study investigated the construct validity of an online version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) for use with community college students. The MSLQ which is an 81-item, self-report inventory which consists of 2 sections and 15 scales that assesses college students' motivational orientations and learning strategies.…