A group consisting of department coordinators, the director of the library media center, the chairperson of the guidance department, a building administrator, and members of the teaching staff work with a carefully selected group of career-oriented seniors on an independent study program. (Author/IRT)

A rationale and blueprint for what could be the most powerful movement for the reform of secondary education in our time. Inspired by the walkabout of a native Australian boy -- the 6-month endurance test that precedes his acceptance into adult society -- it outlines the requirements of a similar transition to adulthood in postindustrial…

At several New York State high schools, seniors hold internships in architectural firms, Planned Parenthood, dentists' offices, and television and radio stations. Some make documentaries or pursue independent study in various subjects. These opportunities arise through a program (WISE) allowing second-semester seniors to design and complete their…

Hundreds of Kappan readers voiced approval of -- and doubts about -- Maurice Gibbons' proposal for new forms of transition to adulthood. (See related article, Kappan May 1974, p. 596.) (Editor)

Describes the stages that students go through when they are first introduced to self-directed learning and lists specific strategies teachers can use to help students through the crises. (IRT)