Analyzes periodical literature on distance education, covering four refereed journals, and concludes that: researchers in distance education use mostly the survey method; use of citations is a common practice; there is a trend towards collaborative research; 80% of papers originate from five countries; and research on learner-centered issues…

Rooted in the turbulent 1960s, Woodlawn School in Arlington, Virginia is an alternative program serving 500 college-bound students in grades 6-12. Students mingle freely with kids from their own home schools, from which they ultimately receive their diplomas. In 1996-97, the school scored higher on the Stanford-9 Achievement tests than the…

Trends and research in nongraded schooling over the past three decades are described in this paper. The 1960s and early 70s were marked by a strong interest in the nongradedness movement and the British concept of open education, followed by a declining interest in the 1970s. A nongraded revival in the 1980s was facilitated by recognition of the…

There are at least five models for the way that learning environments are structured: (1) autocratic, (2) traditional liberal, (3) open classroom, (4) unified education, and (5) free school. The Unified Studies Program tries to blend the models in the middle. At the same time, unified education has some unique qualities that the program also tries…

This paper describes the educational movement toward alternative schools and suggests further sources of information concerning this change in American education. Following an analytical comparison of open and traditional schools, the author discusses some of the most important perceived problems related to open schools. Problems noted are…

The idea of deschooling society is presented in diverse forms by this collection of criticisms, suggestions, and experiments for education. A first group of essays takes the historical perspective and examines the goals and problems of the past and their relation to our present educational system. Other articles criticize modern education,…

In this guide to alternative education, the theory and practice of the "free school" movement is discussed from a pedagogical and political viewpoint. The current state of free schools is described and four major types of free schools are identified: Summerhillian, parent-teacher cooperative, free high schools, community elementary. The political…

Excerpts of various articles are compiled here to provide an overview of attitudes towards new methods of educational supervision. Topics covered include administrator role, staff interaction, and school as community. (WI)

Few educators understand the exact nature and scope of alternative graduate programs or the variety of issues that confront their development and viability. Alternative graduate education is defined and the issues and critical concepts of nontraditional graduate study are identified. (Author/MLW)

The article presents some principles which constitute a rationale for open education and that clarify some of the procedures in the open setting that can best bring about effective learning. Respect for individuality, cooperation, openness in diagnosis, pupils' active firsthand explorations, quality of thought, and teacher intervention are…

Post-Fordism and globalization are interrelated contemporary features of social and economic development. Individual, social, and educational issues concerned with globalization are discussed in relation to the emerging post-Fordism forms and practices of open and distance education, and to the cross-cultural contexts involved. (Author/AEF)

Two teachers discuss their experiences implementing Foxfire practices in an alternative high school. One teacher was apprehensive about changing from the "traditional" approach to "student-initiated learning." The other teacher also experienced moments of doubt, but both teachers realized the benefits of the Foxfire approach…

The open classroom model, enthusiastically adopted in American elementary schools based on the evident success of the British open primary schools, seemed to be an ideal educational concept for implementation into the middle school. But in the past 2 years, a growing number of educators, both at the middle school and the primary school level, have…

This report describes the conception, development, introduction, refinement, evaluation, and expansion of a K-3 public alternative school model covering a three-year period from 1974-1977. Each action stage of development ranging from site and staff selection to program implementation and refinement is outlined to provide the reader with a…

An alternative schools "explosion" is currently producing a large number of diverse educational choices for parents and students. Alternative schools, or those schools that offer all students a distinctive choice of educational programs, can be classified by philosophy, curriculum, or governance. This report defines, explains, and…