The importance of mainstreaming (helping handicapped children achieve maximum participation in regular school programs) is emphasized, and underlying concepts are explained. Methods for implementing mainstreaming in protected settings (such as hospitals) and in regular classrooms (through the use of helping teachers, resource rooms, a modified…

The development of optional alternative public schools is based on four simple concepts: (1) in a democratic society people should have choices about all important aspects of their lives; (2) different people learn in different ways; (3) learning in schools should not be isolated from the world outside the schools; (4) those closest to the action,…

A minicourse is any educational experience that involves a detailed and indepth study of a specific unit or subject, jointly planned by student and teacher, and for which less than a semester of time is used. Minicourses at Los Alamos High School, Los Alamos, New Mexico, are a part of their total packet of educational innovations, including open…

Case studies describe attempts to develop educational forms that are personally, intellectually, and socially valid in two Massachusetts elementary schools--the Charles River School, a small private school in Dover; and the Parmenter School, a public school. Both schools have tried to reorient the first six or seven years of formal education along…

The result of a five year project on alternative schools within the public school system of Minneapolis, Minnesota, this report provides a complete description of the project from the pre-planning and proposal stage through the final evaluation. The program was implemented in the Southeast area, a community consisting of several communities with…

A nationwide study suggests that alternative schools in America have often not achieved their full potential. Too often they are used to isolate or track either the best or the worst students, or ethnic or social class groups. (Author/CTM)

The school described here operates on the principle that play for the sake of play, without unsolicited adult intervention, entails the acquisition of skills and knowledge. Sudbury Valley School promotes cultural acquisition in a manner harmonious with the child's biological self-education system, without age segregation, grading, or academic…

In our pluralistic society, alternative programs in elementary schools should be offered to allow more innovation on the part of teachers, wider choices for children, and more involvement of parents. (JD)

In this paper, animated pedagogical agents are looked at from an instructional design perspective. A "support-typology" was constructed based on different dimensions on which support can be described and different roles instructional agents can assume. This typology is used to analyze currently available pedagogical agents. This analysis indicates…

Examines how the objectives of alternative schools and programs relate to basic educational objectives. Considers student decisionmaking on such issues as attendance, grading, smoking, and drugs. (Author/DN)

Horizon High School combats student dropout rates in Bakersfield (California) by maintaining a small enrollment, high community involvement, close student-teacher relationships, flexible scheduling, and attention to individual students' educational needs and interests. Student attendance, graduation rates, and standardized test scores are…

Compares the effectiveness of interactive free choice learning experiences to and combined with the lecture-demonstration approach in teaching sixth-grade children (N=50) to criticize and control experiments. Results contradict Piagetian theory regarding the importance of interactive experiences and exposure to materials in fostering these…

Understanding the spirit and philosophy of open education constitutes the most important ingredient for successful adaptation to an open classroom; teachers need training and retraining before implementing an open classroom. (JD)

Describes the British Open University which serves more than 200,000 students a year and offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in a variety of fields. Discusses the team approach to instructional design, delivery and evaluation; educational quality; emphasis on independent learning; cost effectiveness; and partnerships with United…

Mary Leue started the Free School, an independent, alternative elementary school in inner-city Albany (New York), based on open democratic education dedicated to the authentic lives of children. Other accomplishments include a community-investment organization, a magazine of alternative education, a magazine for empowering families, and a…