The literature of the educational field suggests that a movement is taking place in many of our school systems that expands the traditional structure and transforms it into an integrated approach designed to meet the needs of all students. Instead of shaping the students to fit the mold of the system, the system is being expanded to make…

This 293-item catalog lists selected entries that should be useful to planning groups and others interested in establishing new school programs. It is concerned with what is considered a crucial step in the planning process--searching for alternatives. Past experience with school-community planning efforts has shown that, in the search for…

Eight years ago the Cambridge, Massachusetts, public school system initiated alternative schools and methods to make education more relevant to various students. The article describes seven different alternative schools and programs for basics, moral development, preparation for work, relaxed classrooms, or discipline. (MF)

The Free School is an independent, alternative elementary school in inner-city Albany (New York) based on open democratic education dedicated to the authentic lives of children. Emotional freedom is balanced by meetings in which everyone participates in solving discipline problems. The highly flexible and individualized curriculum uses the…

Discussion of Total Quality Management in distance education focuses on science education offered through the University Extension (UE) of the University of South Pacific (Fiji). Suggests a redesign of science curricula and a relaxing of requirements for on-campus enrollment, so that UE science learners can study up to the degree level at their…

Examines concepts that are closely associated with distance education. Discusses the beginnings of open education; open access and admission criteria; course availability; access to technology; the E-rate program for those on the less fortunate side of the "digital divide"; beyond flexibility; and the learner's responsibility for learning. (AEF)

John Wood Community College's Open Learning Center (OLC) offers an alternative to traditional classroom approaches using one-to-one instruction, a competency-based learning format, and flexible scheduling. Due to concern over the high attrition rate in OLC courses, a study was conducted to identify the characteristics and variables contributing to…

Describing implementation procedures for an open educational approach in a rural English middle school (Necton Middle School located 25 miles outside Norwich, England), this paper presents the philosophies of the school's Head Mistress as she reflects upon the first year of operation. Emphasizing community involvement and sensitivity to the human…

In this book, the findings of a study on schools within schools are described. The professional research and literature on alternative public education, with a focus on schools within schools, is explored. Based on the research, a list of elements characteristic to and useful for the implementation and perpetuation of optional alternative programs…

This document presents a program description of Pacer School, a free school in its fifth year of operation in Kansas City, Missouri. The first part of the paper, entitled "Education for Democracy," describes how the school got started, staff background and role, finances, curriculum, activities, physical environment and playground design and…

The purpose of this report is to describe a study concerning organizational processes in an alternative high school with walls (Metro High School), which is part of the Chicago public school system, and its effects on students during the first 18 months of operation. Student development comparisons are made between a group attending Metro and a…

This document describes the Chicago City-Wide Institute, a non-campus college established in 1974 as the ninth administrative unit of the City Colleges of Chicago. The basic mission of the Institute is to develop and operate programs at the college level for adults who cannot or choose not to go to a traditional college campus. The Institute also…

The World of Inquiry School (WOIS) derived its impetus from the wish to demonstrate that quality integrated urban education was both feasible and practical. The aim was to create a school in which the ethnic mix of the student body was a microcosm of the ethnic mix of the larger community. In addition, a new organizational school system, modeled…

Open entry/open exit refers to formats and procedures which allow learners to enter a program whenever they are ready and available, and allows them to leave or complete programs when competencies for job entry are attained. This study sought to provide base data on the concept of open entry/open exit by surveying involved individuals and to…

As educators try to make schools more responsive to the diverse needs of students, public alternative schools are becoming increasingly investigated as viable and necessary options. This book provides an overview of public alternative education in the United Sates. Following the foreword by Robert D. Barr, acknowledgements, and the introduction,…