More than half of the world's population, and more than 70 percent of the world's poor live in rural areas where hunger, illiteracy, and low school achievement are common. Education in rural areas is crucial for achieving sustainable development. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and UNESCO's International Institute…

The 20th Arizona Indian Town Hall considered the issues of cultural and native language instruction for American Indian students and the impact of new state standards. Representatives of 17 tribes, state officials, educators, school board members, parents, and students participated. In the area of culture and language instruction, recommendations…

At the request of the State Board of Education, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) conducted an early childhood education policy study. The study provided an opportunity to listen to the thoughts, ideas and concerns of Nebraskans to help determine the direction of early childhood policy in the state. The policy study is an outgrowth of…

Business and industry are faced with enormous transition, and workforce development has become critical to competitiveness. Jobs requiring technical skills are expected to grow to 65 percent of the market, while unskilled, low-end wage jobs should shrink to just 15 percent. Estimates indicate that up to 75 percent of the existing workforce will…

This document is an exploratory inquiry into the development of collaborative baccalaureate nursing programs in Ontario, Canada, identifying key policy issues and economic considerations. The introduction discusses the purpose of the project and its limitations and methodology, and compares the English and French language nursing programs. Part 1…

A study explored performance of the Arizona School-to-Work (STW) system in meeting the six goals established by the state STW Division. Goal 1 was to create a self-sustaining STW system at the state and regional levels. The state developed state policies and goals and provided implementation funding to partnerships, but no continuation funding.…

The Community-Based Education Model (CBEM) at Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS) in New Mexico was studied to determine the elements that contribute to its success and that may be replicated in other community education projects. The CBEM engages students and tribal communities in issues related to their environment, natural resources, and health in an…

A study documented factors associated with the operation of vocational education and training (VET) in small rural schools and their communities. Case studies of 14 schools with high-quality VET practices identified important facilitators of course development: formal commitment to the VET programs within the school's objectives; role of…

The basic premise of this paper is that decisions about children and their early educational experiences are culturally situated and, by definition, will reflect varying interpretations of appropriate educational aims and strategies. Drawing upon three decades of experience in the Italian culture as well as preliminary findings from a…

North Texas Institute for Educators on the Visual Arts, a consortium of six school districts, five museums, two arts councils, two state agencies, and the University of North Texas, has strived to improve education in the visual arts for K-6 children and to develop better educated audiences for area museums. (JB)

Describes services offered to middle level students by the Transition Support Resource Center designed to meet short-term academic and counseling needs of at-risk students in grades 7 through 12. Outlines expectations for students in the program. Discusses essential elements of an effective program: (1) organizational culture; (2) curriculum; and…

Each Tuesday during the fall of 2002, teams of high school students from three South Carolina counties conducted a four-hour polymer institute for their peers. In less than two months, over 300 students visited the Charleston County Public Library in Charleston, South Carolina, to explore DNA, nylon, rubber, gluep, and other polymers. Teams of…

This paper describes and assesses a pre-engineering curriculum development project called Foundations of Engineering, Science and Technology (FEST). FEST integrates web-based technologies into an inter-connected system to enable delivery of a blended program at multiple institutions. Tools and systems described include 1) technologies to deliver…

The 12 programs selected as 1996 winners of the Secretary's Awards for Outstanding Adult Education and Literacy Programs illustrate a diverse range of promising practices for the 21st century. Winners were selected based on the presence of 10 elements, including the following: effective and potentially replicable practices; measurable objectives…

For the thirty-third year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. This is Volume #2 of the 33rd "Annual Proceedings of Selected Papers on the Practice of Educational Communications and Technology." This volume includes…