Argues that the practices of higher education (e.g., classes, semesters, and grades) are increasingly incompatible with the purpose of maximizing student learning and growth. Discusses the affective and cognitive advantages of a mastery approach to granting credit. (AYC)

Two year-round vocational-technical facilities in suburban Hennepin County, Minnesota, provide individualized programing on the secondary, postsecondary, and adult levels. The open entry-open exit policy permits student enrollment throughout the year when program openings occur. Close working relationships with employers and the competency-based,…

One faculty member's selective, subjective, and partial perceptions of counselling adult students in the Open University are offered. Consideration is given to problems of the counselee, skills, role conflicts, motivation, emotional adjustment, identity and personal development, and implications for the advisory service. (LBH)

Describes an open admissions program, a public university's nontraditional population, and their unique academic needs. Provides a political science briefing book assignment in which students research and write about one country. Claims the book is effective in helping students to organize and focus their thoughts and to improve their research and…

A sweeping parental choice bill passed recently in Minnesota spearheaded parental choice plans recently passed or under consideration in more than a dozen states. Explores the background and pros and cons of parental choice. (MLF)

Arena models developed by T. Mazzoni relating to policy innovation are applied to the passage of open enrollment legislation in Ohio. The macro arena was relatively inactive, but a shift from the subsystem to the leadership arena occurred, partially validating Mazzoni's revised model. (SLD)

Describes Open Learning Australia (OLA), a national program that was developed to widen and facilitate access to undergraduate education by providing open admission. Highlights include other Australian distance education programs; services provided by OLA and those provided by participating universities; electronic support services; fees; and…

Analyzes the controversy surrounding the 1985 Minnesota Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act (PEO). Although equity and feasibility concerns arose, a closer examination of the PEO debate's language and tactics reveals a more fundamental struggle over authority and a defense of professional control that is incompatible with school choice goals. (51…

Middletown High School is a comprehensive high school with 1,970 students, located in the environs of Washington, DC. It is distinguished by an open enrollment policy for all courses; a strong emphasis on inclusion of students with learning disabilities (LD) in general education classrooms; block scheduling that allows for more in-depth and…

Greater attention is now being directed at issues associated with the professional development of new school leaders. This paper identifies some of the major concerns of beginning school leaders across different nations, some of which include needs for knowledge about basic managerial skills, adequate socialization to the job, and a sense of self.…

Many school districts and states are examining parental choice as a means of improving public education. This document identifies various forms of school choice and describes existing programs across the United States. Within the public school system, choice programs fall into two basic categories--intra-district and cross-district. Intra-district…

Based on a 3-year case study of an open-access community college, this monograph examines the background, causes, and possible resolutions for the decline of literacy in open-access colleges. Chapter 1 presents a working definition of literacy, considers the nature of literacy in a community college setting, and raises issues concerning the impact…

In Canada, the "open" education concept is applied to BTSD (Basic Training for Skill Development) in order to explore the possibilities of its application. (Author/MW)

The report attempts to summarize and update the desegregation activities required by the settlement of the Mona Bronson vs. the Cincinnati Board of Education litigation in 1984. It is meant to serve as both an historic documentation of the efforts of the school district to fulfill the stipulations of the settlement and as an evaluation of the…

Between now and the end of this century, the People's Republic of China will attempt to become an international economic superpower by attempting to quadruple industrial and agricultural production. The Chinese educational system is the primary institutional partner with the government in this venture. After a decade of confusion and decline in…