Vol. 2 No. 1

*SPECIAL FEATURE: The Nostalgic Turn and The Politics of Ressentiment* by Bill Reynolds**
John H. Hummel Larry P. Wiley William G. Huitt Martin Roesch Janice Richardson	Implementing Corrective Reading: Coaching Issues
Abstract: Corrective Reading is a commercially-available reading program comprised of two sets of lessons: Decoding and Comprehension. Decoding develops fluency and understanding of what is read; Comprehension teaches critical thinking skills. Each set has four levels of scripted lessons; teachers must follow each lesson’s script and other features with fidelity. To ensure this, the program uses coaches. During the first year’s implementation, Valdosta Middle School (VMS) used an external coach. During the second, VMS faculty served as coaches. In this study, preliminary (first year) SAT9 data are reported. Results of a survey on teacher perceptions of Direct Instruction show that after using the program for a year, faculty support the program, like the concept of coaching, and are using features of Direct Instruction in their other classes

Wang, Yan	*Quality of Graduate Experience in a Cross-Cultural Educational Environment*
Abstract: Based upon 28 semi-structured interviews of international graduate students and program directors in a Midwestern university, this study identified nine aspects of a master’s program as important to the learning and development of international students: shared goals of the program, structure and content of the curriculum, class organization, graduate faculty, a diverse student body, graduate assistant work, material resources, department administration, and out-of-class activities. In terms of the master’s programs under study, students and program directors generally agreed upon the strengths of these programs, but expressed different views of the weaknesses. A comparison and contrast of the current findings with previous research was provided, along with discussions of factors unique to learning in a cross-cultural context, discrepancies in students’ versus directors’ views, cultural bias, and implications of this study for program assessment.

Tim Lull James L. Pate Nicole Morgan Gibson John Freeman	Tutoring Using the PACE Learning Systems to Remediate Students who Fail High School Basic Skills Exams
Abstract: Many states mandate that students pass a standardized test with a minimum score for either promotion or graduation. This study looked at students who were not successful in passing the standardized test on the initial attempt and the effect of remediation on their subsequent attempts. Variables used in this study included race and gender. Although the study was comprised of a limited sample, the results indicated a positive link between the remediation treatment and success on subsequent attempts to pass the standardized test. .

Yahyah Matson Kenny D. Ott	A Planning Strategy Model for the Development of Online Courses
Abstract: This study was conducted to develop a planning strategy for the development of online courses at higher educational institutions. Forty-four faculty from eleven University Council for Workforce and Human Resources Education institutions (UCWHRE), who have delivered various forms of distance classes, were involved in the study. A modified Delphi technique was used and four surveys were conducted to complete the study. Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance (Kendall W) and Chi Square were used for analyzing the correlations and relationships of the responses. Eight elements were suggested and considered to be important for the strategy – Course selection, Instructional strategies, Delivery technology, Faculty delivery/Teaching preference, Student learning preference, Technology skills, Student evaluation, and Course/faculty evaluation. Also, 42 factors and 135 sub-factors were generated from the analysis of the data. The faculty indicated that the planning strategy would help them to accurately plan, design, and develop their online courses..