Discusses the roles played by participants and the processes involved in a provincial standards-setting exercise for a large-scale assessment of student skills. Offers perspectives of a policy maker outside the exercise and an insider participant. Describes alternate notions of representativeness, stakes, and significance. (SLD)

The Alberta goverment has attempted to systematically address educational computing issues through programs of the provincial (K-12) education department (Alberta Education), which have included the development of computer literacy curricula for elementary, junior, and senior high schools; the Computer Technology Project (CTP); evaluation studies;…

In 1971 the author conducted a study of the provincial government policies affecting the provision of grants to school divisions to assist in meeting the operating costs of education. The study was jointly sponsored by the provincial department of education and the Manitoba Association of School Trustees (MAST). During the subsequent five years,…

This monograph was written in response to the perceived need for an examination of the role of manpower programs as components of public policy. Both manpower programs and related policies are examined in the context of the overall activities and purposes of government in Ontario and in the Canadian federal system. The importance of societal…

There was a major change in Canadian student aid in the late 1990s, due largely to a package of measures adopted by the Government Canada as part of its "Canada Opportunities Strategy". At the time, what aroused the most comment was the creation in 1998 of the $2.5 billion Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation (Foundation). But while…

In fall 1996, the British Columbia Ministry of Education, Skills and Training released a strategic plan calling for the development of block transfer agreements between institutions to eliminate the time-consuming process of course-by-course credit assessment. Currently, institutions conduct independent evaluations of elements of an incoming…

The Manitoba Task Force on Literacy conducted public hearings to determine the root causes of illiteracy in the province and to make recommendations for programs to help adults become literate. The Task Force was especially solicitous of the opinions of learners--illiterate people who are now participating in literacy education programs. Some of…

These 28 recommendations are intended to enhance government's ability to play a positive and supportive role in the development of a range of pathways for the learner that can result in literacy for all Manitobans. A foreword provides background on the Task Force on Literacy and presents its definition of literacy and illiteracy, findings…

An independent, external evaluation of the compensatory component of the Educational Opportunities Fund of Alberta, Canada covered the period from July 1973 to June 1976 and focused on twenty-one northern Alberta school districts. Results revealed that pupil mastery of basic skills has improved and pupil selfconfidence has increased since the…

The introduction of this report on educational policies in Quebec informs the reader about the present education system of Quebec and emphasizes that "democratization" is the most significant of the policies established in implementing reform from 1964 to 1974. Chapter 1 reviews the educational system as it existed in 1974, providing a…

This book discusses the evolution of workfare policies in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Chapter 1 defines the term "workfare" and examines the concepts of transnationalizing workfare and workfarist labor regulation. Chapter 2 establishes workfare's theoretical context and explores the relationship between welfare…

These three publications examine the current state and future of apprenticeship and industry training in Alberta, Canada. The "Current Context" publication, released in October 1996, examines the following topics: the structure of apprenticeship and industry training in Alberta; enrollment and industry participation; Alberta's…