Governors are increasingly aware that the emerging economy will provide few well-paying jobs for workers who have not earned a postsecondary degree or a relevant workforce certificate. Fifty years ago, nearly 80 percent of all jobs required only a high school diploma or less and most paid a good wage. Fast-forward to data from 2013 and that number…

A project was conducted at the University of Illinois (1) to test and refine the components of the dissemination system developed for program improvement efforts in the state; and (2) to provide technical assistance to funding agency staff, project staffs, and persons/networks/agencies that facilitate access to a product in the dissemination…

The purpose of the Illinois Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network is to provide technical assistance and resources to local school districts for the improvement of vocational education for special needs students. It includes an educational model designed to prevent the long-term personal and economic problems associated with youth…

Since 1988, state governments have been required to collect quarterly from private sector employers gross earnings by Social Security numbers, industry of employment, and county of employment. A study was conducted of 13 states' efforts to use this wage record database as a tool for improving educational accountability and assessing the impact of…

A national literature search was conducted on the state of the art that identified linkage activities and model linkage programs; a survey and follow-up questionnaire that identified 107 exemplary projects and received materials on 40 of them; and visits to 30 projects in the Chicago area and Illinois, California, Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio,…