Youth apprenticeship programs can give students access to valuable work-based learning experiences that provide insights into how their interest can connect to education and the workforce. Although these programs are often beneficial for participants, there is little data to show the programmatic landscape and impact. There are many challenges…

This report is the fourth in a series of Wisconsin Council on Children and Families (WCCF) reports tracking the progress of Wisconsin's YoungStar program, a quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) launched in 2011 to improve the quality of Wisconsin child care programs. YoungStar focuses on children of low-income working families receiving…

In 1998, the State of Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services assumed responsibility for the Milwaukee County child welfare system. The Wisconsin Council on Children and Families has undertaken a multi-year, qualitative research project to monitor the state takeover. The three questions that this project seeks to answer are: (1) What…

Employer attitudes toward Wisconsin's Youth Apprenticeship Program were examined through a survey that was sent to 260 of the 733 employers involved in the Youth Apprenticeship Program in 1996-1997. Of those employers, 149 (57.3%) returned usable replies. Overall, the employers were very pleased with the Youth Apprenticeship Program's design and…

This technical assistance guide was developed to consolidate a statewide understanding of the effort to systematize the delivery of employment and training programs through the local formation of job centers in Wisconsin, and to provide a compilation, drawn from 20 local models, that explains how the programs are delivered. The guide is organized…

This report from the General Accounting Office reviews selected aspects of Wisconsin's Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. Chapter 1 describes AFDC and specifies the scope of the program review. In Chapter 2 the potential for increasing child support collections from parents is explored. Actions which could increase collections…

The final report presents the findings of an evaluation project set up to obtain reactions to the farm training program in Wisconsin from trainees and instructors. Two hundred and fifty farmers were selected for personal interviews on their respective farms. Each interview session lasted approximately 50 minutes. Data were obtained from the…

Four adult education programs serving homeless persons in Wisconsin were evaluated. Data were gathered through site visits, a review of program documents, and a survey of 43 homeless individuals served by the programs (7 percent of the total population served). Participants expressed very positive feelings about the programs. Many reported that…

This report discusses the findings from two case studies of state use of discretionary funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B. The two states involved in the study were Michigan and Wisconsin. Documents and interviews were used to gather detailed descriptive information from both states regarding: (1) the…

A project was developed to provide technical assistance and staff development to the Wisconsin Vocational Equity Leadership Cadre to enable them to assist local districts in meeting the equity assurances in the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 as well as Wisconsin's equity goals as prescribed in state law.…

This document outlines the five-year Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) plan for the state of Wisconsin. Following a profile of the libraries in Wisconsin, this plan describes several priorities and LSTA funded activities for each of the following goals: (1) to ensure that libraries and library systems utilize technology to improve…

An evaluation was conducted of the educational programs and facilities at two male juvenile corrections schools in Wisconsin (Ethan Allen and Lincoln Hills). Surveys were developed in cooperation with administrative personnel at both schools and given to all students, instructors, and support staff. A total of 573 students, 76 teachers, and 140…

Designed to improve PK-12 professional learning and increase student achievement, Wisconsin's policymakers developed and implemented new educator licensing guidelines (PI 34) and a Professional Development Plan (PDP) system based on empirical research and national policy trends in 2004. As PI 34 and the PDP system are relatively new, the…

The Equity Leadership Project provided technical assistance, coordination, training, and resources to equity projects developed in the process of implementing the Wisconsin Model for Sex Equity in Career and Vocational Education. The project served 108 school districts. The project's focus was on training regional equity leaders responsible for…

In Wisconsin, different agencies administer vocational education on the secondary and postsecondary levels. Students and educators at both levels have reported substantial duplication of course content, texts, reference materials, equipment, and instructional processes. Therefore, a project was designed to expand and improve articulation (that is,…