U.S. educators and policymakers are concerned about the poor performance of the public schools, particularly schools that serve students from low-income families. Although education is primarily a state function, the federal government also has a longstanding interest in improving education for disadvantaged students, and it targets funding to…

The impact of 1996 federal welfare reform legislation on state work force development programs was examined through a study of work force development programs and policies in 13 states: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. The study focused on…

Designed to guide preschool reform efforts and stimulate widespread interest and involvement, this publication calls for statewide, systemic reform to provide a continuum of community-based, family-centered, prevention-oriented services to children and their families. The publication begins by identifying the factors that enhance school readiness.…

The Outreach and Technical Assistance Network (OTAN) was developed to disseminate resources to California adult educators. During the project's third year, staff development and information services were provided to 321 funded agencies. In collaboration with the Educational Telecommunications Network, OTAN staff organized the Adult Learning…

The first in a series of papers by the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation on policy issues in early childhood care and education, this report describes the status of early childhood care and education in the United States in the 1980s, with emphasis on publicly funded programs. First presented are data from the October 1980 Current…

These Congressional hearings, held in Washington, D.C., in March 1981, contain 24 pieces of testimony on the implications of the proposed budget cuts for vocational education. Government agencies and private organizations represented at the hearings included the West Virginia Department of Education; the Kaiser Aluminum Company of Charleston, West…

This second part of the congressional hearings held in Washington, D.C., in February and March 1981, to reauthorize the Vocational Education Act of 1963 contains 17 pieces of testimony on the special needs of vocational education in rural and urban areas. Persons giving testimony included representatives of the following institutions: Houston…

A Texas State Job Training Coordinating Council task force developed a series of recommendations regarding improving Texas' current employment and training system to prepare the state's residents for the "smart jobs of the future." A formal literature review was conducted, and regional forums were held and attended by a wide range of…

Wisconsin's welfare reform program, which is called Wisconsin Works or W-2, emphasizes work over education. Wisconsin's welfare reform policy caused the numbers of Wisconsin welfare recipients attending college to shrink by thousands in the mid-1990s. In contrast, increasing numbers of states are coming to realize how much flexibility they really…

Historically, the role of career and technical education (CTE) has been a subject of debate. The various viewpoints regarding the best role for high school CTE can be condensed into the following options: (1) to provide an occupational sequence of courses that is integrated with rigorous academic course work as preparation for postsecondary…

Research examining the impact of arts education on workforce preparation has confirmed that programs incorporating the arts can be educational, developmentally rich, and cost-effective ways of providing students with the skills needed for productive participation in today's economy. Arts education has been shown to help students develop basic,…

The New York State Board of Regents conducted a formal review of the long-range goals and policy directions for vocational rehabilitative services to disabled youth and adults in New York. The first phase of the review consisted of an examination of major pieces of vocational and special education legislation, current federal and state economic…

Surging demand for workers, growing income inequality, and passage of welfare reforms have made work force development one of the United States' key national concerns. Public/Private Ventures has been working with various states to design work force development strategies that seek to address the concerns of many work force development specialists…