In October 2014, The National Center for Education Research (NCER) and the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER), in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at the U.S. Department of Education, convened a Technical Working Group (TWG). The purpose of this TWG meeting was to discuss critical education problems and issues on which…

The importance of policy research in vocational education has been overlooked. Results coming from policy research could provide the leverage that the vocational education field needs. (CJ)

THIS DOCUMENT DISCUSSES THE BROAD AREA OF INSTITUTIONAL SELF-STUDY WHICH IS NEEDED IN POLICY DECISIONS, PLANNING, MANAGEMENT AND EVALUATION. THE SPECIFIC AREAS OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH INCLUDE--(1) GOALS, (2) STUDENT, (3) FACULTY, (4) CURRICULUM, (5) FACILITIES, (6) ADMINISTRATION, (7) FINANCE, AND (8) PUBLIC RELATIONS. THE FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS OF…

Excerpts from observers of the conference "Policies, Practices, and Research in Teacher Education: Beyond the Looking Glass" illustrate the variety of recommendations to improve teacher education and the quality of teaching that emerged during this conference. Conference observers were Hendrik Gideonse, Shirley Hord, Thomas J. Lasley, Preston…

Examines the evolution of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). Presents an overview of the ERIC system. Discusses ERIC's historical development, including the three "signature strategies" at the core of its historical evolution; ERIC's redesign in 1986-87, and resultant policy emphases; current status; and eight…

Based on the experience of the past, current viewpoints, and opinions about the future as conceived by the Committee on Vocational Education Research and Development (COVERD), this paper explains a framework for considering alternative policy options and discusses the relationships among the social environment, status and trends in vocational…

The evolution of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC); and changes in its mission and operating policies at its creation, the redesign of 1987, and during the present planning for a second quarter century are discussed. Eight program improvement initiatives are discussed. (SLD)

Prefaces this journal issue on policy-making in early childhood services. Reviews ideas about policy-making processes and policy agendas and what processes shape them, with particular reference to the relationship between research and policies on early childhood services, setting a context for the subsequent articles in the journal. (Author/AA)

Ethnography, a qualitative, small-scale, indepth approach to research developed within the discipline of anthropology, is here explored as a potential strategy in the investigation of issues related to educational governance and policy-making. The first section of the paper defines the term ethnography and discusses characteristics of the…

This paper addresses the problem of building the capacity for continuous renewal and reform in the educational system. The authors contend that the paradigm of R&D previously used has been too narrow, and that it is based on restrictive assumptions about how to help schools solve problems. They feel that any revised concept of "the…

For 30 years, the following programming strategies have become the backbone of public policy regarding youth employment: work experience, labor market preparation, job placement, on-the-job training, and occupational training. Three sources were used to analyze the effects of these core employment strategies on youth: a 1985 comprehensive study of…

A literature review was conducted to derive a set of policy implications for improving the effectiveness of vocational education. Variables in the areas of employment, education and training, and ancillary effects (aspirations, attitudes and values, feelings of success, and citizenship) were used to organize data collected from 232 studies…

This study examined current initiatives related to adult literacy in Canada. A literature search, interviews with government personnel, telephone surveys, faxed questionnaires, and interviews with key individuals were used to assess four kinds of initiatives (teaching/learning opportunities, support to programs, policy development, and…

The following three major issues should be addressed during the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) reauthorization debate: program objectives, program effectiveness, and CETA's reliability as a delivery system. Suggested as a tool to reduce unemployment, reduce inflation, reduce welfare dependency, and provide fiscal relief to state…

In a national study to help assure that programs meet the legislative mandate and are socially responsive to black students' needs, federal vocational education administrators surveyed black leaders. Respondants included 1,252 persons. The first of three major survey questions--"Is it desirable for black students to enter and complete…