Analysis of comparative case studies in four high- and low-wealth school districts in Kentucky indicates that, following recent school finance reform initiatives, expenditures increased in all districts but that spending patterns changed only incrementally. Nonprogramatic financial reporting masks the extent to which reform dollars are supporting…

Presents evaluation of state-certified asbestos abatement training program to evaluate appropriateness and effectiveness of training against actual work experiences. Survey administered to trainees (n=114) indicates most (78 percent) passed retest on course content, the course received an average effectiveness rating of 92 percent, and actual work…

Includes nine articles that discuss cooperative library networking in Illinois. Highlights include library systems as cooperative agencies; PALI (Private Academic Libraries of Illinois); rural school and public library development; systemwide users; regional medical libraries; virtual libraries and the Coalition for Networked Information; a…

The Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications (MCET), a quasi-public agency, plays a leadership role in distance education and the integration of telecommunications and education locally and nationally. Operator of the Mass LearnPike satellite network and the Mass Ed OnLine LearnNet computer network, MCET provides expanded…

Describes findings from a symposium sponsored by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University focusing on the following policy issues: What are the most recent trends in state merit aid programs? What are the relevant legal issues involved? Do merit aid programs adversely affect college access for low-income and racial/ethnic minority students?…

The outcomes achieved by Australia's national vocational education and training (VET) system in 2001 were analyzed in terms of the following performance indicators: (1) recognized VET skill outputs; (2) stocks of skills versus desired levels; (3) employer satisfaction with VET; (4) student outcomes from VET; (5) participation, outputs, and…

This guide distills lessons from an extensive body of research into practical advice for policymakers and practitioners concerned with helping hard-to-employ individuals find jobs and succeed in the work force. Part 1 examines the following topics: characteristics of the hard-to-employ; the prevalence of various barriers to employment; and the…

This brief enhances recommendations and policy strategies from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) publication "Reading to Achieve: A Governor's Guide to Adolescent Literacy". It reflects lessons from recent research and best practices from states selected to receive NGA Center support to develop statewide…

This bimonthly newsletter provides information about the progress of the Honor States Grant Program, a governor-led effort to improve college--and work-ready graduation rates. This issue explores how effective education governance can support innovative state policy development, successful policy implementation, and a redesigned high school…

Increasing the participation of minority groups at public colleges and universities is a longstanding goal of the Board of Governors for Higher Education, as first outlined in its 1983 "Strategic Plan to Ensure Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Connecticut Public Higher Education." The minority groups defined by the plan are:…

In the process of the transformation of Russian society in the 1990s, the concept of upbringing just about disappeared from the sphere of education and youth policy in this country, as well as from the work of the mass media. The idea that labor training, patriotic indoctrination, and moral upbringing should be components of civic education, an…

This volume consists of resource listings and summaries of the status of the use of microcomputers in the various disciplines of vocational education in secondary and postsecondary level programs throughout Kansas. Provided in the first part of the document are discussions of the use of microcomputers in agricultural, vocational business,…

A study examined national trends and state policy in Washington State pertaining to the administration and funding of area vocational skills centers. During the study, key persons associated with Washington's skills centers were interviewed and surveyed concerning the following areas: policy and planning, curriculum and instruction, student…

The first section of this volume, designated "the state of the art 1987," contains four papers addressing issues of continuing importance to those who work with developmentally handicapped children: (1) "Passive Exposure to Cigarette Smoke Adversely Affects the Health of Fetuses and Infants" (James E. Haddow and Paula K.…

Designed to eliminate sex bias in occupational education, a strategic model for change in the educational system and an inservice program to implement the model were developed by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Over 1700 teachers, representing 74 of North Carolina's 148 local education agencies, participated in the inservice…