Adaptive competencies are the skills required to effectively complete a particular task and are the congruencies (balance) between personal skills and task demands. The differences between the adaptive competency acquisition of students in licensed practical nurse (LPN) programs and associate degree nurse (ADN) programs were examined in a…

This is volume 13 of Leadership Abstracts, a newsletter published by the League for Innovation (California). Issue number 1 of February 2000, "Community Colleges Bridging the Digital Divide," addresses the racial and economic issues inherent in the digital divide--the discrepancy between those who are technologically literate and those who…

In the higher education sector most students enrol in a course with the intention of obtaining a qualification. In the vocational education and training (VET) sector many students tend to complete only some units of competencies or modules of a course. This study analysed the progress until 2000 of students who commenced a TAFE course in 1997, and…

This report contains recommendations from North Carolina's National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) on how to support and staff high-needs schools and solve the state's staffing problems in these schools. Beyond financial incentives, a comprehensive approach is recommended that takes into account the working conditions that North Carolina's NBCTs…

The "ACNJ Child Advocate" is published quarterly by the Association for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ). ACNJ collects, analyzes, and distributes information on the well-being of children in New Jersey so that policymakers can pinpoint problems and work toward solutions. It reports data on key indicators of child well-being in each county…

Because private schools are often perceived to be more successful in teaching students, many reform proposals for public schools have looked to the private sector for models to emulate. This booklet contains national data that compare public and private schools along a number of important dimensions. The discussion begins with an examination of…

During the last 5-10 years, a number of countries have introduced methods and systems for identifying, validating, and recognizing prior and nonformal learning that can be viewed as tools for improving the transparency and transfer of skills. In most cases, they have been operational for a comparatively short time, which makes it difficult to…

Primary and secondary data sources confirm that Australia is trapped in a low-skills/low-quality cycle. Among the factors that have contributed to this cycle are the following: the relatively small average size and low technology base of Australian firms and the relatively short-term planning horizon and underperformance of many Australian…

A Michigan State University policy analysis class explored migrant education in Michigan through literature reviews and interviews with policymakers, teachers, and migrant children and their families. They identified four areas that need attention. First, people who understand the learning needs of migrant students should be recruited as teachers.…

This booklet presents information to international visitors on higher education in the United States. Section 1, "Introduction to U.S. Higher Education, Its Governance, Administration, and Accreditation," discusses: federal government and state roles; types of institutions of higher education; administrative structure; and accreditation, quality,…

This document contains four papers (and an introduction by William Wilhelm) on teaching "soft" skills in business education programs. "The Skill Building Challenge: Preparing a Bridge for the Workforce Skills Gap" (Sheila M. Smith) examines the following topics: the workforce skills gap; the importance of academic and…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) amends and changes programs from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Although the main component of this bill is Title I, it also highlights teacher education quality. NCLB was accompanied, for fiscal year 2002, by the largest increase ever in federal education aid, targeting federal resources to support…

The population of school-aged English language learners (ELLs) has consistently and significantly increased over the past decade, transforming U.S. public schools, instruction, and teacher preparation. This digest discusses the need for increased numbers of teachers of ELLs and the particular linguistic and academic characteristics of ELLs. It…

The psychological factors associated with paranursing expertise were examined in a study of 135 certified nursing assistants (CNAs) at a geriatric nursing facility in Amarillo, Texas. Data were collected through a project-developed screening tool called the Geriatric Employee Screening Tool (GEST), which is a true-false instrument patterned after…

Colleges of education in Arkansas are required to obtain accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). This group refers the accreditation requirements to the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA). One of the NPBEA responsibilities is that of establishing structure and maintaining…