This report outlines the characteristics that appear to make the process of action research effective in improving student outcomes and summarizes some strategies that practitioners believe can be transferred using the process. Part 1 describes the process followed by the successful projects and shares the insights they gained. Characteristics…

A 5-year longitudinal study was designed to examine diverse and promising programs to integrate career and technical education (CTE) with whole-school reforms in schools serving predominantly disadvantaged students. A literature review focused on conceptual underpinnings: disadvantaged youth; transition points; whole-school reform; and CTE.…

Multi-year applied research studied operations and outcomes of six employment initiatives that developed industry-based approaches to workforce development. Findings from the longitudinal survey of 732 individuals indicated participants in sectoral programs improved their position within local labor markets; increased wages, hours worked, and…

A study analyzed the schooling, further adult course participation, and informal learning of organized and unorganized workers in different occupational classes across Canada. Data were obtained from the first Canadian national survey of 1,562 adults' informal learning practices, conducted in 1998, and field notes and interview transcripts drawn…

The Lansing Area Manufacturing Partnership (LAMP) is an academically rigorous, business/labor-driven school-to-career (STC) program in Lansing, Michigan, that includes business, union, school, and parent partners. The effects of participation in LAMP on transitions from school to higher education and work were examined in a longitudinal study of…

This document contains statistics in summary form about higher education in Maryland. The first table compares Maryland data to national averages for educational achievement, enrollment, campus mix in enrollments, degrees conferred, average resident undergraduate tuition and fees, state funding, and average faculty salaries. Other tables, grouped…

This final report and associated materials describe a 3-year research and demonstration project whose purpose was to provide adult educators and adults with disabilities with validated accommodations useful in instruction and assessment. These accommodations were intended to help individuals with disabilities understand their legal rights, meet…

The Professional Nurse Traineeship (PNT) program was created to provide nursing schools that place high proportions of their graduates in medically underserved communities with additional funding to support students in graduate nursing education or training. A total of 4,332 nurses who graduated in the academic years of 1996-1997 or 1997-1998 from…

This book describes how American teenagers develop attitudes and acquire skills to achieve their career goals and expectations. It presents findings of a study that followed the progress of more than 1,000 students from 13 school districts from 1992-97. Focus is on the experiences of adolescents as they were reported in the first few years of data…

This document presents the case studies from a multi-phase study of the impact of Australia's Frontline Management Initiative (FMI), which provides a framework for competency-based development of frontline managers in Australian enterprises. Nineteen organizational case studies and one individual case study of the FMI's impacts are included. The…

Data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth were used to analyze the levels of participation in vocational education and training (VET) in Australian schools, the characteristics of VET participants, and their work and study activities after leaving year 12. Nationally, nearly one-fourth of the students studied participated in some form…

Leading-edge firms (LEFs)--at the forefront of their industry in terms of growth or market share--may influence skill development through diffusion of technology, products, or practices and use of market power to set standards or change customer businesses. Study of LEFs can identify the type and mix of skills needed in the industry. LEFs are…

This paper describes the role of local partnerships between public and private organizations in the delivery of workforce and economic development services in the United States. The paper grew out of a study tour, conducted by the Upjohn Institute in conjunction with the Local Employment and Economic Development Committee of the Organization for…

This paper reports on a study on the perceived effectiveness of educational resources within the context of a single course in a first-year biology program at the University of Sydney (Australia). The overall study examined the dynamic state of perceptions towards these resources by the major stakeholders involved with the course (students,…

From 1993-2002, federal support to Historically Black Colleges and Universities increased by $639 million, or 60 percent, while support for all institutions of higher education (IHEs) increased by 79 percent. The President's Advisory Board on HBCUs is concerned that federal support for HBCUs is not keeping pace with overall federal support for…