Business and industry are faced with enormous transition, and workforce development has become critical to competitiveness. Jobs requiring technical skills are expected to grow to 65 percent of the market, while unskilled, low-end wage jobs should shrink to just 15 percent. Estimates indicate that up to 75 percent of the existing workforce will…

Based on interviews with 30 families who adopted children over the age of 2, this book provides prospective and current adoptive parents with insight into the seemingly irrational behavior of the older adopted child, providing coping models and questioning the policies governing the services provided to such children and their families. The first…

This action research project developed an intervention to determine and change the attitudes and beliefs about students and gender bias. Targeted population were freshmen through seniors in two high schools in a blue collar, middle class community in northeastern Illinois. The problems were identified by student surveys on attitudes and beliefs…

This report documents best practices in teacher education at five universities (George Washington University, Western Oregon University, the University of Louisville, Colorado State University, and the University of New Mexico). The universities were part of a project to identify and document how contextual teaching and learning can improve…

This annual volume is a compilation of traditional articles, poster publications and clinical reports addressing speech and language impairments and intervention. Featured articles include: (1) "Pantomime Recognition and Pantomime Expression in Persons with Aphasia" (Joseph J. Langhans); (2) "Bilingual Classroom Discourse Skills: An…

To help combat the problem of beginning teacher/high attrition rate, the Cincinnati Initiative for Teacher Education (CITE) program was piloted in the '93-'94 school year with University of Cincinnati students and the '94-'95 school year with the Cincinnati Public Schools. In '95-'96, students participated in half-time teaching internships. For…

A study investigated 210 secondary vocational/technical education students' cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to a skill assessment process. Students received feedback on their skill strengths and weaknesses and those skills in which they over- or under-estimated their abilities. Results from hierarchical multiple regression indicated…

This paper introduces the purposes of school learning communities. Section 1, "Foundations of a Learning Community," presents a definition and discusses different approaches to reforming schools. Section 2, "Key Aspects of a Learning Community," highlights three components of learning communities (student learning, teacher…

The extent to which vocational schools are promoting the new job skills being demanded by employers was examined in complementary studies conducted Portugal and Greece. First, data were collected from questionnaires administered to 22 Portuguese students in initial training in a transports course and 47 Greek students in an electrical course (19…

During a 1-year period, a study investigated the contributions made by 3 literacy-based supports (support circles, cognitive compensatory tools, and cognitive enhancement tools) to the lives of 5 young adults, aged 16-34, with FAS/FAE (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects). Four of the five subjects had IQs (intelligence quotients) above…

This guide is designed to lead program planners through the course of building and implementing a family literacy program. It provides planning teams with an orientation to a four-component model of family literacy, community resources, planning strategies, examples of programs in Missouri, recent research findings, case study vignettes, and…

This report focuses on the participation and performance of students with disabilities on the initial administration of Minnesota's Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs). The MCAs are criterion-referenced tests used for district accountability purposes and as tools for making decisions about curriculum and instruction. Assessments in mathematics and…

In response to the conflicting needs of English as a Second Language (ESL) students in English Basic Skills (EBS) courses at Bergen Community College, a project has been proposed to provide a more comprehensive program. The plan of operation is divided into five components: (1) identification, testing, and placement; (2) orientation and…

This report describes and evaluates the Raven School, a charter school established in 1998 to serve adjudicated youths ages 16 to 18. The school is administered by the Gulf Coast Trades Center, a private nonprofit organization located in the Sam Houston National Forest in rural Texas. In addition to academics and GED preparation, other program…

The claim that work-based experience improves students' academic performance was examined through a study of the academic progress of 25 high school and community college student interns employed in various health care workplaces. Data were collected from the following activities: (1) review of the literature on academic reinforcement and academic…