Described in this report are the findings from a Kentucky state-wide study of the perceptions of vocational educators, special educators, and vocational rehabilitation workers concerning vocational programming for the handicapped. Numerous tables depict and compare agency ratings regarding the importance and present status of the following…

A mailout questionnaire was used in a study which focused on three areas of inquiry: (1) Needs assessment for job placement programs in public schools as viewed by superintendents of school districts and vocational administrators of occupational programs, (2) assessment of the perceived and established benefits of a placement program from the…

One of a series of nine reports of Project ACTIVE (Attaining Competence for Teaching in Vocational Education), this report focuses on trade and industrial (T&I) education, one of nine project components. An overview of competency-based vocational teacher education (CBTE) and the Florida exemplary CBTE project is provided. Part 1 describes the…

Designed to assist in the planning of statewide programs of vocational agriculture in Michigan, this report is also intended to assist local educators, administrators, and concerned citizens in planning needed vocational agriculture programs in Career Education Planning Districts. Procedures and findings are presented of a comprehensive analysis…

In 1995, nearly three-quarters of a million high school dropouts, age 16 and above, took the General Educational Development (GED) tests in pursuit of alternative secondary certification. The GED performs the following functions: stimulate human capital investment; measure and assess cognitive skills; certify dropouts with specified skill and…

Data from the California Development Department's Unemployment Insurance System were used to track the earnings and employment of more than 57,000 California Employment Training Panel (ETP) trainees served by ETP projects that ended in 1994-95 and 1995-96. ETP trainees' earnings gains averaged 15%, versus 11.8% in the case of similar workers who…

This paper describes a study that explored superintendent and school-board evaluations. Specifically, it looked at some of the methods and uses of boards' evaluations of superintendents and some of the needs and methods of boards' evaluation of themselves. Data for the study were collected from 188 surveys of selected school superintendents in…

The impact of correctional education (CE) on inmates' postrelease behavior was examined in a longitudinal study of recidivism in Maryland (which has a medium-sized prison population), Minnesota (which has a small prison population), and Ohio (which has a large prison population). The study sample consisted of 3,170 individuals in the release…

This study sought to identify factors that explained variations in state support for higher education during the 1990s, particularly in view of declining federal support and greater pressure on states to fund other programs. The literature points to a complex array of factors that shape state budgets for colleges and universities. These include:…

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of Oregon's children, focusing on children's health care. The statistical portrait is based on indicators of well-being including: (1) children's insurance coverage; (2) health care access; (3) health outcomes, including immunization rates and early prenatal care; (4) juvenile…

This report presents the findings of a commission established by the Missouri State Coordinating Board of Higher Education in response to concerns posed by the rising cost of undergraduate attendance at institutions of higher education. The commission's charge was to review pertinent data and make recommendations to the higher education community…

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program has begun to attract attention as an alternative approach to enhancing the academic preparation of college-bound high school students. The rigorous, comprehensive, two-year curriculum offers eleventh- and twelfth-grade students the opportunity to take college-level coursework and exams while also…

Reports on the results of a survey of states regarding support for character education. Discovers that there is broad national support for character education that incorporates varying forms of interpretation and implementation. Includes a copy of each survey question followed by an analysis of the responses. (MJP)

This statistically representative survey of 1,203 likely Virginia voters illustrates public opinion on a wide range of K-12 education issues. The underlying purpose of the Friedman Foundation's state surveys is to measure voter knowledge and attitudes toward public institutions and policies, innovative ideas, and the state's K-12 education system.…

The Strategic Planning Evaluation of Curriculum Assessment of Performance (SPECAP) project was designed by Texas Tech University to assess the implementation of programs by 25 tech prep consortia in Texas. This report describes the most effective tech prep practices discovered by SPECAP through analyses of consortia planning and implementation…