Provides an in-depth look at two young women (ages 18 and 22) with severe mental retardation who obtained competitive employment with support from their families, employment specialist, and coworkers while attending public school. The process and design of such employment supports are described. (Author/CR)

Uses data from Occupational Changes in a Generation surveys to examine labor market effects on male dropout rates at various grade levels. As expected, opportunities in manufacturing drew students from primary school before World War II, whereas government sector expansion increased secondary and college-level dropouts after the war, particularly…

Outlines an e-mail mentoring program developed as part of a school-to-work partnership. The goals of the program were to build the school-to-work connection, increase communication and technology skills, and enhance students' self-esteem. Describes the practical implications for setting up such a program as well as the implication for school…

Explores reasons behind the rising post-compulsory-education participation rates of 16- and 18-year-olds in Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The key determinant of choosing further education is prior academic performance during compulsory schooling; this effect is more important for females than for males. (Contains 20…

Reviews the Faculty-Employer Connection program at Montana State University-Billings, which is designed as a faculty field trip to employer work sites. The program's objective is to increase faculty awareness of the internship and job opportunities available to students through area employers. Proposes that the program raises faculty's career…

Uses Current Population Survey data to develop dynamic and expected rates of return to high school and college between 1967-95, considering effects of annual changes in institutional costs and real earnings within each age group. Dynamic college returns (for older age groups) exceeded 13 percent for both sexes. (Contains 49 references.) (MLH)

Highlights the Researching Learning and Work conference held at the School of Continuing Education at the University of Leeds in England in September 1999. Briefly reviews recent international policy trends concerning workforce preparation and outlines discussions on the development of lifelong learning and learning and work efforts worldwide. (KS)

A questionnaire completed by special school principals or teachers in four African countries (Zaire, Togo, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon) evaluated the current status of 200 school leavers with mental retardation. Results indicated that most school leavers were living and working with family members. Results suggest that effective training should take…

Examines educational variables' effects on income distribution, using cross-sectional data covering 59 countries. Empirical results show that a higher level of educational attainment in the labor force has an equalizing effect on income distribution; the larger the dispersion of educational attainment among the workforce, the greater the income…

Uses a fable to make the point that professors in the academy must fashion the terms of the discourse about accountability and assessment so as to demonstrate that education is not entirely measurable by an increase in the tax base. Suggests that educators should work to shape surveys and other material to reflect the broader goals of an…

New technologies are undermining traditional jobs and making workers responsible for creating their own. To prepare students for a high-tech marketplace, educators must reengineer the organizational design of learning. The Mayo Demonstration School of Science and Technology in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is helping students manage their own time, design…

Discusses the benefits and limits of quick job placement and basic education strategies, and suggests ways to create more effective welfare-to-work strategies. Focuses on the challenges of helping those for whom job searches are unsuccessful, and recommends ways of helping them find and sustain employment. Contains 18 citations. (VWC)

Study and 6-month followup of 3,622 drug users in Tucson, Flagstaff, and Anchorage found that American Indian and Alaska Native drug users were younger, less educated, and less likely to be employed than non-Native subjects. Individuals employed at intake or followup had lower levels of HIV risk factors: injection drug use and needle sharing.…

This study analyzed the impact that the use of Person Centered Planning (PCP) had with 10 transition-age students receiving special education services. Interviews with students, parents, and educators indicated that PCP training was associated with various indicators of service provision as well as higher satisfaction with the planning process.…

States that new populations with diverse learning needs, fierce competition in curriculum development and delivery, new trends and uses of technology, and a growing international marketplace requiring multi-cultural, multi-skilled workforces are driving major structural and philosophical changes in America's educational systems. Asserts that focus…