To address the education and training needs of the current and emerging work force, states must take leadership in developing partnerships between adult educators, community-based organizations, and the private sector. Other strategies include special training funds, resources for high demand occupations, entrepreneurship training, and tax credits…

Describes the provisions, development, and future of the Independent-Living Initiative. Discusses its implementation at federal and state levels, and also the plans of the state of Illinois to establish a departmentwide task force to develop a system of services for youths who will be leaving foster care. (RJC)

The attempt by D.Edwards and C. B. Cummings to adjust state mean Scholastic Aptitude Test Scores for differential participation rates with a "fuzzy truncation model" satisfies three criteria the authors previously defined but falls short for two. Omission of sensitivity studies mars the otherwise exemplary study. (SLD)

Describes distance education programs in Iowa, including the Iowa Distance Education Alliance developed through the Department of Education's Star Schools Program; the use of fiber optic technology; and the Iowa Communications Network that links colleges, universities, and secondary schools with public television. (LRW)

Indiana, the first state to mandate tech prep in public schools, coordinates statewide efforts through the 14 economic development regions. Tech prep seeks to blur distinctions between academic and vocational education and provide the best preparation possible for the majority of students who are not college bound. (SK)

Two surveys of educators examined the status of gifted programs in Connecticut during 1989 to 1991. The 1991 results indicate that increasing numbers of programs for the gifted are experiencing jeopardy resulting from the state's fiscal crisis. The number of program eliminations increased by 63% and program reductions rose by 11%. (Author/JDD)

To help new regents understand the serious nature of their responsibilities, Oklahoma requires them to take 15 hours of classes, including 2 hours on ethics. The program sets a new standard for higher education governance, intended to increase committed leadership, public respect, competitive and nationally recognizable programs, and student…

This article describes Project Mercury, a Florida Gifted Challenge Grant which evaluates and disseminates outstanding curriculum products for gifted students. It lists recent products disseminated by the project and other Gifted Challenge Grant products available. (DB)

Pennsylvania's education reforms seek to accomplish many aims of outcome-based education--namely less reliance on time as the primary organizational component and greater focus on what students must know and be able to do to graduate from high school. The point is to raise academic achievement by establishing high standards. (Author)

Analysis of data for 3,266 individuals from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey found that residents of state institutions were more severely retarded and more often multiple disabled than were residents of other types of residential facilities. Relatively more persons with severe impairments resided in state facilities in states where…

The objective inmate classification system in use in California's prisons is described. Evaluation of 14,091 cases suggests that the system reduces the rate of increase in the incidence of serious prisoner misconduct. Empirical evaluation of the system is recommended, and implications for correctional programs and public policy are discussed. (SLD)

This directory of supportive and rehabilitative programs for people with deafness includes federal programs; state vocational rehabilitation offices; regional and local programs; national professional organizations and centers; chapters of the National Association of the Deaf; and professional committee members of two other organizations. (DB)

Stresses the need for increased federal, state, and local support for child immunizations resulting from the alarming increases in the incidence of rubella and other infectious diseases, and endorses the Standards for Pediatric Immunization Practices recently published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association." (MDM)

Describes a study conducted by the Education Commission of the States to investigate effective school improvement strategies and the conditions under which these strategies work. Highlights include instructional school improvement programs; elements of successful schoolwide strategies; state and local contexts; and the relationship of this study…

Reviews the 1989 literature on preservation of library materials under the following headings: Journals; General Trends in the Field; State Activities; Planning; Grants and Funding; Environmental Problems; Disasters and Disaster Planning; Paper Quality and Deacidification; Preservation of Paper-Based Media; Brittle Books and Reformatting;…