This book presents a blueprint for using a quality assurance-based approach to planning and developing open and distance learning (ODL) courses in the United Kingdom. The following are among the specific topics discussed: (1) typical aims of ODL (opening access to education; responding to student needs; designing self-study materials; student…

Five research institutes covering five European Union (EU) member states and five Central and Eastern European countries participated in a scenario project designed to improve understanding of vocational education and training (VET) systems in their economic-technological, employment-labor, and training-knowledge environments. The participating…

With minimal guidance and counseling from the community college system, nontraditional students attempt to engage with the educational community as they struggle to escape the poverty that has defined their own lives. Noting that college instructors are challenged to work effectively with a new generation of nontraditional students that includes…

In the context of math education, students should achieve transferable understanding and skills that allow students to use math flexibly (such as understanding a percentage in a newspaper article), functional performance (such as being able to take medicine or use public transportation), and social knowledge (concepts necessary to interpret and…

Adult literacy program outcomes have been disappointing. A number of principals and methods from cognitive and neuropsychological research can be used to make literacy instruction more effective, including the following: improving cognitive function; fast reading; reading practice; literacy as a motivator; and improving use of class time.…

This book provides school administrators, teachers, and parents with the basic knowledge necessary for planning and implementing effective two-way bilingual programs. It offers essential elements to help students gain literacy in two languages, increase cross-cultural understanding, and meet high levels of achievement in all core academic areas.…

This education plan sets out a vision for instruction and school development so that Chicago Public Schools, Illinois, can become the premier urban school district in the United States. It represents a year of planning and program development in the areas of human capital, professional development, the Chicago Reading Initiative, the redesign of…

The primary intent of this book is to provide a hands-on resource for educators in an effort to help all students with their plans after high school. A second purpose is to provide educators with insights about what is occurring in our schoolssuch as the lack of coordinated career guidance services, the number of disengaged students, and the…

The impact of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on working families was analyzed. The analysis established that the EITC is, on balance, a highly effective program that meets its primary objectives well. The following benefits of the EITC were identified: (1) it reduced the poverty rate in 1999 by an estimated 1.5 percentage points; (2) it is…

This bibliography presents listings in the following areas: assessment in dance education; attitudinal studies in dance education; dance certification, standards, status; dance curricula; dance education history; dance education and technology; dance education theory; dance teacher behaviors; dance teacher preparation; descriptions of dance…

The impact of the General Educational Development certificate (GED) on the earnings of high school dropouts who seek the credential were estimated. The estimates were derived by using several different types of estimation methods to analyze data linking Florida GED test information with quarterly earnings records collected by Florida's…

One of the strengths of the 1990 World Summit for Children was its emphasis on goals to drive development and shape actions, and on the need to monitor progress, thereby transforming the way the world collected and processed data on children and women and creating a vital base and baseline for progress. In 2000, an exhaustive end-decade review of…

These Illinois skill standards for the accounting services cluster are intended to serve as a guide to workforce preparation program providers as they define content for their programs and to employers as they establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition. They could also serve as a mechanism for communication among education,…

This Kids Count data book examines trends in the well-being of Oregons children, focusing on child health, nutrition, and child safety. This statistical portrait is based on 17 indicators of child well-being: (1) child care supply; (2) third grade reading proficiency; (3) third grade math proficiency; (4) juvenile arrests; (5) suicide attempts;…

To ensure that school districts and schools meet acceptable performance levels, many school districts and states have enacted various accountability policies. Two of the most controversial approaches to accountability are reconstitutions of schools and state takeovers of school districts and schools. For each approach, this policy brief presents…