High schools have responded to the poor labor market primarily by encouraging college-for-all policies, leading the majority of seniors to plan to get college degrees, even those who perform poorly. School policies focus too narrowly on academic achievement, overlooking soft skills like motivation, dependability, attention to quality, and social…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) studied selected nations' policies to increase the number of older workers participating in the labor force. The main data collection activities were as follows: (1) an analysis of population and labor force data from eight high-income Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development member nations; (2) an…

A study explored how adults perceived program learning; whether program learning helped them enact a particular social role; and whether they changed while participating in the program. For a year or more, researchers studied experiences of learning and change of 41 adult learners enrolled in three programs--at a community college, family literacy…

A model of educators' learning experiences in educational technology was developed by studying 205 educators who participated in professional development in educational technology at metropolitan area graduate schools of education over a 7-year period. Data were gathered over the entire semester for all participants. Additional data on a limited…

This issue of "Multiple Voices" contains the following articles: (1) "A Self-Study of Diversity: Preservice Teachers' Beliefs Revealed through Classroom Practices" (Donna M. Sobel and others), which presents the results of seven preservice teachers' self-study that reveals ways in which the teachers' beliefs regarding diversity issues were…

Randolph County Vocational Technical Center, Elkins, West Virginia, received a grant in 1997 for a project that was part of the High Schools That Work (HSTW) initiative to improve academic skills of career-bound students. The superintendent and faculty knew that improving achievement meant reaching out to the three home high schools to bring them…

In Sweden, initial vocational education (IVT) is financed by public money and is designed to provide basic skills and general qualifications to perform certain functions in an occupation. Continuing vocational training (CVT) is provided primarily by public school institutions, private enterprises, and training companies, trade unions, and employer…

This annual publication is intended to help Kentucky parents and citizens stay informed on educational issues and to provide them with information and encouragement to be involved in the education of the children in their community. The guide includes information on the basics of the law for various school programs, Commonwealth Testing System and…

The three two-page briefs in this packet focus on ways that teachers and administrators can improve student achievement through emphasizing higher-level skills and improving learning conditions and school climate. "How Can We Use Effective Teaching Methods to Boost Student Achievement?" suggests enhancing students' questioning skills and expecting…

The two two-page briefs in this packet focus on nontraditional careers and nontraditional students and how to recruit and teach nontraditional students. "What Do We Know about Nontraditional Careers?" notes that men and women still tend to work in careers that are traditional for their sex, although the numbers of men and women choosing…

An Adult Literacy and Numeracy Australian Research Consortium (ALNARC) program comprised four projects designed to integrate new research with analysis of past practices and provision. Preliminary themes were the perception of a "policy void" in regard to literacy and numeracy skills; professional development's tie to workplace practice…

This document analyzes main issues concerning adult learning and policy responses in Canada. Section 1 introduces a background report (available separately), discussions with stakeholders, and site visits. Section 2 addresses the general context of adult education (AE). Sections 3-6 cover four themes that structure the Thematic Review of Adult…

This country note analyzes main issues concerning adult learning and policy responses in Finland. Section 2 describes the political, economic, and social context in which adult learning fits. Sections 3-6 follow these four themes impinging on adult participation in learning: inadequate incentives and motivations; complex pathways between learning…

The question of whether graduates of Australia's technical and further education (TAFE) programs are getting what they want from training was examined. A market segmentation approach was used to analyze data from the 2001 Student Outcomes Survey (SOS). The market segments analyzed covered 93% of TAFE graduates surveyed in the 2001 SOS. The…

A schoolnet program is an organized set of activities that expands the use of ICTs and promotes sharing of educational resources by teachers and students at schools. Schoolnet programmes may be located inside or outside government, may be large initiatives with substantial funding, or may be smaller innovative projects without big budgets. The…