Empirical evidence is insufficient to support or refute claims that increased competition in the training market in Australia will produce the benefits proponents claim or the severe drawbacks upon which opponents speculate. Research about strengthening demand suggests competitive processes would be feasible in most areas. Research is conclusive…

This paper explains that women teachers working in public schools across Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia face many challenges related to poverty and rural locations. However, they also have several elements in common across their classrooms which they incorporate into their instructional practice. These elements are: maintaining high…

The impact of hiring temporary workers during the tight labor markets of the 1990s was examined through case studies of six hospitals and five automobile plants. The hospitals varied in size from 450 to 6,000 employees. The auto suppliers included unionized and nonunionized small and large companies. The case studies included extensive interviews…

This training package helps Florida educators working with substance-exposed children in day care programs and prekindergarten, kindergarten, and elementary school classrooms. The workbook was developed to be used within a 1- or 2-day training session facilitated by trainers or as a self-instruction learning tool used in conjunction with a…

CEDEFOP (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) reviewed vocational education and training trends and innovations to promote "anticipation" in the way, tools, and instruments by which institutions and bodies cope with new challenges to education and training due to changing socioeconomic demands and requirements.…

Research was conducted in 2000-01 on the long-term impacts of the 200 projects funded by Australia's Framing the Future in 1999 and of the 250 conducted in 2000. Two main research methodologies (case study investigations and a survey) were used for the study. Case study investigations were conducted with the Deaf Education Network in Sydney; South…

The impact of research and development (R&D) on decision making and managers in vocational education and training (VET) was examined through a review of recent Australian studies in VET and health care. The framework adopted to analyze the relationships between R&D and decision making distinguished between the decision-making domain, the…

The factors influencing recruitment and retention of volunteers in community organizations were identified through a literature review. The following were among the key findings: (1) helping others is the main reason people volunteer; (2) personal invitation is the most effective means of recruiting volunteers; (3) individuals who are satisfied…

For parents of teenagers, talking about sex, drugs, lifestyle choices, AIDS, and divorce can be one of life's toughest challenges. This books serves as a guide for those who have found themselves ill prepared and ill at ease when discussing some of life's most important issues with teens. The book also helps to bridge the gap in parent-teen…

Reflecting a convergence of public policy and scientific interest in the role of fathers in families, and recognizing the crucial need to examine the demographic and social processes bringing men into fathering roles and influencing their role enactment, this report summarizes presentations and recommendations of the Conference on Fathering and…

This technical report outlines the results of a correlational study of an Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) measure, a Reading Comprehension measure, a Vocabulary measure, and a statewide, large-scale reading assessment. The effects of school income level, gender, ethnicity, Special Education status, and English Language Learner status are also…

Increasingly, foundations are choosing to engage in public policy debates as a way of leveraging their investments and increasing their impact in advancing improvements community-wide, statewide or nationally. For foundations, influencing public policy decisions can happen in different ways: funding policy research and dissemination, building…

Group activities developed in Western countries have been advocated for use in foreign and second language learning internationally. This article reports the views of 31 second language educators from six Southeast Asian countries (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) on the appropriateness of group…

This is a report on the quality review of distance learning in a sample of five countries. The report was commissioned by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation's (CHEA's) International Commission in order to understand better the nature of existing regulatory arrangements in the context of growth in electronically supported learning and…

Research on the impact of classroom environment on student behavior, attitudes, and achievement is reviewed. The review is divided into three areas: environmental variables; ecological perspectives; and open space school designs. Research needs are discussed, and the advantages and disadvantages of various research designs are summarized.…