The development of the Bernard van Leer Foundation is recounted. The discussion illustrates general trends by means of selective project reviews and references to theoretical discussions which were prevalent in early childhood education during the period from 1965-1986. Also considered are activities encouraged by the foundation which have…

A study was conducted in Illinois to determine how effectively the vocational education system was meeting its responsibilities to serve persons in economically depressed areas under the terms of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984. State records showed that during fiscal year 1987, Illinois expended $982,956 of the $1,336,238…

Concerned with the increasing feminization of poverty, the Rockefeller Foundation launched in 1982 a $12 million welfare-to-work research and demonstration project, presently midway into a 5-year evaluation. The Minority Female Single Parent Demonstration project involved four community-based organizations: Atlanta Urban League (Georgia);…

This study sought to determine and examine the barriers to student enrollment in vocational education programs, especially as they related to ethnic minority, economically disadvantaged, limited English proficient, handicapped, migrant, and female students, as perceived by students, parents, and vocational advisory committee members in the Yakima…

A study was conducted in four metropolitan areas in Florida to determine: (1) the desired and actual roles of state agencies, community colleges, and public universities in promoting the achievement of the baccalaureate degree among urban students who begin their postsecondary education at community colleges; (2) the strengths and weaknesses of…

People classified as "cultural familial retarded" form a segment of the U.S. population that is easily overlooked by society, yet constitutes a growing problem. Individuals with this inherited form of mental retardation (estimated to number in excess of 5 million) are reared in a culturally inferior milieu and have a need for life-long social…

This report expands an earlier study of the impact of the Targeted Jobs Tax Credit (TJTC) upon program participants. It explains how TJTC has been used in three major urban areas with large disadvantaged populations: Baltimore, Kansas City, and St. Louis. After a summary of the history of TJTC and of the findings of other studies of wage subsidies…

In this study, the degree of parent involvement--as measured by the amount of their participation in school-related activities, communication with teachers, and school decision-making--is examined for 1,070 parents whose at-risk children attend five innercity Catholic high schools. The variables of parents' education, religion, marital status, and…

Many poor families in rural West Virginia live in unsafe, unsanitary structures that do not protect them from the elements, but these families are not considered officially homeless. Lincoln and Clay Counties are very rural, traditionally poor areas, with 45% of their populations receiving welfare and much larger proportions receiving food stamps.…

Homelessness has emerged on the public agenda of economically advanced nations but not all such issues become recognized as "legitimate" social problems. National politicians and policymakers have an interest in defining the problem narrowly in order to avoid response and implied criticism of existing policies and institutions. Local…

A profile is presented of the social and economic characteristics of black students, 16 years old and over, enrolled in college or a noncollegiate postsecondary institution, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 1976 Survey of Income and Education. After a reviewing of characteristics of the black population in the United States in the…

This paper is one in a series of research papers related to the state role in youth employment and training. It describes seven state-sponsored youth employment and training programs, representing a varied range of approaches that states have undertaken to address their youth employment problems. The first section of this paper provides capsule…

Financial barriers to college attendance that affect women, minorities, low-income, and other nontraditional students are identified, along with alternative sources of student financial aid. Research has suggested that financially-independent students are most vulnerable to fluctuations in aid, and tend to have low incomes, be minority members or…

One of three supplements which accompany chapter 1 of "Mountain-Plains Handbook: The Design and Operation of a Residential, Family Oriented Career Education Model" (CE 014 630), this document contains specific information concerning the start-up plan and operational budget of the executive division. The following areas of the program are…

An analysis of the structural elements of the employment situation was done in 1977 to provide congressional members with pertinent information for their use in making policy decisions about federal role and budget in employment and training programs. It was concluded that the Federal Government can implement four basic budget strategies: create…