Wisconsin's welfare reform program, which is called Wisconsin Works or W-2, emphasizes work over education. Wisconsin's welfare reform policy caused the numbers of Wisconsin welfare recipients attending college to shrink by thousands in the mid-1990s. In contrast, increasing numbers of states are coming to realize how much flexibility they really…

In Australia and elsewhere, four approaches have been used to determine whether stocks of vocational education and training (VET) skills are adequate to meet industry needs. The four methods are as follows: (1) the manpower requirements approach; (2) the international, national, and industry comparisons approach; (3) the labor market analysis…

This KIDS COUNT data book examines trends in the well-being of Minnesota's children. The statistical portrait is based on 11 indicators of child well-being: (1) children living in poverty; (2) children in families receiving food stamps; (3) children receiving free or reduced-price school lunch; (4) children born to teenage mothers; (5) children…

These instructional materials are designed to improve the performance of paraeducators working in inclusive classrooms servicing school age students with limited English proficiency. The competency-based program helps participants to learn skills they can apply immediately, to accept new practices, and to increase their understanding of education…

This Kids Count report examines statewide and county level trends in the well-being of Florida's children. Demographic information is presented along with a statistical portrait for the state and for each county based on indicators related to: (1) birth, including births to unwed mothers, births to teenage mothers, births receiving early prenatal…

This Kids Count data book examines statewide trends in the well-being of Connecticut's children. The report first examines the extent of child poverty in Connecticut, as well as its causes and effects, and suggests some possible courses of action. Following demographic information, the bulk of the report provides a statistical portrait of…

Value-added modeling (VAM) to estimate school and teacher effects is currently of considerable interest to researchers and policymakers. Recent reports suggest that VAM demonstrates the importance of teachers as a source of variance in student outcomes. Policymakers see VAM as a possible component of education reform through improved teacher…

The purpose of this investigation is twofold: First, the portrayal of the present situation in numerous phases of secondary-school athletics; and second, the presentation of suggestive materials gleaned from an intensive study of schools having especially promising practices in the phases studied. Stated more specifically, a few of the purposes of…

English for Academic Purposes literature is often criticized for its very functional interpretation of language (e.g. Benesch, 2001) which ignores the intellectual, cultural, and social side of learning in an attempt to appear "neutral." Furthermore, writing is the EAP skill area which seems to provide students with the most difficulty.…

This qualitative study examined the use of WebQuests as a teaching tool in problem-based elementary methods courses. We explored the potential of WebQuests to address three dilemmas faced in teacher education: (a) modeling instruction that is based on current learning theory and research-based practices, (b) providing preservice teachers with…

A taxonomy of potential values conflicts in evaluations is presented. Basis is the distinction of types of conflict (aims vs. means conflicts; qualitative vs. quantitative conflicts). Six areas of values are discussed: the ethical, methodical, social and interactive, legal, economic, and personal values. The taxonomy of conflicts between these…

Epidemiological estimates indicate that up to 20% of people under the age of 20 present emotional and behavioral disorders serious enough to warrant intervention. At the same time, the current mental health/social services system for children and adolescents has been described as fragmented, inaccessible, duplicative, and often ineffectual. This…

This article presents data from a research study designed to compare the achievements of teenagers with Down syndrome educated in mainstream classrooms or in special education classrooms throughout their full-time education. Progress is reported for speech and language, literacy, socialisation, daily living skills and behaviour. For all the…

This paper explores spatial theory, and particularly a Foucauldian analysis of space, power, and the subject, as a frame within which to examine moves toward security in North American urban schools. We bring into play empirical data from an ethnographic study of New York City and Toronto schools where policies and technologies of record-keeping,…

The purpose of "Focus" is to provide coverage of poverty-related research, events, and issues, and to acquaint a large audience with the work of the Institute for Research on Poverty by means of short essays on selected pieces of research. This issue contains the following articles: (1) Changing poverty and changing antipoverty policies…