Community colleges are becoming key partners in developing and improving present and future work forces. The number of business-community college partnerships is growing. Most community colleges are developing very results-oriented programs and partnerships that provide local businesses with workers trained in the skills that those businesses need…

Asserting that previous studies of latchkey children had several methodological flaws, this 4-year study explored children's after-school lives, when their parents are working. Participating in the study were 53 families in which parents were employed full-time and which had at least one child in elementary school; families came from a wide range…

A survey was conducted to assess the current state of technology and distance learning awareness and usage in Florida's adult education and community-based programs. Data were gathered through a survey of 350 adult practitioners, literacy providers, community-based organizations and libraries throughout the state (125 responses [36 percent return…

In the face of the emergence of a global, technology-driven, skills-based economy and a continuing shortage of skilled labor in Minnesota, a study examined the development of a world-class training system for the state's workers and businesses. The study found the following: (1) there is an urgent need to address the high-skill needs of both…

This report describes a low-cost, adaptable methodology for assessment of basic learning competencies (BLCs) in diverse cultural contexts. Following the introduction, section 2 provides a policy framework and covers priority populations; policy and assessment needs; challenges for policy-driven assessments; and questions policymakers might have.…

Designed for parents of children who have a wide variety of disabilities, this manual discusses the ways in which assistive technology can facilitate the child's active participation in developmentally appropriate activities and offers ideas for incorporating devices and strategies into daily school and home routines. The manual attempts to…

This volume is part of a series of 18 monographs on service learning and the academic disciplines. The essays in this volume focus on the use of service learning as an approach to teaching and learning in psychology. Following the introduction, "Collaborating with the Community: Psychology and Service-Learning," by Donna K. Duffy and…

"Contested Ground: Performance Accountability in Adult Basic Education" (ABE) is one of the most important books on adult literacy policy at the turn of the century. In it, Juliet Merrifield examines the critical issues of policy, practice, and theory with which the field is currently consumed. She and her colleagues maintain that the concept of…

This volume features the reform journeys of six American high schools. The six high schools portrayed here include four large comprehensive high schools (Oakland Technical High in Oakland, California, and Brighton High in Boston, Massachusetts, are urban; Sir Francis Drake in Marin County, California, and Rex Putnam in North Clackamas, Oregon, are…

This document contains three papers from an international conference on "ways and means for more employment." The first paper, "Employment Policy Comparisons and Policy Advice" (Ulrich Walwei), covers the German labor market in the second half of the 1990s and requirements for longer-term employment success through coping with…

This manual is a reference on the apprenticeship and industry training system for local and provincial apprenticeship committee members, presiding officers, and secretaries in Alberta. Section 1 contains an overview of Alberta's apprenticeship and industry training system. Section 2 provides an overview of the apprenticeship and industry training…

State leaders are using complex accountability systems, composed of standards, assessments, public reporting, rewards, and sanctions, to raise student, school, and district achievement. The public strongly supports making academic standards more challenging, despite a lack of consensus on content and outcomes. Some states may revise standards…

This book is intended to broaden awareness of the instructional innovations and adaptations taking place in college and university writing classes designed specifically for working adults. Through case studies of five established writing programs for adults, the book provides a historical context for today's college-credit writing programs for…

Early school leaving is an issue internationally. In Australia, nearly one in three young people is at risk of not completing secondary education, a situation that affects long-term employment prospects and earning capacity. Not all leave early for the same reason, and their reasons are not necessarily negative ones. Six "types" of early…

This book presents the results of an evaluation of Library Power, an initiative of the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund that provided support for school library development in 19 communities. Following an introductory chapter, the chapters are organized around key questions of the evaluation. Chapters 2 through 4 address the implementation of…