Discusses four trends in family life which are particularly affecting Head Start and other programs serving low-income families (1) feminization of poverty, (2) teenage parenting, (3) increasing number of employed mothers, and (4) increasing challenges to attaining economic self-sufficiency. Explores the implications of these trends for Head Start…

In Canada and elsewhere, the shift from more horizontal models of governance and toward a more organized, diverse, and empowered civil society has sparked renewed interest in citizen involvement. The various dimensions of citizen involvement in policy processes are as follows: (1) mobilizing interest; (2) claims making; (3) knowledge acquisition;…

This document contains the following papers: "Early Recognition of Skill Needs in Europe: European Conference, Berlin, 30/31 May 2002" (Susanne Liane Schmidt, Klaus Schomann, Manfred Tessaring); "Welcome and Opening of the European Conference 'Early Recognition of Skill Needs in Europe,' 30 May 2002, Social Sciences Research Center…

In Denmark, the institution of shop steward was established in 1900. Until World War II, shop stewards' main functions were to recruit new trade union members and check whether labor agreements were being observed. After World War II, Denmark's shop stewards began having to deal with increasingly complicated and "technical" questions.…

The Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers Union of Canada assessed literacy learning needs. In focus group discussions, members were asked their perception of such needs in the face of changes in the workplace and society; local union officers (LUOs) were asked how they saw the role of unions in supporting members' literacy learning; employers…

Some 40 years after the inception of management simulation games, the effectiveness of games in management education/training remains unclear. Despite the lack of consensus regarding the teaching and grading methods to be used in conjunction with such games, it is clear that well-conducted simulation games can provide excellent experiential…

Designed primarily for adult literacy teachers and tutors, this curriculum describes the content of what should be taught in literacy programs. It assists them to meet the individual needs of adults through the selection and teaching of skills appropriate to those adults' needs. An introduction describes national standards and qualifications,…

With the growth of standardized assessment benchmarks in both the public and private paradigms, testing performance matters to institutions more than ever. In an attempt to take as many hindering variables out of this process, such as test anxiety, socioeconomic influences, and latency in cognition, Improvisation: A Complement to Curriculum seeks…

The Public Libraries and Adult Independent Learners (PLAIL) Project was conducted in the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Spain to identify the following: needs of adult independent learners; services required to meet those needs; extent to which those services rely on existing and new technology; and skills and competencies required to provide the…

In 1993, 473 (55%) of the nation's 855 local tech prep consortia were surveyed regarding tech prep's goals, policies, practices, and obstacles. The 397 responding consortia (response rate, 84%) were sent follow-up surveys in 1995. Responses were obtained from 339 (85%) of the consortia. The follow-up survey revealed the following: increases in the…

As part of a larger effort to pinpoint emerging training needs, case studies of the telecommunications and administration/offices sectors were conducted in Spain, Italy, and France to identify new information technology (IT) competencies required of employees in those fields and determine whether IT has similar consequences in individual European…

This report presents findings of a demographic study of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists (AUDs) in Canada and of students studying in these fields. Two surveys were developed which examined: the numbers, types, and distribution of SLPs and AUDs; their characteristics; the types of services they provide; and differences between…

This publication consists of four volumes of the evaluation report for a project to provide workplace basic skills education for employees in seven manufacturing companies in New York in partnership with five education agencies. Volume I: "Executive Summary" provides an overview of the evaluation results. Volume II: "Program Goals…

In spring 1997, Arizona repeated a spring 1996 statewide public poll that established baseline measures of public attitudes toward school-to-work (STW). Samples were drawn from three constituent groups: parents, businesses, and educators. Over 2,700 Arizonans participated each year. Overall awareness of STW was up significantly among every group.…

This book, which focuses on actual practitioners' experiences, outlines a systematic approach to improving individual workers' performance as part of an overall strategy for organizational change. Frameworks are provided for conceptualizing and implementing exemplary training practices. In addition, steps in achieving the practices and pitfalls to…