Materials from Agora 12 demonstrate that the disabled are merely another side of ourselves and training for them is a means of developing and acquiring independence and of becoming absorbed into society. A Foreword outlines the subjects of the three sessions: social solidarity and mental disability; training of the mentally psychologically…

These two issues include articles under the following headings: themes in education, curriculum and instruction, and theories, practicals, and experiences. The first issue includes: "Parent Participation: The Implications of a Complaint Case" (Ping Man Wong and Antony Yuk Cheung Chan); "Education for New Arrivals and Multicultural…

The U.S. Congress asked the Government Accounting Office (GAO) to determine the following: (1) to what extent states were spending their Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds and whether the Department of Labor's (Labor's) data accurately reflected available funds; (2) what Labor did to assess how states were managing their WIA spending; and (3)…

This document describes the major features of the vocational educational and training (VET) sectors in China and Australia, particularly the linkages between lower and higher VET that occur within secondary and postsecondary education in Australia and, in China, within junior secondary schools, senior secondary schools, and higher institutions of…

Recent empirical and theoretical literature was reviewed to examine how the dynamics of class, gender, and race affect adult learning in nonformal and informal settings. The following were among the key findings: (1) social dynamics such as class, gender, and race influence individuals' development of their self or subjectivity, which in turn…

This document describes a research study of the status of basic adult literacy services in New England, particularly the inadequate link between adult basic education (ABE) and work- force preparation programs. The report describes a system that has failed to adapt to the region's increased need for articulation among English as a Second Language…

Australia's Aged Care Act of 1997 mandates a number of key reforms aimed at ensuring consistency in the quality of care and well-being for all residents of aged care facilities. The law required residential aged care facilities to provide high-quality care within a framework of continuous improvement which requires aged care workers to perform the…

The professional development activities in which trainers and vocational teachers are engaging to acquire new expertise in e-learning were examined through a survey that was completed by 446 individuals. Nearly 80% of the respondents were from within the European Union (EU). The rest came from other European countries, North American, Australia,…

Appreciative inquiry (AI) is based on the heliotropic principle, which has been variously described as art and science, holistic theory and practice, and practical philosophy and change process. AI engages people and organizations in discovering what gives life to human systems when they are most effective and constructive and using that knowledge…

This document contains eight papers on the changing faces of virtual education. "Introduction" (Glen M. Farrell) presents an overview of the study during which the papers originated. "The Changing Venues for Learning" (Vis Naidoo) discusses innovative learning venues and forces driving and constraining their development.…

This document, which is intended for use by adult literacy programs in Saskatchewan, Canada, consists of three questionnaires. The questionnaires were developed under the guidance of Saskatchewan's 11-member Good Practice Task Force to give adult literacy programs an opportunity to reflect on their current initiatives, identify their strengths,…

The effects of adult education in welfare-to-work programs were examined in a national evaluation of welfare-to-work strategies. The evaluation used a random research design to estimate the overall effects of welfare-to-work programs in the following states: Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, and California. The study focused on the…

This document, which is intended as a guide for workforce preparation program providers, details the Illinois occupational skill standards for programs preparing students for employment in the meeting professional occupational cluster. It begins with a brief overview of the Illinois perspective on occupational skill standards and credentialing,…

The push for higher academic standards has resulted in an increase in the numbers of high school students needing extra help. The need for extra help is most pervasive in high-poverty areas and most high school students need extra help not in traditional basic elementary skills but in reading, mathematics, and advanced reasoning skills. Most…

This book contains 16 papers on the theory, research, and practice of adult numeracy development. The following papers are included: "The Numeracy Challenge" (Iddo Gal); "Numeracy, Mathematics, and Adult Learning" (Diane Coben); "Building a Problem-Solving Environment for Teaching Mathematics" (Peter Kloosterman, Bin Hassan Mohamad-Ali, Lynda R.…