The impact of participation in a vocational student organization (VSO) on student achievement was examined. First, an exhaustive review of the recent literature on VSOs was conducted. In addition, a survey aimed at state directors of VSOs was developed and pilot tested on a purposefully-selected sample of 25 state directors of VSOs. A response…

This document contains an introduction to the Ohio Integrated Technical and Academic Competency (ITAC) and Specialization ITAC; and overview of the electronics field; an list acknowledging the professionals who helped develop the competency list; and the comprehensive listing of the professional or occupational competencies deemed essential for…

A study reviewed the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department of Labor's (DOL's) Veterans' Employment and Training Service's (VETS's) administration of the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) and Local Veterans' Employment Representative (LVER) program. While veterans received priority employment services at one-stop centers, VETS did…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the New York Partnership for Statewide Systems Change 2000, a 5-year project to increase and improve inclusive educational services to New York State students with severe disabilities at the secondary level and students with serious emotional disturbance at the elementary and middle…

This report provides an overview of legislative actions relating to higher education in New Mexico during fiscal year 1997-98. The governor signed into law approximately $485 million in appropriations from the state general fund for the operation of higher education institutions and programs in 1997-98, a decrease of 0.5 percent from the current…

The 1996 welfare reform law--the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act--has contradictory aspects. It gives the states greatly increased fiscal flexibility and at the same time sets extensive and elaborate new behavioral requirements. The dynamics of welfare since the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935 have been…

This publication is designed to assist high school educators in developing a comprehensive student services system. Following a brief introduction, section 2 focuses on the common features of a comprehensive student services delivery system. It offers brief highlights of existing forms of comprehensive school-linked strategies such as family…

Three evaluations analyzed program characteristics and participant results in work force education and coordination in Washington State. The Employment Security Department's evaluation of Job Training Partnership Act Titles II and III looked for an association between participant characteristics and the type of training they receive and between…

Pennsylvania has three regional Professional Personnel Development Centers responsible for the delivery of services around a block of common objectives designed to meet the professional development needs of vocational educators. The Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) process has been used to address two areas of need identified by the Temple…

Designed for practitioners, this book provides ideas and strategies for designing, developing, and implementing the Youth Transition Program (YTP) for students with disabilities and special needs in Oregon. Chapter 1 describes the following: background and need for collaborative school-to-work (STW) programs; STW program purposes and components,…

A study used a unique data set to evaluate the effect of Targeted Jobs Tax Credit (TJTC) on the labor market outcomes of program participants--more than 29,000 individuals for whom Pennsylvania businesses sought tax credits during 1988-94 (final sample was 17,388). Firm-level data were combined with wage data obtained from administrative quarterly…

A study reviewed the efforts of six states (California, Florida, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, and Washington) to create new policies and strategies to support low-income individuals as they work. The study found the following: (1) working steadily initially after leaving welfare is linked to being employed in later years but is not linked to higher…

A study evaluated the Kentucky statewide school-to-work (STW) system through surveys of 633 K-12 teachers, phone interviews with 395 employer-participants in STW activities, and 328 randomly drawn employers. Data analysis identified six themes relevant to improving and sustaining STW: (1) working toward bringing program implementation to scale at…

The Florida Department of Corrections (DC) offers a variety of academic and vocational programs to a limited number of inmates. Funding is discretionary and provided through state general revenue, nine federal grants, and the Inmate Welfare Trust Fund. Profiles of typical Florida inmates indicate almost 75 percent of the inmate population test at…

This document examines microenterprise development as an employment option for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients. The document begins with a brief discussion of the feasibility of self-employment as an option for TANF recipients, particularly in a slow economy. The next section answers policy questions pertaining to the…