This analysis discusses ways to address the persistent challenge of ensuring that students who attend urban schools are taught by highly effective teachers. It presents a four-point strategic plan that includes: (1) increase the quantity and quality of people entering and returning to teaching in urban districts (precollegiate recruitment, higher…

Many economists and policymakers believe that the growth in inequality in the last 2 decades reflects mostly an imbalance between the demand for and the supply of employee skills driven by technological change, particularly the spread of computers. However, the empirical basis for this belief is not strong. The growth in inequality was…

The pedagogical functions of simple World Wide Web-based discussions during work-based learning periods in vocational education were examined in a study of a secondary-level work-based practical nursing program in Finland. The students (age range, 16 to 43 years) participated in 17 Web discussion groups during their 120-week practical nursing…

The psychological factors associated with paranursing expertise were examined in a study of 135 certified nursing assistants (CNAs) at a geriatric nursing facility in Amarillo, Texas. Data were collected through a project-developed screening tool called the Geriatric Employee Screening Tool (GEST), which is a true-false instrument patterned after…

The recruitment and retention of Asian computer professionals by Canadian high-tech companies was examined by interviewing 8 Canadian-born information technology (IT) workers, 47 Asian-born IT workers, and 8 human resource (HR) professionals employed by high-tech companies in Ottawa. Of the 47 Asians, 33 stated that they did not know much about…

This study is a consolidation of the findings acquired in the course of three parallel surveys conducted in France, Italy, and Spain on the impact of new technologies in the telecommunications and administration/office sectors. Data are from an ad hoc interview questionnaire directed at the people in charge of functional areas of the firm and…

This study measured and compared the pre- and post-course differences in college students' attitudes toward and achievement in an asynchronous, Web-based, health profession course. The distance course included 14 Web-based learning modules that students could complete at their own pace prior to finishing the end of the term. The course also…

This paper presents a model for teaching in the new millennium. The model comprises 9 years of in-depth study, field experiences, and community service. This paper describes the model, which features a high school charter program for careers in teaching, undergraduate course clusters, graduate internships, and residencies. Section 1 introduces the…

This tech prep competency profile covers the occupation of electronics technician. Section 1 provides the occupation definition. Section 2 lists development committee members. Section 3 provides the leveling codes--abbreviations for grade level, (by the end of grade 12, by the end of associate degree), academic codes (communications, math, or…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) serves two important purposes for the educational community. The first purpose, at which SASS has been very successful, is providing data that describe and track over time the state of schools and staffing (the capacities of teachers, school libraries, schools, and school districts, and the organization of…

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

The call for highly qualified teachers that can improve student literacy performance has led to increased attention to job-embedded approaches to professional learning. Such approaches call for intensive, on-going efforts that include coaching and feedback (National Staff Development Council, 2001; American Educational Research Association, 2005)…

Part I of a book published in Moscow in 1968.

Data were collected in five countries (The Gambia, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, Sierra Leone) between 1976 and 1981 from secondary students to examine five variables affecting occupational aspirations: sex, culture, religion, socioeconomic status, and environment and opportunities of the school. School quality and sex affected attitudes most. (LC)

In this series of short articles, authors discuss matters that affect vocational education in the comprehensive high school setting, considering nine specific occupational or service programs. (SK)