In 1988, the Basic Skills Task Force was established to assess the effectiveness of four academic policies in addressing the needs of California community college students with skills deficiencies. The policies define the scope and content of Adult Basic Education and of Precollegiate Basic Skills Instruction in nondegree-applicable credit…

This paper presents a research summary on ability grouping and tracking, and makes recommendations to school practitioners on successful alternative strategies to educate children from diverse backgrounds. The research reveals little evidence that ability grouping improves academic achievement, while overwhelming evidence exists that it retards…

This document contains the results of qualitative case studies conducted on state and local implementation of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984. The case studies were conducted in three communities in each of nine states. The first of the report's six chapters gives an overview of vocational education and the role of the federal…

This report (1) focuses on issues that have caused Hispanics to be underserved by training programs funded under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA); (2) discusses the implications of these issues for the success of the JTPA system in meeting its goal of training economically disadvantaged people; and (3) presents specific recommendations for…

Most of the nonmetropolitan poor live in a household with at least one worker. In 1987, 70% of nonmetro poor family heads who were not ill, disabled, or retired worked for at least part of the year, and 24% worked full time, year-round. The employed proportion of the poor was significantly larger in nonmetro than metro areas. Despite a lengthy…

From September through November 1986, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) conducted a follow-up survey of Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) 8% program participants in the 1985-86 school year. The DPI is responsible for administering half of the JTPA 8% Education Coordination and Grants for economically disadvantaged youth, ages…

Data from a national survey of principals in public schools with a 7th grade were used in this study of schools that serve disadvantaged, advantaged, and other populations. Differences in the schools' course-taking opportunities, organizational structures, extracurricular programs, remedial activities, instructional approaches, staffing needs, and…

This study investigated factors that play a role in the fading effects of prekindergarten programs for economically disadvantaged children. The school adjustment of 1,284 low-income, minority children in prekindergarten and kindergarten programs funded by the government (i.e., Child Parent Center; Head Start) was traced through the third year of…

This review examines literature on the community's role in the achievement and psychosocial outcomes of disadvantaged students. It identifies three classes of factors as pertinent: community structure, community climate, and community involvement. Community characteristics were found to have only a weak effect on achievement at the individual…

This paper explores how recent economic, demographic, and social changes have created the conditions that are presently constricting the opportunities and future expectations of today's urban young men. While research indicates that all disadvantaged youth in urban areas are facing impediments to their success, the paper focuses on the realities…

Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (ECIA) provides financial assistance to state (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) to meet special educational needs under the same formula that governed the allocation of Title I funds. The guidance in this document only pertains to the Chapter 1 program that provides…

Over 12 million dollars was allocated to Delaware during the 1986/87 school year to fund compensatory education programs for educationally disadvantaged students under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. Chapter 1 supplemental services are targeted at low-income children; the children of migrant workers; and handicapped,…

The report presents an evaluation of the New York City Harmony in Career Learning and Scholastic System (Project HI-CLASS) based on results from the 1988-89 school year. The project provided support services to 420 Spanish- and Chinese-speaking students of limited English proficiency (LEP). It also proposed to instill pride in and respect for…

In regard to the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), the National Commission for Employment Policy: supports the states' current ability to establish and operate programs that best meet their needs; believes the role of the private sector in developing, operating, or overseeing job training efforts should not be reduced; and strongly supports…

This module provides strategies for educators who want to assess employer needs in their communities. In addition, it provides guidelines for organizing and using the information once it is compiled. The guide includes a list of definitions and uses a question-and-answer format to discuss the best method for assessing employer needs, deciding whom…