The incidence and nature of research and development (R&D)-related services provided for employers by English and Welsh colleges were examined. Data were collected through the following activities: (1) an initial survey that was returned by 96 colleges in England and 11 in Wales; (2) telephone interviews with those colleges that were currently…

This report synthesizes the findings of four studies that focused on school districts as the center of focus for school-improvement efforts. The studies did not examine school systems that had been high performing for a long time; rather, they took their data from districts serving high percentages of students who typically struggle but were…

This book provides educators and education policy makers a picture of where the field of teaching adult English language learners is today in order to build a more effective delivery system for the future. It places adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) in the broader context of the U.S. education system (K-12 and adult education), then…

The effectiveness of the National Center for Study Adult Learning Literacy's (NCSALL's) Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network was examined by reviewing how, from 1997 to 2001, adult basic education teachers from 14 states served as liaisons between practitioners in their states and the NCSALL by engaging in the following activities:…

An evaluation investigated the effectiveness of midwifery education in preparing midwives to care for clients likely to experience inequalities in health and/or inequalities in health care provision in England. The study was undertaken in these three phases: (1) literature review of midwifery and relevant social policy literature; (2) national…

A 3 and a half year project explored the effectiveness of education in preparing nurses in the United Kingdom to meet the needs of older people and their carers within a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency context. It was comprised of comprehensive reviews of the relevant literature; an empirical study involving 781 student nurses and 855 qualified…

A qualitative study provided a detailed description of classroom behavior by observing 20 adult literacy classes in 8 states and interviewing teachers of these classes. The methodology used was grounded theory, in which data were collected from a limited sample of cases (classes) and analyzed to find commonalities, themes, and categories that…

Undertakings to improve teacher education in Poland have taken on these three main directions, with quality as the priority: (1) a system for accrediting higher schools (academic institution quality); (2) new regulator for standardizing the program of studies (program quality); and (3) system for teachers' progressive qualification and development…

This collection of papers presents essays by German scholars and practitioners writing from within the German Didaktik tradition and interpretive essays by U.S. scholars. After an introduction, "Starting a Dialogue: A Beginning Conversation between Didaktik and the Curriculum Traditions" (Stefan Hopmann and Kurt Riquarts), there are 18…

A study was conducted to review the concept of validity in the context of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. The study included a review of literature, case studies, presentation of key findings, and recommendation of a tool to guide assessors. An eight-faceted approach to validity, based on Nitko, was developed, with each…

A study examined the types of role models who influence career choice in young women planning traditional (education) careers in math- and science-related fields or nontraditional (engineering) careers. The hypothesis was that nontraditional women would be more likely to cite the influence of male role models or influences on career selection than…

On February 3, 2003, the Bush Administration unveiled its request to cut funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program by 40 percent in fiscal year 2004. This date also marked the administration's release of When Schools Stay Open Late: The National Evaluation of the 21st-Century Learning Centers Program, First Year Findings, the…

This research project was commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in 2004 to examine barriers to vulnerable children accessing examinations at the end of key stage 4 and to identify strategies employed to overcome these barriers. Key groups of vulnerable children identified by the DfES included: (1) Looked-after children;…

The quality of teacher preparation is frequently under public scrutiny. In this collection, experts in literacy teacher preparation offer ten truths--based on evidence, not ideology-- that support the ongoing positive efforts of teacher educators. In this book, the reader will find: A review of the existing knowledge base; Evidence of the improved…

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 emphasizes the placement of people in jobs as the first step in the welfare reform process rather than the development of basic and job skills. This has forced adult and vocational educators to rethink the role their programs can play in welfare reform. The move to…