The literacy training program of Imperial Educational Corporation is a small-group, individualized approach to basic skills instruction for employees lacking basic skills. Pilot studies how significant growth in academic and study skills and positive motivational changes in relation to learning and work. (SK)

Gender and racial/ethnic characteristics of new law school faculty and of those seeking appointments through the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) register are analyzed for 1991-92, 1992-93, and 1993-94. Success rate of register candidates is also examined and compared with the success rate of nonregister applicants. (MSE)

Kennesaw State College (Georgia) has developed initiatives to enhance leadership and team-building skills of classified employees. The programs include a staff leadership training course, open to 20-24 employees annually, and the Staff Training and Orientation Program (STOP) to provide new employees with information about the institution in an…

Four cohorts of new women and minority faculty were studied to investigate the role that immersion in campus activities and resources plays in career success. The model applied used unconventional methods of interviewing and suggests specific interventions to avoid career difficulties. Women and minorities tended to be less effectively immersed…

A writing support group at Santa Clara University (California) helps female faculty maintain scholarly productivity in the face of multiple, sometimes conflicting demands on their time, and it develops their sense of identity as writers. Long-term follow-up and social supports are key ingredients in the simple but effective program. (Author/MSE)

A discussion of the concept of generalist-advanced generalist social work in practice and in education suggests a framework for the bachelor's/master's degree curricula. The paper argues that the generalist-advanced generalist continuum is particularly well-suited to small towns and rural areas by preparing professionals with the full range of…

A new English teacher at the Air Force Academy describes his experience with students' academic shortcomings and his own expectations, concluding that teachers need training in taking risks, accepting failure, and findings ways to foster new learning and growth, both in themselves and in students. (MSE)

Discusses how the New England College of Optometry has expanded clinical education so graduates are equipped to handle new and advanced clinical and patient-care responsibilities and meet the changing standards of professional entry-level competency. The reform process, third- and fourth-year curriculum components, rotations, and plans for…

Younger employees in school admissions and records offices wishing to advance within the organization are encouraged to distinguish themselves, find a specialty, focus on customer relations, communicate expectations in leadership situations, keep priorities straight, embrace change and cultivate flexibility, keep integrity intact, and develop a…

For 72 new workers in a British automotive corporation, self-confidence was enhanced by participation in a ropes course. While general debriefing (addressing a wide variety of human behaviors) and specific debriefing (centered solely on self-confidence) contributed to these improvements, the benefits that accrued from specific debriefing were…

This Occupational Competency Analysis Profile (OCAP) contains a competency list verified by expert workers and developed through a modified DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) involving business, industry, labor, and community agency representatives from Ohio. This OCAP identifies the occupational, academic, and employability skills (competencies)…

The American Management Association's (AMA) 10th annual survey on workplace testing was mailed in January 1996 to a sample of its 9,500 member companies, resulting in 961 usable responses. The survey sought to determine how many firms test for "basic skills," how job applicants perform on these tests, how much the tests costs, and what firms do…

A study investigated the determinants of success in occupational entry for persons trained specifically for work in mass communications. Two separate criteria were used to judge success in entry: actual employment and salary and fringe benefits, earned upon employment. Subjects, 2,171 recipients of bachelor's degrees from 77 programs in journalism…

A group of 2,594 employers identified as having hired a new employee prior to 1981 served as the population for a study of the provision and outcomes of on-the-job training of new employees. Respondents were asked how much time the new employees had spent on four types of training activities during their first 3 months of employment. A simple…

Basic skills education has become a pressing need in the construction industry as jobs become more complex and fewer workers have needed skills. However, the construction industry lags in spending on training for entry-level workers. The Home Builders Institute (HBI) is testing a pilot basic skills program that it hopes will prove useful to the…