An introduction is provided to Vision 2000, a project initiated by Ontario's Minister of Colleges and Universities to review the mandate of the province's Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT). Section 1 discusses the challenges facing Ontario's educational system, the minister's mandate to the CAAT Council of Regents, and the objectives…

Education and training for 16- to 19-year-olds have undergone expansion and diversification in the United Kingdom in the 1980s. In the context of high youth unemployment, the introduction by the central government of a host of vocational preparation programs has aimed to delay labor market entry for a significant proportion of 16-year-olds, while…

As awareness of the threat of nuclear war has increased over the past decade (1975-1984), young people have learned to cope with the possibility of unimaginable catastrophe. This paper accordingly begins by reviewing literature on how people cope with the threat of nuclear war, in order to reconcile general theories of coping with nuclear anxiety…

As the United States faces great changes in the economy and society, more skilled workers are needed to keep the country competitive. However, half of the young people are being miseducated. A coordinated approach to the problem would be to provide a program responsive to the complex interaction of the job-related education needs of students and…

Employers need training, want it, and are willing to pay for it providing it is relevant to their requirements, results in improved product quality, and fosters increased productivity. Firm characteristics make a difference not only with regard to the kinds of skills wanted by employers but also with regard to how training can best be delivered.…

A report is given of the work of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the implications of introducing a new status--the board-certified teacher--into the educational system. The newly formed board will sponsor the development of procedures for the voluntary certification of teachers to a standard of advanced competence--a…

American educational policy is based on three preeminent values: equity, efficiency, and choice. The problem is that these values are often antithetical: an emphasis on one deemphasizes the others. Coming to an acceptable balance among all three values is therefore the essence of public policymaking. Accordingly, this paper takes one of these…

This study describes the political environment that confronts rural advocates, and identifies the boundaries within which rural policy can be developed, promoted, and adopted with some degree of success. Congress designs and implements national policy; therefore, its composition affects advancements in rural policy. Rural residents comprise 24% of…

This examination of high schools in Massachusetts raises questions about the meaning of the high school diploma and the role, if any, of state policymakers in influencing its meaning. The study shows: (1) students with different characteristics (e.g., male, female, white, minority) and from different kinds of communities and with different…

This document contains transcripts of oral and written testimony given at six days of Congressional hearings on women entrepreneurs, held in April and May 1988. Many of the witnesses were women who run successful companies that they started by themselves, in a variety of fields, from service industries to construction and manufacturing. Other…

This study investigates principals' perceptions of the effect of teacher empowerment on their role as building administrators. The researcher conducted structured interviews with 10 principals, 5 elementary and 5 secondary, in 2 school systems characterized by wider applications of shared decisionmaking and greater professional autonomy among…

Articles on improving preservice teacher education, with particular considerations on proposed five-year programs, are featured in this theme issue. In "Fifth Year Teacher Preparation: A Solution in Search Of a Problem," Alan R. Tom weighs the pros and cons of extending teacher preparation for a fifth year, noting the fact that…

The purpose of a study was to develop a vision of the postsecondary vocational technical curriculum that would be appropriate for the social context anticipated in the year 2000. It was based on the premise that the curriculum is likely to be shaped by a number of groups of decision makers and will most likely include elements upon which those…

In September 1986 the Rochester City School District (New York) implemented the Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) Program. This program is a pilot project designed to provide internships to new teachers and intervention to tenured teachers who are in need of assistance. The purpose of peer assisted internships is to help develop and retain…

Community colleges are increasingly influenced by state-level policies and dependent upon state financial support, making it a matter of necessity for community college leaders to develop positive liaisons with state public policy makers and law makers. Given the need for positive relations with state officials, community college leaders face a…