Designed specifically for private industry councils (PICs), this guide introduces the subject of economic development and job creation and highlights the impact PICs can make through carefully chosen involvement in local economic development efforts. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to economic development: What it is; how it is related to…

A practicum study designed to address the problem of inadequate language development skills in first-grade children was conducted. Specifically, efforts were directed toward developing and implementing a specialized instructional program to remediate students' deficiencies in listening comprehension, basic concept skills, classification skills,…

Women's vulnerability to increased landlessness and other economic factors has created a need in most developing nations for year-round, rural, non-agricultural employment opportunities for women. Census data from 56 Third World countries reveal that women are generally underrepresented in the paid labor force and overrepresented in the…

The incidence and causal factors of dropping out of school and grade repetition at the primary school level in the Nandi District of Kenya were examined. The study involved longitudinal analysis of primary school flow from 1976 to 1982 in five representative schools. Data were gathered through questionnaires and interviews with District Education…

The extent to which the educational system reaches women in Kenya will in some measure dictate the pace of national development. Data indicate that significant progress was made in the area of education for Kenyan women during the 1975-1984 decade. This was particularly so at the primary school level where near-parity was achieved in the…

This paper is a product of the "Changing Domestic Priorities" project which has examined the shifts taking place in the nation's economic and social policies under the Reagan Administration and is now focusing on the major economic and social problems facing the nation over the coming decade. The following topics are discussed in this paper: (1)…

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…