This report investigates a number of education and training programs involving employers in efforts to help disadvantaged young adults attain post-secondary credentials leading to career track employment. For the purposes of this report, the authors define credentials to mean credit and non-credit industry-recognized certifications, associate…

In 2006, more than 6 million individuals were victimized by violent crimes. Although violence is below levels of the early 1990s, it remains high. The extent of violence and its impact highlight a critical need to develop and implement effective programs to reduce violence and victimization. Communities have initiated a wide range of such…

The Community Choices program is designed to engage communities in a systematic assessment of the linkages between their human resource attributes and their economic development opportunities. This document contains seven modules. Modules 1-3 lay the foundation for doing public policy education work by (1) defining public policy education and…

An ever-expanding body of social science research indicates that school is the single best avenue out of poverty, and educational achievement is now the most accurate predictor of a person's future economic success. Therefore, to help school districts, schools, parents, and community leaders improve the education of disadvantaged children, a wide…

This study examines the Lao Hmong, an Indochinese refugee group that has resettled in the Denver-Boulder, Colorado, area. Characteristics examined are the following: (1) migration; (2) location; (3) housing; (4) acculturation; and (5) life satisfaction. An extensive literature review discusses the history, ethnography, and culture of the Hmong in…

Describes need to improve education in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District which has the lowest percentage of high school graduates in the nation. Reports peoples' perceptions of educational problems; details community financial support; provides comparative statistics on educational attainment, math and reading mastery, dropouts,…

After the year 2000 one-third of the American population will be members of minority groups; neglecting minorities will have disastrous effects on the nation. The United States has made some progress in improving the lives of minorities, but America is presently moving backward--not forward--in its efforts to achieve the full participation of…