This "think piece" on ways to increase demand for learning in the United Kingdom is designed to stimulate debate among policy makers and managers in the new learning and skills sector. Section 1, on context, addresses these issues: low skill levels; delivering skills to employers; low adult participation; and negative attitudes. Section…

This brief addresses four areas of opportunity to influence teacher quality. These areas of opportunity are used to create a framework to help state and district policymakers comprehensively address teacher quality. There are a number of policy levers or strategies that can be used as part of a comprehensive approach to improving teacher quality.…

This document reports on the purpose, implementation, and outcomes of a policy forum on strategies used to address the disproportionate number of students from minority ethnic/racial groups receiving special education. Participants included representatives of state education agencies, local education agencies, the university/research community,…

This study examined the progress of nine collaborative student academic development programs in California which focused on improving the preparation of secondary school students for college and university study. The programs were selected for inclusion on the basis of commonalities along the following dimensions: a goal of increasing the number…

This publication updates information from prior surveys of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the areas of: (1) standards (authorize measures of quality or competency that affect the teaching profession); (2) standards boards (any official state entity that may recommend or establish standards for program approval and for the issuance…

This study evaluated the shortage of special education teachers in Oklahoma and presented a long term plan to meet this need. The study examined: (1) teacher shortages by category and geographic location in Oklahoma; (2) availability of individuals with the potential to be special education teachers; and (3) innovative recruitment and retention…

The secretarial instructional programs at Florida community colleges and area vocational-technical centers were reviewed to determine the actions that are needed to enable the programs to meet current and future demands for secretaries who are competent in the use of advanced office systems technology. Data for the review were drawn from a…

The role of nonformal university adult education (UAE) in revitalizing vocational education and training (VET) in marginalized neighborhoods in Ireland was examined. First, an examination of the barriers affecting participation in VET in marginalized neighborhoods identified the following barriers: situational barriers arising from individual life…

A study investigated skill shortages in the electrical and associated industries in Victoria and their nature and contributing factors. Research methods were a literature review, data analysis, and qualitative and quantitative research into apprentices, employers, and practitioners. Findings indicated a decline in the number of apprentices in…

This publication explores a general model for a comprehensive program comprising identification, recruitment, retention, and graduation of minority graduate students and includes examples of specific activities carried out by a variety of institutions in support of this model. The model and examples are based on a 1992 Council of Graduate Schools…

This guide, volume four of a six-part series, describes several community-outreach methods and provides practical outreach suggestions that are based on experience, as well as typical problems and the ways practitioners have chosen to resolve them. The guide is divided into three parts. Part 1 focuses on recruitment. Specific topics cover ways of…

This publication updates information from prior surveys of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the areas of: (1) requirements for regular licensure (standards an individual must meet to be issued an initial or advanced teaching credential); (2) requirements for licensure--emergency or shortage-driven (the process by which a person who…

This publication updates information from prior surveys of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the areas of: (1) requirements for regular licensure (standards an individual must meet to be issued an initial or advanced teaching credential); (2) requirements for licensure--emergency or shortage-driven (the process by which a person who…

This report responds to the California Legislature's request for an assessment of the impact of intersegmental programs designed to enhance student preparation for college, particularly those students historically underrepresented in postsecondary education. The report focuses on the effectiveness of each program and its components and the extent…

A study examined the impact of state comprehensive cooperative agreements on vocational education programs for handicapped youth. During the study, 45 local educational agencies operating in 17 states with comprehensive cooperative state agreements were asked to rate the degree of influence that the state agreement had on such programming areas as…