TRAINING PROVIDED BY EMPLOYERS IN A REPRESENTATIVE INDUSTRIAL COMMUNITY WAS STUDIED TO HELP EDUCATORS AND EMPLOYERS PLAN FOR ADEQUATE PREPARATION OF YOUTH FOR EMPLOYMENT. STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH 210 EMPLOYERS OF 10 OR MORE PERSONS. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO EMPLOYERS OF FEWER THAN 10 PERSONS. AS A RESULT, DATA WERE GATHERED ON…

In this report on California's teaching force, the authors make two main points: (1) The state needs but does not yet have a system of teacher development that ensures that all who enter the classroom have the knowledge and skills they need to get their students to reach the academic standards the state has set; and (2) The existing distribution…

The San Francisco Beacon Initiative (SFBI) has been in effect in the San Francisco Unified School District since 1996. A collaboration of public and private funders, SFBI operates comprehensive after-school programs in six middle schools, one elementary school and one high school. Public/Private Ventures' (P/PV's) evaluation found that SFBI…

This report presents the results of a conducted by the authors in collaboration with the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), the second-largest district in California. For this study, the authors compiled a highly detailed, student-level database that enabled them to link factors influencing student achievement in ways that have not been…

This study examines the relationships between student literacy performance and discussion-based approaches to the development of understanding in 64 middle and high school English classrooms. A series of hierarchical linear models indicated that discussion-based approaches were significantly related to spring performance, controlling for fall…

One of the most important provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is the requirement that all teachers of core academic subjects be "highly qualified" by the end of school year 2005-2006. Key principles for recruiting and preparing future teachers have been identified as raising academic standards for teachers and lowering…

This report provides teachers' views of unequal teaching and learning opportunities that are still common in many of America's public schools. It analyzes the responses of 3,336 public school teachers in California, Wisconsin, and New York who were surveyed by Lou Harris and the Peter Harris Research Group. The findings paint a chilling picture of…

The impacts of 20 welfare-to-work programs across the United States were evaluated to determine which clients derive the greatest benefits from different approaches to moving individuals from welfare to work. Of the 20 programs examined, 7 were characterized as employment focused, 5 provided a mix of first activities without an employment focus, 4…

This position paper gives the results of informal surveys carried out by the Bilingual-Bicultural Task Force of the California State Department of Education. Only 60 to 65% of the teachers in the state bilingual programs are judged bilingual and 50% bilingual-biliterate. Almost all of the teacher aides are judged bilingual, and a large percentage…

The effects of adult education in welfare-to-work programs were examined in a national evaluation of welfare-to-work strategies. The evaluation used a random research design to estimate the overall effects of welfare-to-work programs in the following states: Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, and California. The study focused on the…

Research examining the impact of arts education on workforce preparation has confirmed that programs incorporating the arts can be educational, developmentally rich, and cost-effective ways of providing students with the skills needed for productive participation in today's economy. Arts education has been shown to help students develop basic,…

On July 28, 2006, a panel of experts briefed members of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on the putative benefits of racial and ethnic diversity in elementary and secondary education. Four experts presented written statements to the Commissioners that assessed the social science literature on this issue. They also addressed whether or not…

California's school-to-career (STC) efforts were examined in a statewide evaluation study that was initiated in December 2000 and scheduled for completion by June 2002. The study's first phase was assessed in an interim report that focused on the following major activities: (1) development of a white paper describing the STC's national and state…

This document provides a framework for academic and career/technical teachers who want to raise students' achievement through real-life projects reflecting the rigorous academic and technical standards needed for further learning in the workplace and postsecondary education. The document begins with definitions of the six A's of project-based…

This booklet highlights the efforts of five employers that rely on information technology (IT) workers and one "intermediary" organization connecting workplace experiences to classroom learning for secondary education students. The introduction lists the employers' and organizations' names, locations, and featured practices. The next…