Low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) are currently facing a myriad of challenges in education; from large increases in school enrolments putting pressure on already strained school resources, to having millions of children out of school, with a sizable proportion of those in school learning poor. Education stakeholders in high- and…

A study focused on the appropriate balance between academic and vocational education for those who intend to work rather than attend college after graduation. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) a high school curriculum that completely specializes in vocational education and ignores basic skills training will not be as effective as the one that…

This bibliography provides summaries of a selection of research articles on the general subject of work experience. Articles are arranged in alphabetical order by author. This information is provided for each of the 50 entries: author, title, place of publication and publisher, and publication date. A one-sentence summary of the main idea of the…

Current methods and instruments for assessing college student academic outcomes are identified and described, and possible outcome measures of NCRIPTAL's (National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning) are suggested. Section I defines college outcomes from several perspectives, including pressures for outcome…

General research and anecdotal reports have confirmed that both technical and basic skills training offer many benefits to companies of all sizes. Company training can improve employee performance, firm productivity, product quality, and company profitability. Training supports "high-performance" work practices such as the following: total quality…

This document sets the current literacy education movement in historical context, criticizes the actions of unprepared newcomers to field, and praises the efforts of reading professionals who use a language experience approach to teaching reading. In an overview, the faddishness of some current literacy education activity is deplored. Section 1…

Demographic forecasters predict that fewer young workers will be entering the work force at the turn of the century, with women, minorities, and immigrants constituting five-sixths of the net additions to the labor force. Since these groups generally have comparatively low educational levels, the labor pool of the near future will be characterized…

Media reports suggest widespread illiteracy among adults who may not be able to read, write, speak, or otherwise communicate competently enough to meet the demands of modern society. There is no consensus on the definition of illiteracy or supporting statistics. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the adult illiteracy rate is 13…

This report was prepared to fulfill the need for an information source on basic skills in the armed services. To prepare the report, researchers obtained and reviewed published literature from various document files. Service representatives of the Joint Service Working Group on Literacy/Basic Skills established by the Assistant Secretary of…

Reviews the advantages and disadvantages of the use of DISTAR, a highly structured direct instruction program used to teach basic skills to disadvantaged preschool children. (FMW)

This dissertation examines the following questions: (1) What are the characteristics and teaching practices of faculty that lead to higher student outcomes? (2) How do community colleges effectively support the efforts of faculty, who are successful in producing high student outcomes? (3) How can this knowledge be incorporated into an effective…

A worldwide review of literacy and basic education for adults and young people led to the following conclusions (among others: (1) returns on basic education are high; (2) universal participation in primary education is still far off; (3) carefully designed programs for adults and young people can pay off in increased retention of skills,…

A general increase in the demand for workplace basic skills mirrors the general increase in societal basic skills demands. As a result, many adults are participating in second-chance basic skills education. Second-chance basic skills programs are offered by a wide variety of providers, but populations actually served by programs rarely amount to…

Educational reform efforts have thus far excluded vocational education. Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in reevaluating vocational education's role in facilitating academic excellence and economic competitiveness. Inadequate basic skills remain a significant and growing problem. There is a direct relationship between basic skills…

Part I of this paper reviews research on effects of vocational course work on dropout rates, probabilities of employment, earnings, productivity, and basic skills. The review is organized around 10 questions. Answers to these questions include: (1) vocational education lowers dropout rates; (2) economic benefits are substantial; (3) economic…