Commonwealth Ministries of Education were asked to report on how they are undertaking the improvement of the quality of basic education in their respective countries. The papers in this volume focus on: (1) Brunei Darussalam; (2) Canada; (3) Kenya; and (4) Uganda. Charts and statistical data support each country's report. (EH)

The COIN Basic Skills and Career Interest Survey is a two-part measure using the combined scores of the Wonderlich Basic Skills Test (E. Long, V. Artese, and W. Clonts, 1994) (WBST) and the COIN Career Interest Survey (R. Durgin, J. Ryan, and R. Ryan, 1995; COIN Educational Products, Inc.) (CIS). The third part of this package involves the…

Two California community colleges provided comparison data for a pilot study comparing basic skills and English as a Second Language (ESL) students in their progression through college English courses. The two colleges have different ESL populations, as well as different non-ESL populations. On the basis of demographic information and the complete…

The U.S. workplace needs to be transformed. Corporations should replace an approach to production and service that pits labor against management with an approach that unites management and labor in the pursuit of enhanced quality, enhanced responsiveness to the customer, and enhanced productivity. Human resource development is critical to this…

To obtain a quantitative meta-analysis of studies addressing the effects of community college Developmental Studies Programs (DSPs) on students enrolled in higher education, an analysis was undertaken of a sample of studies culled from journal articles, dissertations, unpublished works found in ERIC, and published and unpublished proceedings of…

Based on a review of the literature on industrial education as well as on comments elicited from industrial educators, it does not appear that the topics for research in industrial education have changed much throughout the years. What has changed, however, is the context in which industrial educators operate. In light of these changes, it would…

This study was conducted to determine if those involved with vocational-technical students realize the importance of oral communication skills for votech graduates and to determine if those in a position to act on this awareness do so. Data were gathered from votech teachers, craft committee members (tradespersons advising votech school faculty…

A career training program funded by the Job Training Partnership Act was developed in Loudon County, Tennessee, to alleviate the stresses that are described in the hypothesis that occupational aspirations and expectations are lower for rural, female, economically disadvantaged, and handicapped youth than they are for other youth. To participate,…

Intended for use mainly by secondary school teachers of students with low reading achievement, the Reading to Learn (RTL) model provides the teacher with a way to assess, prescribe, adjust for individual differences, and develop reading skills while teaching content. An informal screening test (IST), the first step, determines which students are…

Laredo Junior College (LJC) is a comprehensive community college in Texas, serving a student population that is 93% Hispanic and 61% female. In response to evidence that LJC was not adequately preparing students with the basic and academic skills needed to transfer, LJC expanded and restructured its assessment, placement, and remediation programs.…

The present study, using a sample of 1,491 grade 10 students from a mid-western province in Canada, examined the validity evidence on the Canadian Tests of Basic Skills. Factor analysis of the 34 micro-skills (content by skill/process classification of items) of the four tests indicated that the Reading Comprehension, Written Expression, and Using…

The early intervention strategies of the Wichita (Kansas) Public Schools Education Consolidation and Improvement Act Chapter 1 Prekindergarten Program made a difference in the later academic achievement of participants. The Prekindergarten program serves educationally and developmentally disadvantaged 3- and 4-year olds residing in low-income…

The Knoxville City Schools (KCS) Proficiency Project ran from fall 1984 to spring 1987 in three Knoxville, Tennessee, middle schools and three high schools. Students in three of the eight KCS high schools were scoring consistently lower than pupils in the other schools on the grade 9 State Proficiency Test, especially in math (M) and language arts…

A one-parameter latent trait model was the basis of the test development procedures in the Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP) of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS). Several issues are involved in applying the Rasch model to an assessment program in a large school district. Separate sets of skills continua are arranged by…

Changes already well underway in the world of work will affect the opportunities for full employment, and these changes will have an impact upon all working persons, including the hearing impaired. In the year 2000, many more women, more older persons, and more individuals with different language backgrounds and cultures will be in the work force.…