Criteria for the selection of judges (evaluators) for setting item-based standards involved in tests for which cutting scores must be established are investigated. Focus is on cases in which test standards are based on specialists' judgments concerning the difficulty of test items in tests used to determine who will be awarded a diploma, admitted…

Rural Chicanas share values and problems with other rural women (conservative orientation toward sex roles and life styles, conflict between traditional demands of rural culture and pressure to enter the labor force), but with additional socio-linguistic barriers (limited English-speaking ability, few marketable job skills). Many Chicanas do not…

Learning in the first professional job was examined in a study of 40 nurses, 27 engineers, and 16 accountants who were in their first full year of full-time employment after college in hospitals and firms located in the United Kingdom. Data were collected through the following activities: (1) interviews with the respondents; (2) 1- to 2-day visits…

This paper examines the latest elementary, middle school, and district level Maryland student achievement and teacher experience data to argue that schools today are segregated not only along student backgrounds, but also along teacher expertise. The very students who need school the most to break out of the intergenerational cycle of poverty and…

A research project chronicling the nature and extent of the structured staff development undertaken by teachers and trainers employed at public and private providers of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia was one component of a larger study that examined the changing role of staff development for VET teachers and trainers. Data…

The accomplishments of Theodore "Tug" Andersson (1903-1994) cover four major areas: (1) the teaching of modern languages in general; (2) the foreign languages in the elementary school (FLES) in particular; (3) bilingual education in the United States; and (4) preschool biliteracy. The 11 articles of Andersson's work are as follows: (1)…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on professional development of human resource development (HRD) professionals. "Lifelong Learning and Performance: The Role of Key Qualifications in Human Resource Development" (Simone J. van Zolingen, Wim J. Nijhof) argues that, besides being of interest to employers, key…

Trends in teacher competency testing, test bias against minority group teachers, and ways to encourage qualified personnel to join the teaching profession are discussed. Currently, 21 states require students to pass a test to enter a teacher education program, and 31 require teacher candidates to pass a certification test. Admission tests include…

Against the background of research indicating that women are underrepresented in educational administration, this study examines the question of gender bias in the selection of superintendents. Choosing for their sample population 15 school districts from central Oklahoma, the researchers sent simulated resumes for 3 male and 3 female candidates…

In this speech the author discusses Project Chance: Alternatives for Women. The innovative community-based program in New York City was designed to meet the special needs of adult women whose education has been interrupted. The first half of the presentation briefly describes varied aspects of the program, such as re-entry non-credit courses,…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on the future of human resource development (HRD) and trends in HRD. "Searching for the Future of Human Resource Development" (Wendy E.A. Ruona, Susan A. Lynham, Tom Chermack) reports on a survey of 55 HRD and HRD-related practitioners and academics that examined trends in the HRD…

A 2-year project examined the effectiveness of courses for returning workers in enabling women to make a sustained return to paid employment in the following countries: France; Spain; Ireland; and the United Kingdom. In each country, a short foundation-level program and a longer accredited return-to-work program were selected for evaluation.…

A large percentage of American youth enters the job market ill-prepared and lacking basic skills; the majority of our working population is not adequately prepared for the occupations in which they find themselves. Too many job changes, dissatisfaction, and a lack of systematic preparatory and continuing education have led to the productivity…

Employers are experiencing difficulties filling vacancies for information technology (IT) positions because of rapid growth in the demand for IT workers, high turnover, and the unique characteristics of IT work. In response to the growing demand for IT workers, public and private education and training providers are expanding their offerings and…

Australian employers' appraisal and use of vocational education and training (VET) qualifications were examined through case studies of 15 small, medium, and large organizations in 8 of Australia's "old" and "new" economy industries. Data were collected through interviews with management/employer representatives, middle…