The author of this article challenges a common assumption made by both critics and defenders of standardized-testing technology (or psychometry), namely that standardized tests "measure" something (culture, ability, etc.). It argues that psychometric practice cannot be classified as a form of measurement and instead is best understood as…

This article addresses how teacher preparation programs can best respond to the broad, complex calls for reform in ways that are locally meaningful and honor academic integrity, but that are also true to the intent of the reform mandates. The authors begin with an overview of some of the federal and state initiatives that are presenting challenges…

Public education matters, whether one is a student, parent, teacher, volunteer, employer, employee, or taxpayer. Although an individual undoubtedly knows something about public education, he may be unaware of important facts about the U.S. education system or may be surprised to learn how things have changed in recent years. In this primer on…

Some welfare experts and policymakers advocate providing education and training to prepare welfare recipients for jobs that will eventually help them leave poverty (the "work first" approach), whereas others advocate placing welfare recipients in jobs immediately whenever possible. Although the Personal Responsibility and Work…

The Coalition on Women and Job Training has developed a women's job training agenda that focuses on nine issues related to women's full participation in training and achievement of economic self-sufficiency. The issues highlighted in the agenda are as follows: (1) the need to make long-term economic self-sufficiency the goal of all employment and…

This manual for student evaluation personnel, one in a series of nine staff development guides prepared by the Philadelphia School District, clarifies roles and responsibilities of various staff members and parents in providing programs to meet the career and vocational education needs of mildly to moderately handicapped students. Designed to be…

A party of vocational educators from the United Kingdom (UK) traveled to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) to observe the nature and scope of measures to deal with youth unemployment in that country. During their study, the observers focused their attention on the problems of the transition from school to working life, the context of the…

This Congressional report contains the testimony provided at the first five days of hearings pertaining to the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act of 1965. The focus of the hearings was on amending those portions of the act dealing with: (1) grants for State and community programs on aging (Title III); (2) training, research, and…

This Congressional report presents and examines the Adult Education Act Amendments of 1984. The Adult Education Act Amendments of 1984 are designed to amend the Adult Education Act in order to simplify requirements for States and other recipients participating in Federal adult education programs and also to amend certain stipulations of the act…

This report on the impact of the Vocational Education ACT (VEA) on special needs populations in vocational education examines the structure of the VEA, the state and local contexts in which the law is implemented, and the problems of serving special populations that the mechanisms are attempting to address. Outlined first are the goals and role of…

This monograph is designed to motivate and assist Kentucky vocational teachers in fulfilling their role in achieving sex fair vocational education. Section 1 describes the status of vocational education in Kentucky and the United States. These areas are covered: changing roles of men and women, composition of the labor force, undersupply of…

The study described here was undertaken to develop a comprehensive description of corrections education programs in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) and to make recommendations regarding their purposes and operations including their relation to other Federal corrections programs. Presentation is in five sections: An overview…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) U.S. Department of Education Holds High School Summit: Diploma Should Be a "Road Map to a Prosperous, Purposeful…

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), schools districts, and institutions of higher education have initiated a number of efforts to improve teacher quality and professional development. The first section of this report highlights the recommendations of leading commissions and reports released in the past ten years pertaining to…

Project Educational Quality in Adult Literacy (EQuAL) was initiated to improve the quality of adult basic and literacy education (ABLE) services provided to adult learners in Pennsylvania. Project EQuAL's objectives were as follows: (1) set performance standards to facilitate delivery of quality ABLE programs to adult learners; (2) institute a…