The Vermont Department of Education's Affirmative Action Program is outlined. In addition to listing laws and regulations relating to employment discrimination, affirmative action goals and activities are identified for personnel recruitment, advancement, and training and education. The program covers regular employees, exempt employees, temporary…

This is volume 13 of Leadership Abstracts, a newsletter published by the League for Innovation (California). Issue number 1 of February 2000, "Community Colleges Bridging the Digital Divide," addresses the racial and economic issues inherent in the digital divide--the discrepancy between those who are technologically literate and those who…

This collection of papers focuses on urban inequalities in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, and Los Angeles. There are 11 chapters in 3 parts. The book begins with an introduction, "Understanding Inequality in the Late Twentieth-Century Metropolis: New Perspectives on the Enduring Racial Divide" (Alice O'Connor) and chapter 1,…

This book presents the following 16 papers addressing race, class, and gender in U.S. education; institutionalized power and privilege; and policies, discourses, and practices that may silence powerless groups: (1) "Breaking through the Barriers: African American Job Candidates and the Academic Hiring Process" (Roslyn Arlin Mickelson,…

A study was conducted to determine the effect of affirmative action on faculty hiring practices. Difficulties in looking for relevant data are outlined, and stories of some hiring decisions are explored in depth to provide concrete illustrations of the pitfalls. Data gathered from department heads on their perceptions of affirmative action in…

Reviews the literature on subgroup norming in testing and examines several types of score-adjustment methods. The authors discuss social and policy perspectives as well as the scientific and theoretical underpinnings of score adjustment. (GLR)

Focuses on score adjustment by racial or ethnic group (race norming) in employment testing, and provides a history of the original controversy. The author analyzes race-based adjustments in test scores and discusses how personnel-selection science is being compromised in an effort to reconcile contradictory legal demands. (GLR)

This report investigates the effects of diversity on governance by examining the supply and demand for minorities trained in public policy analysis and management and international affairs specialties at the federal level. The data were obtained from various U.S. Government published reports. Topics covered concerning the supply side include:…

After it was determined through equal employment opportunity (EEO) data that women and minority groups are underrepresented at all levels within the education specialist occupational series of civilian employees of the Navy, a study was conducted to design a program to encourage Navy managers to recruit, hire, develop, and promote women and…

Three empirical research-based chapters comprise this monograph. Each chapter attempts to analyze the problem addressed in such a manner that readers themselves may be induced to innovate solutions. The thrust of the monograph is to engage its audience in a collective positive spirit of innovation for the benefit of institutions that wish to…

Legal challenges to affirmative action continue in a variety of contexts within higher education, creating confusion and uncertainty for colleges and universities. This paper examines cases brought in federal court, although other complaints related to affirmative action programs have been filed in state courts and with the U.S. Department of…

The report combines survey findings and data from interviews and focus-group sessions on recruiting minority group members for the private college or university governing board. It discusses real and perceived obstacles and recommends resources to assist institutions. Recommendations are based on two premises: (1) more minorities are needed on…

Test fairness or bias may be defined in many different ways, and the existence of possible bias is difficult to demonstrate. Sociolinguistic analysis may be used to check for fairness or bias in test directions, test content specifications, or test items. Four sociolinguistic principles are held to be relevant for this task: (1) pragmatics--that…

A recent expansion of the San Francisco Bay Area's heavy rail system represents an exogenous change in the accessibility of inner-city minority communities to a concentrated suburban employment center. We evaluate this natural experiment by conducting a two-wave longitudinal survey of firms, with the first wave of interviews conducted immediately…

Following a workshop on "Innovations in Employment Testing that Improve Validity and Reduce Adverse Impact," the City of Louisville (Kentucky) implemented a strategy to develop a comprehensive testing and recruiting program for police recruits. To improve candidate expectations and preparation, the following activities were undertaken:…