This KIDS COUNT factbook details statewide and county trends in the well-being of Wyoming's children. Following an overview of key indicators, the factbook documents state trends for 36 indicators: (1) child and youth population; (2) births; (3) unintended pregnancy; (4) low birth weight babies; (5) early prenatal care; (6) immunizations; (7)…

Previously ignored, lifelong learning became a governing principle of Irish educational policy in 2000. Participation trends in education were assessed including early school leaving by males, poor educational levels of older adults, low literacy levels throughout the population, and educational barriers experienced by women. Resulting government…

In 2001-2002, the Adult Literacy and Numeracy Australian Research Consortium conducted 26 national investigations with findings in the following areas: (1) population competence; (2) linking literacy and numeracy into training; (3) professional support for educators and trainers; and (4) policy and systemic issues. All the projects were intended…

This document contains 13 papers on advances in service-learning research. The following papers are included: "Introduction" (Andrew Furco, Shelley H. Billig); "Community Service and Service-Learning in America: The State of the Art" (Ivor Pritchard); "Is Service-Learning Really Better Than Community Service? A Study of…

The internships and cooperative education experiences offered at Michigan's 15 public universities were examined. The study focused on the following items: the organization of internships and cooperative education experiences on university campuses; ways employers and students access such work-based learning opportunities; the numbers of students…

Recent trends and developments related to the structures of qualification levels in Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom were examined in a quasi-experimental study that was part of a more comprehensive study on the same topic. The study focused on standards, qualifications, and classifications at the tertiary level of…

The question of whether the Job Corps's impacts on students' employment and related outcomes differ according to the characteristics of the Job Corps center attended was examined. The study sample consisted of approximately 9,400 program group members and 6,000 control group members who were randomly selected from among the nearly 81,000…

Independent evaluators examined the progress of the Berrien County Intermediate School District in Berrien County, Michigan, in implementing Michigan's Career Preparation System. The evaluation established that the district has provided the leadership, training, resources, and continued support to implement a systemwide school-to-career reform…

The 5-year impacts of mandatory welfare-to-work programs on welfare recipients and their children were examined by using a rigorous research design called a social experiment to examine 11 welfare-to-work programs in 6 states (California, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Oregon). Four employment-focused and seven education-focused programs…

The findings of the National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies (NEWWS) were analyzed to identify ways of improving the process of moving people from welfare to work. Selected lessons from the analysis were as follows: (1) welfare-to-work programs that rely on adult basic education programs for the general population are unlikely to improve…

Changes in the extent, pattern, and outcomes of young Australians' participation in firm-based training from the 1980s to the 1990s were analyzed by comparing data from the Australian Youth Survey (AYS) and the Australian Longitudinal Survey (ALS). In 1994, 46% of those in the AYS sample participated in formal training (at age 16-24 years) and…

Data primarily from Australia's Youth in Transition Survey were analyzed to explain differences in the schooling decisions of individuals born in 1961 versus 1970. The main measured factors affecting individuals' schooling decisions were as follows: ability; school type; and family background. Participation in school was positively associated with…

This report is the sixth to present nationwide data on the well-being of U.S. children. The statistical portrait is based on indicators of child well-being and on contextual measures describing the changing population and family context. Part 1 of the report, "Population and Family Characteristics," presents information illustrating…

Vocational education and technical training (VETT) in Palestine were examined from the perspective of gender planning and gender integration. First, a literature review and semistructured interviews with key VETT personnel were conducted to determine the extent to which gender institutionalization in VETT is implemented in four spheres: political,…

The following 14 papers, with abstracts and references, are compiled in this conference proceedings: "Exploring the Roles and Duties of Vocational Special Needs Educators" (Melanie Fagert); "Professional Competencies for Provisionally Licensed Career and Technical Education Teachers in Virginia" (Betty Heath-Camp, Daisy L.…