In 1995, Neva M. Viise compared the spelling development of 195 child and 124 adult literacy learners by examining their spelling errors. Children and adults showed similar mastery in recognizing consonants and short vowel inclusions; however, the adults experienced much more difficulty marking syllables in words and were more likely to omit…

The feasibility of policies encouraging more part-time employment as a cure for unemployment in Germany was examined through a comparison of the employment policies and labor markets of selected Organization for Economic Development (OECD) countries and the United States. OECD labor force statistics for the years 1972-1992 were analyzed to…

In 1997, Florida's St. Petersburg Junior College (SPJC) conducted a study to determine whether students who needed remediation completed their degree programs and, if so, the time that they took to complete their program. The academic records of students who graduated in summer 1995, fall 1995, and spring 1996 were analyzed, with findings compared…

According to results of the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), teachers of fourth- and eighth-grade students were using a variety of assessment methods to measure their students' progress in reading. At both grades, teachers' reports indicated that in comparison with multiple-choice questions, written paragraphs were used…

Systematic knowledge about the dimensions and levels of literacy and information about its distribution are prerequisites for forming good educational policy. This issue discusses the conduct and findings of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). The IALS was not intended to rank literacy skills across countries, but was intended to make…

This bulletin reports on five high schools that have effective, comprehensive student leadership programs. First, it reviews ways in which student councils can enrich students' lives. In addition to having a positive effect on students' success in school and later life, involvement in student activity programs influences the way that students…

Variations in the number of doctoral degrees awarded by Swedish universities since 1890 are being studied. Within a certain field of study, variations are found both at a national level between different periods, and at an institutional level between different universities. The focus is on the faculties of liberal arts, divinity, social science,…

This issue analyzed college completion rates across populations and over time. It examined the ratios of highest degree completed to the total population that entered college from 1992 to 2000 with specific characteristics such as gender, race/ethnicity, and year. The analysis was designed to be useful in understanding patterns and trends in…

Two pilot projects on environmental profiles in the chemical and metal industries and in the public sector were conducted in four countries. Two aspects were studied: job requirements in selected enterprises and departments of the civil service and the occupational competencies of the staff carrying out these tasks. Studies on the chemical and…

This report discusses the differences between universities and business institutions and why they are different in handling their affairs. The premise of the report is that public universities must become more transparent if they are to receive adequate support from interested parties. Five main areas are discussed in a comparative assessment…

This book reports on the outcomes of an international policy-research project concerned with how power is used in education to construct and discharge obligations among stakeholders. The collection of articles suggests how such processes might better serve educational ends. The research examines how the politics of education at the site and…

Key characteristics of adults who took the General Educational Development (GED) Tests in 1989 were compared with those of their 1980 counterparts. Findings indicated that the percentage taking the tests primarily to fulfill postsecondary educational admissions requirements increased from 29.1 to 32.8 percent. The percentage who took the tests for…

The measurement of change in quasi-experimental educational research was discussed. Problems related to measuring change exist to varying degrees in all research designs; these issues are less troublesome in experimental studies because the investigator can manipulate the interest variables and observe their effects on other variables. Measuring…

The relationship between training and the employment of women in the 12 countries of the European Union (EU) was examined. An analysis of the distribution of the female population by training levels revealed that women in the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark generally had the highest overall levels of training, whereas women in Spain and Portugal…

The "DATAWave" is a biweekly publication of the Assessment Resource Office (ARO) at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU). Its purpose is to inform the campus community and broader constituencies on assessment issues and practices at ENMU. The university's 10-year history of outcomes assessment is reflected in the topics of the 6 editions…