This report from the Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities provides Congress with vital recommendations for improving the ability of postsecondary students with disabilities to obtain accessible instructional materials in a timely and cost-effective manner. Over…

Since its publication in 1983, "A Nation at Risk" has caused several waves and ripples of educational reform. This article puts that report in the context of earlier responses to perceived education crises. One such important response was from the private sector: the New American Schools Development Corporation (NAS). NAS attempted to create,…

As the variety of state education agency (SEA) responses to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 demonstrates, different SEAs interpret the same federal educational policy differently. Nonetheless, little research has depicted how federal policies are changed by SEA-based policy intermediaries. Using an "ethnography of educational policy"…

To provide information that will facilitate the exchange of information between states and reduce duplication of effort, this report summarizes information received from State Research Coordinating Units (RCUs) regarding research activities conducted under section 131(b) of part C of the Vocational Education Amendments of 1968. This is the twelfth…

Based on the experience of implementing a demonstration model entitled Direction Service Model (DSM) in San Mateo County (California), the report describes one approach that can be utilized in the implementation of a federal law such as P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. An introductory section includes a listing of…

A study examined the effectiveness of programs funded under Title II-A of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) in raising female recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) above poverty. Data about the employment/earnings outcomes of nearly 6,500 women from 150 JTPA service delivery areas in 11 states who participated in a…

This collection contains 20 case studies illustrating some of the contributions Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) programs have made to economic development and job creation efforts in rural areas. The collection is a companion volume to the monograph entitled "Rural Job Creation--a Study of CETA Linkages with Economic…

A study examined time limits from the perspectives of welfare recipients and line staff in welfare agencies. Data on time-limited welfare were drawn from staff surveys and from group and individual interviews with both staff and recipients in selected locations in Florida, Vermont, and Wisconsin during the first half of 1996. Findings indicated…

Because of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program's strong emphasis on performance, there is a danger that local JTPA programs are neglecting the program's goal of adequately serving those with the greatest problems in obtaining and sustaining employment. A number of JTPA officials at the federal, state, and local levels were interviewed…

Presented are findings of a study on the utilization of paraprofessionals in public school programs for handicapped children; and provided are descriptions of four program models for training paraprofessionals working with handicapped children. Results are reported for the following areas: number of states and territories responding, number of…

A study of Hawaii's JOBS WORKS! waiver demonstration project determined its influence on participant self-sufficiency and receipt of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). Hawaii received a waiver to lift the 8-week federal limitation on upfront job search, operate on less than a statewide basis, require 18 hours of work, and secure…

A follow-up audit evaluated the program effectiveness of three Kulick Youth Opportunity pilot grants. For the 105-participant sample in the initial audit, earnings were analyzed to determine whether youths' earnings increased or decreased in the year after the initial evaluation. Separate earnings analyses were performed for calendar year 1999 for…

As states implement new strategies to help more families make the transition from welfare to work, they will be faced with the challenge of designing programs that address the needs of an extremely diverse population of families. Some families will be able to make the transition to work with limited assistance, especially in a strong economy.…

The Washington State Self-Employment and Enterprise Demonstration (SEED) was the first federally sponsored self-employment demonstration program for unemployed workers in the United States. Its primary purpose was to determine the viability of self-employment as a reemployment option for recipients of Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits who do…

This report examines the provisions of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act and describes the steps that have been taken thus far to establish an Ohio system. It discusses the general features that must be included in Ohio's school-to-work system and the strategies around which Ohio's school-to-work plans are being structured. Recommendations are…