The accessibility of work support programs at one-stop centers was examined in a study during which 33 telephone directors or managers of one-stop centers in 22 states were interviewed by telephone. The interviews established the existence of extensive differences between one-stop centers from the standpoint of all aspects of their operation,…

The Wisconsin Technical College System Board (WTCSB) funded the University of Wisconsin-Stout (UW-Stout) equity workshops and services projects for the past 10 years. Statewide equity staff development efforts and training workshops resulted in raised awareness of equity issues among administrators, counselors, and teachers. The WTCSB Evaluation…

Explores the economic and demographic factors fueling rural homelessness, based on field research in scattered rural communities. Data were collected by interviewing low-income families and local service providers and from community agency and school records. Suggests strategies for preventing and responding to homelessness that would be…

At the heart of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is the call for all students to be "proficient" in reading and mathematics by 2014. Yet the law expects each state to define proficiency as it sees fit and design its own tests. This study investigated three research questions related to this policy: (1) How consistent are various…

For the past five years, Vermont has been developing an innovative statewide assessment system in which portfolios of student work in mathematics and writing are a key element. The use of mathematics portfolios, particularly in elementary school, is a novel aspect of the assessment system. This study examines the elementary school mathematics…

This paper documents student, teacher, and administrator attitudes toward the initiation of performance-based tests on a statewide level in Mississippi. The initial study surveyed approximately 620 test participants in grades 1 through 10 during the period between the fall test administration and the receipt of the test results in January. The…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is conducted through questionnaires mailed to teachers, principals, and district administrators in a sample of the nation's public and private schools. First conducted in 1987-88, the SASS is now planned for every 5 years, with a teacher followup 1 year after each SASS. The SASS provides data on the country's…

California providers of instructional services under Section 321 of the Adult Education Act collected learner data in Fall 1991. From the total population of 130,000 adult basic education (ABE) learners, a sample of local agencies and all state agencies collected demographic and pre/posttest data for 87,934 adult learners in programs of ABE and…

A study examined the status of tech prep in Missouri as of 1993-1994. Data were gathered from a review of the request for proposals of Missouri's 12 consortia, assessment of Missouri's current status of tech prep, and structured interviews with the 12 tech prep coordinators. It was determined that up to 86 secondary schools were initially involved…

This study examines the October 1991 exit-level Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) mathematics results of 18,290 11th-grade Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and White non-Hispanic Americans from Texas urban districts. Substantial differences existed in the passing rates of the three ethnic groups. The passing rate for White…

A statewide teacher survey was used to obtain data for an investigation of learning in the primary grades in Maryland schools. Teachers in 85 schools in 23 of Maryland's 24 school systems were surveyed. A total of 808, or 97 percent, of the teachers of kindergarten through third grade classes responded. The survey addressed the following topics:…

The 1993 Illinois Goal Assessment Program (IGAP) Reading Tests measured reading comprehension using both narrative and expository reading passages. Noticeable differences in mean scaled scores occurred depending on whether the 1993 results were equated back to the 1992 narrative test or the 1993 expository test (Hsu and Ackerman, 1994). In an…

A Pennsylvania study analyzed the capability of the existing systems to deliver a comprehensive, articulated program of vocational education. A review of prior studies of vocational education in Pennsylvania found consensus about needed changes in the state's program. Areas of improvement included governance and administration; leadership;…

A project studied use of state unemployment insurance (UI) wage-record data for Program Year 1986 to assess the effectiveness of Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs. Eleven of 27 interested states were selected by ability to meet data requirements. These issues associated with the use of UI data as an assessment tool were explored:…

A study identified the most effective and low cost programs currently in operation and described in adult literacy literature that would significantly reduce adult illiteracy in California by 1994. Recommendations were made for a statewide plan to replicate those programs in communities throughout the state. A literature review focused on eight…