"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Nation's Report Card Reveals Modest Increases in Math and Reading: Report Shows One-Quarter of Eighth Graders Reading…

The Midwest, Plains, and Delta are among the regions hit hardest by the current farm crisis. The vulnerability of an area to the financial crisis in farming depends on the financial conditions of its farmers, its dependence on farming--especially on export-sensitive crops--and the strength of its nonfarm economy. (JHZ)

Emphasizes agriculture's economic importance and lists the top 10 states according to 4 possible criteria for determining economic dependence on agriculture: number of food and fiber system jobs, number of farmworkers, proportion of food and fiber system jobs, and proportion of farmworkers to total food and fiber system jobs. (JHZ)

Compares the traditional model of a service economy to models based on analyses of actual economic and employment trends, and discusses the role of information technologies in producer and consumer services; current policy issues concerning the information sector; and the need to integrate the concepts of goods and services. (CLB)

Reviews employment growth in rural and small town communities, focusing on two periods, 1940-70 and 1970-80. For the rest of the 1980s, predicts a slower growth in nonmetro areas--that is, slower than in metro areas and slower than in the 1970s--yet not as slow as in the 1960s. (JHZ)

Problems in the Canadian system of vocational training are addressed in this presentation to a special parliamentary committee by the chief executive officer of Pacific Vocational Institute (PVI). After introductory remarks on the purposes and objectives of PVI, two approaches to occupational training in Canada are discussed. The Manpower Demand…

This study examined the economic development role of small businesses in Macomb County, Michigan, in order to identify those businesses which are most significant in terms of their contribution to economic development and, which therefore, would warrant public support for their retention and growth. Using these criteria, the study isolated the…

This paper poses a question of direct relevance for welfare administrators, program operators, and policy makers: What management practices, program strategies, and local conditions are key to running effective welfare-to-work programs? To address this question, the present analysis links detailed measures of program characteristics to valid and…

The House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families met in Nashville, Tennessee, to gather information on the education and employment futures of youth in the South. Testimony was heard from experts in education, training, and economic development. Organizations represented included universities in the region, adolescent dropout and…

The education-to-labor market transitions experienced by young people in England and in eastern and western Germany were compared. The eastern German portion of the study was based on a 1996 study that included a survey of 100 trainers and 1,000 apprentices in 12 companies; in-depth interviews with 18 trainers, career advisers, and others; and…

Despite their highly divergent situations, young people largely share the same values, ambitions, and difficulties. Despite the more complex social and economic context in which young Europeans are currently living, they are well equipped to adapt. National and European policymakers must facilitate this process of change by making young people…

A task force was convened to identify the nature, extent, and pattern of skill needs and shortages for managerial occupations in the United Kingdom (UK). The task force began by examining the key challenges facing managers in the UK. The following factors were among those considered: economic policies promoting liberalization and deregulation;…

This book examines the factors responsible for the difficulties being experienced by many young Canadians trying to find permanent jobs in a growing economy and explains how Canadian youths can make the best use of the opportunities offered by academic and other programs to find a satisfying life in the workforce. The following are among the…

This book, which is intended for policymakers, administrators, and researchers, contains 13 research papers and reviews of the literature on increasing the effectiveness of publicly funded training. The following papers are included: "Publicly Funded Training in a Changing Labor Market" (Burt S. Barnow, Christopher T. King); "The…

This book provides an overview of vocational-technical education and training (VTET) in the 10 member countries of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SAMEO). The book begins with an introduction explaining the objectives and methodology of the cooperative research project on which the study was based. Each of the 10…