Questionnaires on faculty improvement and professional development in 2-year, 4-year, and graduate colleges and universities were studied. The 756 respondents provided information on existing programs in their institutions. The estimated use and effectiveness of various development activities, types of faculty members involved, funding, and types…

From the perspective of the field of adult literacy, the year 1999 is best seen not as the penultimate year of the millennium but as the year bookended by the reauthorization of the National Literacy Act in late 1998 and the National Literacy Summit of early 2000. Both of those events represent a huge milestone, and 1999 may be regarded as the…

Several trends have come together to intensify interest in how public libraries might best support the interests and needs of youth in their communities. This study reports on findings from the Public Libraries as Partners in Youth Development (PLPYD) Initiative, a four-year, nine-site initiative funded by the Wallace Foundation to develop…

A study assessed the formulas used to distribute funds to the states under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) 1998. It identified mismatches that might exist between the formulas and WIA's program goals and populations served and identified where the formulas are most vulnerable to wide fluctuations in funding levels from year to year. Issues…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) surveyed officials in nine federal agencies regarding the following aspects of the employment and training programs they administered: funding levels; types and numbers of participants; services provided; and outcome measures. The 9 agencies were administering 44 programs providing a range of employment and…

After-school program participation is associated with higher grades and test scores, especially for low-income students. Programs come in three types: school-age childcare, youth development, and educational after-school programs. Few programs meet students' needs, due to inadequate funding, poorly trained leadership, transient staff,…

The resident population of Bamberg County, SC, has been exposed to multiples of public health information and education interventions since October 1982 with the intent to reduce the occurrence of unintended pregnancies among unmarried adolescents. Data analyses were conducted to compare 20 years of pregnancy rates among girls aged 14-17 years for…

A study examined the effectiveness of Massachusetts' Summer Youth Employment and Training Programs (SYETP) funded under Title IIB of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). The study methodology included the following: a review of federal JTPA legislation and pertinent state policy directives; site visits to a random sampling of 15 summer…

At least 154 employment training programs (ETP) providing approximately $25 billion in employment training assistance are currently administered by 14 federal agencies. Individually, these programs are all well-intended. Collectively, however, they have been described as bewildering and frightening to clients and confusing to those who operate…

This report proposes 25 guidelines that should be considered in making productivity improvements in the following five key areas: (1) instruction, (2) research and public service, (3) overall academic functions, (4) administrative functions, and (5) state policies affecting higher education. In some cases, data are presented that illustrate the…

A subjective assessment of women's organizations and development in Sri Lanka and Thailand produced specific information about the organizations and suggested ways to improve their development capacities. Personal interviews with nearly 100 organization, government, and agency leaders revealed many similarities between the two countries. In both…

This report describes the evaluation of the Centers for Independent Living Program, required by the 1984 amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Part B. The evaluation, which assessed the impact of the centers in increasing opportunities for disabled individuals, was based upon data acquired through mail survey of 156 centers funded in…

An analysis of the structural elements of the employment situation was done in 1977 to provide congressional members with pertinent information for their use in making policy decisions about federal role and budget in employment and training programs. It was concluded that the Federal Government can implement four basic budget strategies: create…

An experiment of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission is outlined that allocated up to 5 percent of an institution's annual state funding for awarding on the basis of demonstrated accomplishment in five performance areas. A project funded by the Kellogg Foundation to increase the use of student outcome information in institutional planning is…

Ryan Information Management conducted a return on investment (ROI) study of the economic value of the Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS) and identified potential additional sources of operating revenue. HSPLS economic value was examined from four viewpoints, HSPLS: direct economic impact, market value, peer comparison and value to library…