Measures of quality are now in widespread use across states as part of quality improvement initiatives. For example, many states are currently using global measures of quality that were first developed for research and practice purposes (such as the Environmental Rating Scales) in their Quality Rating Systems (QRSs). Although global quality…

This report examines the problem of implementing and sustaining vocational education and training (VET) programs in developing countries. It is intended to provide U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) officers with operational guidelines for the development of future projects. In conducting the study, over 50 projects conducted by…

State and county initiatives in California have sparked a movement for integration of social services. The practical lessons learned by communities integrating services for children and families were studied and are presented in this report. The study draws on the experiences of seven California communities (Fresno County, Los Angeles County,…

A study was done of the state level perspective on Chapter 1 program implementation under the 1988 amendments to the Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Act. In 1991-92, the study surveyed 50 out of 53 Chapter 1 coordinators in state education agencies (SEAs) whose offices are responsible for communicating the law's provisions to school…

The National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE) examined how the federal law was implemented and federal funds were distributed under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984. Data were reported on targeting of resources among and within states and on the uses of federal funds, and implications were drawn from the findings. The…

A program for adult learners with special needs has been conducted in Salem County, New Jersey, for five years. The program was created under a Public Law 94-482 grant and since has been supported by a Department of Human Services grant, by various services clubs, and by the local board for vocational education. The program has three phases. In…

This document reports briefly on the status of vocational education in West Virginia during 1987-88, as reported by the West Virginia State Council on Vocational Education. It summarizes the duties of the council, presents an overview of the number of students enrolled and the number of vocational programs in the state, and commends exemplary…

The New York State External High School Diploma Program is a competency-based assessment system serving adults who can demonstrate both basic and life skills. It represents an alternative to the General Educational Development (GED) program for busy, working adults--offering flexibility in time, location, and mode of assessment. Developed in the…

This handbook provides program planners in vocational education with self-paced instruction in the framework of a problem-solving approach to program improvement. (The process can be applied to vocational school administration and management, student services, staff development, and instructional program areas.) Section 1 is a brief overview of…

A serious constraint to the development of a modern and diversified industrial base in Saudi Arabia is the critical shortage of skilled manpower. To remedy this deficit, vocational and technical education programs in the country are being revised and expanded. Five secondary-level Vocational Industrial Schools have been established by the Ministry…

A 1979 survey of career education programs in the secondary schools of New Zealand revealed a general need for improvement. Most of the 269 programs surveyed could be improved in a number of areas, particularly definition, coordination, and commitment. Some schools, for example, define career education as career advising, when in fact it should be…

This report presents results from interviews with a sampling of experienced Equipped for the Future (EFF) users. Chapter I provides background and context for this initiative. Chapter II provides facts and figures from the field and presents questions posed and interviewees' views. The questions are as follows: (1) Why did you or your organization…

Home visiting programs provide support services to families in their own homes, touching on social services, education, mental health, nutrition, health, or general welfare concerns. Twenty home visiting programs in California were surveyed to determine standards, best practices, areas needing improvement, and to develop training and support…

These Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) state action plans were initially developed in 1998 for the central regional states, which include Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. They detail the states' specific technical assistance needs, as well as the services to be provided by Mid-Continent…

This paper contains a transcript of the testimony of Robert C. Gross, representing state employment services program and unemployment compensation agencies, before the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources and Education and the Workforce. According to the testimony, the publicly funded work force system has…