This report of the Illinois Council on Vocational Education for 1987-88 is 1 in a series of 25 technical reports prepared to fulfill mandates of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. It focuses on policies needed to strengthen vocational education programs, specifically the Illinois State Board of Education's education for employment…

This guide was developed to help Private Industry Council members and Job Training Partnership Act Service Delivery Area directors, planners, and program managers to develop new services by providing an introduction to the elements of effective basic skills programs. The guide is organized in three major parts. Part 1 reviews the research on the…

Seven papers are presented which illustrate model programs and research on providing vocational services to students with disabilities. "Project WorkAbility: California's Successful Transition Program for Secondary Students" (Deborah Henderson) describes locally controlled transition projects involving interagency collaboration and statewide…

This report, the third in a series of works dealing with improving vocational students' basic skill levels, uses a case study approach to examine the process at the local district level of selecting, planning, and implementing a basic skill delivery model. Presented first are an introductory discussion of the background and purpose of the report…

This study identified patterns among small schools in rural communities across a seven-state area. Perceptions of high school seniors, counselors, and graduates were gathered about their rural schools in districts with grade 7 to 12 enrollments of less than 500. Factual information about programs and local schools was obtained from school…

The historical background, principles, and practices of two major theories concerning student behavior are described. Theory A is religiously based and can be traced back to the biblical "Garden of Eden." It views human nature as fundamentally evil, the school as a means of both controlling and overcoming the child's innate propensities to…

This report analyzes the relationship between educational policymaking and educational practice in schools and classrooms by drawing lessons from recent attempts to reform schools with policy. Educational reform operates on the following loosely connected levels: (1) policy; (2) administration; and (3) practice. Policy can set the conditions for…

The Middle School Study of Mainstreamed Students sought to establish a foundation for interdisciplinary research on middle school mainstreaming by merging teacher effectiveness and special education practices. The study examined teaching behaviors through macro (classroom) and micro (individual student) analyses of classroom interactions, to…

A research study of the implementation of "good ideas" in 14 schools came to the conclusion that differences in school organization and climate cause differences in the success of school improvement. Specific aspects of organization and climate in these schools, called factors of school context, are the following: resources, incentives,…

Based on the thesis that cycles of concern for an integrated, holistic approach to English language instruction have periodically emerged in reaction to historical forces that are essentially fragmenting in their effects, this thematic report explores events in 20th-century American educational theory, research, and practice that deal with English…

Following a brief discussion of what is currently being taught in social studies, the major propositions of a radical perspective that has emerged among academics are examined. According to the radical perspective, the ultimate social ideal and the purpose of education is the emancipation of all people. Social studies should concentrate on ideas…

During a study examining vocational trends and priorities in Missouri, separate survey instruments were sent to 1,471 employers, 843 teachers, and 2,108 students in order to gather data on the following topics: the performance of vocational education, its priorities, collaboration between vocational education and the world of work, and indicators…

From 1910 to 1935 a campaign was waged in the southern United States to eradicate adult illiteracy. This program was primarily based on volunteers, and it revolved around night, summer, or cotton mill schools that were often termed Opportunity Schools. Many parallels can be drawn to current efforts to address the problem of functional illiteracy…

Commissioned papers to help the National Commission on Excellence in Education make the recommendations for educational improvement for its report "A Nation at Risk" are cited in this annotated listing. The report presents recommendations in five areas: content, standards and expectations, time, teaching, and leadership and fiscal…

The Spanish Literacy Investigation Project was implemented to identify adult Spanish literacy programs throughout the country, to explore the availability of relevant Spanish literacy teaching methods, to determine relevant elements between Spanish literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL), and to describe a model for incorporating a Spanish…