This article charts the progress of a project to introduce an apprenticeship scheme providing school and company-based training for the first time in Syria. It traces the successes and failures of the project. Syria is new territory for this kind of initiative. The article outlines some of the difficulties of working in a highly centralised…

In 2003 two librarians at the University of Wollongong faced the challenge of designing and delivering a crucial subject in a pilot Doctorate of Business Administration program which sought to prepare a group of successful business leaders for the task of research. The focus was on developing the participants' information literacy skills and…

The rising number of individuals returning to communities from prison and jail represents one of the defining issues of time. Individuals reentering society face myriad challenges, not the least of which is securing viable employment; in addition, each individual has a unique set of experiences, needs and resources. This project stems from the…

Since its humble beginning, Digital Past, a centralized local history digitization initiative at the North Suburban Library System (NSLS), a multitype consortium in Wheeling, Illinois, has now grown into a large centralized collaboration that consists of 32 libraries and a museum as its primary contributors. With Digital Past, there are various…

This paper describes efforts to design an evaluation system that has as its primary objective helping schools effect positive change through the Accelerated Schools Project. Three characteristics were deemed essential: (1) that the evaluation be useful and meaningful; (2) that it be sensitive to local conditions; and (3) that evaluations of…

A pilot study (first phase of a 2-year study) was conducted to identify individual teachers who had begun integrating academic and vocational education before the development of state or national integration initiatives such as tech prep. The teachers were identified through a procedure involving nominations of exemplary vocational education…

In fall 1992, the Iowa Department of Education began pilot tests of the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS), an assessment system evaluating reading, math, and problem solving in a life skills context for adult remedial programs. This document provides reports from the nine community colleges that served as test sites, describing…

The Toronto Board of Education Benchmarks are libraries of reference materials that demonstrate student achievement at various levels. Each library contains video benchmarks, print benchmarks, a staff handbook, and summary and introductory documents. This book is about the development and the history of the benchmark program. It has taken over 3…

This paper discusses the importance of pilot studies in the development and implementation of a research project, focusing on the use of a pilot study to revise conceptual and methodological issues in dissertation research on higher education leadership. It examines the hermeneutic circle, as described by M. Heidegger, that stresses the importance…

The Arabic Picture Vocabulary Test (APVT) was derived from the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test in order to provide an estimate of a student's acquired verbal ability in Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic) through his or her aural vocabulary. It is an individually administered norm-referenced power test for students aged 5 to 9 plus years. Each item…

This document reports on a survey designed to: (1) investigate the findings of a 1988 study on the Kentucky Teacher Intern Program (KTIP); (2) find out if the KTIP still suffers from the problems identified in that study; and (3) examine the reason the program has been changed and a new pilot program initiated. The study data indicated that the…

The requirement that schools in England and Wales assess their students, at age seven, in English and mathematics has created a demand for an assessment of students at their entry to statutory schooling. This paper reports on the development and standardization of a test of mathematical concepts for students aged four and over (four plus) as they…

This paper reports on a study that examined skill standards pilot programs to identify lessons learned in the selection and involvement of representatives from the various stakeholder communities and the potential for sustaining the efforts of the pilot programs. Data were gathered through structured conversations with staff and committee members…

Gateway to Learning is a British government initiative that aims to provide new guidance opportunities for adults through a voucher system. In Leeds (England), Gateway to Learning services are targeted toward the following groups: long-term unemployed; short-term unemployed; people facing redundancy; and Asian communities. The program's…

To increase the role and the participation of parents and to strengthen parent involvement in their children's education, the Board of Education of New York City provided funding for a district/or superintendency-level parent liaison pilot program for the 1992-93 school year. The project consisted of the creation of a parent liaison position for a…