This is the third publication in the European Training Foundation's (ETF's) series of manuals designed to support development of vocational education and training (VET) standards. This volume looks at ways in which VET standards are linked to labor market demands and how relevant VET standards are to the needs of employment in a market economy.…

The National Center for Family Literacy (FCFL) began the Family Independence Initiative (FII) to address the needs of welfare recipients and their families for literacy services. During the FII's development phase in 1997-1998, NCFL funded five family literacy program grantees to develop models of work-focused family literacy services. To satisfy…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) reviewed the performance measurement system of the Department of Labor's (DOL's) Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS), which administers programs and activities designed to help veterans obtain employment and training assistance. The GAO review focused on the following items: VETS' proposed…

While significant progress has occurred over the past several years regarding the expansion of the quantity and quality of after-school opportunities, the ambitious idea of "after-school for all" remains a distant goal. In this commentary, we push beyond some of the numbers to take a close look at questions related to access and equity,…

This report documents the main challenges associated with the implementation of the Offenders' Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) and suggestions for overcoming some of these barriers. The evaluation is examining the implementation of OLASS in three development regions, prior to a national roll out in July 2006. Within a flexible framework, the…

This is the third and final report from the evaluation of the new Offenders' Learning and Skills Service (OLASS). The evaluation examined the impact of OLASS on: (1) Assessment of learners; (2) Monitoring procedures; (3) Information, advice and guidance (IAG); (4) On the offender learning/criminal justice workforce on provision for offenders (in…

Prepared by California's Los Rios Community College District, this environmental scan summarizes social, economic, and political changes at the national, state, and district levels, focusing on trends in the district's three colleges: American River College, Cosumnes River College, and Sacramento City College. The first section reviews demographic…

This case study, part of the State Structures for the Governance of Higher Education study, focuses on governance and related issues in Michigan's higher education system. The study's overall purpose was to examine differences among states in their governance structures, and to determine if differences in performance were related to governing…

This training guide for financial aid staff explains the process of direct loan reconciliation and suggests appropriate cash management accounting practices. Chapter 1 explains the importance of cash management, the role of data matching, and reviews basic reconciliation concepts and terms and direct loan reporting requirements. Chapter 2 reviews…

MDC, Inc.'s Alliance for Achievement was a 4-year school change demonstration aimed at encouraging more students to continue their education beyond high school by linking middle schools, high schools, and community colleges into a unified continuum. Implemented in six southern communities, it focused on increasing minority and low-income student…

A study collected information on the participation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients in work and work activities and their characteristics and how they have changed over time. Data were gathered on strategies states use to help hard-to-employ (HTE) TANF recipients get and keep jobs and on challenges states face in…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) reviewed existing procedures to manage Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) contracting and also identified problems with regard to management of TANF contracting. The major data collection activities were as follows: (1) a national survey of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the 10 counties…

This monograph, part of a series on student assessment, reports the results of a national survey that examined institutional support for undergraduate student assessment. It provides a national profile of student assessment initiatives at doctoral and research institutions, and compares it to assessment practices and support patterns found in all…

This publication recognizes the importance of women's health, and more specifically, the role of culture, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic background, geographic location, and other social and economic factors in contributing to health status. After a section that highlights important issues, section 1, "Factors Affecting the Health of Women of…

This annual compilation of data is based on information received from the 237 member schools of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. The membership consists of Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox theological schools, and includes independent, university-affiliated, and college-affiliated graduate schools.…