To address the findings of the Kirby Review (that early school leaving is motivated by a desire for work and lack of interest in school), a new qualification, the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) was introduced on a trial basis in 2002. The Northern Metropolitan Institute of TAFE (NMIT) Youth Unit offers programs at three northern…

The term "allied health" refers to a cluster of health professions encompassing as many as 200 occupational titles (exclusive of physicians and nurses) involved with the delivery of health or related services pertaining to the identification, evaluation, prevention, and treatment of diseases and disorders; dietary and nutritional…

The aim of this report is to provide an overview of the development of provision for Gaelic education in Scottish schools, 11 years on from the Inspectorate's last major review of the area. The report sets out to provide an update showing what progress has been achieved since that time, with a specific focus on pre-school, primary and secondary…

This paper provides strategies used by several teacher education programs to enable beginning and continuing teachers to celebrate diversity in curriculum, faculty, and student body. Explains that successful programs identify and overcome such barriers to diversity as geographic location, limited pool of faculty applicants, unspoken prejudices,…

This collection of articles on blacks in higher education includes such topics as: college endowments; black studies as a major; why affirmative action does little harm to white students; why blacks are more likely than whites to drop out of college; and how a college education acts as a defense for blacks in an economic downturn. (SM)

Describes the development of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) tests which predict student success in mathematics on the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) and readiness for college mathematics. Institutions wishing to expand ethnic diversity in teacher education must help minority students prepare for tests like the TASP. (SM)

A survey of 69 faculty members from 32 universities offering preparation programs for teachers, orientation and mobility specialists, rehabilitation teachers, and doctoral-level leadership personnel serving people with visual impairments raises concerns about the future viability of such programs, in light of state budget cuts, faculty recruitment…

There is widespread concern for the situation of school physics regarding recruitment, contents, teaching methods, etc. In this study based on questionnaire and focus group data, we explore how upper secondary pupils and teachers perceive physics as a subject, how they experience physics instruction, and how physics compares to other subjects. Our…

One of the greatest challenges for the Unites States as a nation, and for Paterson, NJ in particular, is how to attract and retain academically and pedagogically talented teachers for urban schools--teachers who are committed to remain in those schools to do the difficult, long-term work of reform and renewal. This work is critical if urban…

This study examines how rural elementary school administrators perceive the effects of high-stakes testing in comparison to suburban and urban elementary administrators. High-stakes testing had a greater impact, both positively and negatively, on rural administrators than on their counterparts in suburban and urban schools. Specifically, the…

This guide provides information on personnel policies and practices, under Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which were instituted by states and jurisdictions in the implementation of early intervention services for eligible children and their families. Strategies of specific states are identified for dealing with staff…

This package of handbooks on the Far West Laboratory version of Experience-Based Career Education provides information on the distinctive features of the Far West model. Part 1 on management has four handbooks: program overview; administration (attendance, budget, insurance and liability, schedules, staff, troubleshooting and problem solving);…

This issue focuses on teaching for diversity, reviewing some strategies designed to increase the supply of minority teachers and to prepare all teachers to work with students of many different races, cultures, and backgrounds. These strategies are being piloted in programs across the United States. One strategy for increasing the supply of…

This book is intended to serve as a comprehensive, self-directed career guide for individuals preparing to make the transition from the military to employment in the civilian labor force. The first 18 chapters examine the following topics: making the transition to civilian life; distinguishing myths from the realities of conducting a job search;…

This document presents and examines Iowa's adult basic education (ABE) program benchmarks, which have been designed as criteria for evaluating the following aspects of the performance of ABE programs in Iowa's community colleges: educational gains; program planning; curriculum/instruction; staff development; support services; and…