This interdisciplinary collection of 26 readings in rural studies aims to address the paucity of information and absence of informed people to advise public debate about rural issues. Sections of the book examine the pastoral tradition in literature; the changing nature of the countryside; money, jobs, and space; distress and poverty; regional and…

Illinois Senate Joint Resolution 173 resulted in the appointment in 1994 of a 53-member Work Group on Early Childhood Education. This group was mandated to report to the Senate on the development and implementation of a statewide early childhood education and care program. The group identified key issues, delimited legislative objectives, offered…

It is suggested that trends in federal and state policy formation are working against the advancement of second language education in Illinois. While the passage of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act at the federal level was a positive step, legislating that foreign language be part of the core curriculum, a subsequent state policy draft excluded…

This participant's manual covers the fourth module of a four-module training program for all individuals employed in programs funded by Oklahoma's Developmental Disabilities Services Division. This includes van drivers, recreation workers, residential staff, administrators, case managers, secretarial/clerical staff, vocational staff, advocates,…

This book reports on a study of rural community development policies and practices in the United States, Europe, and Canada in relation to multicommunity collaboration as a rural restructuring strategy. The study focused on multicommunity collaboration involving two or more small rural communities working together to attain social or economic…

This paper discusses the preschool component of the Educational Agreement presented to the Portugal Parliament in May 1996 to improve the quality of the educational system. Among the 10 Action Commitments in the Agreement is the creation of a national network for preschool education. The context of the inclusion of preschool in this Agreement is…

This report summarizes and analyzes the actions of the 104th Congress in legislative areas of importance to children with serious emotional disturbances. Emphasis is on the obstacles now facing advocates and policymakers concerned with these children. An executive summary identifies program changes in child mental health services programs,…

The guide details the policy of the Jefferson County (Alabama) Board of Education policy concerning international exchange of students (travel both to and from United States) in elementary and secondary grades. The first section specifies the standards by which the county will evaluate all international exchange agencies concerning structure,…

A discussion of higher education in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland assesses policy and provision of education in the two jurisdictions and places them in their international context. The jurisdictions' demographics, trends in participation, and patterns of expenditure are examined first, in the context of both the United Kingdom and…

Prepared as part of an effort to attain minimum quality standards for Brazilian day care centers, this document focuses on day-to-day provision of day care services for children from birth to 6 years old as well as broader day care administrative concerns. The first version of this document was prepared as part of a training project for day care…

This report is concerned with at risk children and youth. Synthesizing data based on country reports and case studies from 17 countries and 3 foundations, the report covers issues relating to the preschool, school age, and transition to work periods. At risk children and youth have become key issues not only from claims of social justice, but also…

The effectiveness of Mississippi's policy of offering incentives to promote workplace training was examined through phone surveys of a sample of 101 of Mississippi's 2,617 manufacturing firms with 100-350 employees (47 of the 77 plants that have used Mississippi incentive programs and 54 plants that have not) and in-depth case studies of 4 plants.…

This book examines recent trends in the areas of jobs, income, and work. Among the trends discussed are the following: upward redistribution of wealth; persistent impoverishment; less disposable income; lower wages and higher education; union-free labor and increasing numbers of "disposable" workers; competition for global corporations…

This book addresses the need for research information that can be used as a foundation for rural development policy. Part I deals with the four components of rural development: education (human capital), entrepreneurship, physical infrastructure, and social infrastructure. Part II examines analytic methods of measuring rural development efforts,…

This paper examines the effectiveness of social services provided to Mexican immigrants in rural California. In addition, the paper offers recommendations for service delivery models and for rethinking the objectives of immigrant social policy. At the most basic level, current social program planning and associated analyses of policy options fail…