Since 1992, Maine has received National Science Foundation Statewide Systemic Initiative (SSI) program monies. SSI is a model for improvement of mathematics and science education based on systemic reform. The SSI initiative in Maine has created seven "Beacon School" sites that vary in size and location including high poverty areas, urban…

Although the question of priority training needs for workers in British Columbia's (Canada) Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP) direct service and funded agencies has been examined in the past, no prior needs assessment systematically surveyed workers in all job categories throughout the province. Results were obtained for administrators, program…

This theme issue is devoted to discussions of early childhood policy issues. "Creating a Shared Vision: How Policy Affects Early Childhood Care and Development" (Judith L. Evans) defines policy, discusses the motivation for changing or creating national policy and the process for changing such policies, and provides a sample design for…

These four serials address issues of concern for child development researchers and specialists and also address the implications for policies affecting children. The first issue reports on "Latin American Immigration and U.S. Schools." The report provides an overview of Latin American immigration, its impact on schools, and efforts to…

This digest summarizes the specific policies and recommendations of 45 national educational and public policy organizations in the areas of education reform, early childhood education, quality child care, and collaborative approaches to the care and education of children. The major portion of the document is divided into sections highlighting…

This document, from the Arizona Minority Education Policy Analysis Center (AMEPAC), reports the educational achievement of minority students in Arizona, from kindergarten through college. As a snapshot it is simply a description of what is, and the data are, thus, open to interpretation. How the numbers look and what they mean may be two different…

The Associate Degree has been subjected to numerous demands and external pressures and, as a result, has evolved somewhat independently at each California community college to meet local needs. Most colleges in the system have developed Associate Degrees based on completion of a general education curriculum. However, current Title 5 language…

During 2001, rural people from across South Carolina met to discuss how their schools are faring in the new environment of increased accountability and testing. This report identifies six foundations that are essential for building stronger rural schools. Eliminating poverty and improving the health and overall well-being of rural residents could…

This paper argues that community colleges can contain costs by reducing faculty reassigned time, defined as a conscious or deliberate management action, either discretionary or mandated, that releases full-time faculty from teaching duties in order to perform other tasks. According to the paper, standard financial accounting systems have a…

Ever since it was first written into the new nation's Constitution in 1950, achieving universal elementary education has proven an elusive goal for India. This book examines the failure of the Operation Blackboard scheme to establish a minimum norm of essential facilities for primary schools but argues that, in spite of its failure, the scheme has…

Coherence issues drawn from specific country and regional cases can provide the most concrete information on the development implications of OECD-country policies. A first regional case study focused on East Asia, with financial support from the Policy Research Institute of the Japanese Ministry of Finance. The links between the region's…

Improvements in lifelong learning are necessary for a range of overlapping reasons, including changing needs of the labour force in a globalised economy, the aging of the population in high-income countries and inequalities in education, work and income. Increased lifelong learning, for all, is important for productivity, but also to support…

This paper provides estimates of the stocks and flows of human resources in science and technology (HRST) in India, and their breakdown by education and occupation. Furthermore, the paper provides estimates of the number of highly skilled people moving to India and out of India during the 1990s, mainly to the United States. This part of the study…

This study has two main objectives: first, to assess the overall capacity of the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) of Nepal, its staff and constituent bodies in relation to their mandates, roles and responsibilities; second, to guide the conceptualization and preparation of a human resource development plan (HRDP) for MOES to support the…

Formerly the West Virginia Education Fund, the Education Alliance is a nonprofit organization that serves as a catalyst for business and community involvement in West Virginia public schools. This annual report describes the following Education Alliance activities during 1997: (1) Mini-Grants for Classroom Projects (grants to 195 teachers of up to…