Differences in historical, political, cultural, and economic contexts in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) account for wide variations in structures, operating conditions, and outcomes in technical and vocational education (TVE). This diversity is associated with glaring disparities, so in examining policy trends and the reconstruction of training systems…

The impact of United Kingdom welfare policies upon opportunities for participation in all types of post-16 learning by those receiving welfare benefits differ by age, employment status, and mode of study. A key issue is whether welfare policies help low-skilled people who are not in work to participate in learning, or whether rules and regulations…

This document, which is intended for individuals involved in writing and reviewing college disability statements, summarizes the results of a Further Education Development Agency evaluation of the disability statements of 432 further education (FE) colleges throughout England. Chapter 1 examines the extent to which the individual FE colleges'…

Increasingly, foundations are choosing to engage in public policy debates as a way of leveraging their investments and increasing their impact in advancing improvements community-wide, statewide or nationally. For foundations, influencing public policy decisions can happen in different ways: funding policy research and dissemination, building…

Recommends greater cooperation, especially concerning research, among political science, telecommunications, speech communications, and rhetoric. Discovers a useful paradigm in the combination of political content analysis and rhetorical analysis. Briefly discusses works that have synthesized these two approaches. (MJP)

Examination of old and new vocational initiatives in Alberta suggests that educators and employers support new school-to-work programs (Tech Prep; Registered Apprenticeships; Careers, the Next Generation). However, these programs are hampered by mixed policy messages; the resilience of existing practices; and lack of provincial resources,…

State and federal mandates for education reform call for increased accountability and the inclusion of students with disabilities in all accountability efforts. In the rush to implement high-stakes education reforms, particularly those involving tests or assessments, the particular needs of students with severe cognitive disabilities are only now…

The General Assembly determined that a higher education system that failed to allow the transfer of seemingly identical or similar courses increased the time to degree and cost to the student and the state. It was also the perception of the General Assembly that public higher education was not taking adequate steps to remedy the problem.…

This study profiles two high schools with high enrollments of low-income and racial/ethnic minority students: Thornton Fractional North High School (TF North) and Dumas High School (DHS). Both schools have substantial enrollments of low-income and racial/ethnic minority students and, despite the odds, are successfully preparing students for their…

This research project, which was carried out between October 2003 and November 2004, aimed to address a lack of empirical evidence surrounding the admission and exclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN). While the relevant legislation and government targets are directed towards the equal treatment of pupils, regardless of their…

The size and adequacy of the federal workforce for carrying out scientific, technical, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities are ongoing concerns in many policy circles. Experts both inside and outside of government have voiced fears that this workforce is aging and may soon face a dwindling labor pool, a problem that could be compounded…

The 2005 Task Force of the Chancellor's Consultation Council was created to recommend long-term strategies to identify access and service goals for California Community Colleges (CCC), the resources needed to achieve these goals, and ways to obtain needed resources. This technical paper provides the Task Force with forecasts of plausible scenarios…

The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP), implemented in 1989, requires student assessment in reading, writing, and math prior to regular college course work. Students undergo continuous remediation until they are able to pass the assessment test. Though TASP advocates argue that the program helps maintain academic standards and provides students…

California's Employment Training Panel Program (ETP), the largest state-funded customized training program for incumbent workers in the nation, has had a positive impact on the economy of California, and its success has policy implications for other state programs. The impact of ETP on trainees includes the following: they are more attached to the…

Many of Wisconsin's working families face economic distress, living from paycheck to paycheck and being forced to choose between paying their rent or buying food for their children. Parents under stress often cannot support their children with time, energy or resources. In order to affirm the importance of children in the state, and to help build…