Community colleges provide postsecondary education to millions of students in the United States each year, but their graduation rates are low. Many community colleges have implemented interventions to help students persist in college and earn degrees. MDRC has studied many such interventions; several of them improved students' academic outcomes,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the college enrollment and persistence rates of rural high schools in Pennsylvania; the types of postsecondary institutions in which students from such schools enroll; and the student, school, and college characteristics associated with enrollment and persistence outcomes. The study used extant data from…

Non-metropolitan Australia is diverse in terms of population density, educational experiences of the population, and the occupations and industries it supports. Rural adults are less likely to have post-school qualifications and work in manufacturing, property and business services, or finance and insurance. They are more likely to be older, have…

A community initiative (called ADAPT) was intended to help the workforce in European Union countries to adapt to industrial change and prepare for the information society, as well as to promote growth, employment, and the competitiveness of companies in the countries. Between 1995 and 1999, 4,000 projects were funded to transform the ways in which…

Despite the fact that a majority of urban educators remain optimistic about the future of city schools, urban high schools face significant challenges. Many recent developments in high school reform have important implications for career and technical education (CTE) programs in urban high schools. Publications on reforming secondary education…

A review of the literature (as reflected by government documents, industry reports, journal articles, and books) on team training sought to establish a baseline of what is currently known and to identify unresolved technical issues relevant to Air Force team training. In addition, recommendations concerning the most important areas for Air Force…

A search of recent research on group training apprenticeships and traineeships in Australia found that group training companies (GTCs) are making a strong contribution to Australia's apprentice and trainee system. Key findings include the following: (1) group training apprentice and trainee numbers doubled over the period of 1995-2000; (2) over…

This paper advances the argument favoring criterion-referenced/modular-based instruction (CRMBI) as applied to training and educational efforts in business, industrial, and military settings. CRMBI is defined as an instructional delivery system (along with the concomitant curriculum design and instructional materials development implications) that…

Workers' skills are critical to U.S. industrial productivity and competitiveness and to maintaining living standards. Training is the key. Good training pays--for workers whose skills are upgraded, for companies seeking a competitive edge, and for the nation in overall productivity. However, workers in other countries are better trained than most…

Data for studies of vocational education and training systems in Malta and five other countries in the region were gathered through an analysis of existing studies and visits to the main stakeholders in the countries. Some of the main conclusions reached by the study of Malta include the following: (1) since the island has limited natural…

This literature review examines the American and Canadian educational research and program literature related to the inclusion of adults with intellectual disabilities in the postsecondary community college system and adult vocational training systems and has the overall goal of identifying factors that contribute to effective integration.…

Increasingly, schools are turning to paraprofessionals to supplement the administrative and instructional functions of teachers. Because of their roots in the community, paraprofessionals are a special human resource for rural and small school districts, while permitting such districts to address the needs created by educational reforms, federal…

Several small group discussion sessions were convened to account for the fact that public support of vocational education continues to be strong, despite the fact that the outcomes of vocational studies that have been measured show only modest effects for some people in some programs. The panelists concluded that there are six types of outcomes…

Based on four regional conferences organized by the Action Agenda Project on the theme of "Serving the Rural Adult," these proceedings examine the similarities and differences the diverse participants contributed to the discussion of rural adult education; the successes and concerns expressed in finances and funding, policy, models, and…

Agricultural research and extension institutions in Latin America increased agricultural productivity during 1950-75 but deteriorated during the mid-1970s because they were unable to adapt to a heterogeneous agricultural sector and the changing demands of society. External pressure may be necessary to force these institutions to serve the needs of…