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Sub-Saharan African societies had contacts with China that stretch back to the early days of the Silk Road where the two regions facilitated trade relations and exchanged technology and ideas. Beginning in the 1950s China formalized relations with SSA based on South-South cooperation. At the end of the Cold War, China intensified its relations with SSA within the frameworks of "One Belt one Road" in Africa and the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The China-Africa relations have scored benefits in the areas of promoting infrastructural development, strong investments in SSA, trade links between the two regions, less expensive technical assistance for nations in SSA, cultural exchanges, and student scholarships. Nonetheless, the relations raise complicated issues around trade where China is flooding markets in SSA with inferior goods, acquisition of resources, Chinese mining companies causing environmental destruction in many countries in SSA, and the Chinese government's debt trapping of many sub-Saharan African nations. Many suspect that China is surreptitiously forging a relationship with SSA that may help it assert its "trusteeship" over sub-Saharan Africa's political, economic, and development processes. The paper is developed within these broader contexts to examine the paradoxes and contradictions of the China-sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) relations and their potential impacts on education policy and practice in the region. The paper focuses on SSA, a region that constitutes forty-eight of the fifty-four countries of the African continent. This sociohistorical paper is part of my ongoing study to examine the impacts of external forces' economic and political relations on education policy and practice in the SSA and the potential of the relations to destabilize the epistemological processes of sub-Saharan African societies. [For the complete Volume 22 proceedings, see ED656158.]

According to the human capital theory variations in economic growth are explained by differences in the influence of education on human capital formation within countries. Despite huge government investment in education aimed at building human capital countries within the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) region continues to face low economic growth. This conceptual paper thus investigates the relationship between education, human capital formation and economic growth in SSA. Findings from the theoretical and empirical analysis reveal that education in SSA countries seems to make an insignificant contribution to human capital formation and economic growth jointly. In conclusion, the economic development variations observed across countries might be an indication of the need for a context-based human capital-based education approaches to strengthen economic growth within SSA countries. The study recommends that educational approaches that strengthen human capital creation should be adopted to promote economic growth in SSA countries. [For the complete Volume 20 proceedings, see ED622631.]

Domestic and international competition for STEM talent is driving institutions across the research and innovation landscape to consider new policies and partnerships for building and managing STEM knowledge and skills. New levels of investment in human capital to increase U.S. innovation capacity and competitiveness will require coordination and collaboration among academic institutions, workforce development programs, labor organizations, companies, and funders of research and education. On October 18-19, 2022, the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable convened a workshop for its membership and invited guests to consider the strategic priority of human capital investment in preparing the future workforce and supporting national innovation capacity. The workshop discussions examined the state of U.S. workforce preparation and considered trends in supply and demand for human capital to meet the needs of a transforming research enterprise. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop. [Paula Whitacre served as rapporteur. Additional contributors include the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable and Policy and Global Affairs.]

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the percentage of expenditure on public education of a country and the effect that each percentage mark has on the economic growth, and therefore Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country. The goal of this paper is to explore how investment in education impacts the economic growth of a country through the production of more skilled workers in the workforce. This paper aims to draw a comparison between the BRICS countries, and a representative number of the countries in the European Union to compare the investment, process and product delivered through these groupings. By looking at the production function from a Marxist perspective it is inevitable to notice that the error coefficient is significantly higher within the BRICS countries than in the European Union, which is reflected in the rate of economic growth. This paper would be of interest to economists, education policy makers, researchers, and scholars.

Today, the main event in the social and labor sphere of Russia is, of course, the introduction of the National Qualifications System (abbreviated NSC), which comes to replace the old system of qualification characteristics. In general, the NSC in Russia is represented by four interrelated elements: professional standards, independent assessment of qualifications, professional and public accreditation of educational programs and a directory of the most popular professions. The professional standard at the legislative level states the requirements for the type of activity. Independent assessment of qualifications is a mechanism for personnel certification for compliance with professional standards, and professional public accreditation of educational programs is their assessment for compliance with the requirements of professional standards. In European countries, such systems have existed for a long time and accumulated some experience in this field. The purpose of this article is to consider the common and distinctive features of the European and Russian systems of national qualifications, as well as the experience of building such a system in Russia. In addition, the work will present the differences between the previously existing system of qualifications in Russia and the modern one. The article will show the difficulties of embedding the new system in Russian labor legislation. In addition, problems in the activities of society that were caused by the new system will be considered, its advantages and disadvantages will be considered. Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of the new qualification assessment system and its comparison with similar abroad. Today, Russia is trying, using the experience of European countries, to introduce a system of awarding qualifications outside educational institutions in special centers for the assessment of qualifications. The difference between the Russian model and the existing analogues abroad is that these centers are represented by commercial organizations, while education is carried out by state educational institutions. Such a docking of the state system of education and business has given rise to a number of problems, which will be discussed in the article. The main feature of the national qualifications system in Russia is a synthesis of the obligation (imperativeness) and the market fundamentals of the system itself. [For "NORDSCI International Conference Proceedings: Education and Language Edition (Athens, Greece, August 19, 2019). Book 1. Volume 2," see ED603411.]

In this study, we investigated the factors associated with education-job mismatches among US workers by immigrant generation. We used the data from the U.S. sample of the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and documented the distribution of education-job mismatches across selected independent variables. We estimated the relationship between the individual characteristics of workers and education-job mismatch using multinomial logistic regressions and found that on average, immigrant workers were more likely to be overmatched for the jobs they held in the U.S. labor market, with first-generation workers being overmatched more frequently than second-generation workers. Our results imply that some adjustments towards a merit-based system of immigration might be beneficial for integrating newcomer immigrants into the labor market.

We are now in a knowledge-based age and economy. Through this new era, we have seen the ascension of socioeconomic globalization, or the interconnectedness of the world economies. The vast reach of globalization and technology have had both positive and negative effects on adult, continuing, and postsecondary education. For instance, college access is at an all-time high (Kenworthy and Marx, 2017) as globalization and technology have revolutionized access to education, yet, there are still ever-growing disparities in wealth and socioeconomic mobility across the globe (Atkinson and Lakner, 2013). In response to this, this paper suggests the theories of Human Capital, Resilience, Family Systems, and Humanistic Adult Learning can be combined to make a holistic integrative model. The researchers of this paper have hypothesized that this integrative model is profoundly relevant and incorporate foundational elements that adult, continuing, postsecondary education students ought to master to achieve sustainable intergenerational socioeconomic mobility; and therefore, help combat the negative effects (implicit and explicit) of globalization and technology (Bastedo, Altbach, & Gumport, 2016) (Doménech-Betoret, Abellán-Roselló, and Gómez-Artiga, A. 2017). [For the full proceedings, see ED597456.]

This paper discusses the topic of educational mobility among students from China. The main aim of the paper is to analyse the reasons why Chinese youth migrate and to indicate the direction of their migration. The paper contains qualitative analysis of UNESCO and OECD educational reports and of Chinese government documents, as well as statements by Chinese students on online forums (an analysis of online statements and comments was taken), in which they indicate the motives for their migration. Two main categories of travel motives have been distinguished. The first category is directly linked with the prospect of gaining human capital, and the second with trends in consumerism. [For the complete Volume 16 proceedings, see ED586117.]

This article presents the results of a research study on the system of early child development support with developmental disabilities and their families in Poland. The analysis covered areas such as proximity and accessibility of services, infrastructural conditions, preparation of personnel, and occurrence of systemic barriers. The article provides a verification of the model of early intervention teams working in the field of diagnosis, design and implementation of impact, the responsibility for the course of therapeutic work and team development. In addition, the role of parents in therapy as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the system are discussed. [For the complete Volume 15 proceedings, see ED574185.]

The aim of this paper is to map this place of economics in the field of study of Comparative and International Education. Interrelationship between economy and education is concerned, two broad lines of enquiry lie within the scope of Comparative and International Education: economy as shaping force of education systems and the effect of education on the economy. In the interwar "factors and forces" stage of Comparative Education, the economy as a shaping force of national education systems came to the fore. In the social science phase of the 1960s the focus shifted to a study of the effect of education on the economy. This was reversed again in the 1970s, when socio-economic reproduction theories assigned a deterministic place to socio-economic stratification of society. In recent years neo-liberal economics dictated the research agenda of Comparative Education. In conclusion recommendations for a future research agenda in the field are made. [For the complete Volume 15 proceedings, see ED574185.]

Hon C. W. W Kannanagara is truly the father of Free Education in Sri Lanka who had a vision of providing free education to all at all levels from primary to tertiary in 1944, whereas it was only in 1990, after Jometien EFA conference, the world development organization advocated at least primary education must be free for all. After 70 years of free education, Sri Lanka has accomplished the Kannangara agenda with achieved high performance in the socioeconomic indicators. Now the time has come for Sri Lanka to go beyond the Kannangara agenda to ensure the Sri Lankan children and youth are offered the 21st skills based education. Though Sri Lanka records high performance in internal efficiency of the education system, the external efficiency is low due to heavy academic and examination oriented education and negligence of developing skills. The 21st century learning framework demands generic skills as a learning outcome. Educational reforms need to address the issue of developing an innovative curriculum and authenticated learning and assessment systems to ensure the 21st century children of Sri Lanka to acquire generic skills and to be able to do things than simply have the knowledge of things with no skills to perform. [A bibliography is included.]

This collection of papers introduces the proceedings of the fifth Annual Conference--"Eurasian Higher Education Leaders' Forum" held on the 26th May, 2016 at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan. The contributors include university presidents, rectors, deans, directors of professional development and leadership programs, faculty members and graduate students. The compendium offers papers grounded in theoretical argument and empirical research and written to provide debate and discussion among policy makers, university leaders, faculty and students. The theme of this year's Forum is "Higher Education and Modernization of the Economy: Innovative and Entrepreneurial Universities". The conference proceedings discussing issues of innovative and entrepreneurial universities could not have come at a more appropriate time as policy makers, higher education leaders, faculties, practitioners and other stakeholders are discussing different models of higher education institutions with the "entrepreneurial university" becoming a key focus. The contributions in these proceedings include: (1) Preface (Kairat Kurakbayev and Aida Sagintayeva); (2) Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship: the TAU Model (Joseph Klafter); (3) Entrepreneurial Ecosystem at Universities: Formation and Development (Assylbek Kozhakhmetov, Nina Nikiforova and Sholpan Maralbayeva); (4) Internationalizing Curriculum for Innovation: Opportunities and Challenges for Entrepreneurial Universities in Kazakhstan (Sholpan Tazabek); (5) MOOCs and their Implications for Traditional Higher Education Institutions (Abay Zhussupbekov); (6) Linking Research to Kazakhstan's Strategic Priorities: The Case of International Faculty at Nazarbayev University (Aliya Kuzhabekova, Jack Lee and Magzhan Amangazy); (7) Entrepreneurial Universities in the Formation of National Intellectual and Social Capital (Marat Ibatov, Valeriy Biryukov, Gulnar Zhaxybayeva and Gulnaz Mussina); (8) The Institutional Middle-Income Trap (Dennis de Tray). We invite everyone who is interested in reflecting on the continuities and changes in higher education development and taking strategic actions to improve their national and local educational environments. Individual papers contain figures and references. [This publication was produced by Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education. For the 2015 proceedings, see ED565443.]

Given the importance of hydrocarbons for this area, the purpose of this paper is to explore the response of universities to cope with new demands in the south of Texas and Tamaulipas, especially in relation to gas plays of Eagle Ford (Texas side) and Burgos Basin (Mexican side). To accomplish this task, in the first section of the paper a broad review of selected Texas universities is done, distinguishing their most relevant moves during the last three years. In the second section we do the same for the higher education institutions in the State of Tamaulipas, México. In the third and last section we end up with some final comments about the response of universities to cope with energy sector new demands in both sides of the border. Although related to research, in Texas the response of universities is diverse and also disperses; whilst in Tamaulipas the response mainly consists of new education provision to train human capital. [For the complete Volume 14, Number 1 proceedings, see ED568088.]

In early 2015, the Reform Support Network brought together State department of education leaders from Colorado, Delaware, New Jersey and Tennessee to discuss strategies for refining and sustaining high-quality educator evaluation systems. During the convening, representatives from the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) explained how the State shares evaluation data with districts to help them make strategic decisions about human capital issues. TDOE created a "human capital report," a district-specific report that provides data on a range of human capital metrics, including the percent of teachers whose growth scores do not align with their observation rating, teacher attrition by level of effectiveness and new hires by level of effectiveness. Following each metric, the report asks districts a series of guiding questions to help them analyze the data and identify next steps. Included here is TDOE's presentation from the meeting ["Appendix A"], along with a sample report for a mock district ["Appendix B"]. States can use these materials to reflect on how they are helping districts use evaluation data to more effectively manage their human capital.

Based on a national scale survey data of 2013 and methods of statistical descriptive and econometric analysis, this paper has given an empirical analysis on the frequency, flowing direction, return and influential factors of college graduates' migration. Meanwhile gender comparison in migration has been analyzed. The empirical results are concluded as follows: Firstly, the percentage of migration for female graduates is much lower than male graduates. 50.8 percent of male graduates migrate but only 39.1 percent of female graduates migrate. Secondly, interprovincial migration may increase incomes significantly for both male graduates and female graduates. Thirdly, the economy development level is one of the key factors for inter-provincial migration. Fourthly, individual personal characteristics, individual human capital variables and family social and economic background are main factors influencing migration. [For the complete Volume 12 proceedings, see ED597979.]

Women have outpaced men in college attainment, yet lagged behind men in the labor market. Meanwhile, young graduates may update their knowledge of the labor market and decide to go back to school as a career management strategy, especially among women who face more structural constraints compared to men. As a postgraduate degree may facilitate career development, the career detour via "return to school" may open avenues for reducing gender inequality in the labor market. Using data from National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG 2015), this study investigates into how women and men responded to the labor market constraints differently via "return to school", and yields insights into the processes of gender stratification at the outset of the career stage.

The article explores the role of intellectual capital in the development of higher education system. The description of economic and marketing values of intellectual capital demonstrates its importance for an institution's establishing in education market. Import and export of intellectual capital is a reality of globalisation processes, and it is considered to be of great importance in the economy of a knowledge society. However, its accounting does not allow to evaluate qualitative changes in higher education system. A research in the recent history of Latvian higher education after regaining of independence gave us an opportunity to discover: what were the patterns of importing the intellectual capital; what were the elements of change, or new beginnings generated by imported intellectual capital; and how sustainable were these changes and beginnings. [For complete volume, see ED567118.]

The rise of private higher education in Jamaica plays a key role in expanding educational access to the masses. The shift towards the neo-liberal perspective has directed the focus of education policy reforms toward emphasizing economic efficiency, diversity in choice, and market mechanisms. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight, from the perspective of high level administrators at four local private higher education institutions in Jamaica, on why private higher education institutions have flourished as key providers of Jamaican higher education, how these institutions facilitate access to higher education, and to what extent private institutions contribute to achieving Jamaica's higher education goals. The researcher utilized a holistic, multiple-case study design. Methods employed in this study included face-to-face individual interviews, document analysis, and site visits to private higher education institutions in Jamaica. Human capital theory was used as an analytical lens to examine the extent to which the neoliberal framework is appropriate for understanding how higher education is unfolding in Jamaica. This paper focuses on the general conclusions of the research, which suggest that Jamaican private higher education institutions serve to challenge the status quo by providing access to members of the society who had been marginalized by the public higher education system. [For complete volume, see ED567040.]

The 2007 Annual Meeting of the Association for Continuing Higher Education was themed "Refining Our Mission: Continuing Education's Role in Engagement, Outreach and Public Service." Opportunities were available to participate in sessions relating to outreach, partnerships and public service and perspectives on this theme were presented by the keynote speakers. The structure of the conference was changed to facilitate more opportunities for participating in professional development through networking. Sessions were offered for both the experienced and novice in the field of continuing education. Part I summarizes four keynote addresses: (1) The Next Generation: Access and Opportunity in Continuing Higher Education (Christopher Dougherty); (2) Leaving the Ivory Tower: Engaging for University-Community Success (Lee Todd); (3) Realizing Our Mission: Why Continuing Education Must Lead the Way (Suzanne Morse); and (4) Changing Role of Continuing Education (Belle S. Wheelan). Part II includes concurrent sessions: (1) Adult Education Graduate Programs: Where Art Thou? (Alison Christopher and Jane LeClair); (2) Market Alignment: Prime Opportunities to Partner with Professional Associations (Sean Gallagher); (3) Meeting the Degree Needs of Adults through Continuing Education Outreach (Frank DiSilvestro); (4) Invest in Human Capital by Engaging Latino Youth (Christine Burgoyne); (5) Increase Registrations and Revenues with Pre-populated Landing Pages (Steve Blumberg); (6) Disbanding the Office of Enrollment Prevention--New Ideas to Engage Students (Tim Copeland); (7) Overcoming Barriers of Tradition through an Effective New Admission Policy (Karen Graham, Laurie G. Dodge, and Ellen Derwin); (8) In the Rules of Engagement, Alumni Matter (Betsy Bedigan); (9) The Impact of Engagement (Jen Childers and Susan Short); (10) Making Winter Intersession Work for You: Details to Consider and Pitfalls to Avoid (William Thomas Walker, and Gina V. Ganahi); (11) Youth Organizations Unite. TCU Helps (Judy Shannon, and David Grebel); (12) What's Working In Interactive Marketing for Continuing Education Outreach? (Tim Copeland); (13) Measuring Student Satisfaction in the Online Environment--Boston University Online (Susan Kryczka, and Nancy Coleman); (14) Developing an Online New Student Orientation Program with Limited Resources (Sheila Hayes); (15) Toward a 21st Century Model of the Inclusive University (Sherryl Weems, Tonnalee Batchelor, and Lawrence Gingrich); (16) Developing Partnerships for Successful Fund Raising in Continuing Education (Sharon M. Carrer, Joanne Hanley, and Robert R. Cummins); (17) Speaking English? Habla Espanol? An Adult Accelerated Dual-language Model for HE (Ricardo Ortolaza, Luis Zayas, and Luis Bugos); (18) Meeting the Needs of the Longevity Revolution through Public Service (Susan Jay, Laurie Keenan McGarvey, and Don Devilbiss); (19) Conducting a Feasibility Study: The Lucky 7 Reasons Why it Works (Sallie C. Dunphy); (20) Principles of Good Practice for Distance Learning: A Blueprint for Excellence (Michael Lambert, and Roxanne M. Gonzales); (21) Online Tutoring: Bridging the Gap (Michelle Byrd); (22) Creating an Environment for Success for our Continuing Education Activities (Mark Binkley, and Michelle Johnston); (23) Hickory Metro Higher Ed Center: An Innovative Model for Extension and Outreach (Jane Everson, and Ann Sperry); (24) Creating a Culturally Based Health Curriculum (Lisa Lefler, and Roseanna S. Belt); (25) Implementing an Online/DE College Certificate in Personal Fitness Training (Ken Baldwin, and Ruth Bettandorff); (26) Common Breakdowns in Continuing Higher Education Marketing (Jennifer L. Copeland, and Lesley Snyder); (27) Partnership Strategies for Continuing Ed: Managing Collaborative Online Programs (Dawn Anderson); (28) Eliminating Barriers to Persistence and Retention among Adult Learners (Thomas E. Kail, and Gail W. Johnson); (29) Where Have All the Good Ones Gone: Recruiting Outstanding Minority Professionals (Jeffery Alejandro, Maureen Znoj, and Vernon Taylor); (30) Refining Our Mission and Defining Engagement (Melissa Peraino, and Leslie Bateman); (31) The Role of Experience in Adult Learning: Positive or Negative? (Nancy Gadbow); (32) PDVSA Project--Accelerated Learning ESL for Business (Mercedes Suraty-Clarke, and Nancy D. Herron); (33) Marketing Online Degrees to Continuing Education's New Constituencies (Noel Poston); (34) Engaging Part-Time Faculty: Best Practices in Developing PT Faculty Who Teach at a Distance (Mary Rose Grant); and (35) No Adult Left Behind--Community Services for Special Need of Adult Learners (Jane LeClair, Terri Bickford, and Jeri O'Bryan). Two Value-Added Value Workshops included: (1) Making a Difference Begins with You ... So Live Into Your Dreams! (Tom Ingrassia); and (2) University Outreach and Engagement: Defining Terms, Addressing Quality, Collecting Data (Burton A. Bargerstock, Vivek R. Joshi, and Diane Doberneck). Part III includes business meeting information in nineteen appendixes.

This document contains 162 papers and innovative sessions, two poster sessions presented at a conference on human resource development (HRD). A program overview, author index, and a keyword index are also included. The papers are grouped by the conference's 56 symposia, which were devoted to the following topics: HRD with International and Multinational Groups; Learning in Communities; Learning Measurement and International HRD; Gender in HRD; Intellectual Capital and Human Capital Theory; Connecting Education and Practice; Formal and Informal on-the-job Learning; International Human Resource Development; HRD Methods and Tools; Considerations for Distance Education; Gender and Mentoring; Emotions in Organizations; Creativity and Aesthetics; Collaboration; Cross Cultural Training; Strategic Human Resource Development; Learning; Mentoring; Organizational Commitment; Knowledge Management; Defining Human Resource Development; Exploring International Human Resource Development; Change in International Human Resource Development; Supervisory Social Support; Organizational Learning and Culture; Education Customization; Executive Training and Development; Diversity Programs and Initiatives; Learning Assessment; Culture and Organizational Socialization; Theoretical Frameworks of Performance and Human Resource Development; Human Resource Development in Law Enforcement; Motivation; Human Resource Development Policy in Asia; Diversity's Impact on Change and Learning; The Future of Career Development; Organizations and Change; Theorizing Human Resource Development; Adult Learning Theory and Defining Training and Development; E-learning and Culture; Relating Human Resource Development and Human Resource Management; Performance Appraisal; Perceptions of Online Education; Learning Transfer and Human Resource Development Effectiveness; Human Resource Development Degree Programs; Technology Perceptions; Virtual Teams; Ethics; Assessing Online Learning; Emotions at Work; Competence in Human Resource Development; Human Resource Development Faculty; Professional Development; Leadership; Graduate Student Research Skills; and Quality Management. Most of the papers include substantial bibliographies.

This document contains the agenda and papers on work and training presented at the Agora VII meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece in October, 1999. The Foreword describes each session with a list of the topics and papers, along with a brief introduction to the topics. The three sessions are: Work and Training in Society in the 21st Century; Working Time and Training Time Inside and Outside the Enterprise Management of People and Skills; and Working Time and Training Time in the Course of Life. The papers are "To What Extent is Work Also Training?" (Johan van Rens); "Learning: Where, When, and How?" (Eric Fries Guggenheim); "The Place of Work and Education in Contemporary Society" (Juan Jose Castillo); "Crisis in the Traditions for Admission to Training"(Jorgen Mork); "The OECD's Thematic Review on Adult Learning. The Themes Under Review" (Patrick Werquin); "The Contexts of Training" (Saul Meghnagi); "Training in the Context of Reduced Working Hours" (Jacques Trautmann); "The Future of the Relationship Between Working Time and Learning Time" (Klaus Schedler); "Working Time, Education Time and Social Capital" (Tom Schuller); "Synthesis of the Work" (Andre Kirchberger). The document also contains a list of event participants and a bibliography. (SLR)

This document contains 143 papers and innovative sessions, three poster sessions presented at a conference on human resource development (HRD). A program overview, author index, and a keyword index are also included. The papers are grouped by the conference's 42 symposia, which were devoted to the following topics: women's HRD-related issues; workforce diversity; organizational learning and development; workplace learning; job satisfaction; HRD competencies; gender issues in the workplace; global team development; technological change and HRD; self-directed learning; leadership development; management education; knowledge management; workers' basic competencies; transfer of learning; HRD training techniques and strategies; ethics and integrity in HRD; HRD in Asia; career development issues; HRD theory; human capital; organizational change; human resource management issues; HRD graduate education; HRD research issues; adult learning; measurement and research tools; assessment and evaluation modeling; issues in training; workplace issues in human resources; executive development; work ethic and values; recruitment issues in HRD; conflict management; HRD in Africa; HRD in Europe; HRD and ethnic minorities; certification issues; multiple intelligences; productivity issues in HRD; and historical perspectives on HRD. Most of the papers include substantial bibliographies. (AJ)

This document contains papers from a 2-day meeting on identification, evaluation, and recognition of nonformal learning in the European Union. The following papers are included: "Identification, Assessment, and Recognition of Non-Formal Learning: European Tendencies" (Jens Bjornavold); "Why Measure Human Capital?" (Riel Miller); "Mobility and Social Cohesion" (Eric Fries Guggenheim); "Social Partners' Round Table--Is There Any Consensus on the Validation of Non-Formal Learning and If So, What?" (Eugenio Rosa, Mike Coles, Donald Kerr); "Work-Related Projects on New Methods of Skill Definition and Accreditation: Moves Towards a Personal Skills Medium in the USA and in Europe" (Barbara Jones, Kari Hadjivassiliou); "The Recognition and Validation of Informal Learning in France" (Anne-Marie Charraud); "Finnish Competence-Based Qualifications--Organization, Assessment, and Legitimacy" (Petri Haltia); "Accreditation of Non Formal Learning in the Netherlands" (Marian Nieskens, Ruud Klarus); "Examination of the Requirements for Successful Validation of Vocational Learning--The Issue of Legitimacy" (Jens Bjornavold); "A Few Features of the Situation in France--The Views of CFDT (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail) on the Measurement of Informally Acquired Competences" (Jose Danilo); and "Social Partners' Round-Table Discussion: the Validation of Prior Learning: What Can We Build Together?" (Juan Maria Memendez-Valdes, Hjordis Dalsgaard, Nikolaus Bley). A summary of the conference discussions concludes the document. Several papers contain substantial bibliographies. (MN)

This document contains 11 papers from a 2-day meeting on the principles, practice, and effectiveness of Jobrotation, which denotes a European Union program of investing in human capital by giving employees the opportunity to temporarily leave their posts for training without any major disturbance in the production process. The following papers are included: "Foreword: Jobrotation--Employment/Training Rotation--Good Practice in the European Union"; "'Jobrotation' in France: A Pioneering Measure" (Patrick Guilloux); "Jobrotation Development and Dissemination in Europe" (Jens Kruhoffer); "German Experience of Jobrotation: A Case Study" (Monika Kammeier); "Danish Experience of Jobrotation: A Case Study" (Ghita Vejlebo); "Jobrotation Efficiency: Small and Large Companies Compared" (Lizzi Feiler); "Contribution of Mr. Athanasios Papathanasiou, Director of the Technopolis Vocational Training Centre"; "Jobrotation from the Perspective of Enterprises, Employees and Political Decision-Makers--Expectations and Results Illustrated by the Example of 'Jobrotation for the Bremen Region'" (Hubertus Schick); "A Few Danish Comments on the Concept of Jobrotation" (Jorgen Mork); "Jobrotation as a Means of Promoting Innovation and Employment. A Model for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in North Rhine-Westphalia (D)" (Reiner Siebert); and "Synthesis of the Work" (Andre Kirchberger). One paper contains a substantial bibliography. (MN)

This document contains 11 reports from a 2-day meeting on how to report on investments in vocational education and training in enterprises and whether such reporting is worthwhile. The document begins with a brief overview of the meeting and the meeting agenda. The remainder of the report is devoted to the meeting papers, which are titled as follows: "Contribution of Mr. Evanghelos Boumis, Human Resources Manager of Titan Cement Co."; "Social Reporting in French Companies" (Dominique Fruleux); "Reporting on Human Capital in Denmark" (Jens Frederiksen); "Human Capital Reporting: Experiences and Proposals Discussed at the Agora" (Ulf Johanson); "Reporting on Human Capital" (Keith Drake); "Human Capital Reporting as an Area of Concern for Policymakers and the Social Partners--the Case of Finland" (Tuomo Alasoini); "Reporting on Human Capital--Is It Possible To Report on Human Capital and If So, Why and How?" (Helge Kielland Lovdal); "The Learning Enterprise and Corporate Governance" (Isabelle Guerrero); "International Standards for Reporting on Human Capital" (Riel Miller); "Quality Management for Companies: Developing Skills through Training with ISO [International Organization for Standardization] Standard 10015" (Frederic Sechaud); and "Human Capital--Some Comments on the Possibility and Desirability of Establishing an International Reporting Standard--The Case of Italy" (Stefano Zambon). Also included are: a foreword; the meeting agenda; and a list of participants. Some reports contain substantial bibliographies. (MN)

This document contains 127 papers and innovative sessions and three poster sessions presented at a conference on human resource development (HRD). A program overview, author index, keyword index, and a CD-ROM version of the document are also included. The papers are grouped by the conference's 44 symposiums, which were devoted to the following topics: action learning; integrating university and corporate learning with work; HRD in Asia; distance learning; HRD in Latin America; trust in organizations; global team development; coaching and knowledge transfer; ethics and integrity in HRD; organization values; issues in evaluation; global knowledge transfer issues; leadership development; transfer of learning; HRD theory; organizational development; the role of HRD in women's career development; knowledge management and human capital; organizational change; university programs; theory building; human resource management issues; workplace learning; managerial performance issues; improving learning with technology; professional development; informal learning; emotions and behavior in the workplace; evaluation in HRD; organizational enhancement; workplace learning issues; managing the HRD function; career development issues; research issues in HRD; adult learning; learning organizations; measurement and research tools; assessment and evaluation modeling; issues in training; workplace issues in human resources; executive and management development; HRD and small manufacturers; motivation for improving performance; and redefining HRD. Most papers include substantial bibliographies. (MN)

In April 2000, over 250 rural leaders from around the nation gathered in Kansas City, Missouri, to discuss rural America's future, its challenges, and policies to meet those challenges. Conference participants agreed that the current pattern of uneven rural growth is likely to persist and that agriculture will remain a key sector in the rural economy, but not big enough to support growth in many parts of the nation. A strong consensus formed around the need to connect rural America to the digital economy and to raise the skills of workers and leaders to compete more effectively. This proceedings contains a conference summary by Mark Drabenstott, 10 conference papers with transcripts of subsequent discussion, and commentaries. The papers are: "The Rural Economy in a New Century" (Thomas G. Johnson); "Rural Policy in a New Century" (Ray Marshall); "Rural America at a Crossroad" (Terry Jorde); "The Outlook for Rural America in the 21st Century" (Alan Greenspan); "Investing in Rural Infrastructure" (William F. Fox and Sanela Porca); "Boosting Rural Human Capital" (Martin C. Jischke); "Enhancing Rural Leadership and Institutions" (Stephen Cornell); "Creating New Economic Opportunities: The Competitive Advantages of Rural America in the Next Century" (Andrew M. Isserman); "Rural Policy Lessons from OECD Countries" (Mario Pezzini); and "New Goals for New Rural Policies" (Geoffrey J. D. Hewings). An overview panel presents comments by Jill Long Thompson, Jesse White, Allen I. Olson, and Javier M. Gonzales. (Contains references in papers and contributor profiles.) (SV)

Over 250 rural leaders attended the conference "Beyond Agriculture: New Policies for Rural America," held in Kansas City (Missouri) in April 2000. The conference began with an assessment of where the rural economy and rural policy are headed in the new century. Speakers suggested that the rural economy is likely to remain a mix of weakness and strength in the foreseeable future and that current U.S. rural policy--a motley collection of many different policies with no unifying mechanism--will not meet the challenges ahead. A fundamental rethinking of rural policy is needed to meet the challenges of the new century, particularly the need to improve educational attainment and worker training in rural areas, to fully integrate rural schools into telecommunication networks, and to move beyond policies focused on agriculture alone to more balanced rural development approaches. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan pointed to technology as the driving force of the rural economy in the new century. The second conference session examined how rural America can seize new economic opportunities and discussed ways to bolster three critical economic resources in rural areas: infrastructure, human capital, and leadership. The final conference session explored new directions for rural policy: shifting from a sectoral to a territorial focus, devolving policy administration to "new regions" that often cut across traditional political boundaries, coordinating policies across sectors, and pursuing new policy goals. Conference speakers are listed. (SV)

This document contains 10 papers about and from a national forum that was conducted by the Adult Literacy and Numeracy Australian Research Consortium (ALNARC) to gather various perspectives on the inclusion of literacy and numeracy standards in Australia's national training packages and to discuss research about the implementation of training packages that have been developed with consideration for literacy and numeracy standards. The following papers are included: "Introduction: Literacy in VET (Vocational Education and Training) and Literacy in the Community: ALNARC's Research Challenge" (Jill Sanguinetti); "Literacy in Training Packages: An ANTA (Australian National Training Authority) Perspective" (Rob Bluer); "Literacy in Training Packages: An Industry Perspective" (Bob Paton); "Literacy in Training Packages: A Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Perspective" (Linda Wyse); "Literacy in Training Packages: A Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Perspective" (Rhonda Raisbeck); "Reflections on Literacy, Workplaces and Training Packages" (P.J. Waterhouse); "The Implementation of Training Packages: Critical Perspectives on Language, Literacy and Numeracy in Training Packages" (Damon Anderson); "The Politics and Practicalities of Grassroots Research in Education" (Marie Brennan); "Sleight of Hand: Literacy, Social Capital and Social Disadvantage" (Ian Falk); and "Mentoring in Practitioner-Based Research" (John Wilson). Two papers include substantial bibliographies. (MN)

This booklet reflects on how, in this period of change and transition, work-related adult learning should respect the unity of human beings as citizens, individuals, and workers. Section 1 deals with the most significant changes taking place in the world of work, including globalization; technological innovations; changing employment patterns; and the changing organization of work. Section 2 discusses work-related adult learning and considers investment in adult learning of workers as essential for competitiveness and growth and considers adult learning as an important commodity that is capable of making a profit. Section 3 addresses how a system of adult learning linked to the informal sector would sustain its development Section 4 focuses on the following three issues at stake in diversification and reform of national training systems: (1) devising flexible and continuous adult learning and training systems to meet the learning requirements of the entire labor market and all active populations; (2) mobilizing greater investment by building partnerships; and (3) ensuring equitable access to adult continuing education. (YLB)

Utilizing Hargreaves and Fullan's conceptual framework of Professional Capital, this paper draws from an explanatory sequential mixed methods correlational study that sought to understand the relationship between teachers' perception of their principal's practice of building professional capital and teachers' self-reported job satisfaction. The quantitative and qualitative data indicated that all teachers interviewed possess varying degrees of professional capital and that their job satisfaction is attributed to factors that are independent of their relationship with their principal. The findings suggest that the professional capital that teachers acquire, regardless of source, is more important to teacher job satisfaction than principal practice and that principals are missing opportunities to capitalize on the existing professional capital of teachers to build instructional capacity.

This paper looks at continuity and discontinuity of teachers' perception and enactment of civic values such as equality, democracy, freedom, cohesion and globalization in China and the U.S. Applying qualitative methodologies, this paper finds that, beyond the myth of citizenship education toward China and United States, there are common ideals and imperfections around democracy, treatment of diversities, and global consciousness. Particularly there has been common gap between perception and enactment in both countries. The interpretation and implementation of these ideas are different based on the social discourse. Also, this paper argues that cross-cultural lessons for the field of Education can be gained by examining citizenship education in comparison.

This paper considers the question "What are good child outcomes?" from the perspectives of developmental psychology, economics, and sociology. Section 1 of the paper examines good child outcomes as characteristics of stage-salient tasks of development. Section 2 emphasizes the acquisition of "human capital," the development of productive traits such as cognitive ability, educational achievement, practical risk-taking, delayed gratification, and occupational decision-making. This section discusses critical constructs such as delayed gratification, risk tolerance, and career construction. Section 3 deals with social capacity, the ability to interact positively in intimate relationships and demonstrate positive concern and caring in a larger social arena. This section discusses central social relationships and suggests markers of successful development at each stage. Section 4 discusses points of overlap among the three perspectives. Drawing upon the three perspectives, this section suggests that good child outcomes would include the presence of: trust; security; exploration and self-regulation; competent language use; cognitive development and general knowledge; physical well-being and motor development; social problem-solving skills; personal identity; connections with parents and friends; empathy and caring; reading and math skills; the ability to delay gratification; the ability to take practical risks and develop an occupation choice; motivation toward entrepreneurship; the extension of attachments from family members to others; concern for other social groups; and volunteer efforts on behalf of others. The paper concludes by suggesting that identifying positive goals for children with significantly alter the nature of discussions about children and families and have implications for data collection. Contains 91 references. (KB)

A 1996 workshop held in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, explored the challenge of creating an entrepreneurial economy in predominantly rural states such as Kentucky with little or no history of widespread entrepreneurial activity. Traditional approaches to economic development in such states, such as spending on relocation incentives for out-of-state firms, have their place, but only as they help create the conditions for dynamic, indigenous economic activity. An entrepreneurial economy creates a culture in which people are encouraged to seek opportunity and embrace creative approaches to exploiting it. Building an entrepreneurial economy requires supply-side efforts that provide the tools and resources that entrepreneurs need, demand-side conditions such as an educational system that prepares entrepreneurs, and a culture that values entrepreneurship. A diverse capital infrastructure is needed that encourages large and small entrepreneurship ventures. Government financing programs must be accessible, and the local private business support system needs to provide a variety of high-level financial services. Educational systems should focus on overall quality as well as entrepreneurial skills such as managing change and risk, thinking creatively, and finding the opportunities inherent in problems. Nurturing an entrepreneurial culture involves fostering respect, microenterprise, savings, and the exchange of information about entrepreneurship. Suggestions are presented for developing the supply and the demand sides and for building support for entrepreneurship within the government, community, and the public at large. The successful creation of an entrepreneurial economy requires the involvement of a wide variety of stakeholders. A list of the workshop attendees is appended. (TD)

Pathways from Poverty is a public policy education and research initiative organized by the Rural Sociological Society's Task Force on Persistent Rural Poverty and the four regional rural development centers. This publication focuses on project efforts in the Northeast and includes three sections. The first section describes the Pathways from Poverty Workshop for the Northeast Region (Boston, Massachusetts, September, 1995); reviews the history of the project, which aims to create innovative pathways from poverty for rural people and places through collaborative state teams; and profiles four researchers and visionaries. These profiles describe the life and work of Gene Summers ("Up from 'the Bottoms,'" by Eileen Zuber); Virginia Schein ("Dancing with Words: An Afternoon with Virginia Schein," by Eileen Zuber); John Gaventa ("Searching from Within," by Pete Saba); and Leif Jensen ("Bridging the Gap," by Steve Nelson). The second section includes seven presentations from the 1995 workshop: "Working from the Margins: Voices of Mothers in Poverty" (Virginia E. Schein); "Working Together for a Change: Social Capital As a Pathway from Poverty" (John Gaventa); "Demographics of Rural Poverty" (Leif Jensen); "Work and Income Overview" (Ann Tickamyer); "Poor Kids in a Rich Nation: Eating the Seed Corn" (Patricia Garrett); "Human Capital and Poverty in Rural America" (Daniel Lichter); and "Where Do We Go from Here?" (Kenneth E. Martin). The final section describes the state Pathways from Poverty teams and 64 poverty programs in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia. These programs provide leadership training, summer educational opportunities for youth and children, support for community development, support for small business development and entrepreneurship, adult literacy and computer literacy, community supported agriculture, community health services, parenting education for youth and high-risk families, services for migrant families and children, job skills training, family services, rural housing development, nutrition education, support for postsecondary attendance, opportunities for community service learning, and temporary shelter. Includes a program index. (SV)

Several studies raise serious doubts about whether economic development should be a goal for rural education and whether a causal relationship exists between education level and income. This study sought to determine the nature of the relationship between level of schooling and income level. Census data from 1940 to the present for 13 rural states and 13 nonrural states were used to compare percentage of high school graduates in each state with per capita income and percentage of college graduates with per capita income. Results reveal a very strong association between a state's per capita income and the percentage of that state's population graduating from high school 10 years later. This association is not as strong for college graduates, but advances in the relative amount of education seem to follow relative advances in income. This suggests that the economic development of rural areas is more a result of existing economic advantages than of the educational level of the available work force. Thus the human capital argument does not adequately explain the economic development of an entire rural region or state. Taken to the extreme, the results suggest that education can produce the greatest impact on economic development by having students who will develop industry, as opposed to staffing industry. Contains 8 graphs and 10 references. (TD)

These two papers were presented at a symposium on instructional technology in human resource development (HRD) moderated by Mark Lewis at the 1996 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development. "An Analysis of the Instructional Technology Competencies Required by HRD Practitioners and Sources of Competency Development" (Julie A. Furst-Bowe) describes the computer-based technologies and distance learning systems currently used in employee training and technologies that will be used in future training processes. Following an examination of the competencies needed by trainers to use the various types of technologies, the study identified where trainers are obtaining competencies in the use of computer-based technologies and distance learning and the barriers to implementation. "Electronic Performance Support for Telephone Operators" (Theo J. Bastiaens et al.) examines the effectiveness of electronic performance support systems (EPSS) and describes the analysis, construction, and evaluation of an EPSS. Papers contain references. (KC)

This document contains two papers from a symposium on human resource development (HRD) in Europe moderated by Wim Nijhof at the 1996 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development. "HRD Roles in Germany" (Linda E. Odenthal, Wim J. Nijhof) reports on a German study based on a study of the job profiles of HRD practitioners in the United States. The study suggests an impression of new or changed HRD roles as well as a role profile for the German instructor/facilitator. "HRD Roles in Finland--Preliminary Results" (Tuija Valkeavaara) investigates the typical roles of Finnish HRD practitioners, using a survey based on American Society for Training and Development models for HRD with 461 Finnish practitioners. Survey results showed that the most important HRD roles in Finland seem to be similar to the roles in other European countries. The role of organizational change agent was selected as the most important role, reflecting the current situation in working life. Organizational work context and educational background did not seem to be associated with the role. Papers contain references. (KC)

These two papers were presented at a "town forum" on human resource development (HRD) moderated by Martin Mulder at the 1996 Academy of Human Resource Development Conference. "Human Resource Development with Integrity" (Ronald L. Jacobs) reflects on the conference theme and offers two definitions of integrity as applied to HRD. The second paper, "Performance with Integrity: Thoughts on a Code of Conduct for HRD that Reflects Adult Development Theory" (Victoria J. Marsick), suggests that a code of conduct for HRD practitioners be crafted, with emphasis on human development, using adult development theory to generate insights into a professional code of conduct that inculcates integrity. Papers contain references.

In November, 1995, ABC CANADA and the National Literacy Secretariat hosted a national think tank on principles of good practice in workplace and workforce education. This report contains the results of the think tank sessions, including how the discussion was conducted, a list of good practice statements, and some ideas about how to conduct a similar process. The practice statements involve the following areas: (1) orientation or approach to workplace education and training; (2) partnership and participation; and (3) equity. A list of 34 resources was developed and is included in the report. (KC)

Schools often face a conflict between placing an emphasis on the pursuit of academic excellence (academic press) and creating a positive school community. This paper examines the separate and joint achievement effects of both academic press and communality across a sample of American public and private high schools. The hypothesis holds that when academic press is weak, efforts to strengthen school sense of community may actually constrain student achievement, especially among low-socioeconomic (SES) schools. Indices of academic press and communality were used to analyze data from a subsample of the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS): 88 First Follow-Up Survey. The final subsample included an average of 20 students and 11 teachers across each of the 398 schools. The overall pattern of findings supported the major arguments. First, academic press was significantly linked to achievement across all schools. Second, although low-SES schools tended to have the lowest levels of academic press, they also had the strongest achievement effect. Third, communality was negatively associated with achievement in low-SES schools with weak academic press. Fourth, for low- and middle-SES schools, the combination of academic press and communal organization constituted the strongest package of achievement effects. Finally, the strongest effects for high-SES schools were predicted for combinations of high communality and low academic press. The implications are that: (1) schools do their students no service by diluting their academic mission; (2) exposing students to mainstream academic subjects can help to translate higher expectations into a meaningful academic drama; and (3) educational equity is advanced as low-SES schools marshal their human and social capital in more academically focused ways. The major conclusion was that the most effective schools were those where a sense of community emerged as a positive result of a strong sense of academic purpose. One figure and eight tables are included. Appendices contain statistical data. (Contains 38 references.) (LMI)

The National Public Policy Education Conference is held annually to improve the policy education efforts of extension workers responsible for public affairs programs. The 1994 conference addressed the following topics: (1) ethical perspectives in public policy education; (2) transition of food and agricultural policy; (3) building human capital--reforming education; (4) environmental policies; (5) local impacts of trade policy; (6) financing K-12 education; and (7) sustainable rural policy. This proceedings contains the following papers: (1) "Balance, Diversity and Ethics in Public Policy Education" (Paul B. Thompson); (2) "The 1995 Farm Bill Environment" (Lynn M. Daft); (3) "Commercial Farmers As 1995 Farm Bill Stakeholders" (Ronald D. Knutson); (4) "Attitudes of Small Farmers As 1995 Farm Bill Stakeholders" (Benny L. Lockett); (5) "Transition in Food and Agricultural Policy: Key Stakeholders--Domestic Consumers" (Jean Kinsey); (6) "Environmental Interests in the 1995 Farm Bill" (Katherine Reichelderfer Smith); (7) "Human Capital: The Issues, Enablers and Blocks in Institutional Change" (Daryl Hobbs); (8) "Improving the School-to-Work Transition" (Stephen F. Hamilton); (9) "Lifelong Learning: The Linchpin of Human Capital Development" (Michael E. Tomlin); (10) "Environmental Policy Issues: Chaos and Confusion" (Laird Noh); (11) "Trends in Environmental Regulation of Agriculture" (Neil D. Hamilton); (12) "Environmental Issues from an Economic Perspective" (Katherine Reichelderfer Smith); (13) "Environmental Issues from a Community Perspective" (Richard Bass); (14) "Local Impacts of International Trade" (Larry Sanders, Mike Woods, Warren Trock, Hal Harris); (15) "The Real Property Tax and K-12 Education" (Neil Meyer); (16) "Financing K-12 Education in Oregon" (Bruce A. Weber); (17) "1994 Michigan School Finance and Property Tax Reform" (Lynn R. Harvey); (18) "Elements of a Sustainable Rural Policy" (Glen C. Pulver); (19) "Developing Collaboration in Rural Policy: Lessons from a State Rural Development Council" (Richard L. Gardner); (20) "Diversity of Rural Places: Texas" (David D. Field); and (21) "Diversity of Rural Places: Idaho" (George Enneking). Includes abstracts, poster/display session topics, and a list of conference participants. (SV)

This paper takes a look at the role and function of faculty in higher education from a public policy/public higher education perspective, focusing on the view of faculty not just as an institutional asset but also one for the public good. The paper examines major external challenges currently facing public higher education, faculty activities and productivity, public perceptions of the role of faculty, and faculty's perception of their role. Faculty are viewed as a long-term institutional investment to be developed, maintained, and effectively utilized. In viewing faculty as a state asset, the focus is on such outcomes of faculty activity as: college graduates who can get jobs and advance in given careers, an education comparable to the tuition charged, and solutions to state social and economic concerns. A model is proposed in which institutions are held accountable for achieving identified state objectives and, upon agreement of higher education's responsibilities for meeting state goals, state government leaders retreat and allow campus administrators and faculty to determine new assignments. Community colleges, which have developed close, sometimes symbiotic, relationships with their communities, may serve as a model for this new paradigm. An appendix outlines some caveats to defining and measuring faculty productivity. (Contains 15 references.) (JDD)

This paper proposes use of an assessment tool called "commodity relations," to measure national knowledge resources to help companies make better site selections for international production operations. The paper first reviews traditional measures of human capital, such as average years of education per individual and literacy rates. The proposed method measures human capital resources by measuring first-order commodity relations, in which thoughts are packages and distributed to others through various media (a book, for example) who pay money for them, and second-order commodity relations, in which an agency other than the senders and receivers of the thoughts finances communication of the thoughts. A survey could be administered that would measure how much time individuals spend on first and second order commodity relations and on noncommodified relations. Individuals in an environment of noncommodified relations would exhibit localized and strong cultural dispositions and strategic communication processes. In first-order relations, individuals would exhibit sustained attention-paying capacity, elaborate conceptualization capacity, and strong cultural dispositions. For second-order relations, individuals would exhibit variable cultural dispositions; short, shifting attention spans; and concrete, object-centered conceptual strategies. Application of this theory would indicate that a business may want to consider locations where mass media rely less on advertising and more on state sponsorship and where print media receive relatively more support from individual purchases than from advertising revenues. Contains six references. (JDD)

This report attempts to present the main issues that emerged in the discussion during the four topical sessions and three roundtables of the second meeting of the International Consultative Forum on Education for All. The Forum reflected the widespread dissatisfaction over the irrelevance and poor quality of much basic education today, as well as the concern that expansion of basic education provision must not, and need not, lead to a lower quality of learning. The Forum's deliberations may be useful to policymakers and professionals concerned with development and with basic education. The volume contains the following topics for discussion, roundtables and annexes. Part 1, "Quality Education for All," lists the following topics: (1) "Early Childhood Development"; (2) "Improving Primary Schooling"; (3) "Improving Nonformal Primary Education"; and (4) "Financing Quality Basic Education." Roundtables include the following: (1) "Basic Education for Girls and Women"; (2) "New Partnerships for EFA"; and (3) "Education and the Media." The appendices include: (1) "Forum Programme and List of Documents"; (2) "Keynote Speech by Federico Mayor"; and (3) "List of Participants." (EH)

This paper reviews the evolution of the different theories concerning education as a factor of development. It is important to see exactly how the struggle against scarcity and the production of material goods can be made more effective by allocating financial and human resources to the production and transmission of knowledge. The growth theory of the 1960s and 1970s, seeking to account for the typical features that characterized the swift and regular growth of industrial countries, revealed two ways in which education could help to increase the national product: (1) by direct intervention, in line with the theory of human capital, through improvement of the labor factor in the form of higher qualifications; and (2) by indirect intervention in guise of what at the time was called the "unexplained residue of growth," or "technological process" that was understood as a kind of mishmash of the intellectual curiosity, inventiveness, quality of information of the population as a whole and not merely the workforce. The 1980s and 1990s gave fresh impetus to the theory of development through education. Rapid rates of growth were recorded in countries known precisely for the size of their investments in education. Two principal stages in the construction of economic models of the role of education in growth and development are distinguished: (1) the stage marked by the emergence of models of growth incorporating investments in human capital; and (2) the stage marked by the recasting of these models, which culminated at the end of the 1980s in the form known as models of endogenous growth. (DK)

This paper is concerned with the human capital theory of education as it is employed in designing, justifying, and funding African educational programs. According to this theory, where the most measurable and direct relationships between the world of work and that of school are purported to exist, those individuals who invest in education are thought to become more productive workers and earn higher incomes. Opportunities for employment in the "formal sector" are shrinking; self-employment provides the largest share of jobs. The "informal sector" is a loosely defined term that encompasses an ubiquitous heterogeneous phenomenon: it refers to the labor of small firms and individuals, often with minimal resources. It crosses gender and class backgrounds, and engages a wide variety of individuals with a highly diverse set of educational properties. Educational characteristics include (1) entrepreneurs, usually the best educated; (2) wage earning firm workers who undergo an informal apprenticeship; (3) independent workers engaged in areas like shoe, bicycle, and watch repair, who are difficult to train, often illiterate, and too poor to afford opportunity costs and transportation; and (4) casual workers such as domestics, gardeners, and construction laborers, most of whom are illiterate and learn skills only incidentally on the job. This fourth group is often the entry point, socializing young people into the working world. This document surveys the empirical data available and concludes that there is a considerable demand on the part of microentrepreneurs to learn specific aspects of their business and technical skills. The increasing levels of literacy in Africa may not aid in creating more efficient vocational education. Lack of monitoring and evaluation criteria has been a major weakness of vocational education in Africa. (DK)

This paper explores the transition from school to young adulthood of youth with disabilities from the first wave (n=939) of the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS). Two popular sociological perspectives which explain the postschool success of youth with disabilities were examined: human capital in the form of education and training, and structural factors such as family and community background. Seven latent constructs were identified as generally representing either of the conceptual orientations, their combination, or postschool success and were reflected in a number of measured variables. These seven constructs include: Community Thrive, Family Thrive, School Thrive, School Programs, Academic Difficulty, Individual Aptitude, and Postschool Success. Results suggested that both structural and human capital constructs significantly relate to postschool success. However, the relative importance of the two types of factors varied by disability. For example, Family Thrive related to all disability groups similarly with the exception of mental retardation, while School Programs generally favored youth with learning disabilities and sensory impairments. An appendix offers background information on the NLTS sample. (Contains approximately 80 references.) (JDD)

The following presentations are included in this document: "A Nation of Students" (Lamar Alexander); "Businesses Are Clamoring for Skilled Workers" (Betsy Brand); "We Need to Be Partners in Reality" (Roberts Jones); "The Value of a Working Parent as a Role Model" (JoAnne Barnhart); "Human Capital Is America's Most Natural and Vital Resource" (Steve Gunderson); "Presentation--Commonalities and Distinctions among Education, Training, and Human Service Programs" (Christopher King); "Challenges and Opportunities for Coordination" (panel presentation, Patricia McNeil, moderator); "Interactive State Team Sessions" (a discussion of coordination issues and policy needs by state leaders of vocational-technical and adult education, Job Training Partnership Act, and Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Program agencies); "Selected Participant Comments"; and "Toward a Seamless Delivery System" (Betsy Brand). Six appendices include presentations on state projects: "Successful Coordination in Georgia: The Family Support Act Committee and Local Coordination Act Councils" (Douglas Greenweld, Louise Eighnie-Turner); "Successful Coordination in Illinois: Project Chance/Jobs" (Karen Maxson, Noreen Lopez); "Successful Coordination in New York: Adult Centers for Comprehensive Education and Support Services/Counseling, Assessment, and Support Services for Education and Training" (Robert Poczik, Gail Sandle); "Successful Coordination in Oregon: BASIS (Basic Adult Skills Inventory System)" (J. D. Hoye and others); "Successful Coordination in Texas: Texas Quality Work Force Planning" (Mark Butler and others); and "Successful Coordination in Wisconsin: Job Center Network" (Mary Thompson, Marty Lee). (NLA)

Several trends indicate that rural America can benefit from information-based and service sector job creation. Among the more significant trends are the movement of people from urban and suburban to rural areas, the decreasing importance of location due to communication technology, the growth of jobs in the service section, the growing dissatisfaction with the nation's largest cities, and the mobility of modern business. Higher education can play a role in moving rural America toward this desired future by raising the levels of higher education in the rural work force, and assisting with the enhancement of the quality of life in the communities in the school's service region. Higher education must also provide leadership for the development of a workable public policy initiative. As a regional state college, Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska is dedicated to student development and regional development. Four premises guide the college's work in student development: (1) students are human capital; (2) the college must reach, educate and graduate more of the potential students in its rural service region and the key to this is by remaining affordable and accessible; (3) the college emphasis is on teaching and support services in a personalized setting increases its students' likelihood for success; and (4) by addressing the traditional purpose of higher education--human resource development--the college will be able to make a major impact on the essence of rural revitalization. In terms of regional development, Wayne State College is a center for education, the arts, cultural activity, and community and economic development. The college aggressively delivers its public service program to the communities in the service region, and carries out a regional agenda for the benefit of statewide development. (KS)