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This working paper assesses the ease of immigrants' integration in OECD labour markets by estimating how an immigration background influences the probability of being active or employed and the expected hourly earnings, for given individual characteristics. Applying the same methodology to comparable data across twelve OECD countries, immigrants are shown to significantly lag behind natives in terms of employment and/or wages. The differences narrow as years since settlement elapse, especially as regards wages, reflecting progressive assimilation. Strong differences in immigrant-to-native gaps are also observed across countries, and the paper shows that they may, to a significant extent, be explained by differences in labour market policies, in particular unemployment benefits, the tax wedge and the minimum wage. In addition, immigrants are shown to be overrepresented among outsiders in the labour market and, as such, highly sensitive to the difference in employment protection legislation between temporary and permanent contracts. (Contains 36 footnotes, 1 figure and 10 tables.)

This paper discusses the most relevant issues concerning teacher evaluation in primary and secondary education by reviewing the recent literature and analysing current practices within the OECD countries. First, it provides a conceptual framework highlighting key features of teacher evaluation schemes. In particular, it emphasises the importance of clarifying the purposes of teacher appraisal, whether summative when designed to assure that the practices enhancing student learning are undertaken or formative when conducted for further professional development objectives. It also encompasses the diverse criteria and instruments commonly used to assess teachers as well as the actors generally involved in the process and potential consequences for teachers' professional life. Second, it deals with a number of contentious points, including the question of the use of student outcomes to measure teaching performance, the advantages and drawbacks of different approaches given the purpose emphasised and resource restrictions, the implementation difficulties resulting from different stakeholders' interests and possible ways to overcome these obstacles. Finally, it provides an account of current empirical evidence, pointing out mixed results stemming from difficulties in assessing the effects of such evaluation schemes on teaching quality, teachers' motivation and student learning. It concludes by considering the circumstances under which teacher evaluation systems seem to be more effective, fair and reliable. Developing a comprehensive approach to evaluate teachers is critical to make demands for educational best practice compatible with teachers' appropriation of the process as well as to enhance the decisive attractiveness and recognition of the teaching profession. (Contains 1 table.)

Education plays an essential role in preparing the children of immigrants for participation in the labour market and society. Giving these children opportunities to fully develop their potential is vital for future economic growth and social cohesion in OECD countries. But migrant students in most OECD countries tend to have lower education outcomes than their native peers. Extensive previous research has described the system level, school level and individual level factors that influence the education outcomes of migrant students. Building on such previous research, this paper looks at the ways in which "education policies" can influence these factors to help provide better educational opportunities for migrant students. (Contains 7 footnotes.) [This review was prepared for the OECD Thematic Review on Migrant Education. It was presented and discussed at the Second Meeting of the Group of National Experts on the Education of Migrants in Paris on 13-14 October 2008.]

Selected papers from the 1980 World Congress of Rehabilitation International Meeting on the participation of disabled people are presented. The papers address the rights of the disabled, the organization and functions of consumer groups, the impact of consumer involvement on rehabilitation and related services, social implications of the consumer participation movement, and the coming together of the disabled throughout the world. Titles and authors include the following: "Self-Determination of Handicapped People" (M. Fritsch); "The Right to All Types of Information" (K. Karlsson); "The Right to Work: A Political Issue" (B. Lindqvist); "Consumer Groups: Their Organization and Function" (A. Simpson); "Organizing an Action Group" (J. Simkins); "Trade Union Participation" (L. Maguire); "Handicap Councils: A Swedish Experiment" (L. Gardestrom); "Participation of Handicapped People in the Planning, Implementation and Management of Rehabilitation Services" (P. Blommestijn); "Policy Issues in Independent Living Rehabilitation" (D. Galvin); "Higher Education Opportunities" (K. Konkkola); "The Disabled Consumer Movement: Policy Implications for Rehabilitation Service Provision" (J. Derksen); "Towards Full Political Participation" (B. Carlsson); and "Disability Rights Issues: The Role of Advocacy in Government (E. Fiorito). (SW)

Reducing poverty and social exclusion is an important objective for all French governments. Even though conventionally measured poverty is in fact lower than in most other countries, it is still higher than can be easily accepted. The current policy approach involves a large number of measures tailored to different circumstances. Some policies have unwanted side effects on labour market performance, and their cost-effectiveness could be improved to obtain better outcomes with the same resources. Concentrations of poverty and social exclusion in certain geographic areas and among certain groups of the population provide one of the most difficult challenges, for which contributions from education, labour market, housing, urban planning and anti-discrimination policies, as well as from the social services, are necessary. This Working Paper relates to the 2007 OECD Economic Survey of France (www.oecd.org/eco/survey/france), and is also available in French under the title "Lutter contre la pauvrete et l'exclusion sociale en France". (A bibliography is included. A discussion of Main Measures for the Disadvantaged in the French Social Protection System is annexed. Contains 9 footnotes, 14 figures, 5 boxes and 5 tables.)

Do some forms of student (and school) assessment hinder the introduction of innovative educational practices and the development of innovation skills in education systems? This report focuses on the impact of high-stake summative assessment on innovation and argues that it is possible to reconcile high-stakes assessments and examinations through innovative approaches to testing. While necessary, assessment based on high-stake examinations often acts as an incentive to teach or study "to the test". It may thus limit risk-taking by teachers, students and parents, for instance. The problem may be amplified if a system of accountability and incentives uses the results of these examinations and tests to assess teachers and schools. What should be done to ensure that the systems used to assess education systems do not stifle the risk-taking inherent to innovation--and that they foster innovation skills in students? This study proposes three main ways of combining assessment and innovation: 1) developing a wide range of performance measurements for both students and schools; 2) rethinking the alignment of standards and assessment; 3) measuring the impact of assessments on teaching and learning. One way of influencing teaching and learning might be to modify high-stake testing. Systems will adapt to this, and both teaching and learning will focus on acquiring the right skills. Rather than testing the content of learning, standards could relate to cognitive skills such as problem-solving, communicating and reasoning--with test/examination developers adapting those skills to subjects such as mathematics, science or literary analysis. Similarly, more use might be made of innovative assessment methods based on information and communication technologies, inasmuch as these may feature simulation or interactivity, for instance, at a reasonable cost. Focusing the assessment on cognitive processes rather than content would leave more scope for teachers to put in place innovative teaching/learning strategies. This does, however, assume a high standard of professionalism in teachers and an adequate system of continuing training and knowledge management. As a single type of assessment cannot fully capture student learning, one effective strategy might also be to multiply the number of measurements and thus relieve the pressure on students and teachers to perform well in a single, high-visibility, high-stake test. At the same time, this larger number of measurements could provide the necessary input for systems based on accountability, diagnosis and assessment of the effectiveness of innovative practice. Finally, assessing the technical standard of tests and examinations is an integral part of their development, but it is less common to address the impact they have on teaching/learning or the validity of how their results are used. Since assessment is an integral part of the education process, it is just as important to assess tests and examinations as it is other educational practices in order to achieve improvements and innovation in educational assessment, but also in educational practice. (Contains 12 notes.)

Examining the transition from school to work in Europe, this speech focuses on a comparison of initial occupational preparation for young people in France, Germany, and Great Britain. The desired competencies in new entrants to the labor market are listed in four categories: basic cognitive skills; personal qualities and work attitudes; interpersonal skills; analytical abilities and the ability to plan, organize, or make decisions; and specific occupational skills. A detailed description of national systems of skill training in France is provided. The following five issues regarding initial occupational preparation in Europe are presented: (1) What occupations should be designated for training purposes and how can one be separated from another? (2) How long should the training last? (3) In what setting should occupational skills be acquired? (4) Where in the educational and work cycle should this training occur? (5) Who should receive formal skill training? A question and answer section is included in which the author answers questions relating to topics such as apprenticeships, the vocational education system in France, women in vocational education, handicapped people in vocational education, teacher training programs in other countries, manpower and educational planning, and how vocational education in other countries will effect change in the United States' vocational education policy. (LRA)

This booklet contains two papers on Western European countries' attempt to deal with illegal immigration through employer sanctions. In "Deterrence without Discrimination," Mark J. Miller discusses the sanctions employed by France and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). Evidence from the early years of enforcement reveals that due to poor interagency cooperation, insufficient enforcement personnel, and mild penalties, the sanctions appeared to have failed. However, in the early 1980s, when France and the FRG toughened their enforcement, the evidence indicates that job discrimination against North African Arabs did not increase, and Europeans now regard the sanctions as necessary to combat the exploitation of illegal immigrants. Malcolm R. Lovell, Jr. draws on Miller's analysis in "Europe's Lessons for America" and perceives the European experience as an important lesson for the United States. In the United States, the Department of Labor, the Social Security Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service need to play major roles in the enforcement of sanctions, while employer cooperation with these agencies is vital. The U.S. Immigration and Nationalization Service must be fully supported by Congress, and the re-evaluation of fines and penalties must occur on a regular basis. A conclusion of both papers is that employer sanctions are not a cure-all for the complex problem of illegal immigration in Europe or the United States. (DJC)

The French education system has a mixed record. A generally very successful pre-school and primary school level contrasts with underfunded public universities with high dropout rates which exist alongside very successful higher education institutions for elites. Initial education, especially secondary education and the universities, along with labour market policies themselves, do not always succeed in improving labour market entry for a significant proportion of young people. Parts of the management of education have been decentralised, yet educational institutions themselves generally have a very restricted degree of autonomy. The system of performance measurement and incentives, at all levels of education, needs to be reviewed. (Contains 5 tables, 7 figures, and 2 boxes.)

Public bodies hold a range of information and content ranging from demographic, economic and meteorological data to art works, historical documents and books. Given the availability of information and communication technologies (ICTs) public sector information can play an important role in producing innovative value-added services and goods. Furthermore, these technologies also provide a wider population better access to educational and cultural knowledge. Both commercial opportunities and the wider spread of information have positive economic and social benefits. Knowledge is a source of competitive advantage in the "information economy", for this reason it is economically important that there is wide diffusion of public information. Governments also have a basic commitment that citizens have to access national cultural heritage such as paintings, monuments and books; and this is also important for social inclusion. To contribute to better conditions for learning, the digitisation of cultural and educational resources is fundamental. New communication tools, such as interactive Web sites and games, often also reach groups of people with no previous interest, notably if they allow personal participation. OECD countries have recently initiated many programmes which use these tools for cultural and educational content. The main emphasis of policies has shifted to improving access to available resources, and preservation of content created digitally ("digitally-born") receives increasing attention. Public Sector information (PSI) constitutes the "raw material" for a variety of products and services in applications across a wide range of industries, and analysis has concluded that it is an important economic asset. This study gives an overview of the main areas of PSI and their commercial applications. Currently geographic and meteorological information have the greatest economic potential; and so far their use has had positive impacts on employment and growth. Specifically combining various types of PSI has led to the development of innovative products such as location-based services. Technological innovation including the development of mobile networks open up further markets for PSI-based services, and better data quality and e.g. increased interoperability open up cross-border services. Industry structure has also been affected by ICTs; often higher value added producers have taken the place of previous intermediary distributors in the production value chain. Further, the roles of public and private firms are changing and the growth of mobile services markets stimulates the development of PSI business re-use further. To develop competitive PSI markets, most OECD countries have attempted to ensure private service providers face the same conditions as public institutions, enabled private sector access to public data and clarified conditions under which these data can be used. For example portals have been developed that provide an overview of available PSI and conditions for use. Important questions are: which access regimes and re-use arrangements maximise the positive economic and other benefits of PSI, and which may for example develop commercial activities based on government-created content/data. In some OECD countries access regimes allow commercial re-users have cheap and readily available access to PSI. They then add value to the public data and re-sell it to firms and consumers. Some studies argue that such open access regimes improve competitive market conditions for PSI re-use, stimulate economic growth and create jobs. However there are also arguments that commercial re-users may have low-cost access to data which was costly to create for the government, and that taxpayers may pay twice for the PSI content (once for creation of government content, and the second time when purchasing the content from a commercial re-user, although provided re-use is non-exclusive, users can also go to the original source for the original information, presumably at lower cost, but without value-added services). On the other hand, in other OECD countries, there are access regimes where the public sector holds public sector information for its own use or employs cost-recovery strategies that allow only limited and potentially expensive access. In this scenario there are arguments that potential consumers of this data may have only restricted access to it, and that this approach is more costly to the consumer and for the taxpayer. Moreover, the potential economic gains from development of new commercial activities based on PSI reuse may be foregone. The economic and equity arguments surrounding commercial re-use of public sector information and content are complex and deserve considerably more analysis and policy attention. If public sector content is to be more widely available through ICTs, it is crucial that cultural institutions have adequate in-house capacities and sustainable financial resources for digitisation. In many countries the cultural sector has faced cuts in public funding, and efficient digitisation has been a challenge for small and regional institutions. While public resources will remain important, private-public partnerships and the development of e-learning markets provide alternatives to finance content digitisation. Public sector information can also be sold and monetized to develop self-sustaining revenue streams helping data creation and digitisation efforts. Networks and interactive communities are also important because they allow cost reductions along the lines of open software development. With respect to copyright many challenges for content preservation and diffusion arise. This study addresses challenges and related policy issues with respect to both PSI and public sector content. It is a first review of the area of public sector information and content and it is proposed that follow-up work be carried out in this area, particularly on the economic and distributional aspects of different access, cost, pricing and distribution models for public sector information and content. (A bibliography is included. Selected examples of digital education institutions/projects, recommendations for online cultural content, and related abbreviations are annexed. Contains 7 figures, 17 boxes and 6 tables.)

The patterns of development of mass higher education in France and Belgium are compared. Student enrollment data, governmental measures taken to meet needs, and effects of the action within higher education are examined. Results of mass higher education in terms of its principal expectations and future prospects are also analyzed. France and Belgium are eighth and ninth respectively in the rate of increase in higher education from 1950 to 1965. In France the transition to mass higher education has led to a complete restructuring of the predominant sector of higher education, and the process is even now incomplete. Belgium has made this transition without significant alterations in the basic structure of its institutions. The cases of the two countries offer some suggestive material about the social consequences of different forms of system organizational structure in higher education. (SW)

The report describes regulation of philanthropic organizations by federal, state, and self-regulatory groups within the organizations. It is the final volume in a five volume series examining the relationship between nonprofit institutions and their donors. Topics discussed in the first part of this volume are regulation of the philanthropic sector, accountability with respect to financial reporting, solicitation and fund raising, and lobbying activities. Detailed procedures and pending legislation are reviewed concerning federal and state regulations. Section two examines tax incentives, matching grant programs, and regulation of charities in foreign countries. Special emphasis is on Canada and Great Britain. Other countries reviewed are Australia, France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, and Sweden. (Author/AV)

Canada has explored the use of satellites as a means to provide information and communications services to geographically isolated populations since 1962. Between 1972 and 1984, five series of satellites known as Anik A, B, C, and D and Hermes were launched. Each satellite provided expanded communications services, and each led to research and experiments in educational applications, some of which included joint ventures with other countries. For example, more than 20 Canadian organizations carried out technical and social experiments with the Hermes satellite, including direct-to-home television and radio broadcasting, tele-education, telemedicine, community interaction, administrative services, and native communications services. Research indicates that communications satellites far surpass their initial purpose of reaching remote populations. Current and future developments include two-way satellite technology, integration of satellites and computer assisted and managed instruction in distance education, and local and regional computer networking via satellite. Among the most important issues regarding the use of satellites for educational purposes are: (1) determining ownership and copyright of satellite programs; (2) integrating satellite educational services with existing terrestrial distribution systems; (3) determining cost-effectiveness of satellite delivered educational service; (4) evaluating student satisfaction and performance for educational services delivered by satellite; (5) establishing educational satellite consortia on a regional basis; and (6) deciding whether a satellite educational service should have one-way or two-way capabilities. (10 references) (DB)

French postsecondary education for 16- to 19-year-olds is divided into programs that lead to the Baccalaureats--general, technical, and vocational--and to the lower-level Certificat d'Aptitude Professionnel (CAP) and Brevet d'Etudes Professionnelles (BEP). A common mathematics core curriculum is specified for all CAP students, regardless of specialty. More specialized mathematics is taught related to the student's vocational area. Individual teachers can and do restructure the curriculum to fit the abilities and prior achievement of the particular class and their vocational requirements. Research shows that French vocational students improve their mathematics in a system that demands high standards of students. In higher-level vocational courses (Vocational Baccalaureat), the mathematics objectives are more specialized, reflecting a definite choice of vocational area by the candidate. French vocational students have an incentive to work hard at the general education part of their courses because of the role these play in opening up future opportunities to them. By contrast, British courses of postcompulsory education increasingly conform to established practice at advanced level in not requiring the study of mathematics in postcompulsory education. This neglect of a core subject area hinders progression within the qualifications systems, depresses attainment, and lowers aspirations of both teachers and students. (Contains 57 endnotes.) (YLB)

This report revises a 10-year-old study of the hotel and catering industry to reflect the developments during the decade. The report describes current French practices in the industry, including details of the structure of the industry in France and the way the industry works with government to influence the content of vocational education. The reports starts with a brief comparative profile of the work force in France and Great Britain, followed in section 2 by an account of the way government in France seeks to influence the affairs of the hotel and catering industry . Section 3 deals with the industry's trade associations in France, which are more diverse than those in Britain and appear to command wider support from employers. There follows in section 4 a summary of the state educational system with detailed accounts of the vocational qualifications it offers at all levels of the academic hierarchy. This section also looks at the examination system, the way work experience is regulated, the economics and training value of the French training hotels, and selection criteria for teachers and students. Cultural differences and their influence on vocational education and training are covered in section 5. Section 6 compares French and British methods of financing catering training through public funds, followed, in section 7, by examples of the work being done by an expanding private sector. Section 8 sets out the mechanisms used by French government departments to adjust the output of public vocational education and training to the industry's skill needs. Section 9 summarizes the findings of the report and draws some conclusions that are aimed to stimulate further consideration within the British hotel and catering industry. (KC)

Case studies of five French firms illustrate the impact of new work technologies on training. Liquid Corporation has embarked on changes in production technology in response to market needs. Four aspects of the change process are as follows: creating the climate for change, selecting operators, defining new training requirements, and training for new work technologies. At Computer Systems International, training is an integral part of management activities to keep employees who are involved in cutting-edge technology at the forefront of knowledge. The company faces the need to improve the cost effectiveness of training. The experience of Avionics, a leading manufacturer of aviation equipment, illustrates the initial stages of adaptation of training policies and practices to the uncertainties associated with technological change. Two phases in Avionics' organizational development are preparing workers to accept eventual, yet unclear changes and restructuring individual careers to cope with future uncertainties. At Control Panel Corporation, automation coupled with infinitely small margins of tolerance and very small room for inefficiency explain the pervasive upskilling of its labor force. At Intelligent Pots, Inc., training has preceded automation. Probably more important than formal training are the informal mechanisms of learning through participation and exchange of ideas. (12 references) (YLB)