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The United States has slid into educational mediocrity when compared to international peers which threatens Americans' ability to adapt in an evolving economy, be productive and content at work, put down deep roots in their communities, and help their nation continue to lead on the world stage. That decline has especially harsh consequences for the Midwest, which has seen industrial instability, slow population growth, and striking inequality of opportunity in rural and urban areas. This report uses Wisconsin as a model, proposing new education reforms for Great Lakes and Great Plains states. These reforms rely on states' unique midwestern characteristics to generate opportunity, prosperity, and purpose. In this paper, Mike Gallagher proposes eight ideas, coupled into four categories including: (1) transforming the classroom by bringing back phonics-based reading instruction, getting high-quality teachers into the profession, and helping these teachers mentor the next generation of educators; (2) growing urban and rural choice by funding district and choice students equally and making better investments in high-speed rural internet; (3) modernizing school bureaucracy by using a Yelp-like school enrollment system to empower parents to seek out quality and moving school board elections to the general Election Day to boost participation; and (4) promoting working-class college by encouraging "Guided Pathway" reforms at technical colleges, creating more flexible technical college programs and funding mechanisms, and allowing 529-style accounts to cover apprenticeship expenses, not just college costs.

Bridge-to-college programs aim to help people complete high school and enroll in postsecondary education, two milestones that increase access to economic opportunity. These programs help students obtain their high school credentials while encouraging postsecondary transition and success. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) in Green Bay, Wisconsin, implemented a bridge-to-college program in 2015 to help more students earn their GED credentials and transition to postsecondary education. This GED Bridge program had three components that distinguished it from NWTC's traditional GED class, called GED Prep 2: (1) a NWTC-developed "contextualized" curriculum -- one that focused on original texts and materials related to specific careers (to build students' academic skills and raise their awareness of those careers) -- in contrast to GED Prep 2 classes that focused on GED test preparation materials; (2) individual support to help students plan their transition to postsecondary education, plus career exploration and transition planning in class; and (3) managed cohort enrollment, meaning that students started each class section together, in contrast to the open enrollment of the GED Prep 2 class where new students could enroll at any time. This report describes an evaluation of NWTC's GED Bridge program that included impact, implementation, and cost analyses. The impact analysis employed a random assignment design. Eligible applicants were randomly assigned to either the GED Bridge class or the GED Prep 2 class and followed for 18 months. The research team used administrative data to measure differences in class attendance and persistence, GED testing and completion, and enrollment in postsecondary education. This evaluation contributes to a small but growing body of research that suggests that bridge-to-college programs may be effective in improving both GED completion and postsecondary enrollment.

With the majority of "good jobs" that pay a family-sustaining wage requiring at least some college education -- such as a technical certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree or another credential of value -- ensuring the existence of high-quality postsecondary CTE [Career Technical Education] programs and programs of study is more important than ever before in preparing learners for high-skill, high-wage and high-demand careers. Although postsecondary programs are typically considered to be the purview of individual institutions, supported by academic freedom and local control, states have an important role to play in ensuring that each learner has access to only high-quality and relevant programs, notably by leveraging program approval and program evaluation policies and processes. This report from Advance CTE explores how states are leveraging this role to ensure quality. The report examines examples of the role states can play in ensuring postsecondary CTE program quality in California, Florida and Wisconsin.

In 2012, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) released its Reentry Education Model, an evidence-based effort "to bridge the gap between prison and community-based education and training programs." The model focuses on establishing a strong program infrastructure, strengthening and aligning correctional and reentry education services, and integrating education into the correctional system. Three demonstration projects -- two education providers working with county jails and another working with state prisons -- were selected through a competitive process and received grant funding to help implement the model beginning in March 2013. This report uses observations from the first full year of the Promoting Reentry Success Through Continuity of Educational Opportunities (PRSCEO) demonstration projects to tell the story of each site's implementation of the Reentry Education Model and to look across the three sites to identify the model's strengths and limitations. Following brief descriptions of the three demonstration projects, the report examines target audiences for the model, identifying key differences noted at the demonstration site working with state prisons versus the two working with county jails. Using the structure of the original model, the report then addresses the experiences of the demonstration sites under the broad categories of program infrastructure, education services, and intake and prerelease processes. Within each section, a discussion ensues about the ways in which the model can be revised to reflect the lessons learned at each of the PRSCEO demonstration sites during implementation of their projects.

Postsecondary education and credentials are key to economic mobility for individuals and economic competitiveness for our nation. Although the economic return to credentials varies significantly by field of study, generally workers with higher levels of education have higher wages, work more hours, and suffer lower rates and shorter durations of unemployment. As routine jobs are giving way to work environments necessitating higher-order communication and analytical skills, employers are requiring existing workers to upgrade their skills to stay employed. They are also using educational and occupational credentials in the hiring process to find the most qualified workers and as a screen for adaptability and trainability. Driven by economic mobility and competitiveness concerns, policy leaders at all levels are setting goals for increasing postsecondary credential attainment. States are also actively engaged in or moving toward performance-based funding for higher education that rewards colleges for improving the rate at which students complete college and attain marketable credentials. Another driver of interest in stackable credentials is that policymakers are seeking ways to document the skills veterans learned during military service to help them reintegrate into the domestic workforce. The U.S. Department of Labor defines a stackable credential as one that is "part of a sequence of credentials that can be accumulated over time to build up an individual's qualifications and help them to move along a career pathway or up a career ladder to different and potentially higher-paying jobs." As discussed in this paper, states and colleges are achieving stackability in a variety of ways to optimize credential attainment and build multiple on and off ramps to postsecondary credentials for people as they prepare to enter the workforce, aim to upgrade their skills to keep a job, advance to a better job, or move from one field of work to another. The following are appended: (1) Credentials; (2) Figures; and (3) Acknowledgements.

With open admission policies, reasonable tuition rates, and convenient locations, community colleges are a good choice for many who want to improve their career outlooks or explore college to see whether a four-year program is for them. Yet, no matter their reason for entering, most students do not leave with a degree. For many years, federal and state governments have tried to increase college completion among low-income students through targeted, need-based financial aid. Although state budgets for financial aid have increased, state appropriations to support colleges and help keep tuition low have stagnated. To build evidence for state policy, RAND researchers examined the Wisconsin Grant program for technical college students. This study focused on students who applied for aid to attend one of the 16 technical colleges that make up the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) and did so at any time during the 2010-2011 to 2014-2015 school years. The study sought to answer two questions: (1) Did Wisconsin Grant aid help increase graduation rates from technical colleges?; and (2) How might financial aid policy be adjusted to improve graduation for those who most need aid? Given the existence of federal aid programs, it is unclear whether the state should provide additional help to the poorest families or complement that aid with help to middle-income families. This study therefore investigated where Wisconsin Grants had their largest impact.

Although high school completion rates have slowly increased over the past several decades, nearly 30 million adults today still lack a high school credential and, as a result, face a significant barrier to both higher education and employment opportunities. Policymakers and practitioners in the adult education field are searching for ways to improve the quality of programs that prepare students for high school equivalency exams, particularly in the past few years due to changes to the General Educational Development (GED) exam. The GED exam is intended to meet Common Core standards as well as to test students on the skills and knowledge required for them to transition to postsecondary education or training, and ultimately to careers. As such, GED preparation programs have been adapting their curriculum and services to focus on careers in which workers are in high demand. This movement has been part of a broader approach called career pathways, which aims to improve students' basic educational and occupational skills while they earn high school and technical credentials as well as postsecondary certifications or degrees. MDRC described the four main elements of this career-focused GED curriculum model in "A Career Approach to GED Instruction" (ED558494) in April 2015. These elements are (1) a career-focused curriculum; (2) support services to help students enter college or a career; (3) direct connections to postsecondary institutions; and (4) managed cohort enrollment. An example of the model is the GED Bridge to College and Career (GED Bridge) program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC). MDRC is currently evaluating NWTC's GED Bridge program. This case study describes the program components, the characteristics of the students in the evaluation, and early implementation findings.

This publication includes 13 articles: (1) ATE [Advanced Technological Education] Attuned to Global Competition; (2) Materials Science Center Supplies Information on Often-Overlooked Field; (3) CSEC [Cyber Security Education Consortium] Builds Corps of Cyber Technicians; (4) KCTCS [Kentucky Community and Technical College System] Is U.S. Partner for New Siemens Certificate Program; (6) Faculty Externships Make Impact on Campuses; (7) Stark State College's Fuel Cell Prototyping Center Is "Unique Resource"; (8) Process Technician Internships Alter Corporate Hiring Strategies; (9) (npt)[superscript 2] [National Network for Pulp and Paper Technology Training Center] Provides Competitive Edge; (10) CVCC [Central Virginia Community College] Nuclear Science Modules Try to Close Gap in Students' Understanding of Science; (11) Lee College Center Focuses on Fieldbus Technology; (12) Partnerships Integrate Renewable Energy Technologies; and (13) SCME [Southwest Center for Microsystems Education] in Microsystems Manufacturing Hotbed.

The Legislative Audit Bureau of the State of Wisconsin analyzed financial issues concerning the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). The MATC District is the largest district in Wisconsin's technical college system, with 12,504 FTE students enrolled and 1,944 staff in the 2001-02 academic year. Operating expenses for that year were $152.0 million. This report covers the following topics: (1) MATC's financial status; (2) financial management issues, including management of revenue resources, compensation for administrators, and contracting for professional services; (3) employee wages and benefits; and (4) MATC's governance, including adherence to state statutes and the Board's policies. In 2001-02, local property taxes provided nearly half of MATC's operating revenues, state grants and aid provided 19.8% of the budget, and tuition and fees contributed 15.7%. The report contends that MATC cannot raise additional operating revenue by increasing property tax rates because it has been at the statutory mill rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value since 1990-91. In addition, state aid to the district has declined. The report points out that the MATC fees for providing specialized training to businesses do not cover costs, and business incubators are losing money. Among the recommendations made is that MATC discontinue hiring outside contractors to perform duties that could be performed by senior administrators. (Contains 25 tables.) (NB)

This report describes the 1997-99 biennium activities of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board. Part 1 provides an Agency Overview. Details are given on mission and purpose, cooperative relationships, the State Board, the State Board Staff, and WTCS Districts. Part 2 explores the 1997-99 Budget and Policy Actions. It discusses the 1997-99 budget, major statutory legislation, and WTCS policies. Part 3 provides a Review of Performance and Operations. The section expounds upon the following topics: enrollment and expenditures, enrollment by age and sex, minority enrollment, recruitment and retention, graduate follow-up, new and expanding occupations, basic education, economic development, services to high school students, cooperation with the University of Wisconsin system, WTCS and the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), services provided to students with special needs, displaced homemaker program, sex equity, and alternative work patterns. Finally, Part 4 explores the 1999-2001 Strategic Directions and Statutory Changes. It includes a look at the 1999-01 Biennial Budget, which contains the following significant provisions: WTCS general aid, grant program for recent high school graduates, WTCS capacity building program, WTCS skilled workforce courses, financing of capital expenditures for applied technology centers, Work-Based Learning Board, and report to the legislature on transfer of WTCS credits to the UW system. Part 4 also delineates strategic directions. (VWC)

Wisconsin's school-to-work initiative, which was established in 1991, consists of six major components: local partnerships; youth apprenticeships; career counseling centers; tech prep; youth options; and at-risk youth programs. These programs are administered by Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and Department of Workforce Development (DWD), and the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). Local school districts generally develop and implement their own school-to-work programs, and the state provides oversight, technical assistance, and coordination activities (primarily through cooperative efforts involving the DPI, DWD, and WTCS). The University of Wisconsin is involved in the following areas of the school-to-work initiative: program transfer agreements; competency-based admission process; teacher preparation; curriculum development; and research. In 1998-99, a total of $7.2 million in federal and state funds were allocated to state agencies for Wisconsin's school-to-work initiative. School districts, WTCS districts, and partnerships also allocated funds for the initiative. The initiative's tech prep programs are developed and implemented locally by tech prep consortia consisting of a WTCS district and all K-12 districts within the WTCS district's boundaries. Each consortium's tech prep program must include six components: articulation agreement; curriculum; inservice teacher training; counselor training; preparatory services; and equal access for special populations. (MN)

The Graduate Follow-up Survey is conducted annually by the Wisconsin Technical College System board to gather data regarding the activities and perceptions of recent technical college graduates. The 1997-98 survey identifies graduates' current activities, determines the extent to which these activities are related to the graduates' educational programs, offers information to be used as tools in career awareness and planning, and provides data to facilitate program evaluation and development. A total of 15,646 Wisconsin technical college graduates were surveyed statewide, with 12,830 participants (82%) responding. The majority of respondents, 46%, said their reason for attending a technical college was to prepare for employment, while 21% said it was to make a career change. The remaining 33% were divided in their motivations for technical training among personal interests, preparing for continuing education, improving job skills, and miscellaneous reasons. Findings indicate that 97% of the graduates were satisfied or very satisfied with their training, 96% are employed; 90% are employed in Wisconsin; and 83% obtained employment in occupations related to their training. The survey also includes median annual salaries by instructional division, with data divided according to the following categories: technical ($28,000); service ($25,200); industrial ($24,022); marketing ($23,778); health ($21,948); business ($21,838); graphics (20,798); agribusiness ($19,758); and home economics ($16,379). The survey instrument is appended. (AS)

This report describes phase VI of the Equity Staff Development project, an ongoing project to achieve equity and diversity at Wisconsin technical colleges by creating an institutional climate supporting achievement by all students. Among the project's major activities and outcomes are the following: the existing train-the-trainer format of peer coaching, mentoring, and observation was continued through a statewide model staff development course called Creating an Inclusive Educational Environment (CIEE); technical assistance was provided to district staff involved in planning strategies for achieving gender equity and diversity; 60 individuals representing 16 technical colleges completed a staff development needs assessment/interest survey; statewide staff development training was provided to technical college district personnel and members of the Vocational Equity Leadership Cadre; a Wisconsin nontraditional roundtable meeting was conducted for individuals working with women employed in higher-wage occupations; and a self-evaluation instrument was developed to help technical college districts evaluate their programs' equity and diversity. Appendixes constituting approximately 90% of this document contain the following: comparison of an educational diversity certification course and the CIEE course; equity staff development survey instrument/results; Wisconsin Vocational Equity Leadership Cadre agendas and evaluations; equity action research workshop materials; and Wisconsin nontraditional occupations roundtable meeting agenda and evaluation. (MN)

This document contains materials about and from an assessment of Wisconsin's associate degree marketing program. The document begins with a report containing the following: marketing program mission and vision statements; overview, conclusions, and recommendations of an assessment of marketing education needs in which recent graduates of the associate degree marketing program, employers of recent program graduates, and instructors currently teaching in the program participated in focus groups that examined the program's curriculum, instruction, delivery, and outcomes; overview of a program outcome study in which a group of 30 marketing program outcome statements was reviewed by technical college instructors and business and industry representatives, narrowed to a group of 15 outcome statements, and developed as competency-based curriculum units; summaries of the 15 outcomes along with core abilities, performance criteria, learning objectives, conditions, learning activities, and performance assessment guidelines; study recommendations and implementation strategies; and program outcomes. Appendixes constituting approximately 85% of the report contain the following: regional program outcome meeting agenda and participants list; agenda of the postsecondary planning meeting; survey instrument; list of business and industry participants; ranking of program outcomes; curriculum writer's workshop agenda; classification of objectives in the three learning domains; program outcome audit; and PowerPoint presentation. (MN)

The Wisconsin Technical College System Board Phase V Equity Staff Development project continued staff development efforts to eliminate bias and stereotyping in vocational education. Based upon evaluations indicating a need for a postsecondary equity training model, five technical college equity representatives attended two planning sessions to discuss strategies for development of an equity action research model. A vision statement, mission statements, and goals were formulated. Following two meetings, the project director developed a draft course, Creating an Inclusive Educational Environment (CIEE). Consensus of focus groups was that a great impact on equity awareness had occurred as a result of the adapted Gender/Ethnic Expectations and Student Achievement course and this effort should be continued. Four technical colleges conducted staff development training classes with 56 participants. An Equity Action Research Workshop was offered as a preconference to the Governor's Employment and Training Conference in April 1996. This workshop provided opportunities for 44 persons in the trades, technical colleges, and community-based organizations to discuss programs designed to increase and support women's employment in the skilled trades. (Appendixes include the following: CIEE rationale, vision statement, course outline, and lesson plans; focus group discussions; and Wisconsin Nontraditional Employment for Women Roundtable Meeting agenda and discussion synopsis and notes.) (YLB)

Wisconsin's Youth Apprenticeship Program in printing (YAP) features the following elements: competency-based curriculum and assessment systems; 2-year, part-time paid training and work experiences at one or more printing companies; work-based mentoring; technical college instruction in printing technology and some academic courses; integrated academic and vocational instruction; and collaborative school and industry oversight. The YAP was subjected to a 2-year evaluation of its short- and long-term effects. The evaluation compared the experiences of the following groups at five YAP sites: all graduating YAP seniors; all printing co-op seniors; all seniors who had been or were currently enrolled in at least one printing-related course; and students in one subject class who were not enrolled in a college preparation or vocational program. The following were among the data collection activities conducted: interviews with samples of students, graduates, employers, principals, and program coordinators; reviews of student records; and site visits. Compared with their peers, YAP graduates had maintained lower rates of absenteeism while in school and were more likely to show a strong interest in the printing industry and long-term career plans and more likely to have concrete long-term educational plans. The YAP also provided multiple benefits for participating schools and employers. (Forty-nine tables/figures are included. Four supplementary tables are appended.) (MN)

A staff development program on gender equity was conducted for personnel in Wisconsin's technical colleges using the train-the-trainer method. The training took two approaches: a class for college personnel and career challenge training for project directors of single parent and displaced homemaker grants. The inservice class resulted in increased sensitivity to diversity and raised awareness of staff responsibility for an equitable environment. The model used mentoring, peer coaching, and classroom observation to develop strategies that create a supportive, more equitable learning environment for all students. Participants included 166 people involved in research to improve interaction within the technical colleges. Career challenge facilitators work with single parents and displaced homemakers to help them develop appropriate skills to enter and complete nontraditional courses leading to higher wage occupations. The 1-week course for these trainers consisted of problem solving, trust building, and risk taking to help women develop self-confidence and make decisions regarding future training and work. Four persons now have facilitator training credentials that enable them to train others to conduct career challenge courses. Recommendations were made to continue the staff development efforts and to enhance the training efforts for those who have already completed training by providing continuing support workshops. (Appendixes making up more than half the document include materials from the workshops, materials for facilitating an inclusive college environment, and materials from the career challenge facilitators' workshop.) (KC)

Since 1988, Western Wisconsin Technical College (WWTC) has taken a leadership role in integrating institutional effectiveness activities within the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). In December 1992, the WTCS Administrators Association and the WTCS State Board agreed to work with the University of Michigan's Community College Consortium to develop an institutional effectiveness model that would provide a valid and consistent means of evaluating the performance of each college and the system as a whole. The statewide effectiveness modeling project sought to identify core indicators that could be used by WTCS colleges to respond to accountability initiatives, accreditation requirements, federal reporting requirements, and quality management initiatives. In its adaptation of the statewide model, WWTC took the following steps: (1) representatives were selected to attend a state conference on institutional effectiveness; (2) an institutional effectiveness committee was formed; (3) the committee adapted the WTCS model by determining whether each core indicator in the model applied to the mission of WWTC and whether it could be measured using the resources available at WWTC; and (4) measurable factors of institutional effectiveness were identified for each core indicator in the categories of student achievement and satisfaction; organizational quality, harmony, and efficiency; public perception and satisfaction; and employer satisfaction. While this model helps detail the WTCS's commitment to its mission and purpose, WWTC has found that the Deming Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle of improvement provides the methodology for continuous improvement. (KP)

The Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Phase III Equity Staff Development project was conducted to determine strategies to eliminate sex bias and sex role stereotyping throughout the WTCS. The following project activities were conducted: (1) the WTCS sex equity advisory committee was formed to provide continuity and direction for state staff development activities; (2) sex equity training and career exploration was taught in conferences and workshops; and (3) career challenge activities were incorporated in the activities of single-parent and displaced homemaker projects in order to encourage more women to go into nontraditional occupations. (The bulk of this report consists of five appendixes that contain the materials from the following activities: a gender and ethnic expectations and student achievement workshop; WTCS sex equity advisory committee meetings; the Wisconsin Sex Equity Conference; the career challenge workshop for displaced homemakers and single parents; and a career challenge facilitators' workshop. (KC)

During the 1993-94 program year, the 16 local Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) postsecondary districts delivered a total of 98,191 services to 36,071 clients through grant activities funded by the Carl D. Perkins Act. The WTCs board developed a format and process for reporting performance measures. All 16 WTCS districts exceeded the 35% standard set for program graduates, the 75% standard set for reported employment, and the 40% standard set for grant activity/training outcomes. Postsecondary-level vocational training and related services were provided to large numbers of special needs clients, including the following: 1,301 single parents, displaced homemakers, and single pregnant women; 7,870 disabled individuals; 2,531 limited English proficient individuals; and 53,535 economically and academically disadvantaged individuals. State staff consultants conducted 115 program evaluations and 11 service evaluations in 1993-94, approved 9 new programs, and discontinued 23 programs. Extensive activities were also conducted in the areas of state leadership and professional development, delivery of training through community-based organizations, consumer and homemaking education, integration of applied academics into vocational education, and career guidance and counseling. (Abstracts describing six exemplary VE programs are attached.) (MN)

The Phase II Equity Staff Development project was revised in response to a need to develop an equity strategic planning model with a vision statement, goals, and objectives. The Equity Strategic Planning Model was presented to administrators of Wisconsin Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education (VTAE) colleges for their use in district strategic planning. One staff development workshop, featuring the best sex equity practices in the VTAE colleges, was conducted for 27 participants. This working conference was intended to assist colleges in identifying successful programs that promote gender equity issues within colleges and curriculum. Another revision consisted of two Career Challenge train-the-trainer workshops. This experiential training was conducted for 29 persons who directed programs that focused on recruiting women into nontraditional, technical and trade occupations. The course included the following: trust building activities, goal setting, problem solving, peak experiences, and environmental and ropes course challenge activities. Participants incorporated activities into existing programs for single parents, welfare recipients, displaced homemakers, and reentry programs. (The seven-page report is followed by these appendixes: materials from the best practices showcase, Equity Strategic Planning Model, Sex Equity Advisory Committee meetings agendas and minutes, information on the Gender/Ethnic Expectations and Student Achievement program, and workshop materials.) (YLB)

A study of the aging work force and vocational education trends in Wisconsin was conducted using the following methods: literature review, analysis of a sample of 10% of Wisconsin technical college student records for 1986-1990, a focus group discussion with 5 employers and one with 10 adult students over 40, and a telephone survey of 100 employers and one of 200 students over 40 at Fox Valley Technical College. Among the conclusions are the following: (1) progress is hampered by the multiple meanings of such terms as "aging work force,""older worker,""lifelong learning," and "training"; (2) skills obsolescence is the greatest single issue, the scope of which is difficult to determine; (3) older adults need better information about the importance of continuing education to successful employment; (4) programs for disadvantaged mature workers should be prevention oriented rather than crisis oriented; (5) employers may not be the best judges of current and future skill levels; (6) technical colleges need a better understanding of the adult clientele; (7) age discrimination still exists in employment and education; and (8) continued training and skill upgrading are needed by all employees, necessitating a more formal approach to employee training. (The report includes the following: 41 charts, 16 tables, 27 references, 3 appendices containing employer and adult student survey forms and focus group questions, and an annotated bibliography of 14 items.) (NLA)

A study analyzed attitudinal and demographic factors that influence women's choices of traditional and nontraditional training programs. A career choice survey was constructed, based on results of responses by four focus groups to questions regarding training program selection. The survey was completed by 532 women students in 15 technical colleges. Surveys were grouped according to respondent's training program--traditional, nontraditional, or gender balanced. Study subjects were 204 women students who had previously participated in a preenrollment women's project; the control group consisted of 328 respondents who had not received special career planning services. Survey results uncovered few differences among the three groups of students. Nontraditional students had significantly higher levels of career and life-style self-efficacy and indicated greater knowledge of nontraditional careers and training opportunities. Although all three groups believed others supported their occupational choice, nontraditional students perceived greater encouragement to explore nontraditional classes. Nontraditional students' scores on the occupational attractiveness subscale were significantly higher. A chi-square revealed a relationship between participation in a preenrollment project and subsequent choice of training program. Recommendations were made regarding recruitment of women, use of Brooks' motivational model of occupational choice, use of role models, and effect of sex equity project participation on enrollment in nontraditional training. (Contains 17 references.) (YLB)

Tables, graphs, and charts are provided in this report on trends in operational planning data in the Wisconsin Vocational, Technical and Adult Education (VTAE) system for the period from 1979-80 to 1988-89. Four operational data sets are analyzed: full-time equivalent (FTE) and headcount enrollments and cost per FTE; VTAE graduates; operational faculty and staff compensation; and district finances. Data are presented for the state as a whole and for each district. In addition, data are provided on new programs, school personnel and salaries, revenue sources, and tuition and fees. Highlighted findings include the following: (1) state VTAE FTE enrollment peaked in 1982-83 at 64,303, followed by declines ranging from 1% to 6.5% in most subsequent years, but an increase of 2.2% in 1988-89; (2) overall, only about 21% of program enrollments were full-time students; (3) 14 of 16 districts had a majority of female enrollments; (4) associate degree graduates represented an increasing proportion of the system's total number of graduates, growing from 38.8% in 1975-76 to 51.1% in 1988-89; and (5) the 113 new degree programs that were introduced between 1980 and 1989 produced 963 graduates in 1988-89. A final section lists several common, but mistaken beliefs about labor market projections, high technology occupations, enrollment management, and fiscal planning and management. (JMC)

The Wisconsin Workplace Partnership Literacy (WPL) Program provided job-specific basic skills education to employees at 11 worksites. A total of 1,441 employees were recruited to participate in on-site competency-based educational activities to upgrade their basic skills sufficiently for job retention or advancement. Participants were encouraged to continue their education. Blackhawk, Gateway, Mid-State, Milwaukee Area, and Waukesha County Technical Colleges were the local partners. The evaluation addressed two major questions: To what extent did the project attain its objectives? and What impact did the project have on participants and employers? The evaluation was conducted by gathering numerical data from the sites and interviewing 21 participants as well as company, union, college, and state agency representatives. Evaluation questions were grouped into two categories: 23 questions related to project objectives; and 6 questions related to participant outcomes. Three recommendations were highlighted: (1) Wisconsin should have a strategic plan for the development of workplace literacy programs; (2) the peer advisor feature should receive additional attention; and (3) program designs should consider after-school programs to raise the female participation rate. (Nine appendices are included: (1) partners' interview schedule; (2) participants' interview script and schedule; (3) informed consent form; (4) peer advisors' interview script and schedule; (5) state partners' interview schedule; (6) supervisors' interview schedule; (7) third-party evaluator schedule; (8) evaluation questions and data sources; and (9) summary of participant comments.) (NLA)

In this paper, we leverage the random assignment of a need-based financial aid grant offer--the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars (FFWS) grant--and several sets of administrative records to provide experimental evidence on the effects of the grant offer on students' in-state employment and earnings. For students in four-year universities, our results demonstrate significant employment reductions in the two years immediately following the aid offer as well as in the sixth, seventh, and eighth after receiving the randomized grant offer. We also find the aid offer to reduce these students' in-state earnings throughout the full eight-year period we study. However, we show that the aid offer increases student grade point average, suggesting that the employment and earnings reductions during students' in-college years are attributable to a reallocation of time and effort away from employment and toward coursework. For students' post-college years, we provide suggestive evidence that the reductions are attributable to a combination of two mechanisms: 1) Reduced loan debt offering greater financial flexibility when selecting among employment options, and 2) Offer-induced outstate migration. We find little evidence that the FFWS grant offer affects the labor market outcomes of students in two-year institutions, although the effects for students in technical colleges are significantly more positive than the effects for students in two-year colleges in the University of Wisconsin System. [Financial support for this research was provided by the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars (FFWS).]