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Farm labor contractors (FLCs) have become increasingly important in California agriculture. This report examines FLC background characteristics, business practices, and relationships with employers and farm workers, many of whom are seasonal and migrant workers. Over 300 FLCs, farm workers, and growers were interviewed in five California regions. More than 80 percent of the FLCs interviewed were male and Hispanic. Nearly half were born in the United States. They averaged 6 years of schooling in the United States or 3 years in Mexico, about a third had graduated from high school, and 23 percent had completed some college courses. Growers employed FLCs primarily to reduce paperwork and to help recruit and manage farm workers. FLC business and employment practices varied considerably among regions with varying labor demands. Many FLCs mentioned "cutthroat" competition and stated that lack of governmental enforcement of rules and regulations put honest contractors at a disadvantage. Over a third would like the government or university system to provide educational programs on legal, technical, and business aspects of labor contracting. Appendices include the survey instrument, research methodology, and payroll data. This document contains numerous tables and graphs. (LP)

A study investigated adults' motivation for participating in Marshall University's off-campus credit education program in adult education. The 38 respondents (56 percent of those contacted) received their master's degrees during 1982-1992. Ninety-five percent of the respondents were white, and 5 percent were African-American. Seventy-four percent were female. More than 90 percent were employed full time as they took courses. A mailed questionnaire asked subjects to report how much each of six factors (from the Education Participation Scale) motivated them to complete their programs. The factors were social contact, social stimulation, professional advancement, community service, external expectations, and cognitive interest. Each factor could be rated either 1 for "no influence," 2 for "little influence," 3 for "moderate influence," or 4 for "much influence." The two factors rated highest as motivators were professional advancement and cognitive interest. Community service was rated next highest as a motivator. The other factors, in descending order of influence, were external expectations, social contact, and social stimulation. (11 references) (CML)

A comparison of the motivational orientations of adult and vocational education graduates was made to determine the motivation for nontraditional students' participation in the off-campus credit programs leading to a master's degree at Marshall University (West Virginia). The population for this study consisted of all 319 vocational-technical education (VTE) master's degree recipients and all 68 adult education (AE) master's degree recipients who participated in off-campus degree programs at the university. Data were collected through a mailed survey that used a Likert-like scale to rank six factors: social contact, social stimulation, professional advancement, community service, external expectations, and cognitive interest as motivators. A total of 175 usable responses (55 percent) was received from the VTE graduates and 38 responses (56 percent) from the AE graduates after initial mailing and follow-up. Most respondents were women and more than 90 percent were white. The study showed that both groups indicated that the factor "professional advancement" was the greatest motivator for them to enroll in adult and vocational education courses, with cognitive interest the next most important factor. Recommendations were made to attract more nonwhite students into the program, to improve social contact between participants and professors, to develop courses with a high degree of intellectual stimulation, and to be aware of the importance of professional advancement to program participants. (Contains 10 references.) (KC)

A study was conducted to determine the motivation for nontraditional students' participation in the off-campus credit programs leading to a master's degree in vocational-technical education at Marshall University (West Virginia). The population for this study consisted of all 319 vocational-technical education (VTE) master's degree recipients for the years 1982-1991 who participated in off-campus degree programs in VTE at the university. Data were collected through a mailed survey that used a Likert-like scale to rank six factors: social contact, social stimulation, professional advancement, community service, external expectations, and cognitive interest as motivators. A total of 175 usable responses (55 percent) was received after initial mailing and follow-up. The study showed that the 175 degree recipients (most of whom were white and 30-34 years of age when they participated in the program) were more influenced in enrolling for professional advancement and cognitive interest reasons; they were least likely to be enrolled for social contact, social stimulation, and external expectations. Women were more likely than men to be enrolled for professional advancement and cognitive interest. Respondents aged 50-54 were more inclined to enroll for professional advancement, cognitive interest, community service, and external expectations reasons. Based on the study, recommendations were made to increase enrollment of nonwhite persons in the off-campus credit programs, to make program planners aware of the importance of professional development in student motivation, and to use cognitive interest factors to provide direction in programming decisions. (Contains 10 references.) (KC)

Based on findings that poorer schools tend to use computers mainly for drill work, while richer ones often use them for other purposes, such as supporting research and creativity, this project aimed to increase the understanding of how to best support teachers in inner-city schools. The project worked intensively with teachers from two inner-city elementary schools on using computers to enhance a problem-solving, cooperative approach to education. Teachers were trained while they had computers in their homes, helped to integrate computing into their curriculum, and supported while they implemented their plans. Results include findings about how best to teach teachers about new software, how long it takes teachers to learn about and use computers well, and how best to support teachers while they implement classroom plans. Learning to use new software proceeds in stages, and may require years for teachers to feel completely comfortable with sophisticated applications. Learning how to use computers and software is often much easier in collaboration with others than learning alone. Time spent with a computer at home helped build teachers' confidence for use in schools. Theoretical and practical learning about software, inside and outside the classroom, should be ongoing. Diffusion of interest about using computers can spread throughout a school, based on interesting projects some teachers are involved in. Schools need to provide time for teachers to learn about computers, and teachers will integrate computing into the curriculum in different ways. The paper includes an executive summary. (SWC)

A literature review was conducted to determine how women's role was seen in vocational education and development. The study reviewed the historical background of occupational gender segregation related to vocational education, reviewed and described the role of women and division of labor, and summarized labor market statistics concerning females in nontraditional vocational areas. Some of the conclusions drawn from the literature review are as follows: (1) vocational education grew out of the necessity to train workers in smokestack industries, but it has expanded its mission and clientele since the late 19th century; (2) sex equity would be socially useful in U.S. society; (3) more women in all age categories will enter the work force full time in a wider variety of occupations; (4) development has been viewed as the panacea for the economic ills of less-developed countries, yet in all countries women have lost ground relative to men as development has progressed; (5) public policy supports but does not ensure the entrance of women into nontraditional employment and training; (6) barriers inhibiting entry of women into nontraditional training and employment are complex and interrelated; and (7) strategies to overcome barriers must focus on changing institutions and providing individual support to women. (23 references) (KC)

In 1990, a study was conducted at Florida Community College at Jacksonville (FCCJ) to determine enrollment, withdrawal, and placement patterns in the college's floral design and marketing certificate program and to identify changes needed to strengthen the program. The program focused on the theory and practice of floral design and marketing, complemented by courses in employability skills, entrepreneurship, and salesmanship. The sample for the study was a nonrandom sample of all 278 students who had enrolled in the program from fall 1987 through spring 1990. Major findings of the study were as follows: (1) program enrollments increased in each year of the study, and most of the enrolled student were female; (2) although there were no minority students enrolled in the program in its first year, minority enrollment increased every year thereafter; (3) withdrawal rates fluctuated greatly every term, with the highest rate of attrition (36%) occurring in winter 1988; (4) fewer students enrolled in the management courses than in the three design courses, and only 32 students enrolled in the cooperative internship program over the 3 years; (5) only seven students completed all course requirements for the program since its inception, many leaving because they had acquired jobs with the skills attained before program completion; (6) all of the program graduates were employed in the floral industry, with over half employed full-time; and (7) 48% of the non-graduates were employed in the floral industry, with the remainder employed in other areas. Recommendations for program improvement are included. (JMC)

A total of 235 vocational, technical, and adult education (VTAE) master's degree recipients participated in a study to determine motivation for participation in off-campus credit programs. The study population participated in off-campus degree programs in VTAE at Marshall University (West Virginia). An information sheet collected demographic and situational data. The Education Participation Scale (Boshier, 1982) was used to determine the motivational orientation. The 40 items on the 4-point response scale were divided into 6 factors: social contact, social stimulation, professional advancement, community service, external expectations, and cognitive interest. Findings indicated that graduates were more inclined to be enrolled for professional advancement and cognitive interest reasons. Older participants were more inclined to be enrolled for community service reasons. Motivational orientations were found to differ among persons in different occupational fields. The study was recommended as baseline data for further studies in motivational research pertaining to VTAE. (Appendixes include a list of 10 references, 2 figures, and 4 tables.) (YLB)

Let $(M,g)$ be a time oriented Lorentzian manifold and $d$ the Lorentzian distance on $M$. The function $\tau(q):=\sup_{p< q} d(p,q)$ is the cosmological time function of $M$, where as usual $p< q$ means that $p$ is in the causal past of $q$. This function is called regular iff $\tau(q) < \infty$ for all $q$ and also $\tau \to 0$ along every past inextendible causal curve. If the cosmological time function $\tau$ of a space time $(M,g)$ is regular it has several pleasant consequences: (1) It forces $(M,g)$ to be globally hyperbolic, (2) every point of $(M,g)$ can be connected to the initial singularity by a rest curve (i.e., a timelike geodesic ray that maximizes the distance to the singularity), (3) the function $\tau$ is a time function in the usual sense, in particular (4) $\tau$ is continuous, in fact locally Lipschitz and the second derivatives of $\tau$ exist almost everywhere., Comment: 19 pages, AEI preprint, latex2e with amsmath and amsthm