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Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency program (TTW) was designed to enhance the market for services that help disability beneficiaries become economically self-sufficient by providing beneficiaries with a wide range of choices for obtaining services and to give employment-support service providers new financial incentives to serve beneficiaries effectively. Although results suggest that TTW slightly increases beneficiary use of employment services, analysis of trends in TTW payment data suggests that the program would have to induce future shifts in beneficiary behavior that are much larger than what has been observed so far in order to meet Congressional expectations. In assessing the TTW market, this evaluation looked at its three key components: (1) Beneficiary demand for services; (2) Supply of providers willing to serve those beneficiaries; and (3) Social Security Administration (SSA) efforts to facilitate market operations. Findings include: (1) TTW participation continues to grow slowly; (2) Significant growth potential exists for TTW participation; (3) Outreach might substantially stimulate TTW participation; (4) Many beneficiaries, especially Ticket participants, already use services to support employment efforts, including traditional employment supports and health-related services; (5) Participants facing return-to-work challenges other than disability are more likely than others to assign their Tickets to employment networks (ENs) rather than to state vocational rehabilitation agencies (SVRAs); (6) Participants who assign their Tickets to ENs received fewer services than those who assigned their Tickets to SVRAs and were generally less satisfied with services received; (7) TTW has neither substantially expanded the number of private providers that serve beneficiaries nor substantially changed service delivery; (8) Current TTW payment systems provide few financial incentives for ENs to participate actively in the TTW market, although It is noted that proposed new regulations will offer strengthened financial incentives to ENs; (9) SSA has completed TTW rollout and is attempting to address remaining trouble spots, especially payment speed and complexity; (10) Changes in administrative procedures appear to have started a shift toward an SSA culture that is more supportive of return-to-work. Assessing the progress and future of TTW depends fundamentally on expectations for the program. Overall progress toward increasing the employment of people with severe disabilities will require greater acceptance of the idea that many such individuals can successfully support themselves if provided with employment assistance. By sending out Tickets, recruiting new providers, training its staff, and improving how it tracks beneficiary employment, SSA has helped to nurture greater acceptance of employment options for beneficiaries. The challenge remains to build on this developing mindset to sustain policy, programmatic, and market momentum for improving the economic integration of people with disabilities into American life. Five appendixes are noted in the table of contents: (1) Ticket to Work Timeline and Rollout Phase; (2) National Beneficiary Survey Data Tables and Analyses; (3) Beneficiary Participation Statistics; (4) Methodological Approach to Estimating the Impact of Ticket to Work; and (5) Defining the Adequacy of Incentives (AOI) Groups Using Survey and Administrative Data. (Individual chapters contain footnotes and exhibits.) [This report was developed in collaboration with Cornell University Institute for Policy Research. Appendixes B through E are not available from ERIC.]

Many, but not all, of the admissions selection criteria favored by U.S. colleges and universities unwittingly create incentives for educational dysfunctional behavior by secondary students, teachers and administrators, and by voters in school budget referenda. These include nerd harassment, peer cultures that denigrate achievement, various efforts by students to take the easy road to graduation, and practices by teachers that reward students who have not really done the work. Tests, such as the Scholastic Assessment Tests and the ACT Assessment, do not really assess the material that students should learn. They are actually aptitude tests, and aptitude has become the leading consideration in college admission. There is evidence that curriculum-based external examinations improve teacher-student relationships and the norms of the student peer culture. Many of the dysfunctional effects of basing admissions decisions on course grades and rank in class could be eliminated if colleges had perfect information about the instructional quality and grading standards of each course taught at each high school and then could adjust the grades to a common metric. Of course, this is not possible, but some adjustments can be made to admissions policies. Especially useful would be the use of curriculum-based external assessments in place of the current college entrance examinations. (Contains 2 figures, 12 endnotes, and 37 references.) (SLD)

A key component of a quality early care and education system for young children is the early childhood workforce--teachers and others who work directly with children, as well as directors and administrators. This paper explores a number of issues central to early childhood teacher education in New York State. The paper first describes the educational "rungs" on the current occupational ladders in public school kindergarten, child care, and Head Start, with particular reference to the educational requirements attached to the various pathways. A second "fact-finding" aspect of the paper involves documenting the current capacity of higher education institutions in New York offering the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and associate's, bachelor's and master's degree programs in early childhood teacher preparation, as well as assessing the capacity of these programs to meet the current and future needs of New York's early care and education system. Because access to teacher certification often depends on how CDA and community college programs articulate with four-year institutions, a third component of the paper consists of lessons learned from an articulation case study involving an informal consortium of a State University of New York four-year college and two community colleges. A fourth aspect explored in the paper is the resources and incentives available to adults in New York wishing to obtain early childhood teaching credentials, either prior to workforce entry or to support further education while employed. The paper includes results of inquiry into the dimensions of New York's Educational Incentive Program, a $10 million program designed to provide financial assistance for higher education coursework related to early childhood education. Other incentive programs existing throughout New York are discussed as well. Finally, the paper identifies gaps in existing knowledge about needs related to preparation of the early childhood workforce and proposes key areas for further inquiry. (HTH)

This study examined the determinants of school enrollment in Ghana, considering historical and social information to formulate an econometric model of school enrollment patterns for households. Data came from a 1989 survey of households in Ghana. The survey collected basic information about community characteristics, health and school facilities, and living conditions. This 1989 survey was the second in a series of surveys in Ghana. It included a sample of children age 6-20 years. Analysis of the data indicated that gender of the child and school attendance of the child's mother were the most significant predictors of school enrollment status. Boys were more likely to attend schools than girls, and girls were more likely to drop out of school than boys. Uneducated mothers were three times more likely to have children who did not attend school. Girls of mothers who did not attend school were 1.8 times more likely to drop out and half as likely to attend school than girls of mothers who attended school. The mean cost of schooling had no measurable effect on school enrollment status. (Contains 15 references and 4 tables.) (SM)

In 1997, New York State passed legislation implementing Universal Prekindergarten (UPK), a new educational program with the goal of providing a voluntary, high-quality preschool experience to all 4-year-olds and improving school readiness. One of the program requirements is that school districts contract out at least 10 percent of UPK funds to community-based providers such as child care centers. This study examined possible unanticipated consequences of UPK, especially those that could be detrimental to the overall system of early care for infants and toddlers. Information was collected through surveys and telephone interviews completed by child care resource and referral (CCR&R) agency directors and staff throughout the state, along with supplemental information from surveys conducted with district UPK coordinators. Findings and recommendations for enhancing the UPK program are highlighted under seven main topics: (1) CCR&R involvement in UPK implementation; (2) magnitude of potential UPK impact on infants and toddlers; (3) receipt of UPK funds; (4) perceived impacts on services to infants and toddlers; (5) competition for 4-year-olds; (6) community concerns; and (7) positive impacts. Findings indicated that the potential magnitude of UPK impact on infant and toddler programs was considerable. Concerns of widespread competition and loss of infant-toddler services did not appear to be warranted at the present stage of UPK implementation. It will be important to monitor possible impact of UPK on programs serving infants and toddlers in the future. CCR&R agency directors and staff identified several positive effects of UPK, especially better kindergarten preparation and greater recognition of the importance of early care and education. Concerns raised include lack of collaboration with community-based programs and the exclusion of family providers. (KB)

This report examines the "Wave One" school districts in New York State as they expanded into the second year of Universal Prekindergarten (UPK). Through surveys with district UPK coordinators and analysis of final reports submitted to the state education department, information was gathered about the implementation, programming, and practices of the districts that began UPK in 1998-1999, the first program year of UPK, and continued into the 1999-2000 year. This report presents findings and provides recommendations to district planners and state officials regarding ways to enhance community planning and service delivery. Findings and recommendations are highlighted under six main topics: (1) universal access; (2) diversity; (3) collaboration among school districts, community-based programs, and families; (4) classroom practices; (5) teacher preparation and support; and (6) financing. Program successes and challenges are also detailed. When asked to identify UPK successes, survey respondents cited support from their district boards of education, working relationships with community-based providers, meeting the needs of children, and overall community support for UPK. Ongoing challenges were identified as inadequate funding levels, shortages of classroom sites, fund distribution procedures, and lack of transportation. The report's two appendices include an annotated bibliography of universal prekindergarten planning guides and materials on curriculum, assessment, and preschool education; and the survey instrument. (Contains 19 references.) (KB)

This study examined the widely popular "Business Week" and "U.S. News & World Report" rankings of the top business schools to determine their impact on the admissions outcomes, pricing policies, and career placement outcomes of the business schools they rank. The analysis indicated that both ranking systems have a significant impact on students and administrators in the short term and the long term, but employers are only impacted by long-term changes in ranking. While both ranking systems are shown to have significant effects, some evidence indicates that "Business Week's" ranking is slightly more influential with students and significantly more influential with recruiters, In general, a fall in either ranking system leads a school to become less selective because its applicant pool shrinks and declines in quality, and a smaller percentage of applicants who are accepted matriculate. In addition, administrators are forced either to cut tuition or increase grant and scholarship aid to attract more students from its declining applicant pool. A more favorable ranking allows a school to become more selective as it attracts higher quality students who are more eager to attend the university, and the school can then decrease its grant and scholarship aid or slightly raise its tuition. Employers do not respond to yearly changes in rank, but a prolonged change in a schools ranking by either system leads employers to change their behavior. A long-term increase in a programs ranking leads to more of its students obtaining job offers, higher salaries for these offers, and more offers per student, in addition to an overall increase in the value of the MBA (as measured by change in salary). In a similar way, a program that encounters a long-term decline in rank will see its students obtain lower-paying jobs, fewer options for each student, and a devaluing of the programs MBA. (Author/SLD)

In spite of the fact that the vast majority of U.S. students attend public institutions, much less is known about their behavior and how the states that support them interact with them and with the private institutions within the states boundaries. This paper summarizes some of the things that are known and outlines some issues that still need attention from researchers. A focus is on research issues that are raised by the growing proprietary, or for-profit, accredited higher education sector, the growth of distance learning, and the pressures on institutions to diversify their revenue streams. The need for institutions to diversify their revenue streams is a need that is shared more generally by almost all public and private nonprofit higher educational institutions. How institutions diversity their revenue streams will depend largely on the nature of each institution and the local conditions it faces. Whether the strategies institutions are pursuing vary systematically and the relationships between distance education and finances are among the questions researchers still need to answer. (SLD)

In 1997-1999, the Department of Agriculture, Resource, and Managerial Economics of Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences conducted an entrepreneurship education and outreach program that was based on the Premier FastTrac Curriculum, which is a model delivery tool for entrepreneurship education. In 1997-1998, the program was actively promoted throughout New York. Of the approximately three dozen community entities that originally expressed interest in becoming licensed for FastTrac training, five obtained licenses and one conducted a pilot training course but never became organized enough to apply for a license. Together, the sites produced 58 program graduates in 1997-1998 (335 graduates had been projected). The program was evaluated in July 1998, and prospective candidates who had not actively pursued becoming affiliated with FastTrac training sites were interviewed by phone in December 1998. Data from the evaluation and the interviews, and a review of other studies and literature were used to develop a proposal for meeting the challenges uncovered during the evaluation and development of an effective small business education to serve New York's diverse communities. Appended is a case study of why the attempt to develop of an entrepreneurship program in Tompkins County, New York, failed. (MN)

Drawn from the experiences of the Cornell Youth and Work Program, a 4-year demonstration project that adapted elements of European apprenticeship in the United States and emphasized opportunities for youth to learn at work, this guide is written for people in workplaces and schools who plan, direct, or evaluate work-based learning opportunities for youth. Following an introduction that describes the demonstration projects, types of work-based learning, and the principles derived from the project, the guide contains seven sections. The sections cover the following topics: (1) technical competence (getting started, designing a multiyear program); (2) breadth (why teach all aspects of the industry, why rotate, why support projects and complex activities, what makes a good project); (3) personal and social competence; (4) expectations and feedback; (5) teaching roles (coordinating, managing, coaching, mentoring in work-based learning programs); (6) academic achievement; and (7) career paths after high school. A concluding section suggests next steps for restructuring schools and workplaces, forming partnerships, and building a school-to-work system. An appendix contains statistics and samples from the demonstration project. (KC)

Agri Tech Prep 2000 (ATP 2000) is a 4-year tech prep program intended to link high school and postsecondary curricula preparing New York students for careers in agriculture or acceptance into a college program in agriculture. Because teacher development was designated an integral project component for fiscal year 1992-93, a weeklong teacher development program was conducted in cooperation with the State University of New York in summer 1993. The program focused on classroom pedagogy, agricultural concepts, technologies/laboratory methods, core curriculum topics, and agricultural careers. Other inservice objectives were as follows: foster discussion about issues related to secondary-postsecondary articulation of agricultural instruction, establish professional dialogue between agriculture and academic core teachers and between teachers and project administrators, and assess the project and develop plans for future activities. Ten schools sent one or more representatives to the inservice program. Participants also received laboratory teaching kits/materials sufficient to teach a class of 20 secondary students, lesson plans and related instructional materials, and evaluation instruments. Project feedback obtained from written questionnaires and discussions was quite favorable. (Appendixes constituting half this document include the inservice and course program, course materials, presenter evaluations, and a review of week and summary evaluations.) (MN)

Two counselors, five teachers, four administrators, and seven 10th- and 11th-grade students at three New York schools offering pilot agricultural tech prep programs as part of the Agri Tech Prep 2000 (ATP 2000) project were interviewed. The interviews focused on the participants' understanding of and attitudes toward tech prep, the status of the ATP 2000 project, project-related issues and concerns, and the role of business in tech prep. The concept mapping process developed by Novak (1977) was used to analyze data from the semistructured interviews. None of the individuals interviewed had a complete understanding of tech prep's role. Teacher and administrator perceptions of tech prep varied by school. Although the project was considered vital by agricultural teachers, it received little support from academic teachers and administrators. Among their concerns were time constraints, policies and procedures that limit interaction, and future funding. Increased business involvement in the project was considered crucial. Student attitudes toward tech prep were mixed. They cited concerns in several areas, including lack of communication, scheduling, and program relevance. Future research/evaluation projects to address issues identified in the pilot study were recommended. (Appended are interview guides and summary concept maps.) (Contains 34 references.) (MN)

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine student use of a prototype networked collaborative design environment to support or augment learning about engineering design. The theoretical framework is based primarily on Vygotsky's social construction of knowledge and the belief that collaboration and communication are critical components in the development of reasoning and learning. The specific goals of the research were to characterize design activities and practices and to examine the use of multiple communication resources to augment activities in a three-way group collaboration. Three groups of students were asked to solve an engineering design problem using a variety of materials, a prototype computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) system, consisting of audio/video conferencing, chat box, draw tool, an interactive multimedia database of engineering information and a multimedia database of electronic textbooks. The groups were given tasks analogous to those of a main contractor and two subcontractors, but specific tasks were left ambiguous to force students to negotiate the boundaries of their tasks. Activities were categorized as: orienting; sub-dividing the problem; establishing roles; information seeking; information sharing; monitoring; negotiating understanding; designing; building; and evaluating. Multiple channels of communication were used by students in three ways: increasing the depth of the discussion; increasing the breadth of the discussion; and overcoming technical difficulty. Conclusions suggest that students need multiple representations of design information to effectively move the design process forward. These multiple channels can encourage both monitoring an active participation and can facilitate clarifications, acknowledgements, information sharing, negotiation, and the transmission of design information. Findings are illustrated in two figures. (Contains 33 references.) (MAS)

In cooperation with the Commission on Preservation and Access, Xerox Corporation, Sun Microsystems, Inc., and the New York State Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials, Cornell University (New York) studied and established the effectiveness of digital technology to preserve and make available research library materials, evaluated image capture quality in binary scanning, digital computer output microfilm, and extended network access to the Digital Library through a client/server architecture. The main conclusions of the project are: (1) effective access over the Internet to an image-based digital library can be achieved from a variety of workstations; (2) Cornell has defined and will implement a digital document control structure that incorporates the best features of various Xerox prototype systems; (3) digital computer output microfilm that meets national standards for quality can be produced from 600 dpi (dots per inch) binary scanning; (4) binary scanning can reproduce many categories of printed illustrations and archival material in a manner superior or comparable to the quality obtained with standard light lens photocopy and microfilm processes; and (5) the infrastructure developed for library preservation and access activities supports other applications in the electronic dissemination of information. Five appendices cover: the CLASS scanning system; document architecture description; testbed description; "DocuTech-printed" examples; and screen descriptions from digital library UNIX client. (SWC)

The primary emphasis of this study of the use of digital technology to preserve library materials was the capture of brittle books as digital images and the production of printed paper facsimiles. Of equal interest, however, was the role of digital technology in providing access to library resources, and preliminary work in this area has also been accomplished. Based on extensive experimentation with one digital scanning system, the study reached five principal conclusions: (1) digital image technology provides an alternative--of comparable quality and lower cost--to photocopying for preserving deteriorating library materials; (2) subject to the resolution of certain problems, digital scanning technology offers a cost effective adjunct or alternative to microfilm preservation; (3) digital technology has the potential to enhance access to library materials; (4) through the implementation of document control structures, digital technology offers a means to facilitate access and to provide links between the library catalog and the material itself; and (5) the infrastructure developed for library preservation and access activities supports other applications in the electronic dissemination of information. This report is divided into three major sections: a description of the products developed to reach project goals; a review of the process of applying digital scanning technology to the preservation of and access to library materials; and a discussion of the findings. Four appendixes offer information on the comparative quality of paper and facsimile copies; a description of a cost study; assumptions of the cost study, including equipment, labor and materials costs; and a scanning diagram. (KRN)

Agri Tech Prep 2000 (ATP 2000) is a 4-year tech prep program linking high school and postsecondary curricula designed to prepare New York students for careers in agriculture or acceptance into a college program in agriculture. Because teacher development was designated an integral project component for fiscal year 1991-1992, a weeklong teacher development program was conducted in cooperation with the State University of New York in summer 1992. The primary focus of the inservice program was on the first phase of ATP 2000, and its primary objectives were as follows: demonstrate instructional materials and methods of instruction, foster discussion about issues related to secondary-postsecondary articulation of agricultural instruction, and establish professional dialogue between agriculture and academic core teachers and between teachers and project administrators. Eleven schools sent one or more representatives to the inservice program. Participants also received laboratory teaching kits/instructional materials, lesson plans, materials on compliance and arrangement for ATP 2000, and evaluation instruments. Project feedback obtained from written questionnaires and discussions was quite favorable. (Appendixes constituting two-thirds of the document include the inservice and course program, course materials, presenter evaluations, the inservice evaluation form and summarized findings, and the Strong Interest Inventory evaluation.) (MN)

A pilot study was conducted to field test instruments that could be used to assess, evaluate, and improve curricula to be used in the Agri Tech Prep 2000 (ATP 2000) project. The project features a 4-year tech prep program linking New York high school and postsecondary curricula to prepare students for careers in agriculture or acceptance into a college-level agriculture program. A survey instrument focusing on students' economic/family backgrounds, career interests, knowledge/perceptions of agriculture, educational background/interests, work experience, and personality traits was administered to 172 10th-grade students at 5 pilot schools associated with ATP 2000. The Strong Interest Inventory was administered to 108 students. The content validity of the researcher-developed instrument was confirmed, and its findings were summarized for use in future curriculum development. According to the survey instruments, most students did not perceive the integration of agriculture and academic courses, 30.9% planned to attend a four-year college, 19% planned to attend a two-year college for their terminal degree, and an additional 17% planned on attending a two-year college before transferring to a four-year institution. (Appendixes constituting over half this document contain the survey, survey administration instructions, selected findings, and the Strong Interest Inventory.) (MN)

A formative and summative evaluation was made of eight school-age child care (SACC) training workshops conducted in 1989-90 for 190 participants in upstate New York. (The focus of the SACC workshops was to "train the trainers," as well as to provide trainees with quality materials and instruction for future training with their staff members.) All participants evaluated the individual classes at the end of each session as part of the formative assessment. Summative evaluative information from pre- and posttest questionnaires demonstrated a positive change in the trainees' attitudes about the importance of training. There was also marked improvement in their knowledge about how best to provide training to staff members (where to conduct it, how much training to schedule, who should do the training, and where to get resources). Trainees also rated statements describing high quality behaviors in SACC programs. Scores from the pretest were used to design a 15-item Guttman Scale that demonstrated participants' level of knowledge about desirable behaviors. The Guttman Scale will help trainers identify specific curriculum topics for future staff training. Ninety days following the training, 40 percent of the participants were mailed a follow-up questionnaire in the hope of receiving at least 48 (25 percent) completed and usable questionnaires in return. (In actuality, 58 usable questionnaires were received, for a 27 percent response rate). More than half the respondents reported having used some of the training materials with their staff members immediately after the training and the remainder said they planned to use the materials in future staff training. Three-quarters of the participants reported planning at least some staff training annually, a significant increase from pretraining levels. As a result of the workshops, participants reported a variety of planned changes in their programs. The trainees' major complaint was that the training workshops should have been scheduled in the fall instead of in the spring. (Author/KC)

This is the final report of a 2-year project that evaluated a formal information literacy instruction program at Cornell University's Mann Library (New York). An evaluation study surveyed graduates of Mann Library's instruction program to determine which skills were retained by students and were useful in their careers after graduation; in addition, employers of Cornell graduates were surveyed to identify which information skills and knowledge are desirable in an entry-level employee. This report presents information on the history and background leading to the need for the evaluation study, and describes the results of a review of the literature of information literacy, information management instruction, and instruction evaluation programs. It defines the goals of this evaluation study, describes the methodology used, and presents results of the two surveys. It is noted that the questionnaires developed for this purpose were not skill tests, but identified major information literacy skills and knowledge needed by college graduates in business and finance. The conclusion discusses the implications of survey results for future program content and evaluation efforts. The following appendixes are provided: the survey instruments and their results; comments from businesses and recent graduates; and the goals and competencies specified by the Mann Library Information Literacy Program. (99 references) (MAB)

The "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (1989)" calls for the revision of existing secondary mathematics curricula which include an emphasis on contextual problems, multiple representations, and the use of computers. The focus of this revision significantly involves the acknowledgment of the key role of the concept of function as an organizing concept around which other important mathematical ideas revolve. This report describes a 2-year project centered around the issue of teaching function concepts utilizing a context-based curriculum in a technology-rich secondary mathematics classroom. The goal of the project was the production, through applied research, of an intermediate-range vision of what mathematics instruction in schools might be like if classrooms were provided with adequate technological resources and appropriate teacher development. The report addresses the following topics: (1) the rationale and purpose of the project; (2) an overall theoretical approach to functions, teaching, learning, and small-group interactions; (3) the design principles, interaction processes, and pedagogical impact of the multi-representational software tool called Function Probe; (4) the use of prototypes within contextual problem settings; (5) the particulars within the implementation process of this project; (6) data collection techniques and research methodology; and (7) research results for the teachers, the students, and small groups of problem solvers. A final chapter offers conclusions about, and implications of, the role of technology in teaching mathematics. An appendix describes the software features, requirements, and availability of the Function Probe tool. (58 references) (Author/JJK)

In 1988 Mann Library at Cornell University proposed to develop a computer system that would support interactive access to significant electronic files in agriculture and the life sciences. This system was titled the Interactive Numeric Files Retrieval System (INFeRS). This report describes how project goals were met and it presents the project's conclusions, including recommendations on how numeric file interfaces should be structured. The first of six sections presents the project chronology and indicates the months during which significant project events occurred, including personnel recruitment, technical hardware and software installations, phase completions and testing. Background information provided in the second section includes information on the personnel who participated in the project; the selection, acquisition, and installation of the hardware and software used; and the institutional environment, including descriptions of the library and the computing and networking resources of the user group. The third section covers the selection, preparation, and documentation of the datasets used in the project. Database design issues are discussed in the fourth section, including the search and file transfer modules and such interface design issues as the screens, search sequence, and indexing modules. The fifth section provides a detailed description of the system, and future plans for the interface are presented in the sixth, together with a summary of the major issues and recommendations and conclusions. Documents related to the project are appended, including two requests for proposals (one for a minicomputer and the other for database management software), sample data output, and full codebook. (MAB)

A partnership between the Bergen County Vocational-Technical Schools (New Jersey), the Wakefern Food Corporation/Shoprite, and Cornell University developed and implemented supermarket skills training programs. The programs were held in two vocational schools that educate mentally handicapped students, aged 14-21, during daytime hours and adult handicapped persons during evening hours. Program goals were to: (1) prepare learning disabled students for career alternatives in the supermarket industry; (2) place them in unsubsidized employment; and (3) heighten public and corporate awareness of the value of handicapped persons as reliable, stable employees. The project included the set-up of two classroom shops to simulate supermarket operations, development of curriculum, instruction, cooperative work experience for students, evaluation, and dissemination. Forty secondary students were trained in vocational classes that met 5 days per week for 2.5 hours each day. Three days per week in late afternoon, an additional 30 adult handicapped students took the program. External evaluation of the program showed that it had met its goals, and the program won many local and national awards. (Appendices--most of the document--include a baseline management plan; curriculum guide; external evaluation; and a brochure. The curriculum guide includes objectives, content outline, teaching suggestions, learning activities, and transparency masters. Topics covered are safety, communication, human relations, front end--general and cashier, produce, grocery, dairy, and frozen foods.) (KC)

The report presents case studies of 7 community action projects which were undertaken by New York communities with populations under 10,000 and which show how local leaders can improve the quality of life in their communities. The report describes the background, initiation, expansion, implementation, consequences, and highlights of the projects, which included developing a maple festival; establishing a rural medical clinic; providing senior citizen housing; developing a complex to house senior citizens, a health care center, and a child development center; establishing an arts and crafts center; and providing a new library. The report notes that although the projects ranged from informal local efforts to formalized projects involving extensive outside assistance and funding, they had the following features in common: (1) the principal actors and beneficiaries were local people and the goals represented local interests, (2) the projects were public, (3) the projects were oriented towards solving local problems with extensive volunteer participation, and (4) the process was democratic. The report also analyzes each case study for elements central to success and presents patterns of the action process including establishing non-profit corporations for community action, using communication and publicity, fund-raising and funding, coordinating the community and forming networks, and leading the projects. (SB)

Designed to be self-contained, the material in this workbook on social indicators can be used for teaching and research purposes by agency field workers and/or undergraduates from developing nations who do not have a social science background. Originally presented to 22 professional people from Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines as part of a 10-week workshop on research methods for rural development held at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii (November 1975), this material includes many illustrative tables (e.g., Proposed Indicators of Overall Philippine Well-Being; Criteria of Social Well-Being and Variables Used in Analysis of 48 United States; Preliminary Cross-Cultural Scale for Measuring Level of Living; Comparison of Level of Living Scores for Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic; Sample Household Food Consumption Schedule; Mauritius: Food Balance Sheet, 1960-64; etc.). Since data indicate food is virtually all that rural poor people in developing nations have and since most social indicator measures are more appropriate for urban dwellers in developed countries, especially the more affluent, it is suggested that food be made the core measure at the family, village, and national level. It is further suggested that food is inherently distributive (even the rich can only eat so much) and that as an indicator of human welfare, food avoids the problem of value judgments upon the relative quality of life provided by a given technological innovation. (JC)

The ideal of general education in American universities has always been elusive. At the moment, a combination of forces would seem to be pushing both students and universities toward a still more narrowly conceived and utilitarian curriculum. This situation may be temporary, and concern about its effects on higher education is no doubt exaggerated in the press and then echoed in conversations on campus; but the sense of constraint felt by students is nonetheless real. The university assumes that college is a place where students discover what they can do well, and where they are encouraged to define their talents and to develop them in a concentrated way; it also assumes that college is where students are led to a certain self-consciousness about that discovery, and come to raise questions about the relation their particular talents bear to other forms of knowledge and action. Finally, the university would like to see more courses that address themselves, both practically and reflectively, to student fluency and writing. The committee's recommendations for general education in the university are summarized and argued for at length in this report. (Author/MSE)

This study analyzes infant distress (fussing and crying) and the resulting responses of caregivers in an infant day care nursery. Six babies (mean age 4.8 months when the study began) and their caregivers were observed in seven sequences of observations over a total span of 10 months. Each sequence of observations took place on six days during a 2-week period. In the last month of observation two babies had left the nursery, reducing the sample to four. The observational method used for collecting data was basically an event sampling procedure. For each distress episode, the observer recorded the baby's name, the nature of the distress (fuss, cry or scream), the name of the caregiver who intervened and the specific actions she took to soothe the infant (from a behavior list), and when the distress had ceased for as long as thirty seconds (the end of that episode). The list of caregiver behaviors was based on pilot observations indicating which caregiver behaviors were most likely to occur when a baby showed distress. Results are discussed for the frequency and duration of fussing, crying, and mixed distress episodes, and for caregiver latency of response, nature of initial response, number of interventions, and order of appearance of caregiver responses within a single intervention. Tables and graphs of data are included. (SB)

This longitudinal study was concerned with infants' reactions to being greeted by a caregiver upon arrival at the nursery, being left by the parent with the caregiver, and to reunion with the parents. Observations were made twice weekly in the natural setting of the nursery foyer where parents normally arrive with their infants. An affectivity scale included in the appendix was used to rate infants' reactions. Subjects were 7 girls and three boys who were assigned to three groups: four half-day older infants whose mean age at entry into day care was 5.1 months; three full-day babies whose average entry age was 4.7 and three full-day younger babies whose average entry age was 2.7. Study findings tended to support the critical importance of stability and continuity in the people giving care to babies outside the home. Entry into day care at a younger age and a shorter daily separation are indicated as factors which may facilitate the baby's daily adjustment to day care. (MS)

A computer-based Eye-Movement Controlled Display System was developed for the study of perceptual processes in reading. Studies were conducted to identify the region from which skilled readers pick up various types of visual information during a fixation while reading. The results indicated that the subjects acquired word length pattern information at least 12 to 15 character positions to the right of the fixation point, and that this information primarily influenced saccade lengths. Specific letter and word shape information was acquired no further than 12 or 13 character positions to the right of the fixation point. It appeared that words were given a semantic interpretation only if they began no more than 5 or 6 character positions to the right of the fixation point. The perceptual span was found to be asymmetric, with the subjects acquiring information no further than 4 character positions to the left of the fixation point, and perhaps less. (Author/RB)

A program developed by the Center for International Studies (CIS) at Cornell, focusing on world-based, political problems was evaluated for the ongoing improvement of the program. Of particular interest was whether the program was meeting its characterized goals of interdisciplinary content, problem orientation, and team teaching at the introductory level for undergraduates. The "Context-Input-Process-Product" evaluation model chosen to assess the program relied on data collected from student questionnaires and ratings, course and program documents, grading data, interviews with faculty, and observations of course activities. The results of the evaluation presented descriptively, begin with a history of CIS and the development of the program. A description of the character of the courses, then, indicates a change in the focus of the program as it progressed. The six courses are now more aptly characterized as being specialized, advanced, international studies courses. Suggestions for continuation of the program take these changes into consideration. A bibliography and appendixes containing data collected and important aspects of each course complete the report. (JH)

Most existing automatic content analysis and indexing techniques are based on work frequency characteristics applied largely in an ad hoc manner. Contradictory requirements arise in this connection, in that terms exhibiting high occurrence frequencies in individual documents are often useful for high recall performance (to retrieve many relevant items), whereas terms with low frequency in the whole collection are useful for high precision (to reject nonrelevant items). A new technique known as discrimination value analysis ranks the text words in accordance with how well they are able to discriminate the documents of a collection from each other; that is, the value of a term depends on how much the average separation between individual documents changes when the given term is assigned for content identification. The best words are those which achieve the greatest separation. The discrimination value analysis accounts for a number of important phenomena in the content analysis of natural language texts: (a) the role and importance of single words; (b) the role of juxtaposed words (phrases); (c) the role of word groups or classes, as specified in a thesaurus. Effective criteria can be given for assigning each term to one of these three classes, and for constructing optimal indexing vocabularies. (Author)

In a document retrieval, or other pattern matching environment where stored entities (documents) are compared with each other, or with incoming patterns (search requests), it appears that the best indexing (property) space is one where each entity lies as far away from the others as possible; that is, retrieval performance correlates inversely with space density. This result is used to choose an optimum indexing vocabulary for a collection of documents. Typical evaluation results are shown demonstrating the usefulness of the model. (Author)