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In spite of the growing interest in interaction design, there remains a large user population that needs special interest: users with special needs. These users can dramatically benefit from software that better responds to their interaction needs, not to mention the fact that designing software that takes into account the special needs of such users makes software more easy to use for everyone. This paper presents PERIGRAMMA, a system designed to offer an integrated environment for the support of people with movement or cognitive impairments who offer secretarial support in a modern office environment. The system is currently in its final stage of implementation and offers an easily accessible environment of four applications: a word processor, and e-mail client, a calendar, and a Web publisher. Design considerations of the system, architecture and functionalities, and future work are discussed. (Author/AEF)

This report is part of an annual national survey that examines salaries of full-time teaching faculty in 54 selected disciplines. Data for the study as a whole were collected from 305 public and 403 private institutions for the baseline year of 1997-1998 and the trend year of 1999-2000. This portion of the study covers salary data for the faculty in Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Services at 40 public (1997-1998) and 12 (1997-1998) private institutions. Data are presented for average salaries by faculty rank, "faculty mix percent" (percentage of faculty at each rank), and "salary factors" (ratio of the average salary in the discipline to the total institution average). Salary trend information is compared for public and private institutions for each of the two study periods with trend information for all fields and with the Consumer Price Index. The study found that for the 2000-2001 period the average salary of $56,712 for 148 faculty in public institutions was 0.6% lower than the average salary for all faculty in all major fields. The average salary increase was 1.8% per year for public institutions and 0.7% per year for private institutions below the cost of living as measured by the Consumer Price Index. Appendixes contain a list of the selected academic disciplines and lists of public and private institutions participating in both studies. (SLD)

A research study was conducted to identify the future educational needs of office professionals, including the educational levels, resources, and core business courses that will be required for them to qualify for and maintain their positions. A survey, developed with the help of a focus group and pilot tested for reliability, was mailed to 1,000 randomly selected members of Professional Secretaries International. Findings drawn from 302 usable returned questionnaires showed the following: (1) the largest number of respondents were between 41-50 years of age; (2) about half the respondents made more than $30,000 per year; (3) respondents had an overall average of more than 16 years' experience in office positions, but more than half of respondents had been in their current positions for 5 years or less; (4) approximately 40 percent of respondents had completed a four-year college degree; (5) respondents believed that a two-year community college degree is the minimum educational preparation employees need to get jobs and to be promoted and that four-year degrees merit the highest salaries and greatest potential for promotion in their companies; (6) a majority of respondents believed that professional workshops or seminars are the most beneficial resources office professionals have for maintaining qualifications for their positions; and (7) more than 80 percent listed typing, keyboarding, or computer software applications as the most beneficial courses they had taken, with business communications ranked next most important. The results of the study should provide guidance in preparing programs to assist office professionals. (Contains 15 references.) (KC)

The tech prep work-based learning program for child care management occupations at Carlyle (Illinois) High School had nine goals: (1) market the program to students, parents, employers, and the community; (2) increase the number of students enrolled in Tech Prep Youth Apprenticeship (TPYA); (3) increase the number of employers providing work-based experiences; (4) develop a plan to coordinate the academic competencies, work place skills, and technical skills between the school- and work-based components; (5) develop progressive work-based experiences beginning with industry visits and culminating with paid experiences; (6) develop a curricula for industry supervisor training and deliver training; (7) certify completers against accepted industry standards; (8) develop a plan to demonstrate what has been learned through the TPYA project; and (9) expand work-based learning at the postsecondary level. Major accomplishments were as follows: creation of tech prep brochures; mailing 291 brochures to local businesses; expanding the work-based learning program to the secretarial/information processing area; students' and mentors' attendance at workshops; choice by students previously enrolled in child care of child care-related careers; and continued student recruitment. (The 10-page report has extensive appendixes: newspapers articles and advertisement; materials from an eighth grade field trip for students interested in child care occupations; training agreement, materials, and forms related to the work-based program; committee meeting agendas and minutes; and job shadowing forms and materials.) (YLB)

A study identified the current and future skill requirements of secretaries through a review of available data and research literature; interviews with key players in the secretarial field and employers and secretaries in 20 British organizations; and a forum where research findings were discussed. Findings indicated that in the majority of organizations the number of secretaries had declined. Key factors driving changes in secretarial roles and functions were advances in information technology and increased computerization; changes in organizational structures; and changes in organizational cultures and working practices. The traditional secretarial role as support worker still predominated but research pointed to the emergence of two new secretarial roles: the team player and the independent worker. As support workers, secretaries were expected to have good oral and written communication skills, interpersonal skills, understanding of the organizational structure and nature of business, and ability to use a range of computer applications, office equipment, and technology. As team workers, they needed to be assertive, be able to manage pressure and conflicting demands, have an understanding of group dynamics, be both cooperative and collaborative, and be able to manage conflict and consensus. As independent workers, secretaries were developing their own areas of work and responsibilities. Little evidence was found that development and career opportunities for secretaries were improving significantly. (Contains 31 references.) (YLB)

A project described the literacy skills, tasks, and materials of the entry-level and the mid-to-executive level secretary jobs. It tested Job Literacy Analysis (JLA), a six-step methodology resulting in a job literacy description that includes a representative collection of the most important materials required for competent performance of the job and the associated tasks. Sixty-three entry-level and mid-to-executive level secretaries were interviewed, and 562 literacy materials representing the three literacy scales--prose, document, and quantitative--were collected. Secretaries indicated what material was used for, how it was used, and how important it was to his or her job. In a content analysis, materials were grouped into seven categories based on their format and function. The 64 tasks were sorted into 11 job dimensions. Advisory committees reviewed and critiqued the draft job literacy descriptions for the jobs. Two survey forms were developed for each secretarial job. Respondents were asked whether secretaries in their companies used the materials and rated the importance of tasks secretaries performed using these materials. Overall, 399 of 2,000 recruiters returned a completed survey. Based on survey information, one category was dropped from the job literacy description of entry-level secretary; all categories in the description of mid-to-executive level secretary were retained. (Appendixes include seven tables, including entry-level and mid-to-executive level secretary skills summary reports.) (YLB)

A study examined the job-entry typewriting speeds of all 185 secretaries employed at East Tennessee State University, which was selected as an institution representative of large public universities with a college of medicine. The secretaries' scores on the timed typing test that they took at the time of their application for their present positions (in one of three secretarial levels) served as the study data set. The mean of all 185 secretaries' typing test scores was calculated as 61 with a standard deviation of 11.87 and a range of 28 to 99 words per minute (wpm). The typing test scores of the secretaries employed at the college of medicine were compared to those of the secretaries employed throughout the other parts of the university. When the typing test scores of the three levels of secretaries were examined together, no statistically significant difference between the typing scores of the secretaries employed at the college of medicine and those employed elsewhere in the university was found. The mean typing rate of the level 2 secretaries employed at the college of medicine (56 wpm) was lower than that of the level 2 secretaries employed elsewhere in the university (61 wpm), however. Seven figures provide descriptive statistics. (Contains 12 references.) (MN)

This study is part of an ongoing research project examining women in Sweden who work in traditional female professions. The project aims to investigate women's life patterns in a longitudinal perspective--targeting individuals born in 1948 and covering the years 1961 to 1981/82--with focus on their background, education and work experiences. Researchers concentrated on three professional groups: lower primary teachers, nurses, and secretaries. Investigators used multiple discriminant analysis in two separate analyses, dividing the data set between information collected when the respondents were 13 and when they were 32 respectively. Findings suggest that analyses could distinguish significantly between the three groups of women. The discriminant power was considerably stronger when analyzing the women as young adults. The subject's general ability in school served as the most important predictor. Two of the interest orientations, verbal and office oriented activities, also proved to be strong predictors. Likewise, the home background and the level of the mother's education influenced predictors. Some patterns could be traced back to when the subjects were 13 years old. Teachers showed the most distinctive profile, being the ones well-adapted to school. The common trait in all three professions was the tendency towards service work. The researchers caution that questioning data which were originally designed for other purposes will cause some information to be lacking. Appendixes contain study data. Contains 11 references. (RJM)

Members of Professional Secretaries International (PSI) were surveyed to discover how corporate restructuring has influenced development of the secretarial profession since 1990. Of the 500 questionnaires mailed to PSI members in the United States and Canada, 174 (34.8%) were returned. Of those surveyed, 71% have been assigned a variety of duties previously performed by management (including purchasing office materials, hiring personnel, training, and supervising, and implementing/supervising quality management programs). As a result of gaining these additional duties, many secretaries have increased enthusiasm for their jobs. At the same time, however, many of those surveyed feel overwhelmed by their large workload, and nearly 73% of those surveyed stated that are now working the equivalent of two or more positions. Although most respondents reported gaining more recognition and respect for their contributions, only 36% have received a promotion and only 28% have been made part of the management team. Fifty-five percent of the respondents indicated feeling positive about the changes in their jobs. Of those who have been assigned new management duties, only 53% have received some type of training to assist them with their new responsibilities. (Contains 25 graphs/tables) (MN)

This packet contains the stories of 20 successful alumni of Ohio's secondary vocational programs and postsecondary technical schools. They have been reproduced as loose-leaf camera-ready art. Suggested uses for these one-page biographies with accompanying photograph include the following: illustrations for use in speeches; reproduction of complete sets for selective distribution; reproduction of individual stories for distribution to target audiences, such as students, parents, teachers, or counselors; and advertisements in local papers paid for by an individual or organization. An index lists the stories alphabetically by vocational program, listing school, student name, and occupation in 1992. These programs are represented: agribusiness; auto mechanics; computer repair; cosmetology; data processing; diversified cooperative training; drafting; electrical trades; electrical engineering/electronics; electricity; electromechanical systems; executive secretary; farm management; machine trades; marketing; and stenography/word processing. (YLB)

A survey of 2,700 of the 27,000 members of Professional Secretaries International received 755 responses yielding the following profile of secretarial workers: (1) the average member is female, about 45 years old, married with no dependents living at home, and owns a single-family home in the suburbs; (2) most respondents have worked in office or secretarial positions for 11 to 25 years, and 7 percent have been in the field for 36 or more years; (3) half of those responding intend to remain in the secretarial field; (4) the average income of respondents is $27,147, with higher incomes for secretaries working for a boss with a higher title; (5) more than 40 percent work for only one executive; (6) almost 93 percent have a computer in the workplace and 45 percent have a computer at home; and (7) the majority of respondents have achieved the Certified Professional Secretary rating. (Four appendixes contain survey statistics on demographics and lifestyles, compensation, type of workplace, and responsibilities of the respondents.) (KC)

A study examined how experienced and newly hired hospital unit secretaries at a large private hospital "learned the ropes" of their jobs. Two researchers interviewed and observed a total of 15 unit secretaries to gather information on the secretaries' occupational and educational backgrounds, assigned tasks, and ways of learning their assigned tasks. The experienced secretaries' reflection-in-action on their activity system was compared to that of a novice secretary. For the secretaries, learning the job turned out to be a major part of the job itself, and their learning and doing proved largely concurrent. A large part of the secretaries'"learning the ropes" entailed learning their respective activity systems through a process of reflection-in-action that was largely self-initiated and that involved ongoing interpretation and negotiation of their activity systems. The secretaries perceived themselves as constantly engaged in learning but seldom being taught. The following implications for training designers were drawn: recognize the essential role of assisted learning, create conditions to foster assisted learning, design and implement innovations that structure learning in the workplace, and design and implement innovations that structure occupational learning in schools. (A hospital job description and interview guide are appended, and 68 references are included.) (MN)

As part of a job literacy analysis project, 63 entry-level and mid-to-executive level secretaries were interviewed from business, government, and health care settings to describe the literacy requirement skills, tasks, and materials of their jobs. In the 1-hour interview, the job incumbent and interviewer reviewed examples of different types of literacy materials used by the secretary. In the content analysis, the 562 secretary materials collected were grouped into 7 categories based on format and the function for which they were used. The 64 tasks were sorted into 11 job dimensions. Three advisory committees reviewed and critiqued the draft job literacy descriptions for the two secretary jobs. Two survey forms were developed for each of the 2 secretarial jobs and randomly distributed to 14 secretary supervisors or administrators in a pilot test. The return rate for the subsequent nationwide survey of 2,000 secretary recruiters was 399. Respondents in the pilot test and survey were asked whether secretaries in their companies used the materials and rated the importance of various tasks that the secretaries performed using these materials. Results showed that the Job Literacy Analysis methodology used to analyze the literacy requirements of these jobs was effective. (The six-page report is followed by seven tables: subgroup analyses; usage of materials by entry and by mid-to-executive level; most important tasks linked to materials--entry and mid-to-executive levels; and skills summary lists for both levels.) (YLB)

The Southeastern Illinois Technical Preparation project was undertaken to develop sequenced tech prep programs in principles of technology/electronics, computer programming, and secretary/business management at nine high schools and Southeastern Illinois College with emphasis on preparation in mathematics, science, and communication and on integrating academic and vocational content. A 3-year plan for implementing and expanding the tech prep program for all vocational programs at the nine high schools was developed. Other project activities completed thus far include the following: development/delivery of staff development activities for tech prep instructors, assessment of rural high schools' equipment needs, development/implementation of job opportunities awareness programs in middle and high schools, and a 1-year project evaluation and revision of plans for subsequent project years. (Appended to this final report are meeting agendas, a list of advisory committee members and their contributions, a course sequence model, an implementation plan with 3-year objectives, teacher and counselor professional development plans, a 3-year equipment plan, an awareness plan, midyear and final evaluations, a list of development committee members, project newsletters, reports on curriculum change projects, a project purpose statement, and implementation agreements by site.) (MN)

This report describes a set of procedures for conducting a literacy task analysis so that employers, educators, and trainers can understand the basic workplace training needs of employees. Four sections are included: (1) bridging the gap--demands, skills, and solutions in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada; (2) job, task analysis, and literacy task analysis; (3) results of the literacy task analysis; and (4) using the project results in different occupational sectors. The third section examines five case studies in the following job areas: motor vehicle repairer; grocery store receiver, retail sector; pre-cast repair and cleaning laborer; assistant grocery manager, retail sector; and butcher and butcher supervisor. Appendix A addresses the applicability of literacy task analysis to a variety of workplace situations in nine occupational sectors: (1) hospitality; (2) education; (3) financial; (4) retail; (5) manufacturing; (6) natural resources; (7) transportation; (8) construction trade; and (9) health care. Forty-one references are included. (NLA)

The Job Literacy Project used the same adult literacy framework as the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) research and began the process of applying the framework to the world of work. The NAEP framework consisted of three scales: prose, document, and quantitative. The project tested a new methodology called Job Literacy Analysis, a modification of the job analysis procedures. The five jobs selected for study were entry-level positions in three clusters: service (food service worker, nurse assistant), administrative support (secretary, word processor), and mechanics, installers, repairers (data processing equipment repairer). Job Literacy Analysis resulted in a job literacy description, which included a representative collection of the most important materials required for competent performance on the job and the relevant (linked) tasks associated with those materials. Actual literacy materials used by job incumbents and information about how they are used were gathered during personal interviews. The materials were analyzed and reduced to a representative set of materials. The draft job literacy description was reviewed by job experts and revised. A survey containing literacy materials, related tasks, and rating scales regarding use and importance of materials and tasks was distributed nationally to verify experts' judgments. The important literacy materials and related tasks were included in the final job literacy description. (Contains 26 references.) (YLB)

This report is part of an annual national survey that examines salaries of full-time teaching faculty in 54 selected academic disciplines. Data for the study were collected from a total of 296 public and 390 private four-year institutions from the baseline year of 1996-97 to the trend year of 1999-2000. This portion of the study covers salary data for 139 administrative assistant and secretarial services faculty at 35 public and 11 faculty at 9 private institutions. A data table lists average salaries for both public and private participating institutions by faculty rank, faculty mix percent, and salary factors. Salary trend information is compared for public and private institutions for each of the two study periods with trend information for all fields and with the Consumer Price Index. The study found that for the 1999-2000 period the average salary of $54,227 for administrative assistant and secretarial services faculty in public institutions and the average salary of $38,081 in private institutions were, respectively, 5.8 percent and 29.4 percent lower than the average salary for all faculty in all major fields, and, respectively, 1.7 percent per year and 1.9 percent per year above the cost of living as measured by the Consumer Price Index. Appended is a list of the 54 selected academic disciplines and lists of the participating public and private colleges. (SM)

The effect of word processing equipment on the future medical secretarial science curriculum was studied. A literature search focused on word processing and the medical and allied health professions, word processing and business education, and futuring of and changes in the secretarial science curriculum. Questionnaires to identify various aspects of word processing in the medical and allied health professions were mailed to 101 hospitals and 417 physicians within the five boroughs of New York City. Some study participants were also interviewed to gather in-depth data on operating installations. The major finding was that word processors were not currently being used as much as was thought. With the high percentage of hospital personnel and physicians who indicated they were considering the use of word processing equipment and with decrease in their prices and future increases in technology, use of word processing was predicted to increase in the future. Larger hospitals tended to use word processing equipment. Investment costs hindered use in smaller hospitals. Another major reason for non-use was physicians' unfamiliarity with word processing equipment. A curriculum for secretarial science majors with a concentration in word processing was suggested that included courses in computer literacy and word processing supervision as well as management, simulation, and field experience. (YLB)

The purpose of the study was to determine whether those persons employed in a secretarial-clerical office position in the Lakeshore District (Wisconsin) felt there was a need in their occupational cluster for a series of continuing educational offerings; and if there was a need, on what bases could Lakeshore Technical Institute best develop and implement a series of continuing educational courses to fulfill that need. Questionnaires were administered to 150 secretarial-clerical office employees in the Lakeshore District and 50 supervisory personnel with a response rate of 54.67% for the secretarial-clerical employees and 46% for the supervisors. Conclusions showed that (1) most secretarial-clerical office personnel are employed under an employment policy whereby they receive reimbursement for educational tuition, (2) secretarial-clerical office personnel are interested in taking additional courses in secretarial skills areas, (3) office employees and supervisors perceive the secretarial-clerical office worker as needing the same levels of competency, and (4) most secretarial-clerical office employees prefer to take course offerings on a grade basis leading to an associate degree. This report of the study presents a complete description of the study with emphasis placed on the findings and results. Recommendations and the measurement instruments are included. (SH)

In a study prepared at the Indiana University School of Business, it was revealed that: (1) the Consumer Price Index has risen 39.7 percent from fiscal 1971 to fiscal 1976; since 1970-71, prices have risen slightly more in small cities than in larger ones; and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of living for their lower budget level has risen less than for their two higher budget levels; (2) Between fiscal 1973 and fiscal 1976, the CPI rose more than the compensation for most continuing employees of postsecondary institutions; although most of the clerical and service employees had a slight rise in real income, academic and administrative employees had a decline, and the decline was greatest for academic employees; (3) since fiscal 1973, compensation in Indiana institutions by professorial rank has failed to maintain pace with other schools in their comparison groups; and (4) among six occupational categories (secretary, janitor, carpenter, accountant, programmer, and buyer), Indiana institutions provided the least salary increase since fiscal 1970 in comparison with state government, Federal government, and private industry for three categories and the second least increase for the other three (although the fiscal 1976 percentage increases are somewhat better). (Author/MSE)

The purpose of this study was to obtain information that will make it possible to plan for the development of occupational competency assessment procedures in a rational manner, based on the expressed needs of occupational educators and employers. Eight fields were selected for scrutiny: Accounting, Agribusiness, Data Processing, Day Care, Electronics Technology, Management, Police Science, and Secretarial Science. Specifically the study attempted to: (1) verify and delineate the existence of needs for measurement and evaluation services appropriate for community colleges and other postsecondary institutions concerned with occupational training; (2) ascertain the extent to which assessment needs are being met with existing evaluation measures; (3) specify the areas in which there are unmet needs for evaluation services; (4) develop suitable approaches for devising the needed measures; (5) evaluate the process for the entire project to determine specifically if it is a feasible model for developing measurement and evaluation services in other areas of postsecondary education. (Author/RC)