I am honored to announce that the Center on Education and Training for Employment (CETE) (www.cete.org) has been designated as the first U.S.-based member of the UNESCO-UNEVOC network. UNEVOC acts as a key component of UNESCO's international program on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) (www.unevoc.unesco.org). The UNEVOC Network assists member states of the UN to develop policies and practices concerning education for the world of work and skills development for employability and citizenship.

The opportunity for CETE to become part of the UNEVOC Network comes as the United States re-joined UNESCO in 2004. Our vision is that UNEVOC-US—our formal name—will become a catalyst for helping to achieve the UNESCO TVET broad goals of sustainable development and education for all.

We are now engaged in a planning process to develop the UNEVOC-US mission statement and scope of work. At this time, we anticipate three major areas of endeavor. First, we will seek to provide a link between the various technical, vocational education, and training systems in the U.S. (secondary, postsecondary, and company based) with similar systems throughout the UNEVOC network. Such exchanges—which might occur through conferences, webcast programs, publications, and study visits—would provide opportunities for all Americans involved in TVET to learn the experiences of professionals across the global community.

Second, CETE will seek to develop partnerships with UNEVOC members to conduct projects that would help them achieve their TVET goals. For instance, CETE might be called upon to use its expertise in curriculum development and testing to help develop occupational standards or provide technical assistance on how to conduct a labor market survey.

Finally, CETE will seek to serve as a resource for global workforce development professionals, in terms of providing topical seminars and university degree programs, some of which will be accessible through distance technology. CETE has the capacity to broadcast live web-based programs or to make the programs available as a stream via the Internet.

As you might imagine, the next few months should be an exciting time for us. Soon we will complete our planning process and then we will announce information about a formal launch event to celebrate the UNEVOC designation. We urge our colleagues in the workforce development community to keep informed of our progress by visiting www.cete.org/unevoc-us/. For more information about intentions or to explore how potential partnerships, please contact me at jacobs.3@osu.edu.

CETE will be completing the revision of the fourth edition of PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) sometime this spring. The availability date is May 1, 2007. For more information contact Publications at 800/848-4815 ext. 2-4277 or 614/292-4277.

The Center on Education and Training for Employment at The Ohio State University is recruiting a cohort of 35 participants for their Workforce Education Leaders Program that will begin in July. This is a year-long program that aims to develop a cadre of secondary and postsecondary leaders who have the knowledge and skills necessary to lead change, improve the quality of workforce education programs, and prepare individuals to be competitive in the global market. The program includes five face-to-face meetings, five distance sessions, mentorships, individual leadership development plans, and projects. This will be the fourth year that this program has been offered. Participants in the program will:

• develop their leadership capabilities
• develop an understanding of policy development processes
• develop an understanding of the culture and context in which programs operate
• establish meaningful personal and organizational vision and mission statements
• lead educational change by helping their organizations to overcome resistance to change, accept new changes, and ground these changes in a new organizational culture
• identify and recognize outstanding programs and effective practices
• prepare programs of study leading to college and/or careers

Applications must be submitted by May 15, 2007. Additional information about the Workforce Education Leaders Programs is available on their website (www.workforceleaders.org) or by contacting N. L. McCaslin, Ph.D., Center on Education and Training for Employment, The Ohio State University, 1900 Kenny Rd., Columbus, OH 43210-1016, 614/247-7964, fax: 614/292-1260, e-mail: mccaslin.2@osu.edu; or Rebecca Parker, Center on Education and Training for Employment, The Ohio State University, 1900 Kenny Rd., Columbus, OH 43210-1016, 614/688-5941, fax: 614/292-1260, or e-mail: parker.304@osu.edu.

Targets for Learning is a series of four resource guides that were designed using the framework provided in ACT's Work Keys system. This series provides instructors and industry trainers with resources to help learners improve their problem-solving skills in the context of the workplace. These resource guides were developed and tested by teachers and industry trainers.

Targets for Learning: Reading for Information-TLRI, $40
Helps learners develop the skills required to read and understand the kinds of documents used in the workplace and to apply the information they contain in the context of workplace applications. This resource guide provides strategies to prepare learners in secondary, postsecondary, and adult training situations to apply reading skills to real-life situations. Reading for information addresses the skills required to read and use workplace documents by providing a variety of tools and learning activities designed not only to help learners derive meaning from what they read but also apply what they learn. Learning activities and practice exercises reinforce basic reading skills and are easily integrated into traditional instruction.

Targets for Learning: Locating Information-TLLI, $40
Focuses on the skills needed to interpret and apply information from a wide range of workplace graphics including diagrams, graphics, charts, and instrument gauges. This resource guide is for teachers and industry trainers in all subject areas seeking strategies to prepare people to read and interpret workplace graphics. Locating information provides ideas, information, and practice problems that can help learners in all subject areas develop skill in gleaning and interpreting information found in graphics. Learning activities and practice exercises reinforce basic skills and problem solving.

Targets for Learning: Applied Mathematics-TLAM, $40
Encourages learners to effectively apply mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills to work-related problems. This resource guide is for both math and non-math teachers and industry trainers seeking strategies for preparing learners to solve math-related problems in the workplace. Applied Mathematics supplements the curriculum through instructional strategies, activities, and practice problems that help learners develop effective problem-solving skills.

Targets for Learning: Applied Technology-TLAT, $40
Prepares all learners to be problem-solvers with workplace technology, not just those studying in technical areas, by helping improve their process skills. This resource guide provides nonscience teachers/trainers with strategies that complements existing instructional efforts and supplements the curriculum through practice problems, exercises, and other learning activities.

Ordering information for CETE Publications
Prices do not include shipping and handling. Shipping costs are figured at 12% of the total order over $75; orders up to $75 are $8. Priority and international shipments charged at actual costs plus $15 handling fee. Call for quantity discount information (614/292-4277). Send orders to Publications, Center on Education and Training for Employment, 1900 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1016.

Even though the National Dissemination Center is no longer at CETE, CETE Publications Office will make available paper copies of their reports upon request. Please contact 800/848-4815 ext 2-4277 to ask about prices and shipping costs. You can also e-mail Susan Tippett at tippett.2@osu.edu for a price quote.

The Ohio TtT Team Presents…

On February 20, 2007 a presentation was made by Maria Hruby Moore, Belinda Gimbert, Paula Kurth, Janet Ray, and Figen Sahin at the Association of Teacher Education Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. Their session was on Designing and Implementing an e-Tutorial for Praxis II: Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) within an Online Learning Community. The instructional goal of the e-Praxis II: PLT (grades 7-12) tutorial is to provide preservice teachers with a self-guided review to pass this ETS Test. Course objectives resulted in seven modules constructed as a test preparation process complete with five multiple-choice test banks and a sample test. The e-PLT is one part of an online learning community supported by Ohio's Transition to Teaching Program.

Maria Hruby Moore, Belinda Gimbert, Paula Kurth, Janet Ray, Figen Shain, and Cheri Workman will also be presenting at this year's annual meeting of the National Association for Alternative Certification in Washington, DC, in April. This year's topic is Evaluation of a Test Preparation Process for Praxis II: Principles of Learning and Teaching Comparing Test Performance of Ohio Teachers. Alternative Educator Licensed (AEL) teachers in Ohio may receive different pathways to preparation; yet the expectations of an AEL teacher to pass the Praxis II: PLT is the same requirement for all teachers according to licensure in the State of Ohio. If both groups are required to pass this test, then what types of interventions can nontraditional programs provide to support AEL teachers with a passing score? One solution was to build a process of Praxis II: PLT test preparation as part of an online learning community to support a target group of Ohio Alternatively Licensed (AEL) teachers serving in high-need school districts across the state of Ohio.

Assessment

Online Testing Awareness Session, May 17, 2007, presented by CETE, Columbus, OH; $75. CETE is offering a 3-hour online testing awareness session aimed at education, business-industry, and government. Topics include test development interface with test delivery; delivery by computer-based and online formats versus paper-pencil format; elements of a computer-based testing system; advantages and disadvantages of online testing, professional guidelines and standards for computer-based testing; vendors of online testing services and systems (Questionmark, CETE); business process analysis for computer-based testing; selected case studies of online testing; test security and cheating issues.

Test Construction Workshop, July 16-18, 2007, presented by CETE, Columbus, OH; $850. Constructing valid, reliable assessments of job-specific knowledge and skills is critical to effective human resource practice. This workshop provides participants with practical knowledge and skills to understand the creation of valid, reliable, and legally defensible assessments.

For information: Jim Austin, austin.38@osu.edu or 614/292-9897. To register: Kathy Summerfield, summerfield.1@osu.edu or 614/688-4000 .

DACUM/SCID

DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) Institute, April 2-7, 2007, hosted by CETE, Columbus, OH; $1,395

SCID (Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development) Workshop, April 9-13, 2007, hosted by CETE, Columbus, OH; $1,195

DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) Institute, June 18-22, 2007, hosted by CETE, Columbus, OH; $1,395

SCID (Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development) Workshop, June 25-29, hosted by CETE, Columbus, OH; $1,195

For information: Robert Norton, norton.1@osu.edu; Debbie Weaver, weaver.22@osu.edu; www.dacumohiostate.com