The development of a lifelong guidance system in Hungary

The development of a lifelong guidance system in Hungary Systematic work is currently being undertaken in Hungary to develop a lifelong guidance system, in line with principles outlined by leading international organisations. The origins of career guidance in Hungary, and the nature of the current career guidance system, are outlined. The main features of the current development programme, supported by the European Social Fund, are presented, alongside the strategic work of the National Lifelong Guidance Council. Key issues relating to these developments are discussed.     

Non-reduced optimal observers for time-varying linear systems

A method is presented for constructing a nonreduced observer for a finite dimensional linear system. The systems considered are nth order, time-invariant or time-varying forced linear systems which are assumed to be bounded and uniformly completely state reconstructible. The observer dynamics are derived from an optimal estimation formulation which is related to the concept of observability. The cost functional used in this formulation includes a parameter which determines the relative weighting of the system output and the estimate of the initial system state. The result is a practical method of estimating the state of a linear system from noiseless measurements of the input and output. The results are also of theoretical significance in that a direct connection between reconstructibility and the existence of observers is established.     

New skills for new futures: a comparative review of higher education guidance and counselling services in the European Union

The main results are presented of a study of thehigher education guidance and counselling services inthe Member-States of the European Union. The changingcontext of higher education in Europe, and itsimplications for guidance and counselling services,are discussed. The main trends in the development ofsuch services are outlined, including the results ofa task analysis covering the main guidance andcounselling roles. Implications forprofessinalisation and for training and professionaldevelopment are reviewed. It is suggested that aEuropean Master's degree could be a valuablecomplement to national training and qualificationstructures.     

The involvement of the European Union in career guidance policy: a brief history

The history of the involvement of the European Union in the development of policy related to career guidance is analysed in terms of three broad periods. In the first two of these, interventions were confined to pilot projects, exchanges and placements, study visits and studies/surveys, with particular attention to young people; whereas the period since 2000 has seen greater attention being paid to lifelong activities that support the implementation of EU policy priorities and their mainstreaming at national level. These trends reflect both the EU’s “creeping competence” and the emerging concept of “lifelong guidance.”     

Understanding Heterogeneity in the Impact of Public Preschool Programs

We examine the North Carolina Pre-K (NC Pre-K) program to test the hypothesis that observed variation in effects resulting from exposure to the program can be attributed to interactions with other environmental factors that occur before, during, or after the pre-k year. We examine student outcomes in 5th grade and test interaction effects between NC's level of investment in public pre-k and moderating factors. Our main sample includes the population of children born in North Carolina between 1987 and 2005 who later attended a public school in that state, had valid achievement data in 5th grade, and could be matched by administrative record review (n = 1,207,576; 58% White non-Hispanic, 29% Black non-Hispanic, 7% Hispanic, 6% multiracial and Other race/ethnicity). Analyses were based on a natural experiment leveraging variation in county-level funding for NC Pre-K across NC counties during each of the years the state scaled up the program. Exposure to NC Pre-K funding was defined as the per-4-year-old-child state allocation of funds to a county in a year. Regression models included child-level and county-level covariates and county and year fixed effects. Estimates indicate that a child's exposure to higher NC Pre-K funding was positively associated with that child's academic achievement 6 years later. We found no effect on special education placement or grade retention. NC Pre-K funding effects on achievement were positive for all subgroups tested, and statistically significant for most. However, they were larger for children exposed to more disadvantaged environments either before or after the pre-k experience, consistent with a compensatory model where pre-k provides a buffer against the adverse effects of prior negative environmental experiences and protection against the effects of future adverse experiences. In addition, the effect of NC Pre-K funding on achievement remained positive across most environments, supporting an additive effects model. In contrast, few findings supported a dynamic complementarity model. Instrumental variables analyses incorporating a child's NC Pre-K enrollment status indicate that program attendance increased average 5th grade achievement by approximately 20% of a standard deviation, and impacts were largest for children who were Hispanic or whose mothers had less than a high school education. Implications for the future of pre-k scale-up and developmental theory are discussed.     

Career Guidance in Public Employment Services Across Europe

The results of a survey of Public Employment Services in all the Member-States of the European Union, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, are reported. The career guidance services offered within these structures are reviewed, in three categories: career guidance elements within personalised employment services; specialised career guidance provision; and other relevant provision, including career and labour market information and the delivery of services to students. Four trends are identified: towards self-service provision; towards tiering of services; towards decentralisation; and towards outsourcing. Finally, four issues are addressed: quality and impact measurement; role tensions; foregrounding the identity of career guidance; and the role of Public Employment Services in relation to lifelong access to career guidance.     

The Role of Mediators in the Development of Longitudinal Mathematics Achievement Associations

Despite research demonstrating a strong association between early and later mathematics achievement, few studies have investigated mediators of this association. Using longitudinal data (n = 1,362), this study tested the extent to which mathematics self‐concepts, school placement, executive functioning, and proficiency in fractions and division account for the association between mathematics achievement in first grade and at age 15. As hypothesized, a strong longitudinal association between first‐grade and adolescent mathematics achievement was present (β = .36) even after controlling for a host of background characteristics, including cognitive skills and reading ability. The mediators accounted for 39% of this association, with mathematics self‐concept, gifted and talented placement, and knowledge of fractions and division serving as significant mediators.