In today's labor market, students increasingly need greater levels of postsecondary education and training to enter or advance in many industries. Meanwhile, employers are calling for the education system to better align with industry needs, as their demands for a skilled workforce continue to rise. In response to the increasing emphasis for…

Technical and vocational education helps to empower marginalized sections of society by increasing their employability. However, access to skills training provided by formal technical and vocational institutions is often limited for these sections of society. Women from poor communities are especially disadvantaged in this regard due to community…

Opportunity America received a grant from Lumina Foundation to conduct a national research study of community colleges' credit and noncredit occupational education programs and their relationships with employers. Opportunity America contracted with Wilder Research to manage data collection and analysis for the study. The purpose of this study was…

Community colleges serve more students than any other institutional type in the United States, and internationalization is an inherent component of community colleges that advances student knowledge, facilitates student success, and serves the needs of local communities. As most community college students do not enroll in four-year institutions,…

The integration of emerging technologies in higher education presents a new set of challenges and opportunities for educators. With a growing need for customized lesson plans in online education, educators are rethinking the design and development of their learning environments. "Utilizing Virtual and Personal Learning Environments for…

As web applications play a vital role in our society, social media has emerged as an important tool in the creation and exchange of user-generated content and social interaction. The benefits of these services have entered in the educational areas to become new means by which scholars communicate, collaborate and teach. Social Media and the New…

Transition from secondary education to adulthood represents a period during which adolescents with disabilities face multiple responsibilities and changing roles that include establishing independence, attending postsecondary education or training, developing social networks, choosing a career, participating in their communities, and managing…

The need for transition services for students with exceptionalities is apparent and critical for their success after high school. It is essential for school professionals, parents, and students to work collaboratively and consultively to determine each student's future goals and develop an effective plan to meet those goals successively. This book…

The report describes the educational programs that Alaska's 162 small rural high schools offer, identifies educational problems, and examines strategies that districts and schools have devised to strengthen these schools. The schools mostly serve Eskimos and American Indians, have fewer than 100 students, and are located in communities of fewer…

This study developed and evaluated the utility of a Windows CE-based multimedia palmtop computer program for use in supporting young adults with mental retardation to more independently complete community-based vocational skills. Use of the Visual Assistant prototype resulted in improved task accuracy and decreased use of external prompts from a…

Offers several explanations for the development of community colleges, describes their clientele and mission, and discusses current shortcomings. Recommends changes to encourage program completion or transfer into four-year programs while maintaining open access. (DM)

Describes Spartanburg Technical College's six-step process for developing curricula that integrates job-specific content with work-related skills. Identifies skills employers want, ways of incorporating those skills, the curriculum design model, considerations for implementation, and benefits. (DMM)

In response to recently raised concerns about the effective integration of general education into community college occupational programs, this report offers a review of the literature on general education and its place in the vocational curriculum. First, definitions of general education are presented and synthesized into the following…

Surveys administered to 48 state student representatives and 46 chapter advisors attending the 1983 National Future Farmers of American (FFA) Conference on Community Development provided data about the Building Our American Communities Program (BOAC), which originated in 1970 as vocational agriculture's vehicle for high school level community…

The 39 Illinois public community college districts currently offer 3,467 individual curricula within 258 discrete occupational fields. Within the past 18 months, slightly more curricula have been withdrawn then added, with the office occupations category showing a net gain of 36 curricula and the categories of home economics and protective…