This bulletin argues that by integrating academic and vocational instruction into a unified curriculum, schools can ensure that students are better prepared to meet the challenges of careers and a changing society. Vocational education provides three broad areas of skills: entry level job skills, employability skills, and employment skills. But…

Integration of academic and vocational curricula is missing from most American classrooms because integration that is rigorous, authentic, and sustained is much more difficult than most advocates imagine. The difficulty arises because teachers must do the following: keep integration sharply focused on clear, well-defined educational objectives;…

This primer is intended as a guide for the development and improvement of summer youth programs. The primer focuses on three common forms of summer academic enrichment strategies that combine work and learning: work-based learning strategies, classroom-based enrichment strategies, and summer jobs strategies. It includes information on the…

During the past decade, standards have become a central aspect of reforms in both academic and vocational education. Thus far, academic and industry skill standards have been developed independently of each other. Only sometimes do documents concerning academic standards discuss using standards in ways that have relevance to work, and most…

Changes in work and the workplace are transforming the kinds of knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for successful work performance. Educators and school reformers are updating curricula and redesigning school programs to ensure that, in addition to academics, young people have opportunities to learn work-related skills and attitudes. A…