Career resource centers (CRCs), which are located in both educational settings and the workplace, provide information and services on planning a career and finding a job. CRCs offer information, materials, and services to individuals interested in career planning and development and are typically found in secondary and higher education…

Tech prep is an educational initiative that promotes increased cooperation between local educational agencies and postsecondary institutions. Its intent is to improve the quality of instruction and employment potential of students, particularly those enrolled in general or vocational education. Tech prep's strength lies in the partnership…

This document reports on the major activities carried out and the major findings produced by the Counseling for High Skills Project. Using a customer satisfaction approach, data were collected from 39,940 currently enrolled students in 2,145 programs in 361 postsecondary institutions in 14 states. The study examined what kinds of persons enroll in…

As more states increase the number of credits required for high school graduation, progressively less time is being left for vocational education. To address this problem, many school districts and states are beginning to formulate policies for granting academic credit for basic skills training provided in vocational classrooms. As of 1985, 11…

This fact sheet addresses the issue of teenage pregnancy. Six factors contributing to the current attention focused on teenage pregnancy and parenthood are listed and teenage pregnancy and birth rates are discussed. Other areas covered include teenage nonuse of contraception, sex education by schools and parents, family planning services, and the…

Because of its pervasive "image problem," vocational education (VE) is not being given high priority by leaders of the new vocational education school reform movement and it is being forced to compete against others in the arena of education for a shrinking student population and scarce resources. Like other service industries, VE has…

Vocational educators seeking curriculum materials, lesson plans, classroom activities, and other instructional materials can locate them in a variety of places. The ERIC database is a good source of information about the following instructional and resource materials: curricula, project descriptions, lesson plans, classroom activities, task lists,…

This guide addresses the role of online searching in school library media centers. The first section reviews the literature in the area and presents guidelines for planning and implementing online access for students based on the experiences reported. This section lists 44 references. The second section summarizes the results of a 1986 survey of…

This brief summarizes research-based implementation factors to improve the selection and use of career information systems in schools, community agencies, and other employment and training settings. Thirteen factors to consider when selecting career information systems are identified: theoretical assumptions upon which the system is based,…

Many states and local districts use career clusters as a means of broadening the focus of secondary education, particularly career and technical education, as preparation for both further education and work. One continuing trend in career clusters is sheer variety. Cluster frameworks vary in the number, nomenclature, and organization of clusters.…

This ERIC Digest reports on the origins, purposes, and methods of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Civic Education Study. In 1993, the General Assembly of the IEA decided to carry out a two phase study of civic education. The goal of the two phase study was to identify and examine in a comparative…

Family influence is an important force in preparing youth for their roles as workers. Family background factors found to be associated with career development include parents' socioeconomic status, their educational level, biogenetic factors, and family income. Family processes of interaction, communication, and behavior influence what the child…

Although corporate spending on partnerships with education has more than doubled in the past 20 years, many in educational circles are questioning whether corporate contributions benefit student knowledge and learning development as well as corporations' bottom lines. Three examples of corporate giving that can be viewed from dual perspectives are…

Teachers responsible for transforming their vocational education programs into career and technical education (CTE) programs need to concentrate on ensuring programs' technical and academic rigor, engaging in collaboration in school and in the community, keeping current through professional development experiences, and extending learning beyond…

In most schools, especially urban high schools, teachers are colleagues in name only. Some schools, however, do foster substantial collegial relationships among teachers; and when schools are organized to support such teacher collaboration, the benefits are substantial. To make teacher collaboration possible and effective, two fundamental…