"Gauging Progress, Accelerating Pace" is the seventh biennial report to SREB states on their progress in meeting SREB's Challenge to Lead goals for education. Each customized state report documents progress on both measurable outcomes and state policies. Through effective policy implementation, the goals can help states drive…

This individual profile provides information on Alabama's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

The majority of states in the U.S. have embraced the career clusters concept. But they face challenges in implementing and expanding the system. This article discusses career cluster initiatives and the challenges they face. The career cluster model has the potential to help meet a number of challenges--from integrating academic and technical…

Career clusters represent a nationwide effort to help learners obtain the knowledge and skills they need for career success, mobility and advancement by aligning what is taught in the classroom to business and industry expectations. In this article, the authors, education department officials from Nebraska, Virginia, and Alabama, outline the…

Career education is a comprehensive, educational approach, intent on preparing individuals to live useful and stimulating lives in a society dominated by technical and specialized tasks and mechanisms. The Alabama State Department of Education, realizing the impact and educational implication of such an approach has implemented into its regular…

Rural Alabama high school freshmen and sophomores collected and analyzed data about community drinking water supplies in a social science research project designed to acquaint them with health care issues in their communities. Students interviewed government and business leaders, health care professionals, and residents in three rural counties. In…

This report reviews the second-year activities of the Alabama Occupational Information System (AOIS), whose second-year objectives were (1) to review all state file formats, particularly the occupational file, (2) to validate national data supplied by the Government Information Service (GIS), (3) to develop and implement a Job Bank Summary File,…