Sweden's educational system was analyzed to determine the degree of coherence that exists between compulsory education, upper secondary education (which in Sweden includes both vocational and general education), and the various forms of adult education available. First, the objectives and structure of the following components of Sweden's school…

These two documents deal with the relationship between Missouri's Show-Me Standards (the standards defining what all Missouri students should know upon graduation from high school) with the vocational competencies taught in secondary-level family and consumer science (FACS) education courses. The first document, which is a database documenting the…

A 3-year national assessment of vocational education (VE) examined various issues related to improvement of VE programs, their academic and employment outcomes, participation of special population students in VE, and Perkins funding and administration. The assessment established that most secondary VE is still very traditional and that Perkins…

In the late 1980s, in response to a number of problems including consistently low academic performance by students and graduates lacking the skills needed by employers, Swansea High School in Swansea, South Carolina, launched a major reform effort designed to transform Swansea into a high-performance high school. During the multi-year reform…

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…

This document introduces the underlying principles and components of Ohio's Integrated Technical and Academic Competencies (ITAC) system of career-focused education, which combines high-level academics and technical skills with a real-life context for learning that maximizes students' present and future academic and career success. The document…

The extent and quality of school-to-work (STW) programs in the state of Washington were evaluated through a survey of all school districts receiving state STW funds and case studies of programs in four school districts (Bethel, Methow, Sumner, and Wapato), one consortium (Columbia River School-to-Work Consortium in Clark County), and two…

U.S. and European models of delivering secondary education were examined to identify ways of improving Latin American and Caribbean secondary schools and easing Latin American and Caribbean students' transition from school to work. The following delivery options were considered: (1) separate job training from formal secondary education; (2) move…

Since 1982, studies have shown statistical evidence that career and technical education (CTE) can play a role in reducing the number of high school dropouts, especially among students who are at high risk of dropping out. Case studies at several High Schools That Work sites showed improvements in retention and graduation at the same time that…

Federal funding from the School to Work Opportunities Act (STOWA) has ended. There is no doubt that state policy to advance activities started under STOWA will be a major factor in the sustainability of School to Work. Already some states have taken the initiative for bringing higher standards to education by offering incentives for businesses to…

This book contains 22 papers on workforce education issues for the new century: "Introduction" (Alfred J. Pautler, Jr.); "Vocational Education: Past, Present, and Future" (Cheryl L. Hogg); "A Philosophic View for Seeing the Past of Vocational Education and Envisioning the Future of Workforce Education: Pragmatism…

In 2000 and 2001, the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education conducted a series of projects on career and technical education (CTE) practices, trends and outcomes. Selected preliminary findings from a review of the reports on those projects are as follows: (1) integration of CTE and academic instruction in high schools remains…

This document, which is intended for Ohio agriculture teachers, contains lesson plans for an eight-unit competency-based course in agriscience. Each lesson plan contains some or all of the following items: (1) unit title; (2) competency/terminal performance objective; (3) competency builders/pupil performance objectives; (4) list of applied…

This document contains nine papers from the social and ethical issues section of an international conference on vocational education and training (VET) for lifelong learning in the information era. The following papers are included: "Attitudes of University Faculty Members toward Students with Disabilities" (Marie F. Kraska);…

In 1987, Walhalla High School in Walhalla, South Carolina, undertook a major restructuring effort to raise the school's standards and keep pace with the expectations of local high-tech businesses and industry. School and district leaders established an affiliation with the Southern Regional Education Board's High Schools That Work initiative,…