A guide for colleges interested in improving the printed information it provides to prospective students is presented, based on the experience of institutions that participated in a three-year effort to improve their informational literature as part of Project CHOICE. CHOICE, the Center for Helping Organizations Improve Choice in Education, was…

In February 2000, England's Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) proposed a new degree, called the Foundation Degree, and solicited stakeholder input by publishing a list of 13 questions pertaining to Foundation Degrees. The Further Education Development Agency (FEDA) responded to the DfEE's request for input by responding to all 13…

An evaluation study was conducted to determine the impact of the Washington state legislature's 3-year investment of $2.55 million in a School-to-Work Transition Program (STW). The key components of the evaluation consist of a written survey of the 33 STW coordinators in the state, case study visits to 10 communities throughout the state engaged…

This book contains eight papers on a study of the effects of academic career magnetic education on high schools and their graduates. "Introduction" (Robert L. Crain) explains the study's objectives and methodology, which included an analysis of data files on 9,176 students who applied to 59 different academic career magnet education and…

The chronic scarcity of career jobs and increased demands for mental ability in the workplace have necessitated school-to-work (STW) transition programs that prepare noncollege-bound youths not only for their first full-time job but also for continued learning and career transitions throughout their working lives. Among the main ideas advanced for…

In 1970, 55 percent of the US population over age 25 had completed high school or some college and 11 percent had completed 4 or more years of college; by 1999, those figures had reached 83 percent and 25 percent, respectively. A comparison between 1982 and 1992 high school seniors found more completing some postsecondary credits (from 53 percent…

This report examines the extent to which Job Corps improves literacy and numeracy skills. Chapter I provides an overview of Job Corps and discusses key policy issues related to basic skills and study objectives. Chapter II addresses study design issues, interview response rates, and analytic methods used to estimate program impacts on literacy…

Designed for migrant students in grades 9 through 12, the Yo Puedo Program attempted to motivate students to remain in and graduate from high school and to continue their education at the university level. The 5-week summer program, conducted at the University of California at Santa Cruz, provided an academic setting and a positive learning…

In 1992, the U.S. Departments of Defense and Education jointly created a new high school program aimed at encouraging at-risk youth to remain in school until graduation. The program, which is a marriage of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) and the comprehensive high school reform initiative known as career academies, was called…

The effectiveness of the Partnership for Academic and Career Education (PACE) model tech prep initiative was evaluated in a 2-year study conducted by the Academy for Educational Development. Information for the evaluation was collected through site visits to 13 of the 20 secondary schools (9 high schools and 4 career centers) in the 3 counties…

A 2-year project to specify new designs for the comprehensive high school of the future identified the following important features: (1) a guaranteed set of learner outcomes closely linked to present and future life roles and responsibilities for all students; (2) learning applied to life situations, using authentic assessment; (3) multiple ways…

Career academies are schools within schools that link students with peers, teachers, and community partners in a disciplined environment, thereby fostering academic success and mental and emotional health. The career academy concept includes the following three key elements: (1) small learning communities; (2) a college preparatory curriculum with…

After more than three decades of development and two decades of evaluation, career academies have been found to be effective in improving the performance of students in high school, particularly for students at greatest risk. Career academies have become the most durable and best-tested component of a high school reform strategy that includes…

The 1996 High Schools That Work (HSTW) Assessment provides ample evidence that HSTW strategies can make a big difference in student success. Students who completed an upgraded academic core and challenging vocational courses met HSTW goals and were actively sought by employers and postsecondary schools. However, too many career-bound high school…

Facts on career academies are provided for local school board members, superintendents, other district administrators, and building administrators. The facts are divided into three categories. The category title or the fact is followed by the numbers of the references on which that category or fact is based. The section called Components of Career…