A literature review explored the differences between the high school diploma and GED (General Educational Development) credentials and the value of receiving one in comparison to the other. The study found that GED recipients and high school seniors who take the five tests constituting the GED score similarly, but that test achievement does not…

Career and technical education (CTE) can benefit students directly by providing earning advantages before and after graduation. It can benefit them indirectly by increasing engagement, retention, and persistence and by directing them to postsecondary education and pursuit of lifelong learning. CTE programs motivate students to get involved in…

Vocational Education (VE) has long been recognized for its "hands-on" approach to education and ability to demonstrate a connection between school and employment. The consensus of the literature is that VE facilitates student skill development, retention in school, and employment. According to the research, reducing the dropout rate is the most…

Perhaps the most enduring belief about vocational education (VE) is that it is only for the noncollege bound, potential dropouts, or other special needs students. In reality, 80% of high school students take at least one occupationally specific vocational course, and one in eight academic students actually takes more vocational courses than…

Current knowledge and practices in the field of preprimary teacher education are discussed with respect to unique characteristics of the field, general issues in teacher education and preprimary education, and recent developments in inservice education. Unique characteristics of the field of preprimary teacher education include role ambiguity,…

Is the positive potential of globalization being realized? Are transnational careers becoming a reality? What effects are uncertainty and continuous change having on career development? There is evidence that a growing number of companies are exporting both blue- and white-collar jobs overseas, although some contend that it is new technologies…

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…

The question of what the future of work in the United States will be is examined in this publication using current information on trends and issues related to work, the economy, and the labor force. The compilation intended to give an overview of selected aspects of the topic and provide information about other resources. In the first section,…

The career and technical education (CTE) system before Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 has been characterized as traditionally dominated by gender segregation and discrimination. The most damaging consequence of such gender bias is to limit females' access to the benefits of CTE--the living wage that provides females the same economic…