From its beginnings in 1906, cooperative education has evolved into a program offered at the secondary and postsecondary levels in two predominant models: (1) students complete multiple cycles of equal periods of academic coursework and paid employment; and (2) students' school day is split between school (usually in the morning) and work (usually…

The relative impact of career academies on postsecondary educational attainment and knowledge and skills acquired in urban public high schools was examined through an analysis of single-district and national databases. The national data were obtained from the first and third follow-up surveys of the National Education Longitudinal Study. Compared…

This paper describes the rationale, direction, and progress of the Integrated System for Workforce Education Curricula (ISWEC), a project sponsored by a 25-state consortium that is designed to accomplish two primary objectives: (1) integration of academic and vocational education in a curriculum framework for grades 9-14 and (2) development of a…

This packet contains a set of principles for core skills development together with corresponding activities for teachers and learners that have been developed in Great Britain. Core skills are defined as transferable skills central to academic, vocational, and personal development. An introduction explains the FEU's principles and guidelines for…

Initiatives to improve vocational education--such as tech prep, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA), and Goals 2000: Educate America Act--are full of promise. Case studies prepared by the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America illustrate the potential of these initiatives. Massachusetts and Wisconsin are two recipients of federal STWOA…

High school and post-high school experiences were compared for 1982, 1985, and 1989 graduates from Lewisburg, Middleburg, Mifflinburg, Selingsgrove, Shikellamy, and West Snyder High Schools, Pennsylvania. These experiences were contrasted by both year of graduation and by program of study: academic, Sun Area Technical School, home school…

Contrary to expectations a decade ago, the United States has not buried the dichotomy between vocational education and academic education. Instead, as shown by the publication of the report, "A Nation at Risk," the academic community is again declaring war on the vocational education establishment. This report, which stresses the need…

A study examined the outcomes of taking different balances of career and technical education (CTE) and academic courses. The study sample consisted of members of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) who were eighth-graders in 1988. The study sample members were divided into four groups as follows: (1) academic concentrators…

A study examined eight local consortia identified as mature Tech Prep implementers. The four-year research used a mixed-method longitudinal design involving repeated field visits, short and long interviews of key stakeholders, classroom observations, and document review and analysis. About 4,700 Tech Prep and non-Tech Prep participants were…

The objectives and development of the skill standards movement were examined along with 22 pilot projects that were undertaken as part of an effort to promote the development of a national system of voluntary industry-based skill standards. First, the past and present of the skill standards movement and certification practices were analyzed along…

This publication consists of the main and mini reports for Missouri's Show-Me Standards and vocational education competencies for marketing education. This database documents the common ground between academic skills and vocational competencies. Both components of the Show-Me Standards--knowledge (content) and performance (process)--have been…

This paper outlines the issues involved in an assessment of the extent and success of the integration of academic and vocational education. It develops questions that could be addressed to state and local education officials to assess the effects of the 1990 amendments to the Carl Perkins Act on both state policies and local practices. Section I…

As the United States and the rest of the world moves into an electronic-driven postindustrial revolution that is replacing the factory industrialism of the beginning of the century, new realities call for change in the workplace and the education system. Declining wages, increased unemployment, and a lowered standard of living have occurred as the…

A study compared graduates from three high school curricula--academic, general, and vocational--to determine if there were any advantages for the respective graduates in the labor market. Surveys mailed to a sample of 1,266 graduates received 623 usable responses. Three research questions were asked that dealt with secondary educational…

Designed to provide secondary migrant educators in Oregon with access to model secondary programs for migrant students, this manual describes programs that offer diverse ways to deal with the special circumstances of migrant students. The Secondary Credit Exchange Program transfers credits to the migrant student's home school at the end of each…