Community and technical colleges serve a vital function in STEM education by training workers for medium- and high-skilled technical careers and providing employers the labor necessary to operate and maintain thriving business ventures. A curriculum developed with the elements of a systems-based approach results in a program more relevant to the…

For many non-traditional candidates, the path into teaching is riddled with bumps and detours. They must pay for increasingly expensive coursework and certification costs, attend classes that conflict with work schedules, and forgo wages to complete unfunded student teaching requirements. These roadblocks can deter valuable local…

This practice story tells of one professor's discovery and conduct of community-based research (CBR) at a leading liberal arts college. Originating through collaborations with an immigrant meatpacking workers' union, Whitman College's program on The State of the State for Washington Latinos has earned national recognition since its founding in…

The guided pathways approach to community and technical college redesign has significant impacts for adult basic education (ABE). The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and Ability to Benefit provide federal support that complements the work being done in Guided Pathways. Washington state's approach to implementing guided pathways…

Making Connections was the Annie E. Casey Foundation's signature place-based, community-change initiative of the 2000s. It sought to build on previous work and launch an effort focused firmly on the framework of family strengthening. The Foundation started Making Connections in 22 places, focusing eventually on first 10, then seven sites. It…

This article describes how the physical educators at Tahoma High School, in a community in Washington state's Cascade Mountains, surveyed their students, reached out to the community, integrated physical education and academics, and established a school-wide focus on wellness. Tracy Krause writes that the three "Rs"--relationships,…

Washington's community and technical colleges (CTCs) play an important role in producing baccalaureate degree graduates in the state through the applied baccalaureate (AB) degree. The key policy goals of the AB degree in Washington state are to increase educational attainment for students and meet employer demand. Compared to the traditional…

This handbook includes suggestions, guidelines, and techniques for helping a school or school district in planning and managing a system for involving the local community in career education activities for students in grades K-12. Guidelines cover initial planning and organization through implementation and evaluation. A coordinated, systematic…

The Washington State Council for Postsecondary Education was required to examine the educational functions and the administration of the Joint Center for Graduate Study (JCGS), Richland, and also upper-division educational services to the Tri-Cities area of Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick, Washington, by Washington State Senate Resolution 1975-130…

This handbook includes information, ideas, and methods to help the teacher effectively use community resources in career education and focuses on relationships between curriculum subject areas and careers. Two major sections are included. The first section is a discussion of the role of community resources in career education, covering goals of…

Covering 1979-80, which was the final year of the initial four year grant period for the Partnership for Rural Improvement (PRI), this report details the major assessments and program adjustments made during that year. Several program developments of critical importance to understanding the transition occurring in PRI are highlighted in the…

Now completing its second year, the Partnership for Rural Improvement (PRI) is a four year rural development program funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Its fundamental purpose is the development of a linkage system connecting the research and development of knowledge about rural improvement with the dissemination and use of that knowledge.…

People do not want to know the history, minutiae of policy, or operations, or even the political intrigues of a virtual consortium. People want to know if the consortium has value, whether it can help them, and if it is a threat. In this article, the author focuses on the operating principles and policies that have proven successful in the…

Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) is an innovative program and strategy developed by the Washington (WA) State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) in conjunction with the state's 29 community colleges and five technical colleges. Its goal is to increase the rate at which adult basic education and…

Discusses community planning for bicycling programs with emphasis on safety education for children and adults, enforcement of bicycle laws, engineering improvements, and special events. Describes how Olympia improved existing bicycling facilities and summarizes planning, communication, engineering, and policy issues addressed. (SV)