The current demand for educational excellence is an outgrowth of recent national reports criticizing secondary education. This push for academic excellence also affects vocational education outcomes. A growing consensus seems to be emerging that at the secondary level (1) vocational education should be integrated with academic education, (2)…

Disaggregation of standardized test data is essential in determining the differential effects of the school's climate and program upon groups of students formed by social class. In a recent secondary school study comparing the outcomes of two approaches to school assessment (the Connecticut School Effectiveness Survey vs. The National Study of…

It is an open question to what extent young people in Japan leaving educational institutions at various levels for their first job have the knowledge of the labor market, occupational choices open to them, and their own individual occupational talents. The objective of this paper is to study the structure of the supply of occupational and labor…

This report examines the contribution of secondary vocational education to learning outcomes. It is targeted to research scholars with professional interests related to vocational education, effective schooling, learning, and methodology. The first of six chapters is an "Introduction" (Lawrence Hotchkiss, Jeanne Desy). "The Effects of Vocational…

Reports a study in which 1,000 high school seniors at 8 Kenyan schools participated. Data were gathered regarding their social and geographical regions, and the results on the Kenya Certificate of Education (KCE) examination were used. Findings show there is no rule that school-based vocational training is inferior to academic secondary education.…

The Peninsula Academies Program is a three-year high school program designed to provide at-risk students with the motivation to graduate from high school with skills relevant to future employment. The program combines a full schedule of academic and technical courses with "employability" training in a school-within-a-school setting.…

This study focused on the identification and description of environmental characteristics and their relationship to basic skills exposure. The objectives of the study were to identify the major factors that characterize environments in which learning is intended to occur, and to delineate patterns of co-exposure to basic skills and environmental…

Surveyed 1,148 Chinese junior, prevocational, secondary school students to investigate self-concepts and delinquent behaviors when compared to grammar secondary school counterparts. Examined data from an earlier study of junior grammar school students. Finds earlier group had higher self-esteem whereas the prevocational students were more likely…

The paper summarizes a National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report, "Reading, Science and Mathematic Trends: A Closer Look," in which achievement trends are compared in several subjects for 4th, 8th, and 11th grade black students, white students, low achievers, and high achievers. Findings indicate that while overall…

This report, which is directed toward policymakers, educators, employers, researchers, and others interested in the school-to-work (STW) movement, synthesizes literature on the development and effectiveness of STW programs since 1993. Part I provides an overview of the STW movement and examines the effectiveness of STW efforts in terms of…

This document contains 11 papers on researching service learning through a multidisciplinary lens. The following papers are included: "Introduction" (Shelley H. Billig, Andrew Furco); "Stretching to Meet the Challenge: Improving the Quality of Research to Improve the Quality of Service-Learning" (Janet Eyler);…