Agricultural education's most pressing issue is a lack of qualified classroom teachers. In 2020-2021, 30 states reported the loss of over 70 agricultural education positions, with many schools closing these positions due to inadequate staffing. Furthermore, in 2021-2022, there were 1,680 agricultural education vacancies nationwide and only 789…

States face transformational disruptions in education and work that have further widened skill and equity gaps. Area technical centers (ATCs) are under-utilized public educational institutions that are powerful tools in expanding equitable pathways for learners to gain postsecondary credentials that lead to meaningful careers while helping states…

The Common Core State Standards' emphasis on informational text arose in part from research suggesting that employers and college instructors found students weak at comprehending technical manuals, scientific and historical journals, and other texts pivotal to work in those arenas. The common core's vision of informational text includes literary…

Career and technical education (CTE) is increasingly seen as a major potential contributor to the recovery of the U.S. economy. However, the effectiveness and impact of the current Carl D. Perkins Act (otherwise known as Perkins IV) that governs CTE are unclear. Is the federal investment in CTE paying off? To answer this, we need to establish the…

This brief report of remarks of a three-day workshop in career education describes the workshop agenda, activities, and projects underway in Florida and gives a list of objectives for grades K-6 through post secondary education. A master plan for career education in Brevard County, with a planning and implementation checklist, is followed by…

Pressing Forward: Increasing and Expanding Rigor and Relevance in America's High Schools is organized to place secondary education, specifically the goals of preparing young adults to be college and career ready, in contemporary perspective, emphasizing the changing global economy and trends in policy and practice. High school students must be…

This guide is designed to assist districts in developing and implementing Curriculum-Based Vocational Assessment (CBVA) as an integral part of the career/vocational program for students with disabilities. The document begins with a User's Guide that describes each part of the guide and makes suggestions for its use. Part 1 explains what CBVA is…

Three Florida counties (Broward, Orange, and Pinellas) formed a consortium for demonstrating the most effective methods and techniques in career education at the secondary level. A career education model was developed which was designed to provide (1) career awareness and exploration experiences for all students, 9-12; (2) alternative salable…

A project was conducted to develop and field test self-instructional materials which would provide a mechanism for positive change in attitudes and procedures for educators and administrators toward integrating handicapped students into regular vocational education programs. Specific objectives of the project were as follows: (1) research and…

Students' literacy achievement tends to lessen as they progress from elementary to middle level to high school as measured by state and national assessments. To ensure that secondary school students retain their literacy skills, many states and districts have created the position of literacy coach for middle and high schools. Literacy coaches are…

The handbook is intended to provide practitioners with information on establishing and organizing a Human Growth and Development program in agencies and facilities which provide training to developmentally disabled persons. The handbook discusses the legal foundation (Florida law) for establishing the program as well as specific methods for…

The Dissemination and Diffusion Section, Florida Division of Vocational Education, provides vocational educators with innovative educational materials and technical assistance on their use. Dissemination and diffusion are often aimed at the awareness/interest level, but teacher surveys and site visits have indicated that continued contact with…

One of five booklets designed to help vocational education teachers and administrators relate more effectively to handicapped students in their classrooms, this booklet suggests that the outcomes of handicapped pupils who are integrated or mainstreamed into the regular vocational education program differ only slightly from those of non-handicapped…

To increase the supply of modularized instructional materials to meet the need for preservice and/or inservice education of professional vocational educators, the National Center for Research in Vocational Education and seven interested states organized in 1978 a Consortium for the Development of Professional Materials for Vocational Education. To…

This manual is designed to help teachers, businesses, Chambers of Commerce, and students start their own economic development activities and youth ventures. It describes a two-step plan to economic development through youth: development of an in-school student chamber of commerce program and development of a youth-owned venture. The first part of…