This toolkit that can empower state leaders to transform their vocational-technical schools for the better. It builds on "Hands-On Achievement," a book detailing the Massachusetts model that Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research published earlier in 2022. The toolkit describes three keys to success, provides a brief history of…

Massachusetts was one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY). NSFY, launched by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2016, is a $75 million, five-year initiative, aimed at strengthening and expanding high-quality career pathways for youth. As part of this initiative, the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE,…

Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAPs) are a key piece of connected career advising that align learners' career and life goals with academic, postsecondary and career pathway options. ICAPs have different names in different states, including Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) and Individual Graduation Plans (IGPs). They refer to both the…

This brief illustrates how digital learning opportunities and technology can significantly increase access to high-quality learning materials, curricula, and effective online learning tools to help youth in secure care settings develop expertise in shaping personalized learning and future goals. The brief also offers takeaways that practitioners,…

A striking convergence of research, documentation, commentary, and policy in the past five years strongly suggests that an almost exclusive focus on academic knowledge and skills is an incomplete solution. Additional behaviors, skills, and mindsets--sometimes called metacognitive skills or 21st-century skills--are just as necessary for academic…

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…

The document traces the development of one specific model, the Blue Hills Regional Technical Education Center, a regional school serving the specific occupational and career educational needs of high schools in seven suburban communities, located in Canton, Massachusetts. It also outlines the organizational structure, the program philosophy, and…

Machine shop and metal fabrication programs across the country have struggled since the mid-1980s when the rise in global competition resulted in more manufacturing jobs going overseas. Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Upton, Massachusetts, was able to keep its program up and running due in large part to its…

Annually, ACT provides a snapshot of the college and career readiness of ACT-tested high school graduates. This report is offered as a service to inform policymakers and practitioners about selected indicators of effectiveness and how that translates into readiness. It is designed to stimulate discussion, inquiry, and action. This report is…

Materials contained in this Massachusetts curriculum guide are based on concepts and procedures developed by the Highway Users Federation for Safety and Mobility. The guide examines the philosophy of driver education, discusses such legal aspects as certification of students and teachers, presents a comprehensive classroom and behind-the-wheel…

Describes a corner restaurant and store in Worcester, Massachusetts, where high school students staff and help supervise. (JOW)

Guidelines for basic sampling and weighting procedures for Massachusetts' Management and Information System for Occupational Education (MISOE) are discussed, illustrating solutions relevant for systems development. Disproportionate, stratified random sampling within and across MISOE subsystems will be carried out, with a hierarchical…

Discusses English program of multiple electives in a small high school; a paper presented at annual convention of National Council of Teachers of English (59th, Washington, D.C., November 28, 1969). (SW)

This program guide on establishing community education/work (E/W) linkages presents a variety of program options which have been tested at twelve Massachusetts E/W linkage sites. Community E/W linkages are defined as arrangements among members of the community to facilitate the transition of young people between institutional education and…

The 1977-78 Massachusetts statewide assessment of Career and Occupational Development (COD) included the development of test instruments, administration of the tests to a sample of thirteen- and seventeen-year-olds throughout the state, analysis and interpretation of the data, and dissemination of the results. The COD test was objective-referenced…