Implementation of blended teaching (BT) practices is in- creasing rapidly in K-12 classrooms. This trend creates an urgent need for professional development to support BT. An understanding of how experienced teachers implement BT can inform teacher educators and professional development leaders as they develop training to support this practice. We…

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…

In the 2016 General Session, House Bill 443, School Dropout Prevention and Recovery, enacted provisions regarding a school's responsibility to provide dropout prevention and recovery services. This report is provided to the Education Interim Committee to summarize dropout prevention and recovery services reported by local education agencies. Local…

This article reports the outcomes of the first 3 years of an ongoing participatory action research (PAR) project that brought together literacy and content-area teacher educators. The purpose of our collaboration was two-fold: (a) to develop shared understandings or theories related to literacy and the place of literacy instruction in content-area…

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…

Many secondary schools in Utah have adopted the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) pre-engineering program. Little research has been conducted in Utah to show how successful these programs are or what factors are perceived to contribute to that success. This research is about defining PLTW program success and identifying factors perceived to improve…

This issue brief is focused on policies and practices that improve college and career readiness by strengthening the transition from high school to postsecondary education. The brief is largely based on a February, 2009 American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) field trip to Indiana, and details the cross-system efforts implemented to help more of the…

Equipment and programs related to a system of telecommunications for vocational education in Utah were developed and pilot tested. These developments were in response to a need for applying the use of microcomputers in instruction, administration, and training programs. Specific objectives of the project were clerical and staff use of…

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…

A task force consisting of elementary and secondary educators and state board personnel has prepared a model to be used by pilot districts in the development and implementation of a comprehensive, articulated program of career guidance for Grades K-12. Designed as an integral part of the career education model for Utah, the career guidance model…

Career clusters are part of a response to changing work and a changing workplace, a way of broadening the focus of secondary career and technical education (CTE). The following are some of the changes in work and the workplace: the nature and structure of work; leadership styles and organizational structures; the knowledge and skills needed;…

This final report contains an eight-page narrative and materials/products of a program to produce (the final) sixty-eight individualized machine shop skill tasks modules (and fifty-two master audio tapes for students with serious reading disabilities). The narrative also describes the determination of the vital few skills used by machine tool…

Many state educational administrators are currently working to define secondary career and technical education (CTE) content standards that specify the knowledge and skills students are expected to master in CTE program areas. The two-phase project on which this report is based explored (a) the progress and status of states in developing statewide…

Designed by the Utah State Board of Education, this music core curriculum represents the standards of learning for all students in grades 7 through 12 including the ideas, concepts, and skills that provide a foundation for subsequent learning. The curriculum guide describes the elementary and secondary school core curriculum and high school…

The Utah 1991 revised social studies core curriculum guide specifies standards that must be completed by all students in grades 7-12 in order to meet Utah graduation standards. A review of the K-6 social studies curriculum also is included. The core curriculum is intended to represent ideas, concepts, and skills that provide a basic social studies…