In 1993, Washington's state legislature created the Commission on Student Learning to identify essential academic learning requirements related to four goals. One of those goals was to understand the importance of work and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect career and educational opportunities. As in other states, the…

Australia has a federal system, comprising the national Commonwealth government and eight state and territory governments. At the Commonwealth level, the ministries of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, and Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business have primary roles in the career information and services field. Education and training…

During World War II, a close friendship and excellent working relations developed between President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) and Prime Minister Winston Churchill that were crucial in the establishment of a unified effort to deal with the Axis powers. In early 1941, FDR began the long-term correspondence that developed into a close working…

The National Association of Secondary School Principals and the American School Counselor Association concur that a school-counseling program's success requires capitalizing on counselors' training, expertise, and ability to deliver a program that contributes significantly to the school's mission and supports expectations of new standards and…

This teacher's guide correlates with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) television series "In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great" hosted by historian Michael Wood. The four episodes of the series are entitled: "Son of God"; "Lord of Asia"; "Across the Hindu Kush"; and "To the Ends of the…

This research synthesis reviews how employers, educators, and professional and labor organizations have adapted general work readiness, industry core, occupational cluster, and specific occupational skills to design and implement a skill standard system. Its primary goal is to describe and analyze a continuum of alternatives for conceptualizing…

In April 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. Under the powers granted to it by the U.S. Constitution, Congress passed the Selective Service Act of 1917. Among the first regiments to arrive in France, and among the most highly decorated when it returned, was the 369th Infantry, more gallantly known as the…

This guide contains information on the knowledge and skills identified by industry as essential to the job performance of heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration technicians. It is intended to assist training providers in public and private institutions, as well as in industry, to develop and implement training that will provide workers with…

Three categories of vocational education and training exist in Taiwan: technological and vocational education (TVE), public training (PT), and enterprise training (ET). Together, the TVE programs provided in senior vocational schools, junior colleges, and institutes/universities of technology constitute a complete system that parallels the…

Summarizes some of the recent research concerning curriculum-based external exit exam systems (CBEEES) based on explicit content standards. Suggests that compulsory national standards and CBEEE-based reform of the precollege curriculum should lead to improvements in both teaching practices and student learning. Outlines the characteristics of a…

This study focuses on the seven standards that are included in a comprehensive (family-oriented) FCS program: (1) Family; (2) Nutrition and Wellness; (3) Human Development; (4) Interpersonal relationships; (5) Career, Community, and Family Connections; (6) Parenting; and (7) Family and Community Services. The study was conducted to better…

A review of the standards developed through 22 national occupational skill standards pilot projects funded by the Departments of Education and Labor focused on how they are being used in education and how to improve their use. Although occupational clusters have long played a role in education, the mix of clusters and the use of them varies widely…

The Australian government, employer groups, and the trade union movement acknowledge a critical need to improve work force skills. Focus is on the notion of competencies and measurable learning outcomes. The driving force has been the linking of industry restructuring with occupational classification restructuring (award restructuring). The…

In North Carolina, work force development education (WDE) begins in grade 6 with exploratory courses and leads to specialized classroom instruction in grades 11 and 12. Since 1992-1993, North Carolina's WDE programs have been evaluated with respect to eight long-range performance standards. Only in the case of standard 1 (all students will have…

Presents a humorous speech given to high school English teachers on two serious subjects: externally imposed standards and standardized testing, and anti-intellectualism in the classroom and in the culture. Argues that English teachers themselves are responsible for some of the anti-intellectualism they encounter by teaching literature in an…