This report examines students', teachers', and parents' reactions to standardized testing and whether the move to raise academic standards has improved the quality of college students and new employees. It is based on telephone interviews conducted in late 2000 with a national and random sample of public-school teachers, parents of public-school…

This report examines students', teachers', and parents' reactions to standardized testing and whether the move to raise academic standards has improved the quality of college students and new employees. It is based on telephone interviews conducted in the last quarter of 1999 using a national, random sample of 604 K-12 public-school teachers, 615…

Surveys were conducted at Pace University during the 1981-82 academic year which concerned assessment of cooperative education programs. Studies conducted were employer survey; student survey; faculty survey; admissions survey; permanent placements; retention study; and salary study. A comparison of survey findings to program evaluation is also…

A study of the Agricultural Occupational Employment Experience program at Iowa Falls, Iowa, revealed that the program was recognized as an important component of the vocational agriculture program. Participants had specific expectations of the program. To meet these expectations, the program must be structured following cooperative vocational…

The Vocational Exploration Program was an 8 week summer employment and education program which gave 14 deaf students an opportunity to study the attitudes of employers and students in work situations and some ideas on how to better prepare for jobs in the labor market. (Author/SBH)

Offers low-cost tips for marketing vocational-technical programs, indicating that the biggest investment is time. Includes a worksheet for ensuring that voc-tech programs are teaching the skills local employers want. Steps include interviewing 10 employers, surveying students, identifying/analyzing competitors, aligning programs, implementing…

A survey of Australian building trade apprentices (n=76), their employers (N=73), and their vocational teachers (n=103) revealed three distinct perspectives on learning environments in on- and off-job training. Personalities, self-interest, and work cultures color attitudes. Although both sites make different contributions to learning, on-the-job…

This article presents the findings of a study catalysed by the outcomes of research into the attitudes and perceptions of UK undergraduate students of tourism management in relation to the need for foreign language skills, reported and discussed in a previous paper in this journal (Leslie et al, 2002). While that earlier study paid some attention…

This book reports on a national study of the master's degree, how people involved view their experiences, development of a typology of four "idealized" program types, and identification of characteristics associated with positive master's experiences. The study used an open-ended, multicase design grounded in interviews with 781 individuals…

The Montgomery County Public Schools, (MCPS), Maryland, annually surveys its graduating classes to help determine whether MCPS adequately prepares its graduates. This is the first follow-up study of MCPS's 10 special education schools' graduates (class of 1983). It investigates: (1) postsecondary education and employment activities; (2) students'…

This curriculum planning project of the Columbia University Urban Center attempts to provide Columbia University with a complete profile on current and planned curricula dealing with urban and minority affairs; to recommend directions for the University's future development; to order these recommendations according to priority; and, to outline…

The author organized a "Visitation Day" where students could be employees in different firms for half a day each. Before the visits each firm provided pertinent information about its operations and the students received appropriate orientation. Rotation of visits to various firms introduced the students to different types of offices. Response from…

The history of higher education has paid scant attention to the attitudes and expectations of its customers, students, and employers of graduates. Recent research on student and employer attitudes toward higher education sectors has not taken into account these expectations in the context of recent higher education history. (Author/MSE)

Interviews with six Australian adolescent school-leavers, six employers, six employment service providers, and eight trainers found that schools deemphasize school-to-work; school leavers lack vocational maturity; unemployment may lead them to a peer culture discouraging further education; and employment services and training providers do not…

In countless surveys, employers, graduate students, academicians, and others continue to list oral and written communication among the most critical skills needed by business students today (Hynes & Bhatia, 1996; Maes, Weldy, & Icenogle, 1997; Plutsky, 1996; Wardrope, 2002). The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)…