The quality of care children receive from birth to kindergarten sets them on a trajectory for successful entry to school. Children who receive high-quality care, which is provided by qualified early educators with demonstrated mastery of the essential early learning core competencies, enter school ready to learn. Shortages of credentialed early…

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore how low socioeconomic status (SES), minority, adult high school graduates describe the influence of their parents, program activities, and possible employment opportunities in pursuing Career and Technical Education/Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (CTE) courses in a…

Career and technical education (CTE) programs play a vital role in preparing high school students for life after graduation. The Carl D. Perkins Act of 2006 (Perkins) requires states that receive federal CTE funding to align secondary and postsecondary programs, so that students can transition seamlessly from a high school CTE program to a…

Across the 50 states, career and technical education (CTE) programs at the K-12 and postsecondary levels have seen enormous policy action - 2013 alone saw at least 78 substantive policy changes via legislation, state board rules and executive orders specific to CTE and workforce development. What are the drivers behind this sudden policymaker…

Apprenticeships are a time-honored way of passing along skills in an art, trade, or craft. Apprenticeships have long been an important element of career and technical education (CTE). From automotive technology to the construction trades to the culinary arts and beyond, community colleges across the nation are still using apprenticeships to…

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…

In spring 2012, after a year of intensive data analysis and planning, the colleges participating in Completion by Design announced strategies for creating clear, structured routes through college for more students, often referred to as accelerated, structured pathways to completion. These strategies contain elements unique to each college, but all…

A shift to computer skills for improving academic performances was investigated. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 increased the amount of high school dropouts after the Act was enacted. At-risk students were included in this research study. Several models described using teachers for core subjects and mentors to built citizenship skills, along…

The essential nature of public school student performance on standardized examinations is becoming increasingly apparent. As schools across the nation are examined more closely based on the science achievement of students, career and technical education programs will be expected to contribute to this effort. Through the lens of Ajzen and Madden's…

This document reports phase 1--the data gathering process--of a research project to study vocational preparation and adjustment of handicapped persons in rural areas of the state of Florida. Following a discussion of phase objectives (chapter 1), chapter 2 provides a review of current educational programs offering vocational/occupational training…

The sex equity program at Santa Fe Community College in Florida has become instrumental in an ongoing reeducation process in making people aware of the numerous career opportunities available to them and in dispelling myths about sex role stereotyping in the world of work. Included among the goals and objectives of the program are the following:…

This report is the first of a 2-part study aimed at assessing levels of information about and perceptions of vocational, technical, and adult education (VTAE) in Florida. Analysis of data collected during a statewide survey of 630 Florida residents in late March and early April 1971 revealed that perceptions of VTAE seem to be generally positive,…

Public schools are finding that an educational program which serves as effective preparation for, and as an adequate transition to employment, may involve activities which have often been considered to be beyond the usual scope of school responsibility. Communities are finding that the task of preparing the mentally retarded for community living…

In January 1993, Florida's Correctional Education School Authority (CESA) studied the vocational interests of 125 randomly selected female inmates at the 3 female state correctional facilities in Florida. After two additional informal studies, an interim oversight review was conducted to determine the following: whether CESA was in compliance with…

The course, for use at the junior high school level, explores employment possibilities in home economics and related areas. Lists of resource materials, a pretest and posttest, and an extensive, 70-page curriculum guide are appended. The guide explores eight block areas: (1) introduction; (2) homemaking; (3) personal development for careers; (4)…