Justice-involved youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at an increased risk of recidivism compared to their peers with and without disabilities. Due to the complexity and unique needs of youth with IDD served in the juvenile justice system, transition supports and services must be individualized and youth-centered…

The current U.S. secondary education, postsecondary education, and workforce training systems are failing to serve the needs of many of today's students. Securing a good job with a family-sustaining wage increasingly requires workers to possess industry certifications, degrees, and credentials, but U.S. education systems are not set up to help…

This qualitative study explores the efficacy of community college career and technical education programs through employer perspectives. Participants for this study were cultivated from a variety of industries and disciplines. Predominant themes that emerged from this study include education, authentic experience, the value of career and technical…

Through the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program, the federal government charged community colleges across the country with two things: training adults who had lost their jobs so they could regain employment and providing the education needed for those still working to be able to move up career…

A changing economy and rapid advancements in technology have resulted in mismatches between employers' needs and workers' skills in a number of fields -- and are likely to continue to generate new ones. Many people in postsecondary education and workforce development see community college career and technical education (CTE) as a way to fill…

In a rapidly changing world, it is more important than ever for learners of all ages to develop the skills and experiences necessary to succeed in high-wage, high-skilled and high-demand careers of their choosing. Career Technical Education (CTE) is working with every state to help learners succeed, while also providing employers with skilled and…

Deciding which field to study is one of the most consequential decisions college students make, but most research on the topic focuses on students attending four-year colleges. To understand how students attending community colleges make field of study decisions, I link administrative educational records of recent high school graduates with local…

Since 1998, the Iowa Department of Education's Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation (division) has compiled and published "The Annual Condition of Iowa's Community Colleges," commonly known as the "Condition Report." The intent of this report is to provide clear, objective data about Iowa's community…

Career technical education (CTE) programs at community colleges are increasingly seen as an attractive alternative to four-year colleges, yet little systematic evidence exists on the returns to specific certificates and degrees. We estimate returns to CTE programs using administrative data from the California Community College system linked to…

The Iowa Department of Education collects information on joint enrollment in Iowa's 15 community colleges. Jointly enrolled students are high school students enrolled in community college credit coursework. Most jointly enrolled students enroll through Senior Year Plus programs such as PSEO (Postsecondary Enrollment Options) and concurrent…

The purpose of this article is to describe a systematic method of evoking students' vocational discernment through the practice of spiritual well-being. Engaging spiritual well-being as a means of vocational discernment requires that the student and the advisor explore the student's sense of connectedness by tapping into the tacit dimension of…

Research shows that students exposed to career and technical education are more likely to graduate from high school, attend college, and earn higher salaries than those who do not (Dougherty 2016). Job-shadowing experiences like those at the High School Zoo Academy in Omaha, Nebraska, can help adolescents identify their career goals and understand…

"Career Pathways: From School to Retirement" brings together leading workforce researchers and practitioners to provide new perspectives on school-to-work and workplace career pathways. This groundbreaking book explains the transformations that have taken place in the workplace over the past several decades and how those transformations…

This dissertation consists of three empirical studies that explore the educational experiences and trajectories of English learners (ELs) and students with disabilities. The first study uses longitudinal data from four large California school districts to examine the characteristics of long-term ELs (LTELs) and former ELs--those reclassified as…

The dance world is dominated by instilling technique and discipline in the dance training. Technique and discipline have been inculcated through training regimes that are dogmatically transferred through the generations -- from teacher to dancer --and who in turn perpetuate technique and discipline in their teaching. Within a multicultural…