Preparing administrators with the capacity to improve instruction for all learners is critical for recruiting and retaining special education teachers. However, recent research points out the need to improve skills of current and future administrators for this role. To address these concerns the special education and administrator preparation…

This paper explores the idea of excellence in education and provides some suggestions of how excellence can be achieved in a vocational education program. The first part of the booklet describes the components of excellence in vocational education, such as excellent teachers; meeting the needs of students, the community, and employers; and being…

A survey involving 1,142 Nashville, Tennessee, area businesses was conducted to assess current employment interest and future labor demands for entry-level jobs. Major objectives of the project component, part of a three-pronged effort to improve vocational education, were (1) to provide for greater involvement by business and industry in…

The Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools' Vocational Education Exemplary Project provided support for the establishment of critical linkages among all vocational delivery systems in the metropolitan Nashville area. The anticipated outcome of the project was an articulation model to ensure that instruction and guidance would allow students to (1)…

This paper reviews and describes the characteristics of successful vocational education programs at Virginia State University. (The paper is aimed at developing institutions and historically black colleges, as well as at vocational educators and administrators who are especially concerned with program improvement.) Virginia State University is a…

This study guide for adult basic education (ABE) teachers and administrators is based on the Principles and Techniques for Effective ABE Staff Development developed by the National ABE Staff Development Consortium. The principles are based on staff development research from both the adult education and K-12 communities. The format of the guide was…

This report, which presents various economic and demographic data about Hawaii, is intended to assist persons responsible for the short-term planning of vocational-technical education programs in the state. The report is organized in terms of a series of potentially relevant concerns that should be considered during the educational planning…

A study assessed cooperative vocational education programs since enactment of the Vocational Education Amendments of 1976. During the study, questionnaires were administered to training sponsors, teacher-coordinators, and students from 80 high schools in Arizona, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Virginia. All vocational program areas were included…

This Speaker's Task Force on Arts Education report indicates that arts programs in California schools are on the decline. A drop in student enrollment in the arts and school expenditures for the arts is exacerbated by budget crises that result in cuts to existing art programs. Although a general lack of comprehensive and integrated arts education…

This report summarizes the findings and implications of a study that examined the potential for expanded use of satellite-related telecommunications in vocational education, focusing on the short-term potential of satellites in the areas of instruction, training, administration, and governance. The investigation found that a variety of…

This report reviews needs of high school age migrant youth, provides an overview of existing programs/strategies that address these needs, and offers recommendations for improvement of secondary programs for migrants. The report discusses affective, cognitive, program, counseling, and community needs and illustrates needs of four hypothetical…

This study was conducted to assess business and industry's perceptions of the basic skills needed for entry-level successful employment. It also assessed business and industry's perceptions of the competencies that entry-level employees now have. Information was gathered via a basic skills questionnaire that was mailed to the personnel directors…

In 1992, the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Education jointly developed the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) Career Academy model, which provides a framework for implementation of an innovative vocational education program designed to keep dropout-prone students in school. The program, which combines military…

The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of recent educational reform efforts in Washington State and to determine what educators believe to be the most important future areas of focus. In particular, the researchers wanted to determine whether school-wide improvement efforts (i.e. School Improvement Plans (SIPs), School Improvement…