Work-based learning (WBL), an important part of the 1990s "School to Work" movement, is a core component of the Linked Learning strategy which is now shaping efforts to improve secondary education in California and around the nation in cities such as Detroit, New York, and Philadelphia. WBL can include not only classic internships and…

Reviews the debate and existing evidence on the quality of work experience programs for high school students and calls attention to the possible advantages of using the school itself as a student work site. Describes two student-run, school-based restaurants and surveys their graduates' attitudes and career outcomes. (KH)

Discusses work-based learning and explains some of its dimensions. Describes the range of purposes this method may help students achieve and various ways of structuring work-based learning. Assesses the quality of teaching and learning in the context of work. (Author/CCM)

This study uses data from surveys of U.S. employees to determine whether any trends are apparent in the proportion who say they receive some form of training at work. Discussions of economic change in the U.S. and elsewhere have frequently asserted that work has become more intellectually demanding. This implies that training in workplaces should…

Work-Based Learning (WBL) has been at the heart of school-to-work initiatives in the 1990s. Local partnerships funded by the 1994 School-to-Work Opportunities Act are placing high priority on developing WBL opportunities for students. However, there is still controversy about whether work really contributes to students' education, and results of…

This report summarizes the findings of a two-year study on high school students' use of options that provide alternatives to the usual curriculum. Questionnaires were given to juniors and seniors as well as counselors in 29 public high schools in the San Francisco (California) Bay region in 1978. The survey posed questions about students'…

School-based enterprise (SBE) can be defined as any school-sponsored activity that engages a group of students in producing goods or services for sale to or use by people other than the students involved. The advantages of SBEs include the following: deeper understanding of academic subject matter through application in a practical context,…

Reviews studies on the demand for learning at work, trends on currently working students, and the effects of both school-supervised and not-school-supervised work experiences. Concludes that labor market demands and the number of students currently working present an opportunity to use work as a deliberate learning experience. (FMW)

Examines the effects of school-supervised work experiences on the work attitudes of high school students. Finds that students who report less conflict between their jobs and their academic achievement express more motivation and less cynicism. (FMW)

In countries where young people have been relatively successful in both achieving high academic standards and making smooth transitions to employment, employers have taken major responsibility for their training. Now the emergence of a more "learning-intensive" economy poses new challenges. In response to the perceived insufficiency of traditional…

Work-based learning (WBL) differs from work experiences gained in regular youth jobs because WBL is intentionally structured to promote learning by linking work with school. Five main purposes of WBL have been identified: enhancing students' motivation and academic achievement; increasing personal and social competence related to work in general;…

The emergence of a more learning-intensive economy has begun to change the relationship between education and work. As employers try to promote just-in-time learning and workers move more frequently from one job to another, continual learning at work becomes increasingly important. Four main elements characterize an education system that is likely…

This document presents four case studies illustrating how selected high schools from across the country have implemented the career academy model schoolwide. The case studies profile the career academies of the following schools: (1) Ben Franklin High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); (2) Oak Grove High School (San Jose, California); (3) South…

The chronic scarcity of career jobs and increased demands for mental ability in the workplace have necessitated school-to-work (STW) transition programs that prepare noncollege-bound youths not only for their first full-time job but also for continued learning and career transitions throughout their working lives. Among the main ideas advanced for…

This report, which is directed toward policymakers, educators, employers, researchers, and others interested in the school-to-work (STW) movement, synthesizes literature on the development and effectiveness of STW programs since 1993. Part I provides an overview of the STW movement and examines the effectiveness of STW efforts in terms of…