Work-based learning, an educational strategy that provides students with technical skills and knowledge in an authentic work setting, is often delivered through a Career Technical Education (CTE) or Registered Apprenticeship (RA) program. Both have overlapping structures and content, including experiential learning and career exploration…

From 1989 until 1998 the U.S. Department of Education administered the National Workplace Literacy Demonstration Program. During that period, over $130 million supported some 300 projects where adult education programs partnered with thousands of businesses, agencies, and organizations to provide work-based skills to employees. While only seven…

This study examined the relationship between instructional and assessment accommodations for students with and without disabilities participating in the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS). The study evaluated the educational records of 78 students with disabilities and 51 students from the general population. Results are…

A study determined employer perceptions of single parents/displaced homemakers' skills after receiving training through special training centers across Kentucky. Centers were funded through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. Employer perceptions of single parents/displaced homemakers in comparison to other employees was also…

A needs sensing confirmation study was conducted to identify the Appalachia Educational Laboratory's (AEL) long term research and development program needs and provide guidelines for its seven member states' activities. The AEL Board of Directors, individuals serving in similar positions as the Board members, and a sample of non-public school…

This report describes and compares the inclusive assessment and accountability systems of Maryland and Kentucky, with a focus on components, scoring methods, reporting practices, data use, participation of students with disabilities, testing accommodations, and implementation considerations (including cost and training issues). Maryland and…

State-sponsored programs that seek to attract college students to teaching by student financial aid, primarily through loan "forgiveness," are discussed, based on a survey of chief state school officers. The programs have focused on loans, and the most commonly employed form of assistance enables the recipient to repay a portion of the…

A study evaluated the Kentucky statewide school-to-work (STW) system through surveys of 633 K-12 teachers, phone interviews with 395 employer-participants in STW activities, and 328 randomly drawn employers. Data analysis identified six themes relevant to improving and sustaining STW: (1) working toward bringing program implementation to scale at…