States and districts use career pathways in a variety of ways, in a variety of settings, and under vastly different circumstances to give young people access to meaningful careers and stable lives. In this report, the authors conducted case studies of career pathways initiatives in Texas, Ohio, and Colorado to better understand the triumphs and…

In recent years, policymakers have begun to emphasize the goal that all students graduate from high school college- and career-ready (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Association of State Boards of Education, & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2008). Research…

Akins High School is the newest and second largest high school in the Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas. This report describes how the school has used small learning communities and the "HSTW" framework of Key Practices to improve the school culture, personalize the learning environment, improve student achievement and…

Through the "Strengthening Statewide College/Career Readiness Initiative" (SSCRI), Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) has collaborated with states on state policy goals and actions needed to improve high school students' academic readiness for postsecondary study and reduce the need for remedial work. SREB created and implemented…

Nearly every high-priority item in national, federal, state, and local discussions about education--and policy proposals across the political spectrum--requires high-quality longitudinal data to inform its design, implementation, and evaluation. This factsheet shares Data Quality Campaign's (DQC's) analysis of what "Data for Action 2011:…

This final report describes a project that identified the core components of a model program for the delivery of career guidance and counseling to all students at grades 7-12 and then developed and implemented the program. Project activities included selection and use of an advisory committee, provision of inservice training, program development,…

A project provided technical assistance to approximately 200 vocational guidance/counseling program personnel in the Northeast Texas Area. A project advisory committee provided input for program planning, program improvement, and program evaluation. The project provided instruction in the courses required for certification in vocational…

A study was conducted to update the existing Career Interest Characterizing (CIC) instrument in terms of current career choices of students and to implement the survey instrument in the Texas secondary school counseling programs. The CIC instrument defines career interests of secondary school students and yields information of value in counseling…

This document, which is intended for staff of state occupational information coordinating committees (SOICCs) and career information delivery systems (CIDS), examines the pros and cons of career information hotlines and their use in selected states. "Foreword--Career Information on Call" (Juliette N. Lester) provides a brief overview of…

To address key policy and programmatic questions and help improve student and system performance, states must work to link data across the early childhood, postsecondary and workforce (P-20/workforce) spectrum and share this information with appropriate stakeholders. This issue brief highlights current efforts in California, Florida, Indiana, and…

To give states the information they need to sustain hard-fought education reform policy changes effectively, Achieve conducted research on state education reforms that have been sustained successfully for over a decade or more. Funded by the GE Foundation, Achieve hopes this work will help other state leaders, wherever they may be on their road to…

A mailout questionnaire was used in a study which focused on three areas of inquiry: (1) Needs assessment for job placement programs in public schools as viewed by superintendents of school districts and vocational administrators of occupational programs, (2) assessment of the perceived and established benefits of a placement program from the…

Describes how the author worked with some rural Texas school districts to help plan and implement career guidance programs. A plan for developing an exemplary career guidance model for rural youth is also discussed. (CT)

Part of a 4-volume set constituting a model to assist all school districts in Region 17 (Texas) in infusing comprehensive career oriented education into their existing instructional programs by 1980, this teacher guide contains materials for the second part of a 3-phase program designed to move the participant through a series of informational…

This manual presents ideas and methods for vocational personnel to use in informing male and female students about future trends and needs for equity in the work force through education and training. The following topics are discussed: the persistent equity challenge and changing labor force/family demographics; the gender equity awareness process…