Many employers report difficulty finding qualified candidates for jobs, while millions of American workers are under- or unemployed. At the core of this issue is a startling perception gap involving the skills needed for workplace success. Postsecondary educators -- including those at community colleges -- who prepare workers live on one side of…

This report describes the implementation and early impacts of the Washington State Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program at three colleges: Bellingham Technical College, Everett Community College, and Whatcom Community College. I-BEST is a nationally known program that aims to increase access to and completion of…

The Washington State Board of Education (SBE) and the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) submitted this 6th biennial joint report to the Governor, Legislative Education Committees, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. The report outlines the collaborative work of the Boards, highlights accomplishments, and provides goals and…

This handbook for vocational educators, counselors, employment and training program staff, and youth agency personnel contains ideas for planning and delivering coordinated youth employment services by vocational education and Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) employment and training programs. Following an overview, section 1…

The 1995-96 evaluation of tech prep in Washington consisted of the following activities: an analysis of survey data collected from all 22 tech prep consortia in the state, case studies of 7 tech prep consortia, and an analysis of student survey data collected from more than 2,000 students in 4 high schools in the 7 consortia. The study found that…

This document provides the state standards for high school work-based learning programs in the state of Washington. Following a vision statement, the guide includes standards for the following: (1) organization and administration of work-based learning programs; (2) the school-to-work transition sequential process; (3) school-based learning…

An evaluation study is being conducted to determine the impact of the Washington state legislature's 3-year investment of $2.55 million to enable schools to plan and implement a school-to-work transition program (STW). The key components of the evaluation consist of a written survey of the 33 STW coordinators in the state and case study site…

This guide was prepared to assist new health occupations teachers in the state of Washington to conduct their courses on the secondary level. The guide helps health care practitioners to answer such questions as: (1) What are health occupations and what kinds of programs are found in secondary education? (2) What kinds of regulations affect health…

An evaluation study was conducted to determine the impact of the Washington state legislature's 3-year investment of $2.55 million in a School-to-Work Transition Program (STW). The key components of the evaluation consist of a written survey of the 33 STW coordinators in the state, case study visits to 10 communities throughout the state engaged…

A project was conducted to improve articulation between secondary and postsecondary vocational programs in southwest Washington. Included among the major project activities were the following: completion of interviews with vocational staff in six cooperating districts and two community colleges; preparation of a report on the current status of…

A project was conducted to develop a model vocational agriculture curriculum for high schools in north central Washington. During the project, units of instruction were developed that addressed the job skills needed by entry-level workers to fill jobs existing in agricultural occupations in the north central region of Washington. A pilot test of…

The federal Experimental Schools (ES) project was not successful in the rural school district of Quilcene, Washington. The ES project was not helped by the pervasive and powerful social split between "public employees" and "locals." Each group had its own world-views, values, symbols, and life styles, and the school provided an…

School-to-work programs (STW) at 10 sites throughout Washington (Bethel, Camas, Central Valley, Columbia River, Goldendale, Grand Coulee Dam, Issaquah, Metlow Valley, Sumner, and Wenatchee) were examined through the following activities: reviewing background documents, interviewing key educators, observing academic and technical classes,…

A study examined national trends and state policy in Washington State pertaining to the administration and funding of area vocational skills centers. During the study, key persons associated with Washington's skills centers were interviewed and surveyed concerning the following areas: policy and planning, curriculum and instruction, student…

The performance of Alaska's State Training and Employment Program (STEP) in fiscal 2000 was evaluated by matching the records of participants of the following STEP subprograms with Alaska and Washington state unemployment insurance (UI) wage records and federal military and federal civilian payroll records. Data were collected for participants of…