The paper reviews trends in coordinated vocational programs for disabled youth and describes features of nine exemplary programs that coordinate special education and vocational rehabilitation services. Trends noted include emphasis on participation by handicapped students in vocational rehabilitation, inclusion of work experience programs in many…

Explains local development organizations (LDOs), tells how they operate, and gives examples of what they've done. Elaborates on characteristics shared by successful LDOs: flexability, strong and creative leadership, solid local support, adequate funding, and competent, dedicated staff. Recommends strategies for expanding existing industry and…

Community-based organizations (CBOs) have been an integral part of the employment and training programs of the past two decades and have provided a wide variety of services to youth and adults alike. The vast differences between different CBOs make it impossible to draw definitive, generalizable conclusions about them. It appears, however, that…

Research suggests that the high school dropout rate can be reduced through improved educational programming, especially in vocational education. Several studies have found that when students with similar backgrounds are compared, those who participate in vocational education are more likely to graduate. To determine why students drop out, Weber…

This report is intended to provide practitioners and policymakers with a thorough history of efforts to link employment and training programs, community development programs, small business development programs, minority enterprise development programs, and economic development programs. The report contains three sections. Section 1 is an essay on…

Families in urban areas struggle with drug abuse, poverty, increasing housing costs, and lack of affordable child care. The challenges confronting urban schools include a higher dropout rate, higher youth unemployment, and the need to address a variety of special needs of their student population, such as programs for pregnant students, dropouts,…

This compilation of publications from the School-Linked Service Integration Research Project focuses on integrated services and includes the following papers: (1) "New Community Schools: Issues for Families in Three Streams of Reform" (Wayne Sailor), describes issues in special education reform, general education reform, and school/health services…

This book reports on a 3-year project involving the design and implementation of a coordinated demonstration program for the treatment of child sexual abuse in rural Manitoba (Canada). The purpose of the project was to address problems resulting from child sexual abuse services that are sporadic and uncoordinated in rural Canadian communities.…

The program goal of family literacy is to use early intervention to break the cycle of illiteracy perpetuated by parents' undereducation. This paper describes family literacy as a dropout prevention strategy that should be most heavily concentrated on the prenatal through 8-year-old child; a child ready for school is less likely to become a…

Despite increased per pupil cost of programs, facilities, and certified personnel caused by low student enrollments, small rural high schools can offer broad and diverse curricula. This paper briefly describes 31 model programs used by small and rural high schools to maintain or expand curriculum offerings and lists advantages and disadvantages of…

This report of a project to begin to develop a plan for research, development, and instruction in adult vocational education in Illinois has two specific goals: (1) to identify the current status of adult vocational education in Illinois and (2) to recommend key directions for state actions. It presents information collected through a…