This paper was written in 2018 by NCWD/Youth [National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth] to inform the development of the Guideposts for Success 2.0, an update to the original Guideposts for Success published in 2005. Since it was created in 2005, the Guideposts for Success has become nationally recognized as a valuable…

Nearly four decades have passed since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensured access to public education for students with disabilities in the United States. During the years following its introduction, there was a growing recognition that helping students, especially students with disabilities, in their transitions from…

Seven guidelines for enhancing direct mail marketing are as follows: target the most promising audience; frame the right message for the audience; state the benefits of making a positive response; send the message at an appropriate time; tell the reader what response is desired; plan follow-up mailings or other contact; and measure results.…

This paper provides a historical overview of sheltered workshops and presents information about service innovations and mission expansion. The first workshop in the United States was the Perkins Institute, opened in 1837 for individuals with visual handicaps. This workshop was typical of "categorical" workshops that were established during this…

The definition of work has undergone a massive transition within the last decade, and this trend has major implications for vocational education. Earlier ideas of work included that it was full-time, permanent, and for life; in addition, work provided opportunities for career development, a clearly-defined employer-worker relationship, and clear…

Cost effectiveness of on-the-job training (OJT) can be determined by measures of effectiveness and by cost assessing the relationship between output and input. Defining effectiveness to be a measure of what an activity produces leaves two main groups of problems unresolved: hierarchies of effectiveness and multiple outcomes. The most significant…

Over the past 5 years, 6 states and an estimated 100 local communities have established youth apprenticeship systems; 8 other states have passed legislation that could include apprenticeship programs; proposed federal legislation would fund state and local programs. Critics cite costs, the fear of diverting resources from existing school programs,…

A core component of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, work-based learning refers to programs that provide students with exposure to or actual experiences in workplaces. Typical work-based learning programs include youth apprenticeship, internship, job shadowing, cooperative education, and mentoring. This document contains reprints of seven…

These five papers deal with topics related to problems associated with transition from school to independent living for handicapped youth. "Individual Transition Plans: From Lip Service to Implementation" (Joseph Stowitschek, Cheryl Kelso) reports on a study to determine the extent to which individual transition planning is advocated by…

Data on youth aged 14 to 25 in 15 countries were analyzed to clarify their views on their needs, expectations, and responsibilities in a changing society. The extent to which educational systems and practices should be modified in response to these demands was probed. Analysis showed young people are committed to family life; they value commitment…

This document contains five papers about resources, support systems, and advocacy presented at a national conference about the nonwhite disabled. The papers and authors are: (1) "A College-Based Rehabilitation Training Program for Working with the Nonwhite Disabled" (C. D. Sanders)--program components include attention to sensitivity training,…

Two questions concerning assessment of supervised work experience (or sandwich courses in Britain) are: What should be assessed? and How should it be assessed? The first question involves issues of defining practical experience, measuring experiential learning and competence, and considering the relationship of theory and practice. Evaluation…

This review examines employment and postsecondary education outcomes for youth with disabilities leaving secondary schools, as well as studies of educational practices reporting high-quality outcomes. Practices that appear to improve outcomes for these students are supervised work experiences and functionally oriented curricula that connect…

Real, quantifiable evidence shows that school-to-work (STW) programs yield two important benefits: positive academic results for students and positive business results for employers. Preliminary research indicates that workplace learning leads to higher academic achievement; reduced dropout rates; better attendance; better college preparation; and…

Existing data on the extent and kinds of present cooperation between schools and employers show that large majorities of employers, educators, and students approve of and are willing to participate in work experience programs. The most recent data from the 1979-80 school year indicate that cooperative programs enrolled only 10 percent of all…