The Psychovocational model, which features a multidisciplinary team approach to composite, ecological testing in planning appropriate career/vocational goals for handicapped students, is described. The model incorporates reevaluation of each teenaged handicapped student in five areas: (1) intelligence, (2) achievement, (3) social-emotional…

The Vocational Preparation for the Handicapped Program prepares 14- and 15-year-olds for participation in regular vocational education programs and for a successful learning experience. Recommended students are evaluated to determine if they have vocational potential and, if so, are assisted in making the appropriate vocational placement. Students…

The paper describes a career program to develop academic, social, and attitudinal skills in secondary level learning disabled students. The program philosophy focuses on the development of appropriate personal social skills, independent living skills, and career awareness through occupational guidance and preparation. The career education program…

The paper describes a vocational program combining assessment and training of handicapped students through a centralized vocational assessment center, parent/student counseling, community survey of occupational opportunities, and curriculum modification and development. Three levels of assessment are conducted (prevocational skills, interests and…

A model public school vocational evaluation center for handicapped students is described. The model's battery of work samples and tests of vocational aptitudes, personal and social adjustment, physical capacities, and work habits are listed. In addition, observation of such work behaviors as remembering instructions, correcting errors, reacting to…

Recent reports by government agencies show concern regarding the extent to which American workers lack the workplace skills necessary to meet the challenges of today's workplace. The Work Keys system, a program developed by American College Testing (ACT) to help improve the job skills of the workforce, is described. A pilot project is being…

In response to a deficiency in basic skills demonstrated by students admitted to Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), a Vocational Skills Assessment (VSA) program was developed to increase student awareness of personal and vocational strengths through hands-on assessment of their abilities. The VSA program has four integrated courses: (1) Skills…

Transitional planning is incorporated into the multidisciplinary Individualized Education Program process for mildly handicapped tenth graders. A specific transition/termination plan was developed based on a vocational evaluation. Updating the transition plan is addressed in the student's final year, with referrals initiated to appropriate…

Competitive employment for individuals with developmental disabilities is the ultimate goal in defining vocational success. Employment training programs for the mentally retarded have often focused on pre-vocational lock-step prerequisite skills rather than on a functional methodology that is skill specific. In contrast, the concept of ecological…

An important component of vocational assessment for handicapped children from kindergarten through adolescence is the measurement of interests. Direct measurements of interests generally provide inadequate information, because of the linear relationship between expressed interests and personal experiences and language development. In indirect…

Recruiting students for the Oklahoma Northwest Area Vocational-Technical School (ONAVTS) is extremely challenging, primarily because the district covers 3,000 square miles of sparsely populated farm and ranch land with a feeder population of only 256 juniors and seniors available annually. To compete with a newly required high school graduation…

Well-designed performance appraisals should provide employees with feedback concerning their performance, serve as a basis for modifying behavior toward more effective work habits, and provide managers with data which they can use to judge future job assignments and compensation. Poorly-designed ones, used as short-term control systems, can create…

We are becoming a service based society. Changes in our society all point to the move to a service based society which demands a new educational approach. In such a society human service professionals will be consumer-oriented, cooperators with the citizen, and judged by the citizens and consumers they serve. These workers will serve, advocate for…

This project studied the feasibility of implementing nonsheltered supported employment programs for Idaho's moderately to severely developmentally disabled adults. The project researched, developed, and implemented a community-based vocational training model; studied its compatibility with existing delivery systems; identified areas for change;…