This report analyzes the effects of implementing a personalization for academic and social emotional learning (PASL) program in selected Broward County high schools. PASL was implemented with a continuous improvement model promoting deliberate adaptations to class- and school-level conditions. PASL practices include goal setting, use of data,…

In the last 20 years, Early School Leaving (ESL) in Portugal has registered a significant decrease. In order to understand the reasons for this trend towards improvement, this paper conducts an analysis of anti-ESL measures implemented in diverse educational institutions. The main objective is to understand how mainstream and alternative education…

A study examined vocational/academic integration (VAI) in four Illinois secondary sites, assuming that why schools or teachers choose to integrate will affect how they go about it. The case studies revealed the process of VAI in two different lights: as a highly formalized, documented, and administered procedure; and as an informal collection of…

This paper documents the development, implementation, and evaluation of "The Global Solidarity Network Study e-Broad Program (GSNSeBP)", an online social justice educational program that is blended into an onsite academic course. This global electronic program, which was developed through a partnership between Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and…

The Stages of Concern Questionnaire was completed by 677 of 1,207 teachers at High Schools that Work sites. Those with no experience or first-year experience of reform implementation had high personal concerns that needed to be addressed. About half had high levels of adoption proneness indicating their potential to be reform leaders. (SK)

Quality Assurance Program (QAP) integration activities were studied at eight Illinois community and junior colleges. Data collection involved telephone interviews with career deans at the colleges, 11 follow-up site observations, and attendance at a regional vocational education system directors meeting. When classroom observations occurred,…

A study examined the performance of the High Schools That Work (HSTW) initiative in 1996 and 1998, based on data from the HSTW Assessments. Analyses found support for the hypothesis that HSTW is the cause of school improvement, although other non-measured factors may also influence these schools, and showed that between 1996-98 HSTW schools…

A study examined tech prep (TP) implementation in the United States. Questionnaires were mailed to a geographically representative sample of 473 of the 855 local TP coordinators identified. Completed questionnaires were returned by 84% of the coordinators surveyed. The study established that as many as 50% of the nation's high schools are…

Initiatives to improve vocational education--such as tech prep, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA), and Goals 2000: Educate America Act--are full of promise. Case studies prepared by the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America illustrate the potential of these initiatives. Massachusetts and Wisconsin are two recipients of federal STWOA…

A study examined eight local consortia identified as mature Tech Prep implementers. The four-year research used a mixed-method longitudinal design involving repeated field visits, short and long interviews of key stakeholders, classroom observations, and document review and analysis. About 4,700 Tech Prep and non-Tech Prep participants were…

These guidelines are for individuals and school divisions contemplating or already integrating academic and vocational education. Section 1 discusses two goals for integration. Section 2 provides a justification for integration and discusses the contradiction in the skills obtained in school and those needed in the workplace. Section 3 defines the…

Drawn from the experiences of the Cornell Youth and Work Program, a 4-year demonstration project that adapted elements of European apprenticeship in the United States and emphasized opportunities for youth to learn at work, this guide is written for people in workplaces and schools who plan, direct, or evaluate work-based learning opportunities…

This document profiles the diverse approaches to tech-prep taken by 10 local districts across the United States. The tech-prep programs in the following cities are profiled: Dayton, Ohio; Dothan, Alabama; East Peoria, Illinois; Fresno, California; Gainesville, Florida; Hartford, Connecticut; Logan, West Virginia; Salem, Oregon; Springdale,…

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,…

This document contains six studies that were commissioned for the National Assessment of Vocational Education. "Introduction" (Ann M. Milne) provides an overview of the reforms of the 1980s. "The Impact of Educational Reform on Vocational Education" (Marion Asche, Donald E. Elson, Ann Echols, Arthur Williams) examines primary…