High school students participating in 16 California multiple pathways programs generally graduated at higher rates, met university requirements in greater numbers, performed better on high school exit exams and were more engaged in school and learning. This report summarizes a 2007-2008 study of the ConnectEd Network of Schools, capturing positive…

This booklet summarizes research on best practices for implementing successful small learning communities and career academies. When well implemented, improvements in instructional and personalization strategies in combination with structural supports have demonstrated improved student attendance and learning. "From High School to Learning…

This manual is intended as a do it yourself tool for helping organizations develop an approach that will enhance the quality of career counseling services. It is aimed at demystifying evaluation planning and presents a framework so that the evaluation process leads to continuous improvement in meeting client expectations. It also helps validate…

The practice of grouping students--such as all freshmen or students with similar career goals--into "small learning communities" or academies within a large high school is proving beneficial to many schools in raising achievement and keeping students in school. Students thrive in a small-school environment where they share the same teachers and…

High school reform has moved to the top of the education policy agenda, commanding the attention of the federal government, governors, urban school superintendents, philanthropists, and the general public. All are alarmed by stubbornly high dropout rates, by the low academic achievement of many high school students, and by the large numbers of…

Land claims settlements, constitutional change, and economic and labor force opportunities reflect the emerging reality of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Northern children, youth, and adults need to position themselves to influence and take advantage of the emerging reality. Quality career development education, programs, and services play…

This document serves as a supportive tool for school counselors and their programs. It focuses on counseling issues and ideas, and has a particular emphasis on ideas for best practice. It also serves an important role in promoting the school counseling profession. This issue includes the following articles: (1) "Effective Counseling…

This journal of the California Association for Counseling and Development attempts to identify the current issues of concern in the counseling field and share research to help improve the professional learning community. The articles in this issue include: "The Editor's Message" (Pat Nellor Wickwire); "The CACD President's…

There is an urgent need not only to attract more people into the teaching profession but also to build a more diverse, highly qualified, and culturally sensitive teaching force that can meet the needs of a rapidly changing school-age population. This Toolkit takes best practices from high school teacher academies around the United States and…

A study examined whether career academy programs, with their tailored curricula, dilute content of required curricula, and whether academy students who follow this alternative course of study are less prepared to score well on standardized tests. Data were gathered through site visits to seven schools, review of reports and documents, and…

One of the most enduring challenges facing the public school system is decreasing the dropout rate. The highest rate of growth population in the future will be among the groups who are at greatest risk of dropping out of school. This paper outlines what school officials can do to decrease the dropout rate. The suggestions for dropout prevention…

This document is intended to assist all individuals responsible for scheduling activities related to implementation of a career academy. The first section examines the importance of scheduling in forging the close ties among academy teachers and students that are critical to achieving a meaningful school-within-a-school program. The following…

Career academies are high school programs that frame academic learning around a career focus in order to increase student motivation and achievement. They generally have three defining features: a school-within-a-school structure, a college preparation curriculum with a career theme, and partnerships with employers, the community, and higher…

This document profiles a total of 78 resources to assist individuals responsible for development and implementation of career academies. The resources are organized into sections that are each devoted to one of the following types of information resources: information indexes; search engines; World Wide Web portals for education; lesson plan…

This book provides a rationale, model, and procedures for implementing change in high schools. Focus is on adoption of applied, context-based, community-based education that eliminates competition between academic and vocational education and promotes cooperation in creating career-based education. Chapter 1 provides a review of how this type of…