A majority of students in career and technical education teacher academies indicate that they do not want to be educators. Recognizing this, Skyline High School propelled its teacher academy program in a new direction and redesigned it in a way that is mutually beneficial to the teacher academy students, preK-12 learners, and the education…

Policy makers have taken more interest in career and technical education (CTE) in recent years, but evidence regarding what kinds of programs produce the most important outcomes is still emerging. Shaun M. Dougherty summarizes what recent research tells us about the impact of these programs. Evidence has shown that CTE-dedicated schools, career…

Career academies -- small learning communities within high schools that introduce students to specific industry sectors -- have become a popular way to expand career education. Yet certain institutional, economic, and social factors can inhibit their viability and scalability. Michael Lanford and Tattiya Maruco conducted a yearlong qualitative…

Educators Rising, which is part of the PDK International Family of Associations, developed a set of seven standards to define what high school students exploring teaching need to know and be able to do to take their first steps on the path to accomplished teaching. The standards represent a new, shared vision from the field; the teaching…

The authors report on their work with the Academy for Leadership in Science Instruction, a program targeted to help science teachers promote a science teaching and learning culture in their own schools.

The Academy of Information Technology and Robotics (AITR) in the Volusia County (Florida) Schools district is leading students to stronger academic gains and better preparation for college and career. AITR is a beefed-up version of the career academy model that began in Philadelphia in 1969. The strengths of AITR exemplify the features of career…

Ten years ago, six teachers established a program of literacy intervention and professional learning in remote northwestern Australia based on the Reading Recovery principles. This group of teachers was determined to learn what had to happen in order for them to make a difference with students and then to make it happen. Their work led to getting…

Small high schools organized around themes are distinguished by engaged students and collaborative faculties. Ms. Raywid describes schools that have adopted a variety of themes, all of which have resulted in student success. (Contains 5 endnotes.)

A fifth strand of the "new vocationalism" is trying to align academic and vocational education by restructuring high schools to provide more consistent integration opportunities. These efforts take the form of career academies, clusters or career paths, and occupational high schools or magnet schools. Active, student-centered pedagogies…