This paper highlights relevant curriculum issues that were identified in a Management Information Systems (MIS) program review undertaken by a group of business faculty in a small regional university. The program review was initiated to improve job marketability of graduates and student enrollment. The review process is described as a collective…

The purpose of this study was to develop a systems engineering educational module that could easily fit within existing transportation engineering undergraduate or technical courses in other engineering disciplines. The module is based on analysis of specific job roles and tasks of staff at various transportation agencies in Texas, and has three…

The document details the development of a project to provide adult students with the academic and work skills required for admission to the Regional Skill Center, which is an adult technical school serving Erie County, Pennsylvania. The body of the report summarizes the following project outcomes: development of a four-tiered system of work force…

Due to the increasing emphasis on technology and the trend toward downsizing and multiculturalism in today's workplace, graduates of technical education programs need non-technical thinking and problem solving skills to stay successfully employed. Historically, however, a dichotomy has existed between vocational and liberal education, which has…

This paper describes the rationale, direction, and progress of the Integrated System for Workforce Education Curricula (ISWEC), a project sponsored by a 25-state consortium that is designed to accomplish two primary objectives: (1) integration of academic and vocational education in a curriculum framework for grades 9-14 and (2) development of a…

This guide explains why the humanities are important in school-to-work systems and how high schools can develop one of two types of programs integrating humanities coursework and career exploration: the study of humanities as a way to enrich individuals' work lives and the study of humanities as career fields in their own right. The first half of…

According to the school-to-work (STW) program philosophy, STW efforts should be comprehensive and begin as early as preschool. At the elementary school level, the developmental process of career education begins with career awareness designed to broaden student knowledge about careers and connect academic learning to the workplace. Developing…

It is widely agreed that the United Kingdom's post-16 qualification system must be made coherent and intelligible to users. Developing a credit-based certification system is the key to increasing participation in further education (FE) and achieving a broader, more flexible curriculum. The benefits of a credit-based certification framework for…

The 1998 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) consolidates more than 70 programs and gives states the flexibility to partner with local governments to develop streamlined services providing universal access. Because adult education and postsecondary vocational education are required partners in the one-stop systems being established through Title I of…

The New York State School-to-Work Opportunities System Plan, which is based on New York's original application for a federal school-to-work implementation grant and contains the 23 federally required elements, outlines the state's plans to develop and implement a statewide school-to-work opportunities system within a 9-year period. The plan…

This document is designed to help vocational/tech prep and applied academics teachers plan and present their subject matter in a more integrated manner. The introduction presents the rationale for the ideabook. It is designed to help teachers modify their instructional program to more closely match the demands and realities of the real world. The…

This document details Wisconsin's state plan for implementation of activities mandated by the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 and funded by a grant from the National School-to-Work Opportunities Act. The plan is divided into 23 sections dealing with the following topics: geographical areas; local support/expansion of school-to-work…

This document contains background information on the school-to-work (STW) movement and 20 essays written by employers and intermediaries involved in STW program planning and implementation. Four points are highlighted: (1) it takes time to assemble an STW system; (2) the number of students participating in structured work-based learning remains…

The issue of developing a new framework of industry programs for vocational education in the United States was examined in a study of the current status of programmatic structures nationally and among the 50 states. The following are among the topics that were explored: (1) the rationale for a new programmatic framework in the context of changing…

This book, which is intended to facilitate dialogue among educators, parents, students, and policymakers, provides practical approaches to reforming secondary schooling to increase its rigor and relevance to the "real world." Chapter 1 reviews 10 guiding principles of the Coalition of Essential Schools and school-to-work movements and…