Preparing students for college and careers is a task that has drastically changed over time. The days of post-secondary education or a degree guaranteeing employment are things of the past, especially during times of economic instability. Also gone are the days of someone who is "good with their hands" graduating from high school and…

The purpose of the study was to examine the positive impact of inclusive high schools on high school students. Educators have expressed concern about the increasing number of high school dropouts and the alarming number of students between the ages of 16 and 24 who graduate without the skills or the knowledge to secure or maintain employment. An…

Federal legislation has attempted to move career and technical education (CTE) from a segregated component of the high school curriculum to an integrated element that jointly improves both academic and career readiness. However, concerns remain about the ability of CTE to improve academic learning. Using a nationally representative sample of high…

School-to-work legislation calls for local partnerships to develop curriculum that integrates academic and vocational courses and links school-based and work-based learning. In at least 37 states, individualized state and local partnership systems exist. Contains 11 references and cites a program that brings teachers into the workplace. (MLF)

The way students progress from high school to college is in need of change. This paper examines five programs for student pathways and determines which have enough promise to merit consideration by policymakers. "High Schools That Work" prepares students for college by requiring them to take a minimum core of courses. "Tech…

Over the past 5 years, 6 states and an estimated 100 local communities have established youth apprenticeship systems; 8 other states have passed legislation that could include apprenticeship programs; proposed federal legislation would fund state and local programs. Critics cite costs, the fear of diverting resources from existing school programs,…

This paper presents an argument supported by evidence that the positive effects of education reform legislation take time to accumulate, and, given time, have the power to bring about improvement. Specifically, the course-taking patterns in mathematics of CTE students in the years following the 1990 Perkins II Act and 1994 School-to- Work…

The purpose of this study was to profile the internship component of the Health Careers 2000 program, a School-to-Work (STW) grantee. The direction, extent, and focus of program implementation was studied to determine the degree of any substantive effect the internship program has had for its high school and community. Concerns and issues…

In an effort to link the K-12 systems with postsecondary education, Pima Community College (PCC) developed a number of outreach programs, one of which was the Summer Career Academy. During the summer of 1997, with the support of the Pima and Santa Cruz Counties School To Work Partnership and local business and industry, PCC conducted a series of…

The school-to-work movement enlists employers as partners in the education process. The paper describes the 1994 School to Work Opportunities Act and discusses the importance of parent involvement. Includes a sidebar on the Lockport (New York) education summit. (SM)

Using National Employer Survey data collected during 1997 and 1998, this paper examines the one-year impact on employers of participating in school-to-work partnerships under the 1994 School-to-Work Opportunities Act. In both years the surveys asked about the kinds and numbers of school-to-work activities in which employers engaged, their…

A Washington high school's new school-to-work initiative requires students to demonstrate their learning and exposes them to alternative learning venues. Students assemble portfolios that document their learning, summarize their learning before the community, and outline postgraduation plans. Implementation tips are presented. (MLH)

This guide provides an overview of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 to help familiarize legislators with the law and its implementation and to give them information to answer questions from their constituents about the act. The following information is presented: (1) the goals of the act; (2) how school-to-work initiatives work; (3)…

There are great parallels between the School-to-Work Opportunities Act and the legislation which produced transition services for individuals with disabilities. The rationale is clearly the same: a real recognition and concern exists about the difficult transition that faces all high school graduates as they prepare to live on their own, assume…

The School-to-Work Opportunities Act (1994) was designed to provide grants to states and local school districts aiming to help all students explore careers and create work-based-learning opportunities linked to academic course work. This article underlines the need for parent support and describes several districts' implementation efforts. (MLH)