In this essay, we discuss issues related to the integration of career exploration in our nation's middle schools. We discuss the theoretical and empirical basis for career exploration at the middle school level and identify selected barriers to its effective implementation, namely with regards to career advising and parent involvement. We also…

Describes how South Carolina uses career clusters in its schools, what they need to make implementation successful, and the future of clusters. Looks specifically at the following clusters: transportation, distribution and logistics; arts, audiovisual technology, and communications; and health science. (JOW)

Career clusters represent a nationwide effort to help learners obtain the knowledge and skills they need for career success, mobility and advancement by aligning what is taught in the classroom to business and industry expectations. In this article, the authors, education department officials from Nebraska, Virginia, and Alabama, outline the…

The integration of academic and vocational education is an educational reform strategy conceptualized by vocational educators, supported by the business community, and articulated by policy makers. Integration may improve the educational and employment opportunities of youth. Integration may offer change in an educational system that is in need of…

Resulting in part from a project designed to identify and describe comprehensive programs of excellence in career education, this curriculum guide is the third in a series describing current, successful career education practices. Intended for teachers in middle schools, this monograph: (1) provides a definition of career education, its…

This document contains four working papers dealing with various aspects of career education. "Career Education: Description and Goals," prepared by E. L. Rumpf and others, defines career education and identifies and discusses eight characteristics and seven career education goals. "Career Education: A Model for Implementation," prepared by J.…

This paper presents an overview and suggestions about the development of occupational and skill clusters by the Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States (V-TECS), based on the observations of the executive director of the organization. Aspects reviewed include the following: development of occupational and skill clusters; classification…

The purpose of this report is to provide local school administrators with information about occupational clusters as well as suggested strategies for implementing a career cluster concept approach at the local level. The techniques and procedures presented in this paper need to be modified and adapted by an administrator to conform with local…

This description of the development of the Experience-Based Career Education Program by State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri, lists the objectives: (1) continuing an elementary career education program by providing resource materials to teachers; (2) implementing an in-school experience-based cluster program in high schools; (3)…

This module on looking at jobs, the second in a series of three volumes of sex-fair career guidance activities, deals with choosing occupations and life roles. Included in the module are four learning activities and four occupational assessments that have been designed to provide explorations into potential careers for students and, at the same…

The material contained in this curriculum guide is designed to help students, counselors, and teachers cover the career options available in the public services field. It is based on the premise that career choice in public service should be done with an accurate understanding of the field based on careful study and sustained effort over a period…

The Van Buren Intermediate School District in Michigan has developed a comprehensive guidance program that has been adopted by a number of school districts in the state. The Van Buren model is designed to teach all youth and adults the career development skills of information gathering, decision making, planning, and placement. This document…

Again today, as 40 years ago, the idea of setting standards for career and technical education (CTE) has come to the fore. CTE practitioners have learned some lessons about implementing standards, among them that there is no "standard" standard; instead, there can be a confusing variety of standards. An analysis of standards reveals that there are…

The accounting cluster demonstration project conducted at Aloha High School in the Beaverton, Oregon, school district developed a model curriculum for high school accounting. The curriculum is based on interviews with professionals in the accounting field and emphasizes the use of computers. It is suitable for use with special needs students as…

This guide is intended for personnel who are responsible for planning and conducting a Work Experience and Career Exploration Program (WECEP), a special cooperative education program for 14- and 15-year-old special needs students. Chapter 1 provides guidelines for program development, including rationale, purpose, advantages, a basic planning…