This research aims to create the 8+i link and match model as an embodiment of a healthy learning ecosystem between schools and the worlds of business and industry. The research technique is a mix of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The qualitative technique develops a basic list of success characteristics using…

Purpose: The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the extent to which differences existed in the attainment of Texas Education Agency approved industry-based certifications of Texas high school graduates by their ethnicity/race, gender, and economic status. In the first study, the degree to which the attainment of Texas…

This qualitative case study explored stakeholders' perceptions in Baxter County, Arkansas, regarding workforce development initiatives at Mountain Home High School Career Academies and Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. The purpose was to understand if these initiatives met local employers' needs and contributed to creating a skilled and…

4-H academics responded to the COVID pandemic by rapidly adapting CDC and other resources for virtual delivery. A statewide epidemiology project was taught to 48 youth with the goal of minimizing fears and confusion, increasing prevention measures, leveraging current topics for education, and bolstering the social-emotional health of youth…

Some students learn better if they can apply skills and knowledge to their lives. Youth apprenticeships are a way for students to work and gain skills in a chosen career field and earn money while still in high school. Youth apprenticeships are on a continuum of work-based learning that includes job shadowing and internships. Apprenticeships…

The purpose of this study was to gather the perspectives of community partners regarding the work experiences for youth with disabilities to provide an understanding of (a) the community's role and (b) how connections in rural communities were formed. This study provided a deeper understanding of the processes that influence the phenomenon of…

In 2011, Virginia's General Assembly enacted legislation that required one credit in a stand-alone personal finance course for graduating students. Subsequently, the Virginia Department of Education developed Standards of Learning (SOLs) for Personal Finance and Economics (Code of Virginia §22.1-200-03B), which included a focus on personal…

Most vocational high school (SMK) graduates do not have high financial competitiveness and are still unemployed, even contributing to the highest unemployment rate compared to graduates from other schools. This study aims to identify resource sharing between schools, vocational training agencies, and industry in preparing vocational high school…

In this article, the authors share a unique science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) online field trip structure developed for high school students. The ninth-, tenth-, and eleventh-grade students who participated in the virtual field trips were from multiple high schools. This article focuses on two virtual trips that the authors…

The use of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) mentors in public school systems and other organizations has grown comparably with our economy's increasing demand for STEM industry professionals. However, inspiring students to pursue STEM careers by using STEM industry professionals as mentors requires an understanding of…

States have introduced a range of strategies and legislative policies aimed at increasing college matriculation through readiness strategies and initiatives that offer strong collaboration between secondary and postsecondary education. Early college high school (ECHS) models are one-way that colleges, primarily community colleges, can serve…

This study examines the impact of a polytechnic high school model designed in collaboration with a research-intensive university and industry/community partners. Aimed at urban settings and focused on minoritized youth, this model replaces traditional subject-specific classes with industry-driven design project cycles. As design-based integrated…

Instructional coaching is a model that continues to grow as a form of support for teachers. Instructional coaches provide job-embedded professional learning through one-on-one development and team building. The instructional coaches have an opportunity to influence change in the school through direct relationship building with their teachers. This…

Texas, like many states, considers students to be "college, career, or military ready" if they earn an industry-based certification (IBC) in high school. While the expansion of opportunities for students to earn IBCs has been stimulated through state policy, limited research has systematically examined what factors influence students'…

Careers occupy a major portion of one's life and often contribute to one's identity. This action research study explored and appraised career awareness activities for K-12 students in a rural, eastern region in the United States. Data was collected from high school student participants in the form of survey and focus group sessions during the…