How is upper secondary education organised across OECD countries? This level of education, which most frequently serves students aged between 15 to 18, is generally the first time when learners have significant capacity to shape the content of their learning, for example by opting for general or vocational education, choosing their subjects and…

Since certification requirements for journalism teachers vary, the Journalism Education Association (JEA) created its own voluntary certification program that enhances state requirements and encourages teachers and advisors from different academic backgrounds to gain recognition for on-the-job learning efforts. JEA's program, educational benefits…

Drawing from research and practice, this article describes some benefits of interdisciplinary curriculum, identifies implementation barriers, and underscores the principal's pivotal role. Each principal must be visionary and knowledgeable; function as cheerleader and coach; and provide opportunities for teachers, students, and parents to develop…

Small businesses can participate in a variety of partnerships with the educational community that can result in benefits to all partners. Examples of successful school-business partnerships in Arizona include the Aquafria Foundation in Evandale; the partnership among the University of Arizona, Pueblo High School, and the Puma County-State Bar…

Program planners considering developing mentoring programs must first consider mentoring's place in the development of career identification/choice and must establish performance standards for mentoring services in career development. Even in the most superficial or limited mentoring experiences, mentors and youths participate in a series of…

The term "contextual learning" refers to the type of learning that has also been called experiential learning, real-world education, active learning, and learner-centered instruction. Unlike traditional school learning, which is based on the principles of individual learning in a manner that is independent of tools and dependent on…

Cooperative education programs aid students in making the transition from school to work. Other benefits include enhanced employability and earning power. Employers benefit through the ability of cooperative education programs to adapt to labor market needs, through reduced recruitment and training problems, and through the satisfaction gained…

This report is intended to assist curriculum developers, administrators, and teachers in the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) system in deciding if and when it is appropriate to introduce individualized systems of instruction in their programs. The first section explains what individualized instruction is and examines the reasons for the…

This document has been prepared to assist program administrators and practitioners in planning and implementing cooperative (co-op) programs in high technology occupational areas. Information focuses on the key elements, strategies, and procedures of successful co-op programs. The guide contains nine chapters and is based on a review of the…

The workshop reported here was held to allow key personnel from secondary education and community colleges in Virginia an opportunity to explore existing problems as well as potential strategies relating to improved articulation of vocational programs at both levels. The content is presented in three parts. The first contains the three major…

Developing a youth apprenticeship in the United States would boost productivity, improve the preparation of youths for the skill demands of a global economy, and simultaneously offer minority youth an avenue into the economic mainstream. Germany's "dual system" of youth apprenticeship could be adopted to form a national skill-building…

This document, one of 12 guides that have been developed to facilitate evaluation by and for local education agency (LEA) personnel in Illinois, covers cost and outcome analysis, a method of relating both monetary and nonmonetary returns to investments for the purpose of improving program planning and decision making. Throughout this activity, the…

This report describes the benefits to vocational educators of involving volunteers in vocational programs and presents a model for planning and implementing a volunteer program. Outlined first are programmatic and nonprogrammatic approaches to designing volunteer programs. Next, in a discussion of the benefits of vocational volunteer programs, the…

Industrial arts is a program of instructional and laboratory experiences that provides basic general education for all students. Industrial arts curricula consist of experiences based upon nationally relevant economic and industrial clusters, and industrial arts courses provide "hands-on" manipulative experiences that serve students' occupational…

A study examined current research on the proficiency of vocational students in basic skill areas and explored current practices for improving the basic skills of vocational students at the secondary and postsecondary levels. Based on current research, vocational students, on an average, seemed to be less proficient in basic skills than were their…