Too frequently, representations of disciplinary writing foreground static notions of knowledge creation and literate practice in science and engineering. Rooted in discourse community theory, such representations present normative tropes of scientific practice that background notions of disciplinarity and obscure people's lived experience and…

Clair J. Sullivan is an assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Her research interests include radiation detection and measurements; gamma-ray spectroscopy; automated isotope identification algorithms; nuclear forensics; nuclear security;…

Developed in Illinois, this document contains task lists for three occupations: (1) machinist in the manufacturing cluster; (2) compositor and/or typesetter in the graphic communications cluster; and (3) computer repair technician in the electronic occupations cluster. For machinists, the guide analyzes 46 tasks in the duty area of operating…

This document contains Illinois Occupational Skill Standards for occupations in the Information Technology Operate Cluster (help desk support, computer maintenance and technical support technician, systems operator, application and computer support specialist, systems administrator, network administrator, and database administrator). The skill…

This issue (v14 n1) of the University of Illinois'"On Research and Leadership Update" contains seven articles. The first, "Community College and Beyond: A National Evaluation of Tech Prep," by Debra Bragg, discusses results of the author's study of student experiences and outcomes in eight local tech-prep consortia in the U.S.…

To ensure economic growth and increased employment opportunities for youth, there must be greater emphasis on the following: (1) providing self-employment skills to young people; (2) preparing them for highly technical jobs; and (3) preparing them for service industry jobs. Recommends the incorporation of entrepreneurship education in the…

This computer-aided drafting (CAD) curriculum was developed to provide drafting instructors in Illinois with a useful guide for relating an important new technological advance to the vocational classroom. The competency-based learning activity guides are written to be used with any CAD system being used at the secondary and postsecondary levels.…

This document contains Illinois Occupational Skill Standards for occupations in the Information Technology Design and Build Cluster (technical writer, programmer, system analyst, network architect, application product architect, network engineer, and database administrator). The skill standards define what an individual should know and the…

This curriculum resource guide, one of seven developed by the State of Illinois to present information on new and emerging curricula existing in the nation, can be used as a basis for local educators to determine the resources needed to offer solar technology curricula and to initiate curriculum development at the local level. Chapters 1 and 2…

An Illinois project identified new and emerging occupations within the state and determined the types, levels, and distribution of new vocational education curricula needed to meet employment demands for skilled workers in those occupations. Project staff reviewed similar national research efforts, recently enacted Illinois legislation, and…

In response to a need for additional data on agriculturally related employment, the Illinois State Board of Education funded a research project with two objectives: to collect additional agricultural employment data and to identify employment in agriculturally related industries in Illinois under the Standard Industrial Classification system. The…

These experimental curriculum materials, for one of five clusters developed for the occupational orientation program in Illinois, contain teacher references and a series of learning activity packages (LAPs) designed to acquaint the student with the wide range of occupational choices available in the industrial oriented occupations field. The 30…

This document, which is intended as a guide for workforce preparation program providers, details the Illinois Occupational Skill Standards for programs preparing students for employment in the telecommunications technician occupational cluster. The document begins with a brief overview of the Illinois perspective on occupational skills standards…

These Illinois skill standards for the agricultural laboratory and field technician cluster are intended to serve as a guide to workforce preparation program providers as they define content for their programs and to employers as they establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition. They could also serve as a mechanism for…

This document, which is intended to serve as a guide for work force preparation program providers, details the Illinois occupational skill standards for programs preparing students for employment in jobs in agricultural sales and marketing. Agency partners involved in this project include: the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Community…