Curriculum developers must work hard to avoid the "what errors" of curriculum development. They must avoid failing to teach what should be taught and teaching what is no longer relevant and needed. Curriculum "what errors" are likely to occur when teachers design courses so as to teach what they know best, what they were…

Instructional systems development (ISD) is a systems approach to curriculum development and instructional delivery. It is oriented toward occupational needs with an emphasis on what it is that students must learn to perform specific tasks, what facilities best provide a setting for the neccessary learning, and what instructional methods and media…

Developed from a review of research, policies, exemplary practices, and leading thinking, this guide addresses educational program design questions. The document is divided into two parts, Part One contains the recommended design features of career and technical education, including these 12 operational design features: learning context; audience;…

The Instructional Systems Development (ISD) approach for the accomplishment of vocational training programs provides a methodology for gathering and analyzing job information, for developing instructional materials and media, for conducting instruction, and for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of training programs. Included in the ISD…

The Linkage System is a process that was designed in 1997 to improve academic performance for all students and to enhance work force quality by linking academic content standards to occupational skill standards. The Linkage System is based on research and development conducted by the Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States (V-TECS).…

This document presents and discusses the national skill standards for advanced high-performance manufacturing that were developed during a project that was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education. The introduction explains the need for national skill standards. Discussed in the next three sections are the following: benefits of national…

A set of career cluster standards was developed for the school-to-careers division of a large urban school district that is moving toward a career academy model for high school education. The process used to develop the standard was based on a standards development model consisting of the following stages: synthesis; collection of input; and…

This book, which is intended for practicing or aspiring instructors, curriculum developers, and others engaged in work force development at the secondary and postsecondary levels, contains eight papers explaining how to plan education and training for work. The following papers are included: "Determining the Market Demand for Skilled Workers"…

This document is intended to assist practitioners involved in the delivery of Part One General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs), which are GNVQs designed for students in the United Kingdom who are at Key Stage 4 and the post-16 level. Section 1 examines the following topics of interest to centers that are contemplating introducing Part…

The extent to which providers of post-16 vocational education and training (VET) in the United Kingdom are able to secure timely and relevant learning programs to meet sudden and unpredicted changes in local or national skills profiles was examined in a study that included interviews of nine private training providers and 11 further education (FE)…

This document is a practical manual to assist community-based organizations and coalitions in using voluntary industry skill standards in programs preparing people for success in the workplace and further education. The following are among the topics covered in the manual's six sections: (1) developing and maintaining systems (things partners can…

This document, the fourth volume in a series, details a process for linking vocational education and training (VET) standards and employment requirements that was developed in the United Kingdom and based on functional analysis. The introductory sections describe the other three manuals in the series and the process used to develop this manual.…

This document contains 23 papers on European trends in vocational education and training (VET) and the development of occupations and qualifications. The following papers are included: "Vocational Socialisation and Competence Development: The Historical Dimension" (Walter R. Heinz); "European Trends in the Development of Vocational…

This guidebook is intended as a road map to the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Technical Education Act of 1998 (Perkins III) for career-technical education (CTE) practitioners and policymakers in Illinois. The following topics are among those covered: (1) framework for Perkins III (national educational reform, Illinois provisions for quality CTE,…