An experiential learning program for secondary moderate and severe mentally handicapped students allows them to learn practical skills and habits needed for adulthood. The program incorporates meaningful jobs within the school, on school grounds, and within the community. Components include a classroom store, practical reading lessons involving…

This module describes methods for creating and improving vocational programs for special needs learners. It also provides a list of resources available to educators and parents working with vocational programs. The guide includes a list of definitions and uses a question-and-answer format to provide information on the importance of vocational…

Experience-Based Career Education finds a comprehensive curriculum existing outside school walls; it restructures the educational environment to take maximum advantage of direct experience and of community institutions' special capabilities for preparing youths for adulthood. Staff, student, and community resource person roles are defined and…

The equal and sweeping collaboration between the public schools and the business-labor-industry communities within the Experience-Based Career Education (EBCE) demonstration project is explained in question-answer form. What the community consists of and is asked for, the requirements it must meet, and the resources provided it are discussed.…

Concerns of potential EBCE participants and hurdles for program advocates to overcome have been confronted by earlier educational reforms seeking to coordinate schools' and communities' educational resources. These issues are considered as they concern students and parents, the program's community participants, universities and educational…

Evaluating Experience-Based Career Education was complex; four different programs were created by developer laboratories within common parameters. Evaluation was primarily formative, but the article focuses on information useful to an audience undecided about EBCE implementation. Three areas of measured outcomes are presented: community support,…

Argues in favor of community-based vocational training for severely handicapped autistic adolescents and gives points to consider in establishing such a program in the school curricula. Offers suggestions for identifying and using community resources. Explains the use of task analysis in student training and discusses student and program…

Describes a tri-district program (in Utah's Granite, Jordan, and Murray school districts) to expand the health career program, which involved 62 field trips scouring the area's hospitals and health care centers, and student work experience opportunities, to expose students from 13 high schools to occupations beyond the traditional doctor and…

Twelve chapters describe efforts under Project AMES (Actualization of Mainstream Experience Skills) to teach functional vocational and community living skills to moderately and severely handicapped students. The first chapter details Project AMES' components (vocational, community mobility, domestic living, and recreation/leisure skills) and…

The reference guide presents information on placing special education students in the community for "specially designed" career exploration or "specially designed" vocational training in Iowa. Much of the information is in question and answer format. An introductory section provides background on the employee-employer…

The document describes one component of a New Hampshire Experimental Schools Program (ESP) project to develop a K-12 career/vocational education program. By placing selected students at community resource sites, the program has taken advantage of both physical and human site resources. Skilled community craftsmen/tradesmen function as off-campus…

Designed to assist teachers and school administrators in effective utilization of community resources within vocational-technical education programs, the manual outlines strategies in the identification, development, utilization, and evaluation of community resources available to local school districts. Section 1 provides a general introduction to…

This consumers' guide provides an easily understandable, large print summary of the recommendations in a 10-year plan for changes in services to people with intellectual disabilities in Victoria, Australia. Twenty of the 250 recommendations of the plan are given in simplified language accompanied by illustrations, including recommendations for:…

The school-to-work program conducted by Goodwill Industries in Denver (Colorado), a collaborative effort between the public and private sector, serves 1,300 students aged 14-22 who are at risk and/or have learning disabilities. The project has both classroom-based and community-based components. In the classroom-based component, classroom…

The Student Driven Collaborative Transitioning model is a comprehensive program that addresses the needs of 2,436 students with disabilities from elementary through high school in the Kenosha United School District No. 1 in Wisconsin. The majority of the students have specific learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, or mental retardation.…