The School to Work Opportunities Act is a comprehensive approach to work-based learning through integrating academic and vocational education, integrating school- and work-based learning, and linking secondary and postsecondary education. The most critical challenge is finding enough employers to provide workplace experiences for students. (SK)

Last July, the New Initiatives Division of Sandia National Laboratory, a nuclear research center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, presented its findings on U.S. education to the U.S. Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education. Current dropout rates, test scores, college attendance, educational expenditures, educator status, work…

Despite some efforts, dental education is not succeeding at creating socially responsible, service-oriented professionals. Further research should be undertaken on the effectiveness of various forms of community health services, improving service to underserved populations, the perceptions of the underserved, clinical experience with health teams,…

Uses 1980 Brazilian census data to analyze sources of earnings variations, emphasizing the role of education, labor segmentation, geographic location, and sector of economic activity. Results indicate a sizable rate of return to investment in education across labor market segments, especially among rural and self-employed workers. Internal…

Henry M. Levin finds Balfanz's article a dispassionate attempt to explore the connections between workplace performance and curriculum reform. Educational reform efforts often misinterpret and simplify the relationship between informal knowledge, academic skills, and individual productivity. Consequently, the U.S. public's productive capacity is…

The challenge of engaging students with learning has led educators to rediscover apprenticeship. German apprenticeships enroll 70 percent of noncollege-bound teenagers in various manual, technical, and administrative fields in work/school programs that are not dumping grounds for weak students. The roles of U.S. employers, teachers, cooperative…

Research has shown that learning is most effective when job-related. The ideal solution for many young students would be work-study programs or apprenticeships that closely relate learning and experience. Industry stresses the need for a fourth "R" beyond the basic literacy skills--readiness for change. Computer simulation programs may help enrich…

Services provided to 12 young adults with visual impairments moving from school to work by either an educationally based or rehabilitation-based transition program were compared. No differences were found in types or number of services provided by the two programs. Both programs cooperated with other agencies and involved subjects and parents in…

This paper conceptualizes transition as an outcome-oriented process leading to quality of life for individuals with disabilities. The paper discusses theoretical issues pertaining to the definition and conceptualization of quality of life, research findings in this area, and issues that should be addressed in the future. (Author/JDD)

This article reviews five categories of critical characteristics of high-quality secondary-level vocational instruction programs that increase the likelihood that students with severe disabilities will obtain paid community employment upon graduation. Categories include location of instruction, curriculum, instructional strategies, transition…

From a marketing perspective, the curriculum is an important product of the college or university. A study using survey research and target marketing investigated what the business community wants this product to be. Implications for structuring the curriculum as preparation for employment of marketing graduates are examined. (Author/MSE)

Survey responses identified skills that both employers (n=87) and students (n=196) feel are important and the teaching methods that are effective in developing those skills. Results indicated that students and employers had slightly different perceptions, although oral and written communication were viewed by both groups as important. (JOW)

Women are underrepresented in professional positions in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology. Female students need to understand that such careers do not necessarily require college, but they do require mathematics. Non-college-bound females need more information about and preparation for today's technician careers, beginning in…

Survey responses from 41 of 50 state directors of secondary cooperative education and urban school districts found weak linkages between apprenticeship and cooperative education. Lack of information about linkage was a barrier cited by 36 percent of the state and 50 percent of the urban respondents. (SK)

Describes the integration of skill development into the accounting curriculum based upon the recommendations of various professional accounting associations. Skills necessary for success in accounting are oral and written communication, analytic, computer, and interpersonal. (JOW)