Drawing on transition literature of a general nature and specific to language disorders and learning disabilities, this article challenges the efficacy of the existing special education paradigm and contends that changes in institutional policies and practices are needed. The article also discusses roles played by participants in the transition…

In a 5-year evaluation of the $6.6 million Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project, technology-using students surpassed nonparticipating peers in developing critical 21st-century job skills. Multimedia Project students outperformed comparison students on content mastery, sensitivity to their audience, and coherent design capabilities. Standardized test…

Facing increasing standardization and accountability pressures, schools struggle to retain democratic ideals while seeking alternative visions. The standards movement defines a well-educated citizen as a technologically adept, economically savvy college graduate. Democracy flourishes only when protecting the marketplace of ideas and a diversity of…

This article presents information on the characteristics and post-school outcomes of youth (N=3,024) who participated in the Bridges School to Work internship program at seven sites from 1993 to 1997. Neither gender, race, nor primary disability made a significant difference in employment status at 6 months post-internship. Work behaviors during…

Provides an introduction to capability issues in the United Kingdom and expands on the University of North London's capability curriculum. Explains the new software engineering module for computer science that incorporates the capability curriculum and discusses the need for a partnership between educators, employers, and the government to advance…

America's Career Kit, developed and maintained through a public/private partnership led by the Labor Department, is the nation's most heavily used career development system. Its four components: (1) America's Job Bank; (2) America's Career InfoNet; (3) America's Learning eXchange; and (4) America's Service Locator; are Web-based workforce…

Demand for qualified and skilled computer science/computer support specialists will more than double between 1996 and 2006. Carnegie Technology Education (CTE), a non-profit business, has formed partnerships with ten community colleges, four-year colleges, companies and for profit institutions to provide Web-based faculty development and…

Results of two studies illustrate how regional workforce development needs can differ significantly from national assessments of training needs. Regional needs assessments, conducted by community colleges in partnership with other community agencies, are essential to development of sound workforce development policies that address actual needs at…

Some graduates of information-technology training programs are bypassing a traditional college education to take high-paying jobs straight out of high school. Others (both sexes) are taking IT skills to college and nabbing lucrative part-time jobs. Programs by Cisco Systems and other organizations are profiled. (MLH)

A study of national longitudinal data examined effects of rural Catholic high schools on mathematics achievement, high school graduation rates, and the likelihood that high school graduates attend college. Findings indicate that rural Catholic high schools had a positive effect on mathematics test scores and no effect on graduation rates or rates…

The Northwest Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center's "wood cluster initiative" illustrates the benefits of rural business clusters. The initiative is turning a loose grouping of timber and forest-product firms into a competitive system by providing technical assistance, helping businesses plan and conduct job training programs,…

Data from the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study (n=1,623) on youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET) showed that NEET was influenced by poor achievement and by inner-city residence (for boys) and parental lack of interest in education (for girls). Boys mainly had poor employment experiences; teenage mothers also experienced…

Suggests that school-to-work initiatives can be an important policy tool for rural development. Discusses key components of school-to-work systems (school-based learning, work-based learning, and connecting activities); national and international trends impacting rural economies; rural advantages and weaknesses related to economic development; and…

Examines adaptations made by one high school when the surrounding city shifted from a textile mill-driven manufacturing economy to a post-industrial service economy. Using data from an extended field study, the paper examines how school discourses emerged from three related sources (a corporate sponsor, competition for good students, and preparing…

Describes the results of a qualitative study in Montana of 12 American Indians with a doctoral degree. Finds that participants shared three characteristics that helped them navigate the academic pipeline: ability to function bi-culturally, spirituality, and a traditional understanding of reciprocity. (VWC)