Data from the Youth79 cohort of the National Longitudinal Surveys were used to examine the acquisition of skills by young adults at the start of a job and as a response to changes in the workplace. The analysis was based primarily on a set of questions posed in 1993 to a group of workers between the ages of 28 and 36. It was discovered that…

This publication reports two evaluations carried out in 1995 that concerned initiatives in Scotland aimed to encourage the further development of links between education and industry. "Focus on Partnership" discusses a study to review the effectiveness of the Education Business Partnerships (EBP) initiative and the resulting policy…

This book is designed to help recent college graduates and persons who are between jobs to find and keep a secure job. It helps readers to analyze themselves and their potential for getting a job. It includes information on the following: self-analysis and defining abilities, getting started with a plan and job search, what is personally…

These proceedings addressed the question of the future of the classified honors degree in the United Kingdom with emphasis on improvements and alternatives. The meeting addressed four main issues: (1) the current presentation of final results in terms of only four categories (first, upper and lower second, and third class honors); (2) concerns…

This monograph is intended to provide guidance to state, school district, and building-level personnel, and family organizations as they strive to comply with the transition requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The monograph includes: (1) a description of the importance and intent of transition services for youth…

This report presents the findings of a 1995 survey of 1992-93 and 1993-94 graduates of Boise State University (BSU) Idaho, which sought to determine what the students were doing after graduation and how well prepared they were to do it. The mail survey of 1,456 graduates found that: (1) 49 percent were working full-time, 25 percent were both…

The New Youth Entrepreneur curriculum is a series of 12 youth-oriented educational modules containing instructional materials, learning activities, and checkup exercises designed to teach students key elements of entrepreneurship. This document is the third module, which focuses on issues related to starting a business and providing ideas for…

This brief paper considers planning for the transition of students with disabilities from the school setting to adult life. First, "transition services" are defined according to requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The relationship of transition services to the student's Individualized Education Program is…

Working leaves for faculty in two-year diploma programs provide colleges with more experienced and current faculty, provide industry with new employees or consultants with fresh ideas, and present faculty with opportunities to use up-to-date technologies and methodologies and share those experiences with students. At the University College of the…

A study described the experiences of elementary educators who are attempting to implement a districtwide School-To-Work (STW) reform effort in the Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Public Schools (MPS). The descriptions were derived from the first and second years of a 3-year evaluation of MPS's STW implementation plan. Data for the study were drawn from the…

Presented in a question-and-answer format, this guide is designed to answer the questions of persons who have agreed to become mentors for students in school-to-work programs. The guide answers the following 12 questions: (1) Why am I here? (2) What is mentoring all about? (3) What does mentoring have to do with School-to-Work? (4) Where do I fit…

This briefing paper offers information to continue the process of creating linkages among the many stakeholders interested in helping adolescents successfully move into adult work roles. An introduction discusses some broad policy issues such as creating seamlessness through reducing the confusion caused by a lack of coordination and strengthening…

This policy brief examines states' experiences and data regarding implementation of the transition planning mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It reports on a study which investigated whether implementation of transition planning was associated with decreased dropout rates for youth with disabilities and whether the format…

During the 1990s, school programs that more explicitly link school and work have been expanded. In order to realize the curricular and pedagogical reforms that underlie these programs, teachers need appropriate staff development. In 1996, RAND staff designed and pilot-tested a 6-week "mini-sabbatical," a prototype course to help teachers in a…

A Finnish study compared the career development, participation in vocational education, and working life 4 to 5 years after the completion of secondary school education of students with mild mental retardation (n=13) and students with other disabilities (n=72). Results found most of the subjects had completed their studies, however, only 25…