In summer 1996, a long-term follow-up study was conducted of 1991-92 graduates of career programs at Johnson County Community College (JCCC), in Kansas. Questionnaires were mailed to 646 graduates, certificate holders, and students who left JCCC with marketable skills to assess their satisfaction with their educational experiences and their…

This paper reports on a study that examined skill standards pilot programs to identify lessons learned in the selection and involvement of representatives from the various stakeholder communities and the potential for sustaining the efforts of the pilot programs. Data were gathered through structured conversations with staff and committee members…

This monograph, containing 24 articles by 11 authors, describes a number of practices that have shown promise for better connecting high school with the broader world beyond school. The monograph begins with "Connecting High School with the Real World" (Sandi Harwell, William Blank), which discusses the concept of "real life" and various ways of…

This guidebook offers suggestions for teaching survival skills to students. It provides strategies for implementing key elements of an approach to learning survival skills that engages students as active, self-directed learners in the community. The guidebook is designed to help educators link students to resources in the community so that they…

National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data characterizing a racially heterogeneous sample of 1,897 male and female high school graduates were analyzed to determine the impact of employment while in high school on subsequent wages. The sample was segmented by gender and amount of work experience gained while in high school, and several wage models…

Each year, New Jersey's Hudson County Community College (HCCC) surveys graduates from the previous year to determine their subsequent career/educational progress and satisfaction with the college's programs and services. In August 1996, questionnaires were mailed to 172 graduates from 1995, with 47 returning completed surveys. Study findings…

The Annual Performance Report submitted by each state to the Office of Vocational and Adult Education was used to monitor what states have developed and how and to what extent states have implemented their accountability system. The following findings of this analysis are synthesized in this report: (1) 32 states require evaluation of all programs…

This paper critiques current "school-to-work" practices in rural schools. A look at the rural context reveals that rural workers are more likely to be unemployed and are paid less than workers elsewhere, resulting in high rural poverty. In addition, many kinds of rural decline (in services, transportation, job availability) are tied to…

This document is a strategic plan for action that reflects changing world realities, higher expectations, and new priorities. The strategic plan will guide policy and practice for vocational and adult education programs throughout Ohio by establishing the context and direction for all state and local planning. The plan was based on information…

Drawing upon arguments from the sociology of work and from debates about literacy, this paper explores the connection between schooling, work, and language through an ethnographic analysis of school and community in a rural, northeastern United States setting. The paper presents evidence of a disjunction between schooling and adult work and…

This report examines efforts in Idaho to provide transition information and planning to secondary students with disabilities and their families. It offers an ideal profile of best transition practices. It then reports on a survey of 247 teachers, 170 principals, and 105 special education directors/superintendents in Idaho. The survey examined: (1)…

This document represents a study of the Indian Education Fellowship Program that provides Indian students with financial assistance to attend colleges, universities, or professional schools. It describes the individuals who received Fellowships during 1985-1989 and the higher education institutions they attended. Data were obtained by reviewing…

This guide gives youth with disabilities and their families an overview of some of the major elements of the transition planning process. It introduces families to the adult service system that will provide supports and services after high school. Each chapter is intended to encourage families to be proactive in the planning process. The workbook…

A study was conducted in 1994 to identify, categorize, and prioritize research needs for improving teacher education related to the vocational education initiative of Tech Prep over the next 10 years. First, questionnaires were sent to experts in the field of Tech Prep, seeking a sample of needs and priorities. Responses were received from 33…

Partnership 2000 is a joint collaborative effort of labor, education, and industry in California created to address the needs of employees through vocational and technical education provided by community colleges and affiliated training institutions. Partnership 2000's long-range goals are to: (1) improve student access to vocational education…