The productivity of the U.S. work force is a primary determinant of the standard of living of the U.S. population. Worker productivity is affected by many factors, including the education and skills of the work force. This handbook highlights several measures of productivity and education, and addresses the link between these two sets of measures.…

The General Accounting Office examined the relationship between proprietary schools' performance and their reliance on funds provided under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. Data were collected through a confidential mail survey of schools from the five proprietary school accrediting agencies. Responses were obtained from 1,181 (77%) of the…

Signed into law in May 1994, the School-to-Work Opportunities (STWO) Act provides states and communities with funds to develop systems that connect academic knowledge with technical skills and workplace competencies. The Act links the Goals 2000: Educate America Act with workforce and economic development and is designed to help the nation prepare…

This study examined the influence of past life experiences and current life biography on the learning of adult students in the undergraduate classroom. A total of 90 undergraduates at least 30 years old who had completed at least 15 hours of academic course work at community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and public universities participated.…

This report presents the results of a survey of senior-level physics majors at U.S. colleges and universities who received a Bachelor's degree between September 1995 and August 1996. Completed questionnaires were received from 1,956 students. It was found that the number of undergraduates receiving Bachelor's degrees in physics continued to…

This bulletin focuses on the connection between student performance and standards that has led to reform efforts designed to set high standards and develop new ways to measure student performance. It provides an overview of national, state, and local efforts to develop standards. The bulletin then discusses these practitioner-identified approaches…

Increased global competition and rapidly changing labor markets are providing a new imperative for relevance and quality assurance in education. This imperative is driving a consensus around the need for standards that link the content of education and training to the demands of the workplace. The national framework for improving relevance and…

This bulletin focuses on the integration of school-to-work systems into a comprehensive set of economic development services that can help address a critical need articulated by businesses, spur economic growth, and equip young people with the skills necessary for further learning and work. It first describes these strategies to integrate…

Assessing the impact of participation in school-to-work systems on student performance allows practitioners to determine whether their system is providing young people with the skills required for academic and lifelong success. School-to-work assessment systems focus on three key areas: academic, broad workplace, and specific occupational skills.…

This report evaluated economic incentives for employer participation in a comprehensive school-to-work (STW) initiative. In general, the business, economic, and educational literature emphasizes quantifying the fiscal benefits of employer-sponsored training, although only qualitative outcomes are available for some programs. The literature…

Many times, young people can make a significant impact on their communities. An example of this potential is evident in the Minnesota statewide youth program, in which at-risk youth rebuild their neighborhoods. The program enables young people to gain job skills while working toward their high school diploma or GED, to play a respected role in…

There is increasing evidence that American schools are doing a poor job of preparing students for the work force. Several studies have concluded that North Carolina has the worst school-to-work educational training system in the industrialized world. America's educators still have not learned how to deal with the problems that poverty creates for…

This book proposes restructuring the education system using the principles and practices used by successful businesses during the past 15 years of rapid change. It suggests that the skills taught by schools today, even if test scores measure them as improving, are not sufficient for high school graduates in an increasingly-changing, challenging…

This guidebook presents information regarding the curriculum standards and indicators of the National Consortium for Product Quality (NCPQ), which was established to link school-to-work curriculum research with quality standards and indicators. The guidebook details the following: the qualitative curriculum standards, supporting indicators for…

This resource book provides materials and methods for a model Entrepreneurship Training Center (ETC) school-to-work program for rural out-of-school adults. Introductory materials include learning goals within ETC's four curriculum areas, instructional methods, and introduction to key concepts. The remainder of the book is divided into four…