The eight schools profiled in this document are serving different populations, but all of them are closing the achievement gap between low-income, minority, and special needs students and their peers. By trying out innovative new strategies, these schools are blazing a trail for others to follow. They are dispelling the myth that some students can…

This book provides information and strategies on how adult educators can integrate action learning concepts in their teaching practice. The book defines action learning as going beyond the traditional idea of "learn by doing" and applies it to various organizational cultures and educational contexts. Chapter 1 introduces the origins of action…

Cooperative extension service faculty at New Mexico State University started the Steps to Employment and Personal Success (STEPS) program to help Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) clients qualify for and maintain full-time employment and strengthen their families for long-term success. Clients are referred to STEPS by New Mexico…

Youth development lies at the heart of the Workforce Investment Act and the Youth Opportunity Movement. Like employment training programs for adults, employment training programs for youth should focus on acquisition of skills, gainful employment, and productive citizenship. Beyond these three characteristics, it is essential that programs for…

Teachers responsible for transforming their vocational education programs into career and technical education (CTE) programs need to concentrate on ensuring programs' technical and academic rigor, engaging in collaboration in school and in the community, keeping current through professional development experiences, and extending learning beyond…

This document examines issues in schoolwide application of career academies. Part 1 reviews the three defining features of career academies: (1) a career academy is a small learning community in which a cluster of students share several classes each year that are taught by the same team of teachers over a period of 2-4 years; (3) each academy…

This booklet, which is intended for individuals responsible for organizing student placements in work experience programs in Australia, provides an overview of the basic issues regarding work experience programs. The following are among the topics discussed in the 14 sections: (1) understanding the characteristics and purposes of industry…

This document contains 17 papers from a Universities Association for Continuing Education (UACE) seminar at which UACE strategies and objectives were reviewed. The papers focus on four broad areas: the context of the UACE's work to promote continuing education and lifelong learning; its role in promoting flexibility of provision; its relationship…

This document contains reports on the structures of qualification levels in Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom that were commissioned during a study to identify trends and developments in the European Union related to national certification frameworks. Each country report examines the following topics: the history of…

The literature on work placements in education and training courses and current Australian practice related to work placements was reviewed. The review focused on the school, university, and vocational education and training (VET) sectors. The following major issues were considered: lack of a common name and common body of literature; purposes of…

This book, which is intended as a resource for individuals and organizations involved in adult and community education, presents guidelines and activities to assist in enhancing organizational effectiveness in adult and community education. The following are among the topics discussed: (1) experiencing professional and organizational development…

This document is intended to assist new and experienced vocational education teachers in the United Kingdom who are delivering General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) and vocational A-levels. The following are among the topics discussed in the guide's four sections: (1) developing an approach to vocational learning (establishing links…

Despite the fact that a majority of urban educators remain optimistic about the future of city schools, urban high schools face significant challenges. Many recent developments in high school reform have important implications for career and technical education (CTE) programs in urban high schools. Publications on reforming secondary education…

This document is intended to assist health care organizations in designing and implementing a school-to-career (STC) initiative within their organization. Section 1 presents an overview of STC that discusses the following topics: skills needed by the health care industry's future workforce; the definition of STC; special needs of the health care…

Exploring the relationship between generic skills (sometimes called employability skills) and career and technical education (CTE) requires asking these three questions: Are such skills taught in CTE? Can they be taught? Do employers value them over technical skills. A literature review of 14 books, reports, and journal articles concludes that…