The five papers included in this monograph represent an attempt on the part of the Office of Career Education to clarify differences between career education and vocational education. The first paper, "Everyone's Favorite Solution Can't Be All Bad--A Reply to James O'Toole," rebuts O'Toole's seven charges against vocational education. The second…

Profiles three program awards for exemplary rural special education practices. Describes an Arizona program that allows teachers to pursue advanced training without quitting their jobs, an Idaho program of work experience and transitional services for special education students, and a Virginia program for normalization of students labeled…

Examined career preparation, personal expectations and interests, and workplace experiences of Jewish professionals, mostly rabbis, in the area of services to the elderly. Of all age groups, recent graduates (N=216) of a college of religious instruction felt least well prepared to work with the elderly, and advocated training in issues related to…

In the last decade, there has been a greater demand for high skills to match jobs in the new economy. Are youth changing the time spent in schooling and work? Are youth studying longer? Are they working earlier? Are they combining work and studying? Are they training more? And finally, did the changes come at a price? Using the General Social…

This guide presents a focused, structured method of facilitating ex-offender employment. Section 1 takes classic marketing techniques and adapts them to the needs of the particular situation, placing ex-offenders in meaningful employment. The set of specific requirements for creating a workable marketing plan is condensed to six basic steps that…

Urban Little Schools (ULS) is a model that presents an alternative to failing urban schools. In these schools, each student's education is planned and guided in trusting teacher-student relationships where students take responsibility for their own learning. Secondary ULS students work alongside people in their community to learn to be…

Employers have played an important role in the education reform movements of the 1980s and 1990s; they have been vocal about the education deficiencies of the people they interview. They have focused on what the schools can do to improve education, but there are things that employers can do. The first thing is to make achievement matter by taking…

This paper describes Horizon, a European-funded project designed to increase employment opportunities for students with disabilities or learning difficulties. The project established a working cafe/restaurant (Cafe Horizon) in East London staffed by students. Part of the project involved the creation of multimedia units linked directly to Level 1…

A study examined 64 eighth-grade students' perceptions of opportunities available from participating in service learning and contrasted these with perceived learning opportunities available in school. Each student was enrolled in a 10-week required service learning course. Students visited service sites daily and had reflection periods two times…

The cooperative education program at LaGuardia Community College, New York, incorporates seminars that integrate school- and work-based learning. In the seminars, students examine issues related to work in general, the organizations in which they are placed, and the ways in which their academic preparation is applied at the work site. The…

A study examined employer involvement in the school-to-work (STW) internship strategy by comparing characteristics of participating employers to a sample of nonparticipants. The five STW programs chosen for study were ones in which students spent a significant amount of time in work-based learning outside the classroom. A telephone survey gathered…

This final report and implementation manual describes the activities and outcomes of Iowa's High School High Tech (HSHT) program, a joint effort of Grant Wood Area Education Agency and Goodwill Industries of Southeast Iowa to inspire students with disabilities to pursue high tech careers. The program provides opportunities for students to learn…

A survey of Tennessee residents ascertained their attitudes about education issues. The survey was conducted by telephone using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing system with a random-digit-dialing-based sample. Useful responses were provided by 1,225 Tennesseans who were over age 18. Findings indicated the following: Tennesseans were not…

This paper describes a comparative study to measure differences in the levels of career indecision for high school seniors (N=113) who are African American, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, White, or mixed race, and are involved in activities in a School-to-Work (STW) program of an urban high school. A demographic survey and the Career Decision…

This issue focuses on contextual learning (CL), in which students master rigorous academic content in real-world or work-based learning experiences. "Emerging Trends in CL Show Positive Results for Students" discusses CL as an important strategy for improving student achievement. It describes: how CL raises the bar for all students,…