The goal of this guide is to provide information, support and practical tools that may help educators design, implement, and evaluate their school's standards-based education program. In order to work, a comprehensive, standards-based educational program must, by definition, be the organizing structure upon which the school program operates.…

This document reviews progress in vocational education and training (VET) reform in the candidate countries for accession to the European Union in light of developments in European policy on vocational training. The document consists of a cross-country overview and individual overviews of VET in 12 candidate countries: Bulgaria, the Czech…

Federal funding from the School to Work Opportunities Act (STOWA) has ended. There is no doubt that state policy to advance activities started under STOWA will be a major factor in the sustainability of School to Work. Already some states have taken the initiative for bringing higher standards to education by offering incentives for businesses to…

This document, which is intended to provide technical assistance to individuals responsible for integrating year-round and summer employment and training services for youth under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), contains case studies of eight employment and training programs that have already or are in the process of integrating their summer…

This document is a practical manual to assist community-based organizations and coalitions in using voluntary industry skill standards in programs preparing people for success in the workplace and further education. The following are among the topics covered in the manual's six sections: (1) developing and maintaining systems (things partners can…

Minnesota divides its Title IV-E-IL allocation among three components of a statewide program titled Support for Emancipation and Living Functionally (SELF). SELF is a state-supervised, county-implemented program based on the premise that youth in substitute (foster) care are at significant risk of not making a successful transition to independent…

A comprehensive evaluation of state and local progress in implementing school-to-work (STW) programs focused on the following: whether states and local partnerships have created coherent STW systems of connected, sustainable practices and programs; how STW systems have changed students' experiences at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary…

This article describes the implementation of a state-funded grant, the challenges that emerged, and the lessons learned. This yearlong grant, Technology[superscript 3], provided the resources for university faculty, teacher candidates, and cooperating teachers to integrate technology. Findings from the grant did not indicate significant changes in…

The following were examined: (1) the Department of Transportation's (DOT) efforts to evaluate the Job Access and Reverse Commute (Job Access) program; (2) transportation and related services provided by Job Access; (3) whether the program fosters collaboration between grantees and others in the design, financing, and delivery of those services;…

This document is a handbook for adult education professionals to follow when beginning or expanding learning programs to meet the needs of stakeholders at a particular workplace. The handbook presents a seven-step model that is based on the findings of several research and demonstration programs. Each of the handbook's seven chapters details one…

This guide distills lessons from an extensive body of research into practical advice for policymakers and practitioners concerned with helping hard-to-employ individuals find jobs and succeed in the work force. Part 1 examines the following topics: characteristics of the hard-to-employ; the prevalence of various barriers to employment; and the…

This document chronicles the experience of the National Training Institute (NTI) for Community Youth Work and four of its Building Exemplary Systems for Training Youth Workers (BEST) affiliates in establishing youth development practitioner apprenticeship (YDPA) programs. Part 1 describes the work of NTI and BEST intermediary organizations to lay…

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 mandates the creation of youth councils to bring together the major resource and delivery systems that have youth as a major "customer." These systems include the following sectors: education; public housing; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families agencies; WIA partners; the justice system; and…

When deciding how to compete in the new global economy, employers can opt for "low-road" strategies such as low wages and no job security. Alternatively, they can choose the "high road" and compete by offering quality goods and services, innovation, and value. Fourteen successful "high-road" partnerships were examined…

This document provides a framework for academic and career/technical teachers who want to raise students' achievement through real-life projects reflecting the rigorous academic and technical standards needed for further learning in the workplace and postsecondary education. The document begins with definitions of the six A's of project-based…