Career academies now number more than 1,500 nationwide. The concept has roots in colonial times and in the German continuation model. High-risk academy students have lower dropout rates, are more engaged in the curriculum, and continue on to postsecondary education at a higher rate than their nonacademy peers. They also have improved job…

Argues for a richer, more varied English Instruction experience for "vocational track" students. Suggests several methods for creating a more powerful vocational/English curriculum. Concludes that it is not the place of any teacher or school to decide what kinds of literacy students will or will not need or want in their futures. (SG)

The career academy experience challenges the assumptions of traditional high school about the role of schooling for students' career and college transitions and stresses contextual and integrated teaching. This alternative educational approach encourages teachers to focus more collectively on preparing students through their curriculum,…

These are the technical resources for the report, "Career Academies: Long-Term Impacts on Labor Market Outcomes, Educational Attainment, and Transitions to Adulthood." Established more than 30 years ago, Career Academies have become a widely used high school reform initiative that aims to keep students engaged in school and prepare them…

The Talent Development High School (TDHS) reform model, with career academy programs, was introduced at Randolph High School. Three academies were implemented, one called the Arts and Humanities Academy (A&H) focused on careers in creative arts, law, and public service; another titled the Business and Industrial Technology Academy (BAIT) was…

Focuses on the outcomes associated with the career academy. Compares the outcomes from career-academy programs with those from traditional programs. Finds that the career academy may not be equally effective for all students. Suggests that the academy program may be of great utility in increasing the educational attainment of at-risk students.…

Career and technical education has always been able to change with the times. New technologies and new educational challenges have made such change necessary. Sometimes a school must reinvent itself and undergo a rebirth as part of that adaptation. That is what has happened at the former St. Louis Career Academy. In the 2004-05 school year, the…

In 1969, the first academy opened at Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia. Called the Academy of Applied Electrical Science, the program was set up as an independent not-for-profit corporation with its own board of directors. Over the years, three more career areas--business, health and automotive--opened academies as independent entities. …

Small high schools organized around themes are distinguished by engaged students and collaborative faculties. Ms. Raywid describes schools that have adopted a variety of themes, all of which have resulted in student success. (Contains 5 endnotes.)

"Career Academies" were developed more than 30 years ago as a drop-out prevention strategy and targeted youth considered most at risk of dropping out of high school. More recently, "Career Academies" have broadened the kinds of students they serve, consistent with efforts to integrate rigorous academic curricula with career…

This paper presents a list of resources on what states are doing on the topic of Black male dropouts. These resources are taken from the report abstracts or summaries. This paper is a response to a request asking for these resources. (Contains 5 footnotes.)

Over the last 10 to 15 years, a variety of efforts to transform American high schools have gained both public and private support. Significant among these are initiatives to implement Small Learning Communities (SLCs), part of a larger school reform and restructuring effort designed to address a variety of goals, including "downsizing large…

Describes Livingston Technical Academy, a Michigan charter school run almost entirely by local businesses that trains students for manufacturing careers. Discusses the positive aspects and pitfalls of opting out of the public school system. (SK)

This booklet summarizes research on best practices for implementing successful small learning communities and career academies. When well implemented, improvements in instructional and personalization strategies in combination with structural supports have demonstrated improved student attendance and learning. "From High School to Learning…

This document presents the basics of the career academy, a method of integrating vocational with academic educational systems and of providing a contextually valid education. The first section outlines the problems that the academy systems attempt to address, the four major principles essential for the success of career academies, and the nine…