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Educational reform in the United States of America (USA) during the 1980s and 1990s developed in response to concerns about productivity and economic performance. This reform agenda emerged from a specific economic context and was designed to address issues specific to that context. This report suggests that the current economic situation is dramatically different and questions whether an education reform agenda designed for a particular economic context is still appropriate when that context has altered. The first section of the report reviews the arguments circulated during the 1980s and early 1990s concerning the relationship between education and the economy, and the education reform agenda emerging from these arguments. The authors then review evidence about the economy and related education reforms advanced during the 1990s. Using this new evidence and experience, the current education reform agenda is reassessed and future policy and research directions are recommended. Show less

This report evaluates the career magnet high school programs of the New York City public school system. These schools represent an important new approach to secondary education, combining career preparation with traditional college preparatory programs. The project has made a serious commitment to equal opportunity, admitting one-half of the students to the program through random assignment. Thus the project provides an opportunity for an evaluation based on a rigorous randomised experimental design. Show less

The Commission undertook an evaluation of Mississippi's secondary and postsecondary vocational education system. The study found that although vocational education in Mississippi is a diverse enterprise, and not one of the findings applies to all programs or schools, nevertheless some generalisations can be made. These include: the basic conceptual structure for organising and delivering vocational education in Mississippi seems sound; stereotyping by gender and race pervades many of the vocational education offerings; there are both positive and negative outcomes for participants in vocational education; the quality of vocational education was quite mixed; efforts to articulate vocational education through 2+2 or tech prep programs are the exception rather than the rule; there was little evidence that state-generated labor market data significantly influenced program planning; systems of accountability need attention; the governance structure needs serious reconsideration. Show less

In this paper, the author suggests that adult vocational education has largely been ignored by the field of education and that an educational system that is poorly equipped to meet the needs of adults has developed over the years. The rapid rate of change dictates that educational opportunities need to be made available to adults throughout their lives. The paper examines critical questions regarding adult questions. These include: to what extent is vocational education prepared to assist and support the learning needs of adults?; what, if anything, is vocational education currently doing to serve adults?; and which groups should vocational education be attempting to serve? The author defines and discusses the background of adult vocational education, and then describes some vocational education systems and programs designed for adults. Selected adult populations with special needs for vocational education are examined and the paper concludes with some recommendations for the future. Show less

This volume contains 51 case studies for use in vocational and technical education leadership development. The cases are drawn from and build upon a leadership research project undertaken by the NCRVE. The project's findings revealed the broadly based scope and complex nature of changing organisational dynamics in the vocational education area. Show less

This report describes the results of a two-year effort to understand better the rationale and processes that underlie schools' course offerings and students' coursetaking and draws implications from these for the reform of vocational education. At present the matching of students to different high school programs carries with it racial, ethnic and social class overtones. The study suggests that there is a strong need for the reforms, and that there are obstacles in the culture of schools that will confront them. Further research and experimentation are recommended. Show less

This detailed report focuses on the system of skill standards developed for the accounting profession in an effort to provide lessons from past efforts for those working on current initiatives. It presents the experiences and outcomes of accounting standards-setting which has, in many cases, been successful in establishing a national, uniform system of certification for public accountants. The report begins with two sections examining the evolution of accounting into a twentieth century profession, followed by a detailed investigation of accounting skill standards and how those standards are developed, taught, and assessed. The accounting standards are presented in terms of their technical, academic, and real-world characteristics. For technical standards, the report focuses on the standards-setting process, the CPA examination, ethical standards, and continuing education. In the discussion of academic and real-world skills, the key issues related to accounting education and experience requirements are the focus. Show less

This national study was conducted with 1266 high school seniors and 879 adult two-year college students to explore the role of the family in developing readiness for school-to-work transition and to enquire whether or not the role differs for adolescent and adult learners. The report begins with an outline of the research questions, the design of the models and the related literature. The first model describes the methodology and results of the research into the high school students, who were three to eight months away from graduation. The second model similarly looks at adult readiness through students in postsecondary college programs that emphasised preparation for employment. The authors offer a detailed analysis of the data, supported by tables. They address the similarities and the differences experienced by the two groups and present conclusions and implications, most particularly that the family does play a role in the development of readiness. Also, particularly for adolescents, it appears not to be unidirectional but depends on the family characteristics.

The ‘Journal of vocational education research’, volume 21, no. 2 (1996) features a condensed version of this paper, together with academic criticism by other authors. They are indexed at TD/INT 57.126 to 57.131. Show less

This resource listing (including publications, organisations, clearinghouses, databases and model programs) is intended to assist state and local administrators of vocational special needs programs, special needs counsellors, educators, researchers, policymakers and others to locate resources to help develop or improve programs/services for youth and adults who are at risk. Headings are: program administration; curriculum and instruction; comprehensive support services; formalised articulation and communication; occupational experience. Show less

Employers are squeezed between their growing need for skilled employees and the shrinking supply of well-educated and skilled people entering the workforce. This paper analyses the causes of the squeeze and how vocational education programs can overcome it. Show less