Career Technology Education (CTE) provides high school and community college students an opportunity to pursue a sequential technical and academic program of study leading to advancement in a career field. High school CTE programs of study give students the opportunity to transition smoothly into further education or postsecondary education and to…

Eight states maintain Governors' Honors Programs for gifted and talented students. Programs in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia are briefly described in terms of content, location, and selection processes. The programs are seen as an important way to augment programing for gifted…

The authors describe environmental service-learning (SL) programs in Florida high schools and colleges through a statewide program census that explored (a) academic, service, and reflection program features; (b) effects of Furco's SL outcome domains on student outcomes; and (c) program partnerships. The results of the study reveal that secondary…

In response to the demands of the changing economy and the business community's need for better-educated, more highly skilled workers, the U.S. Department of Education, through the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), developed the State Scholars Initiative (SSI), which encourages students to take a rigorous course of study in high…

Describes a statewide initiative in Missouri to develop and promote the Advanced Placement program, including establishing AP Teacher Development sites, and statewide encouragement and coordination of the program. Notes that this has resulted in a major turnaround in the AP program in Missouri. (SR)

Describes Illinois' statewide art competition and exhibit, "Themes on a Great Idea," which is cosponsored by Container Corporation of America, the Springfield, Illinois community arts council, the Illinois Art Education Association, and the Illinois State Board of Education. Photographs of some student works illustrate the article. (SJL)

Massachusetts is heralded nationally for being the first in the nation to enact a state policy to redesign and expand the learning day for all students to advance academic achievement, broaden enrichment opportunities, and improve instruction. The Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative has gained momentum over the past several years due to the…

Describes the development and testing of the North Carolina minimal competency testing program. (IRT)

This report describes ongoing efforts of the Maine Department of Education to encourage high school improvement through state-level actions. Three intertwined strategies have added value to the individual schools' improvement efforts, including: (1) the drafting of a statewide reform framework called Promising Futures; (2) the creation of a new…

Discusses seven components that comprise a comprehensive vocational education program, and describes Wisconsin's capstone course concept for high school seniors, which provides job training in a vocational area that the student has previously explored as part of the comprehensive vocational program involving career development, exploration, and…

This guide describes the goals and abjectives of schools and classes for pregnant minors, the financial assistance provided by the California Legislature, and the legal implications. It discusses the services to be provided the pregnant minor (psychologically, realistically, financially, and ideally), how to obtain community support, what…

Individuals who have not completed high school now have the opportunity to earn a high school diploma without returning to the classroom. This document presents a brief description of high school equivalency diploma programs, which are directed at the adult dropout. Pertinent information about the various equivalency diploma programs is presented…

A California Partnership Academy is a voluntary school-within-a-school program for at-risk high school students. The program is based on a partnership between a school district, local employers, and the California Department of Education. The following special features are outlined: (1) close partnership between the school and employers; (2) block…

APPROXIMATELY 100 EDUCATORS FROM FIVE STATES AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS PARTICIPATED IN AN INSTITUTE TO HELP INSTRUCTIONAL AND GUIDANCE PERSONNEL IMPROVE THE VOCATIONAL ORIENTATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE PREPARING TO ENTER THE WORLD OF WORK. THE AGENDA CONSISTED OF SPEECHES ON VOCATIONS, GROUP SESSIONS TO DISCUSS VOCATIONAL PROGRAM…