Work-based learning (WBL), an important part of the 1990s "School to Work" movement, is a core component of the Linked Learning strategy which is now shaping efforts to improve secondary education in California and around the nation in cities such as Detroit, New York, and Philadelphia. WBL can include not only classic internships and…

The chronic scarcity of career jobs and increased demands for mental ability in the workplace have necessitated school-to-work (STW) transition programs that prepare noncollege-bound youths not only for their first full-time job but also for continued learning and career transitions throughout their working lives. Among the main ideas advanced for…

Work-Based Learning (WBL) has been at the heart of school-to-work initiatives in the 1990s. Local partnerships funded by the 1994 School-to-Work Opportunities Act are placing high priority on developing WBL opportunities for students. However, there is still controversy about whether work really contributes to students' education, and results of…

This report summarizes the findings of a two-year study on high school students' use of options that provide alternatives to the usual curriculum. Questionnaires were given to juniors and seniors as well as counselors in 29 public high schools in the San Francisco (California) Bay region in 1978. The survey posed questions about students'…

A proposed strategy for the National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE) uses school-wide data to identify secondary schools where students' academic achievement has been improving at a relatively fast rate and those where it has not. Schools with the most involvement in vocational education can be selected from the two groups. These two…

This report, which is directed toward policymakers, educators, employers, researchers, and others interested in the school-to-work (STW) movement, synthesizes literature on the development and effectiveness of STW programs since 1993. Part I provides an overview of the STW movement and examines the effectiveness of STW efforts in terms of…

This book offers a comprehensive guide to the Career Academy high school model, including detailed descriptions of the model, practical advice, case histories, histories of existing programs, evaluation results, and an analysis of the model in the context of other research and policy analysis. Part 1 of 3 gives an overview of the dilemmas and…

Discusses work-based learning and explains some of its dimensions. Describes the range of purposes this method may help students achieve and various ways of structuring work-based learning. Assesses the quality of teaching and learning in the context of work. (Author/CCM)

Results from the first two years of an effort in 10 high schools to replicate the California Peninsula Academies Program are reported. The combination of core academic curriculum with technical instruction in an occupational field has resulted in better grades and more course credits for participants than for non-participants. (SLD)

In countries where young people have been relatively successful in both achieving high academic standards and making smooth transitions to employment, employers have taken major responsibility for their training. Now the emergence of a more "learning-intensive" economy poses new challenges. In response to the perceived insufficiency of traditional…

The emergence of a more learning-intensive economy has begun to change the relationship between education and work. As employers try to promote just-in-time learning and workers move more frequently from one job to another, continual learning at work becomes increasingly important. Four main elements characterize an education system that is likely…