Archived Information

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National Concerns. Statistics show that many students are not receiving the academic or technical
skills preparation needed to succeed in college and the knowledge-based economy of the 21st century.
Although the high school dropout rate has declined slightly, about 13 percent of young Americans
between the ages of 16 and 24 do not graduate from high school or earn a GED. Of the high school
graduates who go on to college, half drop out by the end of their sophomore year. Objective 1.2 focuses
on helping schools make lasting changes in teaching and learning so that all students can achieve high
academic and technical skills standards and make successful transitions to college and careers. Changes
include setting high standards for all students; creating small and safe learning environments; making
learning relevant; using technology to expand access to information; using a wide variety of student
performance assessments; and cultivating partnerships with parentals, elementary and secondary schools,
postsecondary institutions, community leaders, and employers.

Our Role. The Department provides national leadership to improve the quality of career and technical,
adult, and workforce education. The programs administered through the Office of Vocational and Adult
Education (OVAE) help secondary, postsecondary and adult education students gain the academic and
technical knowledge needed to succeed in further education, careers, and citizenship. They promote
education reform and improvement, and accountability for results.

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Indicator 1.2.a. By fall 2000, 1 million youths will participate annually in

School-to-Work (STW) Systems.
Assessment of Progress. Positive trend toward target. The targets for 1999 and 2000 were reduced by
50 percent because a more rigorous definition of “STW participant” was adopted. “Participants” are
defined as students who take integrated academic and vocational coursework and participate in work-
based learning.

Figure 1.2.a.1
Source: Progress Measures Survey. Frequency: Annual.
Annual Student Participation in STW Systems Next Update: 2000 for 1999-00 school year data.
Validation procedure: Data were collected before ED
standards for evaluating the quality of program
1,20 0,00 0
performance data were developed. However, data from
1,000,000
other sources – including the National STW evaluation –
1,000,000
1,00 0,00 0 corroborate these findings. Limitations of data and
N um be r o f Stude nts

800,000 750,000
planned improvements: This survey is voluntary and
collects data only from sub-state funded local
600,000 515,617 partnerships. As the Federal investment in state STW
471,000
G G G initiatives ends - beginning in 1999 with the first 8 states
400,000
280,000 O O O that were funded in 1994 - fewer local partnerships will
A A A
200,000 be funded and have the resources required to gather and
L L L
submit data.
0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Ye a r

Page 24 Goal 1, Objective 1.2

Indicator 1.2.b. By fall 2000, the percentage of vocational concentrators
completing core curriculum standards will double from baseline data.
Assessment of Progress. Positive trend toward target. The previous target set for 2002 was 33
percent; this was raised to 50 percent because the previous goal was already achieved. “Core curriculum
standards” include 4 years of English and 3 years each of math, science, and social studies. This course
sequence is the basis for a postsecondary preparatory curriculum.

Figure 1.2.b.1
Percent of Vocational Concentrators Meeting Core Source: NAEP. Frequency: Approximately every 4 years.
Curriculum Standards Next Update: 2002 for 1997-98 school year data. Validation
procedure: Data validated by NCES review procedures and
100% NCES Statistical Standards. Limitations of data and
P ercentage of Vocation al

90%
80%
planned improvements: In future years, this indicator will be
C o ncentrators

70% supplemented with another measure of academic attainment –

55%
60%
45% performance on state-established academic proficiencies – as
50%
40% 33% G specified in the 1998 Perkins Act.
30% 19% O
20%
A
10%
0%
L
1990 1994 1998 2002

Y ear

* A “Vocational Concentrator” is a student who completed 3 credits in one of the

following specific labor market preparation programs: agriculture, business/office,
marketing/distribution, health, occupational home economics, trade and industry, or
technical communications.

Indicator 1.2.c. By fall 2000, the percentage of high school graduates,

including vocational concentrators, who make a successful transition into
employment, further education, or the military will increase to 90 percent.
Assessment of Progress. Eighteen months after graduating from high schools that participate in
School-To-Work systems, 60 percent of 1996 graduates were enrolled in a 2-year or 4-year college, 7
percent were in other postsecondary training programs or the military, and 20 percent were employed full
time. Overall, 87 percent of all students were enrolled in postsecondary education or the military or were
employed full time. A similar proportion of vocational concentrators made successful transitions,
although these students were less likely to be enrolled in postsecondary study and more likely to be
employed full time (see Figure 1.2.c.1).

Goal 1, Objective 1.2 Page 25

 Figure 1.2.c.1
Student Participation in Education and Employment Activities
(18 months after high school graduation, 1996) Source: Student surveys from National Evaluation of School-
1 00 % to-Work Implementation, Mathematical Policy Research.
8 7% 9 2%
Frequency: Biennial. Next Update: 2000 for 1998 high school
*
A ll Stude nts
8 0% V oc ational C once ntrators* graduates. Validation procedure: Transcripts are a rigorous
2
P articipating in A ctivity
P e rce ntage C urre ntly

6 0% 6 3% method for collecting information on coursework, although

Targe t For The Ye ar 2000
6 0% 5 0%
* $ course titles may differ across communities for similar courses.
4 0% 2 2 8%
/ Limitations of data and planned improvements: Results
based on high school transcripts for sample of high school
$ 2 0% 2 0%
students in 8 states.
2 0%
/ 7% 9% 7%
*2$/
*
2
$
/
0%
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* A “Vocational Concentrator” is a student who completed 3 credits in one of the following specific
labor market preparation programs: agriculture, business/office, marketing/distribution, health,
occupational home economics, trade and industry, or technical communications.
**Percentage in each activity is exclusive of other activities; where students were both employed full
time and attending college, they were counted as enrolled in college.
Sample sizes: all students, n=1776; vocational concentrators, n=353

Indicator 1.2.d. By fall 2000, 10 percent of students in local School-To-Work

Systems will earn skill certificates.
Assessment of Progress. Positive trend toward target, but the results fall slightly short of the target.

Figure 1.2.d.1

Students Earning Skill Certificates Source: Local partnership surveys from National Evaluation of School-to-
100%
Work Implementation, Mathematical Policy Research. Frequency: Annual.
2 0% Next Update: 1999 for 1997-98 school year. Validation procedure:
Survey subject to rigorous data quality procedures. Limitations of data
P ercentage of S tud en ts

1 5% and planned improvements: Based on aggregate estimates of STW

partnerships.
1 0 .0 %
1 0%
7 .0 %
5 .0 % G
4 .2 % O
5% 3 .6 % G
2 .4 % A
G O L
O A
A L
L
0%
1 99 6 1 99 7 1 99 8 1 99 9 2 00 0

*NOTE: A “skill certificate” is a portable industry recognized credential that

certifies student competency on a core set of content and performance standards
related to an occupational or career cluster area.

Page 26 Goal 1, Objective 1.2

Indicator 1.2.e. By fall 2001, 200 high schools will receive and 2,500 will be
working toward Departmental recognition for implementing New American
High School (NAHS) strategies that combine career and academic
preparation.
Assessment of Progress. Positive trend toward target. As of 1999, 30 high schools received NAHS
recognition and 1,500 schools were working with 3 high school reform networks to implement NAHS
strategies. High school reform networks include High Schools That Work, Sonoma State University—
California State Department of Education, and Jobs for the Future (JFF).

Figure 1.2.e.1
Schools Implementing NAHS* High School Reform Strategies
Source: NAHS application tracking documents. Frequency: Annual.
S c h ools W h o H ave A c h ie ve d S c h ools W orkin g T ow ard Next Update: 2000 for 1999-00 data. Validation procedure: Data
N A H S R e c og n ition N A H S S trate g ie s
collection processes were developed before ED standards for evaluating
2500
200
200 2500 the quality of program performance data were developed. Limitations of
data and planned improvements: No data limitations are noted.
* *
.
N um be r of Sc ho ols

.
N u m b e r o f S c h o o ls

2000
150
2 2
$ $
1500
1500

100 / /
1000

50
30 500
17
10

0 0

1996 1998 1999 2001 1999 2001

Y ear
Y ear

*NOTE: NAHS = New American High Schools

Indicator 1.2.f. By fall 2000, 350,000 employers participating in School-to-

Work systems will offer work-based learning opportunities.
Assessment of Progress. Positive trend toward target, although the results fall slightly less than the
target.

Figure 1.2.f.1
Source: Progress Measures Survey. Frequency: Annual. Next Update:
Employers Providing Work-Based Learning* 2000 for 1998-99 school year data. Validation procedure: Case studies in
Experiences 4 states are underway to examine the process by which local partnerships
4 00 ,0 00
gather the information reported in their progress reports. Limitations of
3 5 0,0 0 0 data and planned improvements: The nature of work-based learning
3 50 ,0 00
experiences may differ considerably across employers.
3 00 ,0 00
Numbe r of Employe rs

2 7 0,0 0 0

2 50 ,0 00
2 0 0,0 0 0
2 00 ,0 00 1 7 8,0 0 0

1 50 ,0 00
1 3 6,1 7 6

1 00 ,0 00
5 9 ,23 9
5 0,00 0

0
1 99 6 1 99 7 1 99 8 1 99 9 2 00 0

Ye ar

*NOTE: Work-based learning includes shadowing, mentoring, internships, youth apprenticeships,

school-based enterprises and service learning.

Goal 1, Objective 1.2 Page 27

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How the EDs Activities Support the Achievement of This Objective.

■ Promote Effective Practices, Strong Program Outcomes, Evaluation, and Assessment. National
program dollars support new strategies and approaches to high school reform that promote high
academic standards and career preparation. Special features include small learning environments;
recruitment, preparation, and professional development of teachers; career-related curricula and
certificates that incorporate industry standards in areas of high-demand occupations; program
performance indicators; dissemination of research-based strategies and practitioner-oriented products
that improve the quality of career-technical, adult and workforce education; and continued support for
a national assessment of vocational education.

■ Support State and Local Sustainability of School-to-Work Systems. Support the refinement,
further implementation, and long-term sustainability of School-to-Work systems in all 50 states and
territories through technical assistance to identify future funding and professional development
activities.

■ Support High School Reform. ED will continue support for the New American High Schools
initiative, which helps promote high academic standards.

■ Promote and Support Transition to Postsecondary Education. Tech-Prep funds complement state
efforts to build statewide career preparation systems that provide students with technical and
academic skills, and the postsecondary education required for high-tech careers and employment
mobility.

■ Strengthen State Performance and Accountability Systems. The Department will continue to
work with state vocational education agencies to improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of
state accountability systems. Currently, all states are involved in a national effort to develop and
implement common or consistent performance measures, measurement approaches, continuous
improvement strategies, and reporting system definitions for both. The Department will annually
publish state reported accountability results and assess the quality of these data.

■ Small Schools Initiative. The Department will award grants to create smaller learning communities
for students in large high schools, using strategies such as schools within schools, career academies,
restructuring the school day, and other innovations that allow schools to ensure that every student
receives personal attention and support.

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■ Joint Administration and Management. The Departments of Education (ED) and the Department
of Labor jointly administer the School-to-Work (STW) initiative and improve the management of this
program by aligning grant-making, audit, technical assistance, budget, and performance reporting
functions.

■ Research. The Office of the Under Secretary (OUS), the Office of Educational Research and
Improvement (OERI), the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the Employment and

Page 28 Goal 1, Objective 1.2

 Training Administration, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics collaborate on the development and
implementation of a comprehensive research and evaluation agenda for STW and high school
education reform.

■ Special Populations. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), the
Department of Labor’s Offices for Youth Opportunities and Job Corps, the President’s Council on
Youth with Disabilities, and the Social Security Administration work together to ensure that all
students, including students with disabilities and out-of-school youth have access and
accommodations to participate in School-to-Work activities.

■ High School Reform. The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), the
Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program, the Blue Ribbon Schools Initiative, the
Parents and Families in Education Initiative, the Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Communities
Initiative, and the America Counts Initiative provide leadership and technical assistance on high
school education reform. Through partnerships with the Departments of Labor, Transportation, and
Commerce, and the National Science Foundation, they develop career-related curricula and
certificates that align industry technical standards with challenging academic standards.

■ Accountability Systems. OUS, OESE, and the National Governor’s Association jointly develop
tools and products to support state and local efforts to build shared accountability systems.

■ Professional Development. OERI’s Postsecondary Institute and EDs Professional Development

Team work together to provide professional development for preservice and in-service teachers on
contextual teaching and learning approaches.

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Implementing School-to-Work Systems is a long-term effort that will require state and local support
beyond the period of the initial Federal investment for system building. The Departments of Education
and Labor are working closely with states to develop ways to sustain promising STW activities after
Federal funding ends.

Goal 1, Objective 1.2 Page 29