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Integrating Academic and Vocational Education: Lessons from Eight Early Innovators
Abstract
An examination of academic-vocational integration in school settings began with a literature review to describe theoretical support for integration. Four themes were synthesized that defined integration as a reform: richer, more coherent curricula; more activity-based pedagogy; more teacher collaboration and coordination; and more attention to school transition. The integration efforts of eight schools in five states (California, Kentucky, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia) in the context of their background characteristics and their policy environment were analyzed through case studies. Approaches fell into three groups: enhanced academics, enhanced relevance, and enhanced engagement. The sites attempted to reform curricula and implement pedagogical reforms. Teacher collaboration reforms included teaming of academic and vocational teachers, joint time together for teams, and new organizational structures that empowered teachers. School transition reforms included use of planning partners for the school, transition-specific curricula, and credentials and certification. All sites reported major barriers to curricular and pedagogical reforms. States generally provided no support for increased teacher collaboration. The following conclusions about integration were reached: it could apply to all types of high schools; it was best approached as a school improvement effort; it took years to implement; it flourished in a conducive regulatory environment; it required capacity-building investments; and it promoted rethinking of educational conventions. (Appendixes include synopses of case study sites and an 88-item bibliography.) (YLB)
... One of the assertions in Figure 1 is that: -As educators, we have one common goal to prepare students for future success.‖ The wisdom of collaboration between CTE and academic teachers has been borne out by research (Stone et al., 2006;Johnson et al., 2003;Bodilly et al., 1993). The rationale for collaboration is that: -A single CTE teacher working with a math colleague will be more effective than either of them working alone; but if they can interact with several others who are focused on the same objective, the effect will be exponential‖ (Stone et al., 2006, p. 69). Figure 1 also says: -Through collaborative lesson plans, students will have the opportunity to take what they have learned in their Math classes and apply it to real life scenarios in their Marketing courses.‖ ...
This article describes a Career and Technical Education (CTE) pre-service teacher preparation class
project requiring students to identify academic standards of learning relating to the competencies that
they teach in their program areas with a view to encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration between
CTE teachers and colleagues in academic disciplines. Demonstrating that CTE can contribute
significantly to academic growth as measured by SOLs should help in de-stigmatizing CTE. The method
underlying the project described in this article comprised requiring CTE pre-service teacher education
students to incorporate in their lessons standards of learning relating to (for example, English,
Mathematics, Science, and History/Social science). The aim of this study was to show the relationship
between CTE and academic subjects as a way of enhancing student motivation in CTE courses and
also providing a rationale for co-ordination and cooperation between CTE teachers and teachers of
academic subjects
... For example, English tasks involved writing about safety issues while li math skills were bolstered by calculating amounts of materials, job costs, and time. In another example, Bodilly et al. (1992) reported on one school where English classes were matched with certain occupational areas. Assignments in English moved away from literature toward technical writing, with the grading done jointly by the English and technical teachers. ...
... Instructional approaches that go beyond relegating abstract knowledge to the classroom and direct hands-on experiences to worksites, and that attempt to connect the two, are still relatively rare. Even in schools that are deeply committed to school-to-work principles, teachers are still often divided into two groups that are unaccustomed to cooperating and communicating with each other (Stasz, Kaganoff, & Eden, 1994;Ramsey, Eden, Stasz, & Bodilly, 1995). The recent national evaluation of the STWOA reported that career-focused programs of study integrating academic and vocational curricula are still a relative rarity, and that creating them is usually a low priority even for schools formally committed to the goals of school-to-work . ...
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors would like to thank all those who contributed to the production of this report. At MPR Associates, Paula Hudis, Gary Hoachlander, and Elliott Medrich pro- vided insightful review and comments ,on earlier drafts; Shierra Merto provided library research assistance; Andrea Livingston edited the report; and Karyn Madden ,formatted the document. Wewould,also like to acknowledge ,the useful feedback we received ,from several Department of Education staff: First and foremost, Ivonne Jaime, who coordinated the reviewers’comments, and Jackie Frederich, Richard Hernandez, and George Spicely. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS
... ng forums. Knowledge about the diversity of students and school settings will continue to be a critical element in adequate teacher preparation, and will need to expand in scope in the years to come. Attention will also need to be paid to assessment issues—most notably, high-stakes testing and accountability issues related to school reform efforts. Ramsey et al. (1994) wrote that " teachers also need to be trained in the use of teaching techniques that support activity-based learning, including hands-on experiences, problem-solving, cooperative or team-based projects, lessons requiring multiple forms of expression, and project work that draws on knowledge and skills from several domains. " Given the n ...
A viable conceptual framework for career and technical education (CTE) or any other enterprise should represent consensus among its members concerning the scope, mission, and methods reflective of the profession. Such a framework should be dynamic, subject to frequent debate and ongoing
refinement. This paper, then, provides information to stimulate the debate about the present and future of CTE using the development of a conceptual framework as the vehicle for organizing and presenting critical issues. First, the parameters of a conceptual framework are clarified, e.g.,
what should a conceptual framework entail? Who should develop it? How should it be used? Next, the historical record is briefly reviewed to establish a context for discussion, as well as outline the traditional positions adopted by professionals toward the scope and mission CTE. Current and
projected issues affecting both secondary and postsecondary CTE are examined. A tentative conceptual framework is advanced, and implications of the proposed framework for CTE teacher preparation programs are discussed.
... Teacher quality is central to the success of any initiative aimed at instructional practice, so it will be important to consider what preparation they have (preservice education, industry experience) and what kinds of professional development they need. Previous research suggests that few teachers are prepared to meet the challenges of creating curricula or altering their teaching to promote integration (e.g., Bodilly et al. 1993). Even when prepared or motivated, they are not well-supported in their efforts through such actions as shared planning time or other incentives. ...
Like its predecessor, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act (Perkins III) directs state and local education providers to improve vocational and technical education pr o- grams. Most of these improvements are aimed directly at changing what teachers do and what and how students learn. The National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE) is charged with evaluating the impact of Perkins III and making a report to Congress by July 2002. Of chief inte r- est to Congress is how these recommendations for program improvement are realized in high schools and how they affect what goes on in classrooms. This paper, written to inform the design of NAVE, argues that to understand the quality and effects of curricular and teaching changes undertaken in response to Perkins III, the evaluation must focus on teachers and classrooms. This paper has three goals: (1) to examine the principal themes and issues related to assessing quality of vocational education (with an emphasis on teac h- ers and teaching); (2) to lay out a research plan to assess quality practice; and (3) to discuss the conceptual, methodological, and practical challenges to conducting the research.
We have shown in the preceding chapter how a concerted ‘capture’ of the most important domains of education and educational thinking by neo-liberal economic perspectives since the 1950s has impelled eventually a momentous (global) shift towards narrowing the essence of education down to merely ‘learning’ of a bundle of productive and/or marketable skills through educational investment, with an overriding motive of reaping measurable pecuniary ‘gains’—both private and societal.
The present paper consists of a modest attempt at tracing the trajectory of the post-war dominance of neo-liberal economic perspective on higher educational policy and finance with its far-reaching ramifications with respect to contemporary trends in educational outcomes and standard. It is argued that rapid expansion and vocationalisation of higher education, two complementary trends, which have been among the foremost post-war offshoots of the human capital philosophy of education, have had grave potential for degenerating standard, rigor and mainspring of higher academic education.
Current legislation and education reforms suggest that all students would benefit from participation in curricula that integrate academic and occupational learning. Evidence of the effectiveness of integrating academic and occupational curricula for students with disabilities is examined through a review of research. Best practice reviews, case studies, and program evaluations offer only indirect evidence of effects for students with disabilities. Some evaluations suggest that programs incorporating integrated curricula increased academic achievement and persistence. Methodological and conceptual issues must be addressed in future research to promote a better understanding of benefits for students with disabilities.
Most industrialised countries in conditions of intensive, global economic competition recognise the central importance of workforces with adequate levels of education and skills. This article compares the educational and training outcomes during the critical school-to-work transition period in two countries with very different institutional arrangements–the USA and Germany.
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