Providing Opportunities for All Students: Findings from the Process Evaluation of Connecticut's School-to-Career System.

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Policymakers

Academic Achievement; Access to Education; Career Academies; Career Awareness; Career Education; Career Exploration; Colleges; Community Colleges; Comparative Analysis; Cooperative Planning; Coordination; Curriculum Design; Demonstration Programs; Education Work Relationship; Educational Legislation; Elementary Secondary Education; Experiential Learning; Formative Evaluation; Grants; Internship Programs; Job Shadowing; Job Skills; Job Training; Mentors; Models; Occupational Clusters; Partnerships in Education; Postsecondary Education; Program Evaluation; Program Implementation; Relevance (Education); School Business Relationship; School Districts; State Programs; Statewide Planning; Student Certification; Student Participation; Surveys; Teaching Methods; Tech Prep; Universities; Vocational Education; Work Experience Programs

A process study was conducted between 2000-2001 in order to gauge the progress of 98 Connecticut institutions that received state school-to-career (STC) grants. Progress was measured against national averages. The following were among the findings: (1) grantees made significant progress in implementing fundamental STC components, such as career clusters (50% had implemented all eight), partnerships with business (average number per institution was 82) and community based organizations (average number was 16), and career centers (92% of high schools and vocational technical schools had at least one center and almost 92% of elementary and/or middle schools reported a career component); (2) all grantees made STC systems available to all students, i.e. activities were not targeted toward particular types of students; (3) Connecticut scored at or slightly below national averages for actual student participation in STC systems; (4) according to an adapted measure of STC sustainability, grantees rated their institutions as having made strong progress in gaining the support of the school board and business/community partners, providing professional development and offering STC student activities; and (5) the most frequently cited differences that STC made for students were valuable work experiences, increased preparedness, and increased skill level. Sixty-one percent of respondents reported at least one barrier or challenge to implementation of their institutions' STC goals. It was concluded that while Connecticut had made great strides in implementing STC systems, the prospect of sustainability was not consistent statewide and it would be difficult for an institution to implement a sustainable STC system without a coordinator or other dedicated staff. (There are seven tables and two sidebars. The bibliography lists two references.) (AJ)

2003

ED473642