A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Study of School-To-Work Initiatives
Cross-Site Analysis June 1995

CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF SCHOOL-TO-WORK REFORM

ELEMENT TWELVE: APPLICATION OF RESEARCH

A number of the sites studied by AED consciously drew upon existing research, conducted their own research, or commissioned new research in order to plan, assess, or strengthen their school- to-work system. They made use of the research for three different purposes: to provide a foundation for a program model, to assess the local labor market and economy, and to measure the impact of the program on students, specifically how their students performed in school and their graduates fared in the worlds of work and postsecondary education. Using research in these ways also brought a number of secondary benefits, as the findings helped justify the school-to-work system, affirm to the staff the importance of their work, leverage additional resources for its support, and provide feedback that could be used to improve and refine different aspects of the reform initiative.

East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program, East San Gabriel, California

The East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program is unusually committed to research and evaluation. The staff describe their curriculum as research-based: studies of market trends and student follow-up studies help the staff match their programs with economic reality. The ROP also uses research to assess the impact of its training on students. For example, a four-year comparison study of students who did and did not take part in ROP programs found a number of positive outcomes for students who did, including higher retention in school, higher employment rates, higher rates of job promotion, and nearly twice the rate of participation in postsecondary education. The ROP has contracted with a research group at the University of California, Riverside to conduct the outcome research over several years.

Youth Transition Program, State of Oregon

The design of Oregon's Youth Transition Program offers an excellent example of the translation of research knowledge to practice. The interagency model of the YTP includes three components: (1) a state-level administrative organization that supports ongoing collaboration; (2) an in-school component, with the school and vocational rehabilitation staff providing services to students while they are still in school; and (3) a postsecondary component, where collaboration results in providing students with transition to a variety of postsecondary training and employment opportunities and follow-up services. Each of these components was developed on the basis of previous research, including findings from secondary special education programs, transition, and systems change in education.

YTP has also carried out comprehensive evaluations to document the impact of the program on specific student outcomes and systems change. Data are collected from each site on a variety of demographic and programmatic factors, over a two-year follow-up period, and analyzed several ways. First, the outcome data are analyzed relative to the outcomes of comparison groups, including a statewide sample of students with disabilities who exit school, a sample of non-YTP clients across the state, and a nationwide sample from the National Longitudinal Transition Study. Second, YTP examines student outcomes separately for two groups of program participants: rural versus nonrural YTP participants, and YTP students identified as at risk compared to those not considered at risk. YTP students consistently have better outcomes in terms of wages, employment, and productive engagement. Rural students fare as well as nonrural, and at risk as well as those not at risk.

Roy High School, Roy, Utah

Roy conducted extensive research on comprehensive career guidance as the basis for the Student Education and Occupational Plan (SEOP) process. Since that time, Roy's restructuring process resulted in a heightened awareness of the importance of teaching directly to standards, and again, the staff turned to research, discussion, and experience to create a process through which to arrive at standards. The new standards reflect a commitment to prepare students in five critical areas: communication, critical/creative thinking, social and personal skills, self- motivation and adaptability, and preparation for life after high school. Under each area a set of specific standards is identified, and in the near future, these standards will become the graduation requirements. The school has begun to plan and develop curriculum in all courses to match the standards. Simultaneously, staff are trying to develop a system that assesses to standards. Portfolios and performance criteria are being developed and authentic assessment tools are being reviewed. The entire process has been research-driven.

Conclusion

Based on the experiences of the exemplary programs visited by AED/NIWL, we have identified twelve elements that represent the necessary and sufficient conditions for an effective school-to-work transition system that provides opportunities for young people to acquire the knowledge, skills, and credentials that will enable them to move successfully between the worlds of education and meaningful work. Several other national organizations have published analyses that identify key elements of school-to-work programs, including the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (Pauly et al 1994) and Jobs for the Future (Goldberger et al 1994). Research on school-to-work in America has achieved a scope and quality to contribute substantially to the design and implementation of state and local systems over the next few years.


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