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

This is paper represents the final product developed under a contract with the Department of Education. The Institute for Educational Leadership's Center for Workforce Development (CWD) has been providing technical assistance to the 22 national skill standards pilot projects under this contract and an earlier one through the Department of Labor. My thanks go to Carolyn Lee at the U.S. Department of Education for her patience and assistance throughout this contract and to Michaela Meehan at the U.S. Department for her assistance in the earlier Labor Department contract. I also want to thank Carolyn's colleagues at the Department of Education who provided valuable comments to an earlier draft of this paper.

The 22 skill standards projects have been the reason much of the information cited in this paper was developed and have formed the basis of CWD's research which is cited in this paper. I am grateful to them for remaining as willing guinea pigs for so long as these important topics are thrashed out. Most specifically in the preparation of this paper, Sri Ananda of West Ed Labs, Ruth Loring at CORD, and Judy Leff of the Education Development Center have been very generous with their time and information.

In gathering, checking, and refining data for this paper, a number of individuals have been helpful. I want to acknowledge the assistance of Maggie McNeely at U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement; Barbara Clemmons at the Council of Chief State School Officers; and Dawn Krusemark at the American Federation of Teachers.

This paper was improved greatly by the insights and comments of four excellent reviewers, Evelyn Ganzglass of the National Governors' Association, Patricia Mackey Stone of the National Employer Leadership Council, William Weisgerber, a member of the National Skill Standards Board and the former State Director for the Michigan Department of Education's Office of Career and Technical Education, and Gary Hoachlander of MPR Associates. I appreciate their willingness to review the paper. Their comments enriched the final.

My thanks also to my colleague at the CWD, Barbara Kaufmann, for her overall assistance in getting this paper out the door. I appreciate her support in the research effort, in the editing of the document, and her assistance in the graphics and other details surrounding this paper.

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