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The project was designed to provide counseling services for children in poverty areas by preparing community educators to function as counselors. Participants were counselors, teachers, administrators, and employees of helping agencies (Boy Scouts, YMCA, YWCA, etc.) from two school administrative districts evidencing poverty-related problems. The methods and materials employed combined those of the Carkhuff approach and those developed by the University of Maine. Specific participant goals were: (1) improvement of communication skills, (2) acquisition of basic theoretical knowledge of counseling, and (3) attainment of pragmatic skills necessary for counseling youth. Four performance objectives giving direction to program activities are described in detail. The program consisted of 15 weekly sessions, each centering on a basic topic (listed in the report) emphasizing interaction between participants and staff. Participants showed gains in making helping responses and using counseling skills as measured by a pre-post test, Sanford's anecdotal Counseling Questionnaire. Responses to an open-ended questionnaire administered at the end of the project are tabulated item by item with appropriate discussion, indicating that participants felt the project was generally successful. Implications for counseling in rural areas are considered briefly along with eight specific recommendations for future programs. (MS)

The report presents the findings of a study conducted to determine priority areas for research in vocational-technical education in Maine for 1975-77 as perceived by practitioners. A list of vocational education research areas was developed as a survey questionnaire and administered to 244 professional staff members of the seven postsecondary vocational-technical institutions in the State. One hundred and forty-nine (61%) were returned. Responses were analyzed question-by-question for each of five areas: needs for vocational education, curriculum development, instructional learning processes, student development and needs, and administration of vocational education. The responses are first reported by question according to institution, and following that, the highest priority responses for each of the five areas are reported, reflecting the following concerns: labor market requirements; assessment of educational needs of 16-18 year olds; development of new programs from emerging technologies; relating preparation competencies to job entry; development of multimedia instructional approaches; vocational counseling and followup; provision for advanced placement; and exploration of the role of the vocational, technical, and adult education system within postsecondary education. A sample questionnaire is appended to the report. (Author/NJ)

Preliminary results of an evaluation conducted by the Center for Career Education for the Maine Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (MOICC) are presented. This evaluation focuses on the impact of the Guidance Information System (GIS), a computer information system, developed by MOICC. Data indicate that GIS has had an impact on career awareness of its users, on goal setting and in decision making skills. It has little impact on self-awareness, a function not built into the files. Agency users have better knowledge of job-keeping skills than public school users. Many students were confused with the operation and use of the system, and counselors should be more available to help students. The computer is not an accepted or valuable tool for all students. Alternatives to the GIS need to be developed. Data suggest a more precise strategy is needed to introduce potential users to GIS. Student needs, counselor role and curriculum needs in public schools were considered. (BEF)

The Guidance Information System (GIS) is a statewide computer-based career information system developed by the Maine Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (MOICC). A time-series design was utilized to investigate the impact of GIS on selected users in public schools and agencies. Participants completed questionnaires immediately after using GIS and six to eight weeks later. The preliminary field testing phase occurred during Spring 1979 with a second field testing phase during Fall and Winter 1979-80. Four different measurements were made during the project. Results indicated that users understood the purpose of GIS, had no trouble using it, and found the system interesting and motivational. GIS was most effective in providing occupational and career information, and had a greater impact on educational decision-making by public school users than by agency users. Some users found GIS helpful in developing job-seeking and job-keeping skills. GIS stimulated changes in school guidance programs and the role of the counselors. The effectiveness of GIS utilization appeared to depend on how it was integrated into each comprehensive career education program. (Author/NRB)

A project was conducted to (1) demonstrate comprehensive career education in grades K-12 of the Bangor, Maine, public school system and (2) demonstrate to teacher educators at Husson College and the University of Maine the concepts, philosophy, and methods of comprehensive career education. (See CE 019 623 for the performance report.) Based on the project's final evaluation, the following general conclusions were drawn: increases in career education knowledge can be attained via planned inservice training programs; materials for inservice training must be appropriate for public school and postsecondary personnel (materials for the latter are not readily available); and local site idiosyncrasies, distant communication problems, and overcommitment by the testing organization may be a hindrance to local staff. Some of the findings concerning the activities in the Bangor public schools include the following: test scores indicated that students who attend career education-infused courses demonstrated greater gains in self-concept, career maturity, and improved attitude toward school; teachers produced acceptable career education-infused curriculum units after training; and inservice training must be planned, sequential, and evaluated if impact on school curriculum is to occur. Some of the findings concerning university-based activities are as follow: seminar content should be based on carefully designed conceptual models if they are to be accepted by postsecondary staff; university/college role in career education is open to varying interpretation; and university/college-based professionals were not enthusiastic about visits to public schools to observe career education in action. (BM)

This document is one of three volumes (CE 018 033 and ED 143 814) which contain career education instructional units developed by college teachers to be infused in university-level courses. (See CE 018 030 for the report of inservice and curriculum development activities.) Chapter 1 of this document discusses career education philosophy and practice as it applies to postsecondary institutions. Chapter 2 summarizes the freedoms and constraints encountered by infusing and implementing career education in higher education. Chapter 3 contains a brief description of the development of the instructional units; a description of the unit format; and sixteen career education instructional units. These units are designed to infuse career education concepts and information in the following courses or curriculums: child development; microbiology; forest management; agricultural mechanization technology; resource and business management; agricultural and resource economics; agrostology; civil engineering; forest resources; electrical engineering; social studies; materials engineering; and math education. The concluding chapter presents unresolved issues in implementing career education in postsecondary education and suggestions for future efforts. (BM)

This document is one of three volumes (CE 018 032 and ED 143 814) which contain career education instructional units developed by college teachers to be infused in university-level courses. (See CE 018 030 for the report of inservice and curriculum development activities.) Chapter 1 of this document discusses the role of career education in higher education. Chapter 2 contains a brief description of the development of the instructional units; a description of the unit format; and twenty-four career education instructional units. These units are designed to infuse career education concepts and information in the following areas: self-assessment and time management; self-awareness; economic awareness; teacher education; economics; advertising; sex-role stereotyping; career awareness; values clarification; decision-making; interpersonal relationships; work attitudes and values; educational awareness; ethics; employment opportunities; and special education. An evaluation form for career education materials is also included. (BM)

To provide guidelines for educators who plan career development in school programs, this research studied the influences on career development of young children. Evidence was sought to determine how the world of work is presented to children in the elementary reading texts and materials. Samples of reading materials used in the elementary classrooms of the Old Town, Maine school system were analyzed and each student in grades 2, 4, and 6 was administered an occupational knowledge test to measure attitudes and knowledge of occupations and perceptions of sex-identified occupations. Data revealed that reading materials had little effect on the child's views of various occupations as measured by correlation between knowledge and preference. Older elementary students showed less prejudice about sex stereotyped occupations than did the younger students. Included in the appendix is Roe's Scheme for Classification of Occupations and a 10-page Career Inventory for the elementary grades. (Author/MU)