The School-to-Work Revolution. How Employers and Educators Are Joining Forces To Prepare Tomorrow's Skilled Workforce.

This book presents a realistic appraisal of the state of efforts to link work and schooling and what can be expected of them. Chapter 1 focuses on the need for a new alliance between educators and employers. It discusses school-to-work (STW) and its variations and origins. Chapter 2 describes some new building blocks on which U.S. high school education should be based, including an end to categorizations such as academic and vocational, college bound and noncollege bound; higher standards; more active and engaging instruction; career exploration; and connection of learning at school and at work. Chapter 3 considers the benefits of STW, especially to apprenticeships and businesses, problems and pitfalls. Chapter 4 analyzes role of higher education in STW--building bridges back to high schools and out to employers. Chapter 5 outlines regional or community-wide strategies that reach out to employers as a group and give them a unified voice in education and training. It also describes some less intensive options for employer involvement. Chapter 6 shows how STW can contribute to a broader reform of high schools. Chapter 7 presents common features of successful STW programs. Chapter 8 proposes a set of principles that should undergird good STW systems and high quality education and describes the roles of STW partners. (Contains 255 references, 436 notes, and an index.) (YLB)