Objective 1.

2: Schools help all students make successful

transitions to college and careers.

Our Role. The Education Department provides national leadership to improve the quality of career and
technical, adult, and workforce education. The programs administered through the Office of Vocational
and Adult Education (OVAE) help secondary, postsecondary, and adult education students gain the
academic and technical knowledge needed to succeed in further education, careers, and citizenship. They
promote education reform and improvement, and accountability for results. The joint Education
Department/ Department of Labor School-to-Work initiative sunsets in 2001.

Our Performance

Indicator 1.2.a. By fall 2000, 1 million youths will participate annually in

School-to-Work (STW) Systems.
Assessment of Progress. There has been positive progress toward the goal. The goal for 1999 was
exceeded. “Participants” are defined as students who take integrated academic and vocational coursework
and participate in work-based learning. In 1999, 754,438 students participated in the STW Systems,
exceeding the goal of 750,000. The data for 2000 are not available.

Figure 1.2.a.1 Source: Progress Measures Survey. Frequency: Annual. Next

Update: 2001 for 2000-01 school year data. Validation
procedure: Data were collected before the Education
Annual Student Participation in STW Systems Department standards for evaluating the quality of program
performance data were developed. However, data from other
1,200,000 sources – including the National STW evaluation –
1,0 00,000 corroborate these findings. Limitations of data and planned
1,000,000 improvements: This survey is voluntary and collects data
Num ber of Students

754 ,4 38 75 0,0 00 only from sub-state funded local partnerships. As the Federal
800,000 investment in state STW initiatives ends - beginning in 1999
G with the first eight states that were funded in 1994 - fewer
600,000 515 ,6 17 G O local partnerships will be funded and have the resources
471,000
O A
required to gather and submit data.
400,000 280 ,0 00 A L
L
200,000

0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Year

Page 8 Goal 1, Objective 1.2

Page 9 Goal 1, Objective 1.2
Indicator 1.2.b. By fall 2000, the percentage of vocational concentrators
completing core curriculum standards will double from baseline data.
Assessment of Progress. There has been progress toward the goal. The previous goal set for 2002 was
33 percent; this was raised to 55 percent because the previous goal had already been achieved. “Core
curriculum standards” include four years of English and three years each of math, science, and social
studies. This course sequence is the basis for a postsecondary preparatory curriculum. Data for 2000 are
not available.

Figure 1.2.b.1
Source: NAEP. Frequency: Approximately every four years.
Next Update: 2002 for 2000-2001 school year data.
Validation procedure: Data validated by NCES review
Percentage of Vocational Concentrators Meeting Core procedures and NCES Statistical Standards. Limitations of
100%
Curriculum Standards data and planned improvements: In future years, this
indicator will be supplemented with another measure of
90%
academic attainment – performance on state-established
Percentage of Vocational

80%
academic proficiencies – as specified in the 1998 Perkins Act.
70%
Concentrators

60% 55%
50% 45%
40% 33% G
O
30%
19% A
20%
L
10%
0%
1990 1994 1998 2000
Year
* A “Vocational Concentrator” is a student who completed 3 credits in one of the
following specific labor market preparation programs: agriculture, business/office,
marketing/distribution, health, occupational home economics, trade and industry, or
technical communications.

Indicator 1.2.c. By fall 2000, the percentage of high school graduates,

including vocational concentrators, who make a successful transition into
employment, further education, or the military, will increase to 92 percent.

Assessment of Progress. Progress toward the goal is likely, as both groups of students (i.e. all students
and vocational concentrators) approached the goal in 1998. Eighteen months after graduating from high
schools that participate in School-To-Work systems, 55 percent of 1998 graduates were enrolled in a 2-
year or 4-year college, six percent were in other postsecondary training programs or the military, and 29
percent were employed full time. Overall, 90 percent of all students were enrolled in postsecondary
education or the military or were employed full time. A similar proportion of vocational concentrators

Goal 1, Objective 1.2 Page 10

made successful transitions, although these students were less likely to be enrolled in postsecondary study
and more likely to be employed full time. The data for 2000 are not available.

Page 11 Goal 1, Objective 1.2

Goal 1, Objective 1.2 Page 12
Figure 1.2.c.1
Student Participation in Education and Employment Activities
(18 months after high school graduation, 1998)
100%
90% 90% 92%
90%
All Stude nts Source: Student surveys and transcripts from National
80% Vocational
Evaluation of School-to-Work Implementation,
70% 61% 63% Conce ntrators * Mathematical Policy Research. Frequency: Biennial.
Pa rti ci pati n g i n Acti vi ty
Pe rce n tage C u rre n tl y

60% 55% Targe t For The Ye ar G Next Update: 2002 for 2000 high school graduates.
2000 O Validation procedure: Surveys subject to rigorous
50%
40%
G A contractor’s quality control procedures. Limitations of
O 29%
L data and planned improvements: Results based on
30% 22% 20%
A high school transcripts for sample of high school
20%
L 6% 6% 7% G
students in eight states.
10% O
A
0% Goal L

Any College Other Any College,

(Two or Postsecondary Full Time Postsecondary,
Four Year) /Military Employment Military
* A “Vocational Concentrator” is a student who completed 3 credits in one of the following or Full-Time
specific labor market preparation programs: agriculture, business/office, Employment
marketing/distribution, health, occupational home economics, trade and industry, or technical
communications.
**Percentage in each activity is exclusive of other activities; where students were both
employed full time and attending college, they were counted as enrolled in college.
Sample sizes: all students, n=1776; vocational concentrators, n=353

Indicator 1.2.d. By fall 2000, ten percent of students in local School-To-Work

Systems will earn skill certificates.
Assessment of Progress. The goal is unlikely to have been met. The upward trend reversed in 1999,
with a change from 4.2 percent in 1998 to 2.3 percent in 1999. The data for 2000 are not available.

Figure 1.2.d.1

Students Earning Skill Certificates

100%
20%

15%
Percentage of Students

Source: Local partnership surveys from National Evaluation

10.0% of School-to-Work Implementation, Mathematical Policy
10%
Research. Frequency: Annual. Next Update: 2001 for 1999-
G 00 school year. Validation procedure: Survey subject to
5% 4.2% O rigorous data quality procedures. Limitations of data and
3.6%
2.4% 2.3% A planned improvements: Based on aggregate estimates of
L STW partnerships.
0%

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

*NOTE: A “skill certificate” is a portable industry recognized credential that
certifies student competency on a core set of content and performance standards
related to an occupational or career cluster area.

Page 13 Goal 1, Objective 1.2

Goal 1, Objective 1.2 Page 14
Indicator 1.2.e. By fall 2001, 200 high schools will receive and 2,500 will be
working toward Departmental recognition for implementing New American
High School (NAHS) strategies that combine career and academic
preparation.
Assessment of Progress. Progress occurred, although the goal for 2000 was not met. As of 2000, 59
high schools received NAHS recognition and 1,077 schools were working with three high school reform
networks to implement NAHS strategies. High school reform networks include High Schools That Work,
Sonoma State University—California State Department of Education, and Jobs for the Future (JFF).

Figure 1.2.e.1

Schools Implementing
Schools ImplementingNAHS*
NAHS*High
HighSchool
School Reform
Reform Strategies
Strategies
Schools Who Have Achieved
Schools Who H ave Achieved Schools
Schools WorkingToward
Working Toward
NAH S Recognition
NAHS Strategies
NAHS Recognition NAH S Strategies
200
200 2 50 0 2500
200 2500
200 2 00 0
G 2 00 0
150
G Source: NAHS application tracking documents. Frequency:
.

GO
.
Number of Schools

Number of Schools

2000
G Annual. Next Update: 2001 for 2000-01 data. Validation
A O
Schools
Schools

1 50 0
OL
150
O
100 1500
procedure: Data collection processes were developed before the
A
10 77
A 1500
1 00 0
A
Education Department standards for evaluating the quality of
59 L
100 L L
50
30 1000 50 0 program performance data were developed. Limitations of data
17
10 and planned improvements: No data limitations are noted.
50 0 0
30 500
17 2000 2000
96

98

99

00

00

10
19

20

20
19

19

Year
0 Year 0
1996 1998 1999 2001 1999 200 1
*NOTE: NAHS = New American High Schools Year
Y ear

*NOTE: NAHS = New American High Schools

Indicator 1.2.f. By fall 2000, 350,000 employers participating in School-to-

Work systems will offer work-based learning opportunities.
Assessment of Progress. Achieving the goal is unlikely, as the upward trend reversed direction in 1999
from 178,000 in 1998 to 154,543. The data for 2000 are not available.

Page 15 Goal 1, Objective 1.2

 Figure 1.2.f.1

Employers Providing
Employers ProvidingWork-Based Learning*
Work-Based Experiences
Learning*
Experiences
Source: Progress Measures Survey. Frequency: Annual. Next
400,000
400,000 350,000
Update: 2001 for 1999-2000 school year data. Validation
350,000
350,000
350,000 procedure: Case studies in four states are underway to
Numbe r of Employe rs

300,000
300,000 270,000 examine the process by which local partnerships gather the
G
Employers

250,000
250,000
200,000
O
information reported in their progress reports. Limitations of
200,000
200,000 178,000
178,000
154,543 A data and planned improvements: The nature of work-based
136,176136,176
150,000
150,000 L learning experiences may differ considerably across
100,000
100,000
59,239 59,239 employers.
50,000 50,000

0 0
1996 1996 1997 1997 1998 1998 1999 1999 20002000

Ye ar
Y ear
*NOTE: Work-based learning includes shadowing, mentoring, internships, youth apprenticeships,
*NOTE:enterprises
school-based Work-basedandlearning
serviceincludes shadowing, mentoring, internships, youth apprenticeships,
learning.
school-based enterprises and service learning.

Goal 1, Objective 1.2 Page 16

Page 17 Goal 1, Objective 1.2