<p> It was not known how the visually disabled perceived gaining employment or how perception affected employment seeking behaviors within this population. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore how the visually disabled perceived gaining employment and how perception affected employment seeking behaviors within this population. Action in Perception, and the enrichment perspective were used for this study. Data collection consisted of a list of questions for employed or unemployed participants, offered in print or braille, a demographics questionnaire, and interviews conducted face-to-face or by Zoom Pro. Research participants were 10 visually disabled participants 18 years and older residing in Texas. Theoretical thematic coding with an inductive analysis, hand coding, and NVivo were used for data analysis. Themes chosen prior to research were academic achievement, assistive technology, communication, self-advocacy, independence, interdependence, higher education, perception, vocational rehabilitation, and employment achievement. New themes that emerged during data collection were role models, networking, demonstration, emotional impact, self-employment, telework, and enrichment. Results showed the visually disabled perceived gaining employment as financial independence and perception affected employment seeking behaviors strongest through networking. </p><p>

<p> The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the effect that Career and Technical Education (CTE) concentrators, non-CTE concentrators and academic concentrators have on the on-time graduation of 1035 high school students in 7 high schools in Arizona for the 2015&ndash;2016 school year. There were three research questions that drove this study: 1) What effect does CTE concentration and non-CTE concentration have on on-time graduation? 2) What effect does CTE concentration and academic concentration have on on-time graduation? And 3) What effect does non-CTE concentration and academic concentration have on on-time graduation? The theoretical foundation for this study was social cognitive theory with a focus on academic self-efficacy. The research questions were addressed using a chi-squared analysis and binary logistic regression (logit). The Chi-square test showed that there is a statistically significant association between CTE concentrators and on-time graduation &chi;² (1) = .15.893, <i>p</i> = .000. On-time graduation was not independent of CTE program completion for CTE concentrators and non-CTE concentrators, but on-time graduation was associated with program status. The binary logistic regression (logit), showed that CTE concentrators were 4.088 times, <i>R</i>² = .061, <i>p</i> = .000, and non-CTE concentrators were 1.907 times, <i>R</i>² = .015, <i>p</i> = .047, more likely to have higher on-time graduation over academic concentrators. These findings suggest that students who take or complete a CTE program will graduate on-time. </p><p>

<p> Due to the high unemployment rate and difficulty for students to transition from education to work, this thesis looks at how Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs provide a supplement to the traditional education systems throughout the world, and can be a solution to students graduating with employable skills so they can find meaningful work. The thesis answers the question:<i> &ldquo;What are the effects of Career and Technical Education?&rdquo;</i> through a qualitative method of an open-ended survey administered to three educational organizations in Northern California. Participants included four teachers, five administrators, and 96 high school students. The results showed that CTE programs have incredible effects on students, from being life-changing to providing necessary career skills and the space to navigate college and career choice. Students, teachers and administrators recommend that CTE programs be adopted nation wide, so students can decide what career to pursue.</p><p>

Too many young people are not on meaningful college or career pathways at a time when the workforce increasingly demands a higher level of education and skills. While a lack of education is a major barrier to employment, there are not enough alternatives to the one-size-fits-all high school to college trajectory that leaves 60% of Americans without any kind of college degree (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). It is extremely difficult to get back on that pathway after leaving school, with the major barriers being finances, a lack of relevance/un-engaging coursework, and poor or nonexistent advising. The Innovation College Network was created to address these issues, developing a new higher education model that blends workforce development, education, and employment with intensive mentoring and support for young people between the ages of 16 and 26. This capstone describes a pilot of the Innovation College Network, which included nine young people ranging in age from 18 to 30 who were not in school at the start of their engagement with the program. They received ongoing one-on-one mentoring focused on helping them identify and pursue educational and career goals. All nine showed some movement toward their goals, with three reenrolling in school, and the majority reporting that the mentoring was beneficial. For these older youth, mentoring appears to be an effective strategy, particularly when the relationships are centered on active listening with the purpose of fostering self-awareness, motivation, values, a support network, and living an integrated life. These five areas are the building blocks of authentic leadership development (George, 2007). Implications include the potential and importance of prioritizing older youth, of building mentoring relationships into existing educational programs, of creating new alternative higher education models, of bridging the gaps between education and the workforce, and of taking a more holistic approach to education at all levels.

<p> In the United States, colleges and universities are under pressure from multiple sources to improve course completion and graduation rates and to reduce the cost of obtaining a degree. This qualitative phenomenological case study, underpinned by the social constructivist perspective, explored second-year manufacturing degree students&rsquo; perceptions of the impact of their teachers&rsquo; servant leadership behaviors on their successful course completions at a Midwest technical college. Servant leadership was the theoretical base for the study, which consisted of Q sorts by, and interviews with, students from two manufacturing degree programs. One program had higher course completion and graduation rates and the other had lower course completion and graduation rates. The responses were coded using data from an extensive literature review and were analyzed for themes according to the perspectives of the participants&rsquo; Q sorts and responses to interview questions. While the study did not reveal a simple, straightforward solution to the very complicated student success problem in technical college manufacturing programs, it did identify the elements of an emergent model recommended for manufacturing teachers: servant teaching.</p><p>

Abstract not available.

The purpose of this study was to review successful models for school reform with a focus on the efficacy of the High Schools That Work model in vocational-technical high schools in Massachusetts. This study compared and analyzed the results of learner outcomes in Massachusetts vocational-technical high schools by using the results in the Failing category from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, which is a high-stakes test based on increased standards (The Massachusetts Frameworks). The study compared an equal number of Massachusetts vocational-technical high schools that are members of the High Schools That Work network with an equal number of those that are nonmembers. The study compared the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System Failing category results in English Language Arts and Mathematics from 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 between High Schools That Work vocational-technical high schools in Massachusetts and non-High Schools That Work vocational-technical high schools in Massachusetts. Students not in the Failing category for English Language Arts and Mathematics would be eligible to receive a high school diploma, while those students in the Failing categories would not be eligible to receive diplomas. The study also compared dropout rates between 1999, 2000, and 2001 to learn if increased standards and highstakes testing have led to a significant increase in the dropout rate in High Schools That Work vocational-technical high schools in Massachusetts when compared to dropout rates in non-High Schools That Work vocational-technical high schools in Massachusetts. Based on the comparative results of the dropout rates, this study has concluded that implementing the High Schools That Work model in vocational-technical high schools in Massachusetts has done no harm in terms of significant increases in the dropout rates. Based on these results, this study has concluded that implementing the High Schools That Work model in Massachusetts vocational-technical high schools has done some significant good in effectively increasing learner outcomes on high-standards, high-stakes testing. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

American employers are concerned that our schools are continuing to produce an increasing number of graduates who are undereducated, unskilled, and unable to cope with the needs of business in this technological age. Schools are struggling to become accountable and must recognize the problems that affect the performance and success of students in and out of school. This study focuses on the perceptions that secondary school students have of the training they receive for entry-level positions, how it affects their performance, and its relationship to the perceptions/expectations and level of satisfaction of employers in the workplace. A Likert-style rating scale was used to measure the students' and businesses' perceptions of the secondary school training. One hundred eighty-students and twenty-eight businesses participated in the surveys. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics--frequency distributions, measures of central tendency and dispersion, Pearson correlations, cross-tabulations, and chi-squares. Four specific research questions guided the study. The analysis of the data indicated that the majority of students show positive perceptions toward their school training for entry-level positions. However, variables such as gender, grade level, ethnic background, academic achievement, and employment status influenced the perceptions held by students. There was a significant and positive relationship between students' academic achievement and their overall perceptions of their school academic training. A large proportion of the participating businesses showed negative perceptions toward the secondary school training for entry-level positions in the workplace. Variable factors such as in-service training and type of product produced influenced the businesses' perceptions. While businesses were satisfied with some aspects of the school training, the overall majority expressed dissatisfaction with such training and complained about spending thousands of dollars annually for in-service training. Data from the study indicate that indeed there is a mismatch between the training students receive in school and the skills needed for successful entry-level employment. The researcher supports the recommendation offered by both students and businesses that School-Business partnerships are needed for improvement of student training and their success in the workplace.

The concept of a school-business partnership offered education a tool to forge linkages with business organizations to smooth the transition from school to work for noncollege-bound students. Massachusetts became the first state to charter student branch banks under the sponsorship of a school-bank partnership. The purpose of the descriptive study was to document the initiation process that promotes the implementation of a public high school student branch bank with a collaborating financial partner. Using two dimensional samples of secondary administrators and financial executives, perceptions were obtained for clarification of four basic research questions: (1) How does the high school student-bank innovation become a component of the school curriculum? (2) What are the perceptions of educators and financial executives concerning their roles and responsibilities in the evolvement of a school-bank collaboration? (3) How does the school structure affect the learning environment of student branch bank (SBB) students? (4) How does the student-bank partnership contribute to the learning experience? Qualitative research methodology--including in-depth, semi-structured interviews; a survey questionnaire; field observations; and analysis of related documents--was used to collect data from 37 educators and 34 financial executives. Data gathered in the study indicated the catalysts of school-bank partnerships were mainly educators seeking to offer noncollege-bound students experiences to aid them in their transition from school to work. The research also showed that financial institutions used the student-branch-bank innovation as an investment in the youth of the community and as a future pool of trained, qualified teller-employees. The findings of the study revealed the success of welding the relationship between education and bank organizations rested heavily on leadership efforts to provide solutions to difficult problems, particularly those identified with scheduling and interorganizational communication. A review of literature covered the theoretical parameters of partnership, change, interorganizational relations, and leadership that were associated with innovation. Research design; data presentation and analysis; summary, conclusions, and recommendations; and further research implications are included in final chapters.

No description available.