<p> Practical nurses can provide quality, cost-effective care in an ever-changing health care setting which is faced with a shortage of nurses. A community college system in the southeastern area of the United States began using the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) V as part of admission criteria for nursing programs. While Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) markets the (TEAS) V as being predictive of first semester success, little if any research on the ability of the test to predict completion of nursing programs exists. The purpose of this study was to determine if the TEAS examination successfully identified potential nursing students capable of completing nursing programs based on correlational analysis that established the relationship between the predictor variables, TEAS V score and criterion variables, student completion of a practical nursing program and passing the NCLEX-PN. The convenience sample was taken from archived records of 270 nursing students enrolled in a practical nursing program from fall of 2011 until spring of 2014. Both inferential and descriptive statistics were used to identify if a relationship existed among the variables and success. Binary logistic regression analysis suggest that a relationship does exist between TEAS V scores &chi;² (2, N = 258) = 9.129, <i>p</i> = 0.010, ethnicity &chi;² (3, N = 258) = 19.435, <i>p</i> = 0.000, and success with program completion and NCLEX-PN success. Practical nurse educators could use the data to identify students who would be more likely to complete the program, thereby producing more nurses to help fill the nursing shortage which is predicted to continue into 2020.</p><p>

<p> This mixed-methods study analyzed student perceptions regarding the impact of career and technical education (CTE) programs on student engagement, mind-set, support of teachers, and school climate. The Tripod 7C instrument was utilized to gather quantitative data, while focus groups were utilized for gathering qualitative data. Survey results showed statistically significant differences between CTE and non-CTE subjects in the areas of <i>care, captivate, </i> and <i>clarify.</i> These findings were used to develop the questions and structure for the focus group discussions. The focus groups revealed four student-perception themes: <i>teacher, environment, student engagement,</i> and <i>content.</i> In the settings studied, CTE programs were noted to have significantly higher levels of student engagement, environments that are welcoming and warm, and caring adults.</p><p>

<p> The employment rate for individuals with disabilities is low. Yet some individuals with disabilities are able to maintain employment for extended periods of time by using unspecified social competencies, which allowed them to react appropriately during co-worker and supervisor interactions at the work site. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the social skills utilized by an individual with disabilities who maintained employment. Interviews and observations that followed appreciative inquiry principles and social role valorization perceptions were used to gain insight from the individual with disabilities, supervisors, co-workers, and the individual&rsquo;s employer. The results of this qualitative case study identified the social competencies needed for individuals with disabilities to maintain employment. Professionals who prepare individuals with disabilities for employment could include the identified social skills in their instruction.</p><p>

One of the goals of developed countries is the optimization of the urban environment. This goal is reflected in the policies of both Canada and the United States regarding urban renewal and manpower training. Urban renewal has primarily been one of the concerns of the physical planner. Policies, programs, and techniques have been devised in order to solve the problems of urban renewal, but to date a satisfactory solution has not been realized. With the current interest in human resource optimization as reflected in the manpower training policies and programs, and with the realization that both manpower training and urban renewal are concerned with a common problem that of communal living and are therefore somewhat inter-related. The search for a more effective solution to the urban renewal problem, coupled with the realization of the inter-relationship of manpower training and urban renewal problems led to the study hypothesis: That manpower training can be an effective tool in the urban renewal process. Although these problems appear to be inter-related to date no policy or programs aimed at a coordinated solution exists. The investigation of the adaptability of manpower training to urban renewal problems, therefore begins with an evaluation of present urban renewal p o l i c i e s , programs and problems, and from analysis of the cause of these problems being determined. By means of the case study method, the conclusion made with respect to the causes of these problems were verified. The significant conclusion so drawn are that to a great extent the problems that urban renewal has been unable to solve are to a great extent attributable to poverty. Further, it was ascertained that this poverty was to a large extent due to the low level of skills possessed by the inhabitants of the area. In light of these findings and in view of the fact that manpower training is specifically aimed at the optimization of skills, the thesis investigates not only the effectiveness of such a program to the acquisition of skills but also its effectiveness of solving other problems of urban renewal. The significant findings have been that manpower training is capable of improving the earning power of the inhabitants by providing them with wider and better skills; the improvement of this earning power also provides a greater range of social choice. It has also been demonstrated that manpower training is a process which can be used to rebuild, renovate or refurbish an urban renewal area, and when applied in conjunction with the urban renewal program, it can not only eliminate substandard dwelling units, but would also substantially reduce the need for such structures. The final conclusion being drawn is that the investigations in this thesis has demonstrated the validity of the hypothesis: That manpower training can be an effective tool in the urban renewal process. Also of great significance is the fact that this investigation has demonstrated the ability of the urban renewal program to be combined with other programs. This flexibility indicates its potential for becoming the nucleus of a set of programs aimed at solving all aspects of communal living. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

"'The future is ripe for change. Our times demand educational advance and reconstruction of a high order. But now, as always, the fundamental directions in which we seek to move toward that goal will assuredly determine the measure of our success in achieving it. How then shall we envision an education that is adequate to meet the imperative need of the epoch?' Robert D. Dolley, one of the leaders in the field of Vocational Education in the United States today, has already discovered the partial solution to the above question. It was through his keen vision and understanding of the problems that are confronting the schools today that he worked out the plan of operation for the Diversified Cooperative Training program some ten years ago. This program, although young in years, has spread through the United States and has proved its effectiveness and practicality everywhere it has been established. It can be said with some measure of assurance that this DCT program will be adopted by most of the schools of the nation as one method of meeting the needs of the students and of bridging the gap between the schools and the community"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master's Degree." / Advisor: Margaret C. Bristol, Professor directing paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-48).

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The purpose of this research was to ascertain and describe the status of work ethic instruction in Vermont vocational schools and Vermont vocational educator attitudes regarding teaching work ethics. Work ethics has been identified as an issue of concern that has not been addressed in a practical fashion. The research study was based on a model developed by the Illinois Vocational Ethics Infusion Project. The Vermont study administered a questionnaire to all educators employed in Vermont vocational centers. The questionnaire was composed of three sections. The first was related to attitudes toward teaching work ethics as well as attitudes toward appropriate teaching strategies. The second section asked teachers how often they promoted certain work ethic characteristics. Both sections used a Likert-type scale. The final section surveyed basic demographic information. Standard statistical procedures for ordinal and nominal non-parametric data were used. Results indicate that Vermont vocational educators considered work ethic instruction important. Most educators report that they currently include work ethics as part of the curriculum they teach. Vermont educators feel that their business or industry experience has prepared them to teach work ethics. Yet less than half felt that their college course work had adequately prepared them to teach work ethics. They felt the most support for work ethic instruction from employers and the least from parents. When asked which of 20 work ethic characteristics they promote they indicated a high level of support for all 20. Truthfulness was reported as the highest ranking characteristic. School and classroom policies were identified most frequently of 11 possible teaching strategies. The second highest is mentoring. Analysis of responses by demographic characteristics indicate possible significant relationships in areas of years of business and industry work and in highest degree earned to work ethic attitudes and teaching practices. Conclusions and recommendations were framed as guidelines to assist the Vermont Department of Education for policy making in vocational curriculum and professional development.

Nan Stein's report "A Gender At Risk" (1988), prepared for the Massachusetts Department of Education, noted a discrepancy in reference to the economic and gender related consequences of schooling, in particular to the Occupational Education programs. A comparison of female enrollment figures in Massachusetts Occupational Education in 1982 and 1985 indicated that female students continue to be disproportionately underrepresented in some of the more highly skilled and lucrative trade areas. This fact is alarming considering the long term economic consequences for females, or as defined in "Equity, Educational Reform and Gender" (Tetrault and Schmuck, 1985), 'the feminization of poverty'. Female students need to develop skills and competencies that will allow them to compete in jobs that offer competitive salaries and opportunities for promotion. The purpose of this study was to examine selected characteristics of female students enrolled in a comprehensive urban vocational education program during the 1988-1989 school year and to identify factors that influenced their selection process. Research included examination of identified characteristics of female vocational students; reasons cited by the female students for choosing vocational education; and the influence of family and school personnel in the students' selection. Thirty-five female students in a vocational program in Cambridge, Massachusetts, participated in this study. Information was gathered from student records, surveys and interviews. The findings were presented qualitatively and quantitatively. The research documented two primary influencing components. A combination of internal and external factors, including the student's interests and skill levels and the influence of parents and teachers, were the culminating factors effecting the student's decision to select a vocational program. Contributing factors included the students math and reading scores and special education needs. Factors that did not impact the student's choice included socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity and single versus two parent homes.