CEW Annual Reports:

CENTER ON EDUCATION AND WORK
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MADISON
ANNUAL REPORT 2003-2004

June 11, 2004

The Mission Statement, 2004-2009, of the Center on Education and Work (CEW) is to produce and collaboratively implement new knowledge about learning and career development in and across education, workplace, family and community settings. During its 40-year history, the Center has been enabling educators to engage youth and adults in learning and lifelong career-related growth and achievement. The Center undertakes research, professional development, capacity-building technical assistance activities, and dissemination to strengthen the connections in and across educational institutions, workplaces, families, and communities. Specifically, CEW has been recognized for providing the premier national Careers Conference for the last 18 years. It is known for research and development focused on underserved populations. Further, CEW has developed expertise in the use of technology in a variety of educational areas. Key accomplishments in support of the University's priorities during the past year are described below:

I. Promote Research

  • Ongoing Projects:
    • An investigation into Accountability And Results For Students With Disabilities In Nationally Recognized High-Performing High Schools is funded through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education (OSEP). This project is focusing on the participation of students with disabilities in high-performing schools at six sites across the nation, including Anchorage; Arcadia, Virginia; Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; and Los Angeles. Research questions address the attainment of student goals in the general education curriculum and how special education and regular education programs coordinate educational services for students with disabilities.
    • The Center is conducting the program evaluation component of a five-year State Improvement Grant (SIG) project, Improving Results for Children With Disabilities, for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The evaluation focuses on how DPI is using $1.5 million in federal dollars each year over a five-year grant period to strengthen services provided to pre-K through grade 12 students with disabilities in all Wisconsin school districts. The evaluation is based on data secured from 60 service providers under contract with DPI, including: 13 CESA agencies, the Waisman Center, 6 UW System institutions of higher education; the Wisconsin Technical College System; and non-profit service providers, such as the Wisconsin Parent Education and Training Centers. This evaluation design was presented at the national Office of Special Education (OSEP) 2004 Spring Conference in Washington, DC.
    • An Investigation of Factors Associated with Degree Completion and Postschool Success of University Students with Disabilities Served Through Disabled Student Services (DSS) Offices is a major U.S. Department of Education-funded follow-up study of former students with identified disabilities at five sites, including the Universities of Iowa, Arizona, Wisconsin, Georgia & Texas A&M. It was piloted with 150 former students, and a total of 625 have been surveyed. The study is examining the effectiveness, viability, cost effects, response rate, reliability, and validity of the use of paper and pencil vs. web-based instruments. Preliminary results will be presented at the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) national conference in Miami Beach in July 2004.
    • A program evaluation of The Career Development Program (CDP), funded by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, is being conducted through interviews with 50 graduates of the CDP in Wisconsin prisons and administrators and educators in the Wisconsin Corrections.
    • The Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Study, funded by the Wisconsin Governor's Work-Based Learning Board, is examining program outcomes, including employment, post-secondary education, wage rates, etc., and program satisfaction. Data are being collected from both youth apprenticeship graduates and youth apprenticeship employers. The results of the study will be used to inform program and policy decisions related to this program.
    • The Wisconsin Tech Prep Study, funded by the Governor's Work-Based Learning Board, is evaluating the effectiveness of Tech Prep in Wisconsin in providing access to and enhancing career and technical opportunities for high school students transitioning to post-secondary educational opportunities. The findings will provide a quantitative foundation to foster informed decisions about future Tech Prep initiatives in Wisconsin.
  • Projects Completed During 2003-2004:
    • A project on Charter High Schools and Real-World Practices, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, was conducted in a total of 21 locations: 11 schools at 8 sites (426 students) plus 10 additional sites across the nation where web-based surveys were conducted. Innovative practices used in many charter high schools to foster connections between students and the world beyond the classroom were identified. Charter high schools that center on real-world practices were the focus of this study. The lessons on high school reform and the educational practices identified by this study are being disseminated through the following resource documents: Student Voices from Charter High Schools CD-ROM; Digest of Real-World Practices: Applications in Charter High Schools; Handbook of Charter High Schools: Learning in a Real-World Context; and Inside Charter High Schools (seven in-depth case studies).
    • A study on The Effect of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Courses on Academic Achievement in Selected Wisconsin High Schools for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) examined the relationship between student achievement and student participation in career and technical education (CTE) programs in matched pairs of Wisconsin high schools, including 10 Wisconsin high-performing high-poverty schools & 10 schools that need improvement. Results reported to the DPI indicated a positive relationship between students who completed CTE courses and grade point average. The findings of this study will be presented at the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) national conference in Las Vegas in December 2004.
    • The AODA Peer Program Evaluation Survey was a field study conducted for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to determine program characteristics of state-funded, K-12 peer programs designed to prevent health-related risk behaviors. The study identified the extent to which program characteristics were implemented within and across six types of peer programs: Peer Education, Peer Mediation, Peer Tutoring, Peer Leadership, Peer Helpers/Support, and Peer Mentoring.

II. Advance Learning

  • A subcontract for the Madison Metropolitan School District's project, Raising the Safety Net for All Students, a Smaller Learning Communities Project At West High School, is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The Center's work on this project is focusing on the development of Personal Learning Plans (PLPs) for all students and identification of pathways to their specific career cluster.
  • The NASA Career Information System: Classroom of the Future Project is funded through a planning grant with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in partnership with the Center for Education Technology (CET) at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia. The goal of this work is to increase students' knowledge of careers in NASA and expand their interest in pursuing related technical and educational programs.
  • The Equal Access Means Equal Opportunity For Creating a "Real-Time" Statewide Advanced Placement (AP) Consortium Project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education with matching funds from the School of Education at UW-Madison and the University of Wisconsin System. This innovative approach using state teleconferencing facilities was presented to the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA); the Wisconsin Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (WASCD); in Wisconsin School News, the newsletter of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards; and through a series of informational recruitment articles in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) basketball tournament programs. In Fall 2004, this project will provide "real-time" AP classroom instruction in 31 Wisconsin school sites to 241 high school students who had not previously had access to AP courses. In addition, 8 teachers received summer training on distance education and 6 teachers received updates on content.
  • The Electronic Accessibility For All: Failure is Not an Option/Web Access project, in collaboration with the University's McBurney Disability Resource Center, seeks to offer a solution to the challenge of ensuring electronic accessibility for all. Web-based media are quickly becoming a centerpiece of higher education nationwide, and the issue of providing equitable access impacts not only the UW-Madison campus, but also the other 25 campuses within the UW System, the 16 Wisconsin Technical College districts, and ultimately, post-secondary institutions across the nation. The three-year program provides professional development workshops and online tutorials for faculty and staff, has created user-friendly Web accessibility analysis tools, and provides technical assistance to those who create and maintain Web content. In year one, the project targeted the UW-Madison campus; year two efforts include all forty-two of Wisconsin's state-sponsored colleges, universities, and technical schools; and year three will expand to include a national audience of post-secondary institutions.
  • A Model Demonstration Project for Children with Disabilities - Using School-Based Enterprises (SBEs) to Help Special Education Students Connect Classroom, Community and Career Options, a U.S. Department of Education-funded project, is being developed at two school sites in Wisconsin. Innovative school-based enterprises are being developed in Winter and Clintonville, where state-of-the-art computerized embroidery machines, digital photography and computer work are being utilized for student learning in the project.
  • Seventy-five educators through the U.S. Department of Education-funded project, Designing, Delivering and Evaluating a Distance Education Program That Prepares College Staff to Develop and Implement Summer College Preparation Programs for Individuals with Disabilities Who Have Enrolled But Not Yet Begun College. This distance education professional development project has introduced educators to practices that pave the way for a smooth transition for their students from secondary to post-secondary education.

III. Accelerate Internationalization

  • Center staff members are working with staff at Careers Scotland to enhance career development in their country through the design of 75 classroom activities for youth.

IV. Amplify the Wisconsin Idea

  • The 18th annual Careers Conference "A Lifetime of Possibilities," offered by CEW, drew 1027 educators, career professionals, administrators, and others from across the nation for this three-day professional development program. The conference has become known as an outstanding national conference for its comprehensive coverage of career development and preparation. Participants came from 37 states, and three countries outside the domestic U.S. Attendees represented many types of career, education, government, and employment settings-from kindergarten through adult. Of those in attendance, 92% rated the conference overall as either Excellent or Good. In more that 188 sessions, participants explored innovative programs and educational practices for career preparation and development in this challenging economy. This past year, the Evjue Foundation enabled the Center to provide scholarships to 54 educators and counselors.
  • Wisconsin Careers was engaged by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)) to develop the new web-based Wisconsin Career Assessment (WCA) which is now available for all Wisconsin students in 8th and 10th grades to assist them in enhancing their self-knowledge related to career development. Wisconsin Careers, a computer-based career system, is one of the Center's outreach resources to Wisconsin educators students and parents to facilitate lifelong career development, a meaningful work life, and a sound economic future for all Wisconsin residents. This subscription-internet site includes tools for students to create a resume, build a budget, investigate further education/training opportunities and plan for a career. It also provides classroom activities and other resources for education professionals. During the last year, the usage of the full WISCareers system included: K-12 students at 353 school building sites (48 elementary, 106 middle, 199 high school), plus Wisconsin Technical Colleges, UW System campuses, Wisconsin Job Centers, correctional institutions, plus the Milwaukee Public Library.
  • CEW provided national Career Development Facilitator Training (CDF), which consists of 120 class hours, for 21 professionals, over two semesters, who work in a variety of career settings, from case managers to workforce development personnel. This same training was also provided to staff at Madison Area Technical College (MATC). The Center also provided a two-day professional development session to 42 previously certified CDF professionals and an assessment institute for 17 educators.
  • CEW customized career development workshops were provided in a variety of educational settings by Center staff. These range from the National Institute of Corrections training programs to Cleveland, Ohio area schools to the Ethan Allen School for Boys in Wales, Wisconsin. The topics of these workshops vary depending on the needs of the educational organizations, but all focus on improving the comprehensive career development programs in each setting to enhance the successful transition of students from school to career. These workshops grew out of the Center's earlier recognition as a Certified Technical Assistance Provide by the National School-to-Work Office.
  • CEW staff gave educational presentations and exhibited educational resources at a variety of major national educational conferences, including High Schools That Work/Southern Regional Educational Board, National Tech Prep Network, and Association for Career and Technical Education plus numerous other conferences. The Center disseminated 140,000 School to Career Resource Guides nationwide to teachers, counselors, administrators other educators, and employers at the K-12, postsecondary and adult levels. This distribution, coupled with the web-based catalog, resulted in the sale of educational publications to approximately 880 school districts across the nation.

V. Nurture Human Resources

  • CEW is committed to professional development of staff. Twelve monthly meetings for project directors, and nine for all-staff focused on issues of research and development and other related topics, including career development theory, continuous quality improvement, new educational software, and employee benefits.