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The integration of academics into career-technical education in two California charter schools
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The integration of academics into career-technical education in two California charter schools
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Content
THE INTEGRATION OF ACADEMICS INTO CAREER-TECHNICAL
EDUCATION IN TWO CALIFORIA CHARTER SCHOOLS
by
Scott Thomas Anderle
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
December 2008
Copyright 2008 Scott Thomas Anderle
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES iv
LIST OF FIGURES v
ABSTRACT vi
CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1
Background to the Problem 1
Purpose of the Study 8
Importance of the Study 11
Organization of the Dissertation 13
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 15
Introduction 15
Historical Overview: From 1890-2006 16
Four Curriculum Integration Programs 23
Barriers to Implementating of Curriculum Integration 32
Conclusion 34
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODS 35
Introduction 35
Research Design and Research Questions 35
Data Collection Processes and Procedures 39
Data Analysis 44
Summary 47
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS 48
Introduction 48
High Tech High Charter School 49
Goal of the Academic Internship 55
Implementation of the Promising Practice 57
Evidence of Impact 67
Resource Requirements 69
Supporting Document and Materials 72
Recommend Resources from High Tech High 72
Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter School 73
Description of the Promising Practice: The Team-Teaching Career
Academy 76
Goal of the Team-Teaching Career Academies 80
Implementation of Promising Practice 81
Evidence of Impact 92
Resource Requirements 93
iii
Supporting Document and Materials 97
Recommended Resources 98
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS 99
Introduction 99
Discussion of Findings 99
Summary 118
Implications for Future Study 122
Conclusion 123
BIBLIOGRAPHY 125
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: CONTENT OF COMPENDIUM: TYPES OF DATA
TO BE COLLECTED 133
APPENDIX B: NOMINATION NOTICE 134
APPENDIX C: NOMINATION FORM 136
APPENDIX D: PRE-SITE TELEPHONE INTERVIEW – SCHOOL
PRINCIPAL 141
APPENDIX E: ON-SITE PRINCIPAL INTERVIEW PROTOCOL 143
APPENDIX F: ON-SITE PP LEAD INTERVIEW PROTOCOL 146
APPENDIX G: ON-SITE TEACHER INTERVIEW PROTOCOL 149
APPENDIX H: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION PROTOCOL 152
APPENDIX I: DOCUMENT CHECKLIST 154
APPENDIX J: INTERVIEW GRID 155
APPENDIX K: HIGH TECH HIGH CLASSROOM VISIT #1 156
APPENDIX L: HIGH TECH HIGH CLASSROOM VISIT #2 159
APPENDIX M: YUBA COUNTY CAREER PREP CLASSROOM
VISIT 162
APPENDIX N: DOCUMENT CHECKLIST HIGH TECH HIGH 165
APPENDIX O: DOCUMENT CHECKLIST YUBA COUNTY
CAREER 166
iv
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Models of Curriculum Integration as Defined by Grubb et al. (1991)
As Applied to Four Programs 31
Table 2: Triangulation Across Data Sources 45
Table 3: Profile of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter
School: Summary of School Demographics 50
Table 4: Profile of Yuba County Career Prep Charter School: Summary of
School Demographics and Charter Status 74
Table 5: Comparison of Models of Curriculum Integration 106
v
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Linking the integration of academics into career-technical education
to improve student achievement. 10
Figure 2: Theory of action—How the academic internship at high Tech High
leads to improved student achievement. 55
Figure 3: Theory of action—How team-teaching career academies at Yuba
County Career Prep leads to improved student achievement. 79
vi
ABSTRACT
This research documents promising practices that integrate academics with
career-technical education in two California charter schools. The study was based on past
research suggesting that the integration of academics into career-technical education
leads to improved student achievement. The study explored four areas related to
implementation: 1) how academics were integrated into career-technical education, 2) the
use of resources, 3) the challenges to integration, and 4) evidence of positive educational
outcomes. This was a qualitative case study of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech
High Carter School and the Yuba County Office of Education Career Preparatory Charter
School. During the two-day site visits multiple interviews were conducted and archival
documents were collected.
The study revealed the two California charter schools integrated academics into
career-technical education programs by: 1) overcoming barriers (e.g., scheduling) that
prevent integration, 2) implementing existing models of curriculum integration (e.g.,
career academies), and 3) using school mission statements as an overarching theme for
integration. The two schools also addressed the challenges related to the student
internships, such as student placement and student transportation to internships. The
findings suggested positive educational outcomes for students, which include: 1)
improved motivation towards school, 2) improved test scores, and 3) improved college
and work placements. Finally, this study contributes to the body of knowledge relating to
education policy and practice in charter schools, as part of USC’s Compendium of
vii
Promising Practices. Future research is warranted to update and refine models of
integration and to further explore teacher apathy as a barrier to curriculum integration.
1
CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Background to the Problem
Vocational programs in public education have prepared students for jobs in the
economy for the past one hundred years (Wonacott, 2003). Federal programs that develop
work based skills began with The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917. Over time, vocational and
academic classes were separated. This separation caused concern among reformers who
feared competition from the world business markets. Vocational education advocates
called for strengthening vocational programs. The 1985 report, The Unfinished Agenda:
The Role of Vocational Education in the High School, requested a joint effort between
academic and vocational teachers (State Center Consortium, 1995). In addition, the “new
economy” of the 1990’s (Lynch, 2000) required a different set of skills from employees.
These skills included advanced information processing, rapid decision-making, and
intelligent social skills. As a result, the climate surrounding vocational education
changed. Modern vocational education programs now required more academic content
regarding the application of math, science, and literacy in a real-world context (Illinois
Office of Educational Services, 2005).
Early vocational education programs and classes were separated from the general
education curricula; they were intended for students not considered college material
(Lynch, 2000). The non-academic track was established through the Smith Hughes Act of
1917, which emphasized separatism from the classical curriculum and called for a new
vocational curriculum to better meet the needs of the children of the working class who
2
were attending high school for the first time, but were not headed for the professions
(Gray, 1991). This separatism established a division between the academic track and the
vocational track. This division has been a perpetual problem for the academic
development of vocational courses.
Over time, reformers believed vocational education classes were not preparing
students for college, work, and beyond. In the early, 1960’s the Advisory Commission on
Education presented evidence of the ineffectiveness of vocational education and
recommended making it more flexible (State Center Consortium, 1995). Without a strong
academic foundation early vocational programs had a narrow focus on entry-level job
skills and for this reason they limited students’ access to postsecondary education (Zinser
& Poledink, 2005). In addition to limiting access to college, vocational education
programs were not preparing students for working in the modern economy.
In his historical analysis, Lynch (2000) detailed the impact of the “new economy”
on vocational education. The new economic world was vastly different from the
agricultural/factory environment that ushered in public education at turn of the 20
th
century. It was characterized by international activity, cyberspace, ever-changing market
demands, rapid product life cycle, sophisticated computers and technology, and a more
thorough knowledge of the “whole” business environment rather than specific skills or
narrow job tasks. Employers increasingly emphasized the skills crucial to employees’
abilities to work effectively, such as knowing how to learn, interpersonal skills,
competence in applying general education to the workplace, effective listening and
communication skills and adaptability and flexibility. In a dynamic economy, a young
3
person was expected to change jobs as many as fifteen times, and men and women who
had a solid academic foundation would be the most likely to learn new skills to adapt to
changes in the economy, family circumstances and personal interests (U.S. Department of
Education, 2003).
The requirements of post-secondary education and the demands from business
indicated that modern vocational education should integrate more academics into the
vocational education curriculum as demonstrated through the federal Perkins II (1990)
and Perkins III (1998) legislation (as cited in Lynch, 2000). The integration of academics
into vocational education was described by Roegge, Galloway, and Welge (1991):
Integration of academics and vocational education is a rather broad concept that
entails the blending together of concepts, principles, and content from academic
disciplines with context, applications, and skills from vocational areas. It exhibits
potential to reinforce students’ acquisition of basic and high-order academic
skills, to enhance the rigor and completeness of occupational skill training, and to
renew the way in which both academic and vocational education are delivered. (p.
1)
Research on Career Academies, High Schools That Work, Tech Prep, and Work
Based Learning in the 1990’s indicated that the integration of academics into vocational
education could possibly lead to improved student achievement. Implementation of these
programs, however, was limited due to a national focus on academic achievement. More
current research indicated that students are still unprepared for college and work
(Williams, 2005). In a recent study of high school graduates, Hart (2005), discovered that
39% of high school graduates are unprepared for the expectation that they face in entry –
level jobs. The integration of academics into career technical-education has returned as
an instructional strategy due to its link to improved student performance (Grubb & Stern,
4
2007). Vocational education reformers have continued to demand a curriculum that
prepares every student for college opportunities, meaningful work and career
advancement (Bray, 2006). Perkins IV legislation has called for school districts to show
how schools are integrating academics into vocational education. Schools, however,
continue to struggle to implement programs that integrate academics into vocational
education.
Grubb, Davis, Lum, Plihal, and Morgain (1991) found that the integration of
academics into vocational education could possibly lead to improved student
achievement. Furthermore, when students were actively engaged in work on real issues,
they demonstrate increased motivation to master content (Covington, 1992). In addition,
students tended to be more focused in the classroom when they saw the relevance of their
studies to the real world (Pintrich & Schunk, 1996). Finally, when education was geared
towards student interests, individuals’ paid closer attention, persisted for longer periods
of time, learned more, and enjoyed participating to a greater degree than individuals
engaged in activities in which they were not interested (Ainley, 1994; Prenzel, 1988;
Renninger, Hidi, & Krapp, 1992; Schiefele, 1991).
The demands for programs that improve student achievement are currently a
priority for educators and policy makers (Grubb & Stern, 2007). The current education
system is not meeting the needs of students. Students have been unprepared for work and
dropout rates are currently at an all-time high. Nationally, on-time graduation rates have
been estimated at 71% for all students and about 50% for Black and Hispanic students
(Bray, 2006). A poll of California ninth and tenth graders that was conducted for the
5
James Irvine Foundation found six in ten students did not enjoy school and were not
motivated to succeed. More than 90% of the respondents said they would be more
motivated if their school offered classes putting them on a career path (Posnick-Goodwin,
2007).
The data further indicated that women also needed access to better vocational
educational programs. There are more working single moms which have lead to an
increase in demand for technical programs (Committee of Education and the Workforce,
2005). According to a report released by WomenWork!, California’s single mother
population had increased by 90% over the last ten years, escalating the need for women
to access quality career technical programs leading to high wage occupations (Committee
of Education and the Workforce).
In addition to the low success rates of most high schools, students in the
vocational education track were not being prepared for the global economy (Lynch,
2000). They desperately needed more skills in areas demanded by modern business.
Employers anticipated that future jobs would require sophistication in literacy and
problem solving skills. As such, high schools came under fire for not providing entry-
level workers with sufficient intellectual competence (Williams, 2005). Many employers
complained that they could not find skilled employees or that their young workers lacked
the communication, interpersonal and analytic skills required for the workplace
(American Youth Policy Forum, 2003). According to Hart (2005) nearly half (49%) of all
high school students say that high school left them unprepared for the work habits
expected in the work force.
6
Perkins IV legislation, signed by President George W. Bush in 2006, altered the
environment surrounding vocational education. First, Perkins IV officially changed the
name of vocational education to career-technical education (CTE). Second, the law
required that schools focus on student achievement by promoting the development of
services and activities that “integrate rigorous and challenging academic studies with
career and technical instruction” (Association of Career Technical Education [ACTE],
2006, p. 2). Finally, student achievement in career-technical education courses were to be
measured by the same academic assessments the state approved under the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and by technical proficiency assessments (ACTE).
According to the law, academic concepts must be integrated with career-technical
education courses, and school districts have been scrambling to develop curriculum that
meet the formative requirements of the legislation.
Schools have struggled to implement Perkins IV largely because of the separation
between academic and career-technical education classes. Originally, career-technical
education classes were “stand alone” -- they were separated from the traditional academic
high school curriculum. As the standards movement began to take hold with the original
passage of NCLB in 2001, career-technical education was ignored since the classes did
not focus on academics. The main effect was that there were different types of classes for
different types of students. This problem prompted a strong response from proponents of
career-technical education. According to research prepared by the U.S. Secretary of
Education’s High School Leadership Summit, 2004:
Virtually all American high schools need a dramatic re-evaluation of their
expectations. The schools we have today were never created with an eye toward
7
establishing a high level of academic expectation for all students. Regardless of
how they may have changed their graduation requirements over the last 20 years,
most large comprehensive high schools-the kind that serve about 70 percent of
American youth-have never seriously addressed the way they track students in
vocational, general or ‘college prep’ paths, offering different expectations and
curricula for different students. Fewer still have then taken the next step and
planned varying degrees of programmatic change and staff development that are
aligned with heightened expectations. (U.S. Department of Education, 2004, p. 2)
Even though research indicated the value of using career-technical education as a
context to deliver academics, student achievement remains exclusive. From several
perspectives, it became apparent that the career-technical education curriculum needed to
be reformed. Janet B. Bray, the Executive Director of the Association for Career and
Technical Education, advocated that “every American high school had the goal of
preparing every student for full participation in a spectrum of college opportunities,
meaningful work, career advancement and active citizenship” (2006, p. 1). Bray
recommended increasing the rigor of many career-related high school classes. Most
recently, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed a revitalization of career-technical
education, calling for additional state funding to increase CTE opportunities and to
integrate core academics with occupational courses to offer students pathways to
postsecondary education (Grubb & Stern, 2007).
The intent of the new Perkins IV legislation was to create change. The changes
included establishing higher expectations for all students (including CTE students),
addressing how students were tracked, and making program changes and restructuring
staff development. While these new changes focused on student achievement and on high
demand occupations, there was still considerable debate on: (1) what specific changes
should be and (2) how they should be implemented. Wyoming, in response to these
8
concerns, recently created a strategic plan which calls for strengthening the CTE
curriculum and embedding CTE in a larger program combining core academics with
applied learning in order to prepare students for the booming oil, gas and coal industries
(Hoachlander, Klein, & Studier, 2007).
In conclusion, the low success rate of high school students has called for a
renewed examination of programs that integrate academics into career-technical
education. Research on programs that integrated academics into career-technical
education in the 1990’s indicated promise. Full implementation of integrated programs
was limited due to the national focus on academics. Current reformers of vocational
education believe that the integration of academics into career-technical education
programs continues to be an important focal point for implementation and research both
now and in the future. “Relatively little work has been done on the tedious but essential
tasks of specifying clearly how to upgrade the academic and technical content of career
and technical programs and courses” (Hoachlander, 2005, p. 42).
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to investigate successful programs and curricula
that integrate academics into career-technical education programs. This topic is critical
for high-schools throughout the State of California (and elsewhere) because, as noted
earlier, the federal law (Perkins IV) requires it for funding. To comply with the law, each
state must provide a description of how they will support the integration of academics
into career-technical education programs, and how they plan to measure and evaluate the
quality of such integration (ACTE, 2006). In addition, the requirements to succeed in
9
modern business have changed dramatically and students need skills that require
significantly more academic knowledge. The increase in the skill level needed for most
jobs suggests that programs which focused primarily on technical skills need to include
more academic content (EdSource, 2005).
The integrated approach to teaching and learning was designed to strengthen the
academic base of work-related skills and provide a context and motivation for learning
academic skills (Bailey & Matsuzka, 2003). This study will investigate how integrating
academics into career-technical education may improve student achievement. The theory
of action for this study contends that the combination of certain principles may maximize
student achievement through the integration of academics into career-technical education.
The theory of action argues that students learn better when courses are taught in a real-
world context by connecting the classroom to the workplace and abstract concepts to real
problems. Figure 1, below, illustrates how the integration of academics into career-
technical education can lead to improved student achievement.
Until recently, implementation of activities that integrate academics into career –
technical education had been limited to a small percent of public high schools. Past
research indicated that programs such as Career Academies, High Schools That Work,
Tech Prep and Work-Based Learning have had some success with student achievement
through curriculum integration. Charter schools are now of interest because research
described how the latest and most innovative integration programs were developed as
part of the charter school movement.
10
Teaching courses in real
world context
Connecting the classroom
to the workplace
Connecting abstract
concepts to real-world
problems
Strengthening
the academic
base of work-
related skills
and to
provide a
context and
motivation
for learning
academic
skills
Improved student achievement
Integration of
academics into
career-technical
education
A preliminary investigation into California charter high schools indicated that
promising practices were occurring that had the potential to impact the integration of
academics into the CTE curriculum. Daley, Norman, Weingarten, and Chavez (2005)
evaluated promising practices at nineteen charter schools in Los Angeles, California. The
researchers uncovered a number of promising practices in the area of academic and CTE
integration. The State of California agreed that charter schools were fertile ground for
research in the area of integration. The CTE Framework for California (California
Department of Education, 2007) specifically states the value of studying charter schools:
“Because they are not subject to some of the regulations, restrictions and requirements
applicable to typical public schools, charter schools are freer to experiment with
innovative programs and ideas” (p. 15).
Figure 1: Linking the integration of academics into career-technical education to improve
student achievement.
11
For this study, charter schools have been identified as the target; their autonomy
allows them greater flexibility in the area of curriculum integration than district-run
schools. “Proponents argue that autonomous schools – schools unencumbered by state
and district rules and regulations – will be better able to design programs to suit the
particular needs of their students” (Wohlstetter, Wenning, & Briggs, 1995, p. 332).
Importance of the Study
Once the research from this study is conducted, it will be disseminated to the
public through the online USC Compendium of Promising Practices. The compendium
provides a resource to educators and policy makers looking to implement promising
practices to improve student achievement in a number of different areas. The research on
integrating academics into career-technical education was part of a larger study, which
will be added to the USC compendium, along with promising practices in the following
seven other areas: adult mentoring of at-risk students, increasing re-designation rates of
English-language learners, teacher evaluation, school leaders’ use of data for planning
and school improvement, uses of school time, use of technology to increase parent
involvement and writing across the curriculum. The compendium is hosted by the Center
on Educational Governance (CEG) at the Rossier School of Education, University of
Southern California. Compendia have become a popular trend on the Internet. Bardach
(2004) explained that compendia help spur change. “Besides ignoring it, there are four
things you can do with somebody else’s good practice: replicate it, adapt it, experiment
with it, or get some further ideas that are inspired by it” (p. 216).
12
There were three reasons supporting the inclusion of integrating academics with
career-technical education programs in the compendium: 1) improved student
achievement, 2) federal requirements, and 3) increased demand for CTE classes.
Research continues to indicate that programs, such as Career Academies, which
integrated academics with career-technical education show student improvement in
attendance, grades, motivation, engagement and study habits (Grubb & Stern, 2007). In
addition, a recent study by the National Research Center for Career and Technical
Education (NRCCTE) indicated that high school students who received a semester of
math integrated CTE lessons performed better than their contemporaries on standardized
math and college placement tests (ACTE, 2005).
The study used a curriculum for the experimental group that pointed out the
intersections between math and CTE. Part of the intervention broke down abstract
math to solve it in an occupational context. After students understood math
content in the occupational context, math was then reintroduced the way it might
show up on a standardized test – in its most abstract form – at which time students
were asked to solve both abstract and CTE problems to reinforce their learning.
(ACTE, p. 1)
Second, the compendium is integral to fulfilling the new requirements of Perkins
IV. Along with requiring more integration, the new legislation requires that information
on promising practices be shared. Section 4 of Perkins IV requires: “the conduction and
dissemination of national research information on best practices that improve career and
technical education programs, services, and activities” (ACTE, 2006, p. 2). The intent of
the USC Compendium is to provide information to a variety of audiences. “The
compendium will share with the broader education community, practitioners in charter
and traditional schools, parents and other community members effective strategies from
13
real schools, as well as the opportunity to exchange ideas and share experiences”
(Wohlstetter & Kuzin, 2006, p. 1).
A final reason for including this topic in the compendium rests on the fact that the
demand for CTE integrated classes is increasing. In fact, some schools are struggling to
keep up with demand. Since 2000, the number of high school students taking CTE
courses across the nation has jumped from roughly 9.6 million to 15.1 million, according
to the Department of Education, and educators believe those numbers will climb even
higher, as the demand for a broader range of classes increases. “While schools focus on
more of the traditional vocational areas like welding and auto-body, they also offer
integrated courses in robotics, EMT training and law enforcement” (Gustin, 2006, p. 2).
Organization of the Dissertation
Chapter 1 of the dissertation described the need for more research in the area of
curriculum integration between academics and career-technical education programs. It
highlighted relevant sections of Perkins IV with which school districts must comply. It
discussed the potential of charter schools as vehicles for reform and explained the
significance of a compendium as a means of disseminating promising practices to a broad
audience. Chapter 2 will describe the history of career-technical education programs and
why they continue to be an important part of the educational landscape. It also includes a
review of the current literature on successful programs that integrate academics with
career-technical education. Chapter 2 also covers some of the barriers that hinder
implementation of programs that integrate academics with career-technical education.
Chapter 3 explains the research design and research questions, data collection processes,
14
and data analysis procedures of the study. Chapter 4 presents the study findings from two
charter schools in California. Chapter 5 offers conclusions and policy recommendations
for educators and policymakers.
15
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
As noted in Chapter 1, the purpose of this study was to investigate promising
practices in California charter high schools with respect to the integration of academics
into career-technical education. Chapter 2 examines existing research to identify factors
that facilitated the integration of academics into career-technical education. In addition,
the research will investigate programs that inhibit the integration of academics into
career-technical education.
In order to identify relevant research, a variety of electronic resources were
consulted. Some resources were specific to education, whereas others were of general
interest. The electronic databases included: ERIC, Social Science Index, JSTOR, and
Google Search. Examples of key words used in the searches included: career-technical
education, increasing academic rigor, and integration of academics. Through the database
searches, published research including technical reports and journal articles, as well as
conference presentations were identified.
This chapter begins with an historical overview of the changes in career-technical
education and the rationale supporting them. The next section reviews promising
practices identified in the literature as being effective in integrating academics into
career-technical education. The section is organized into the four programs that have
integrated academics into career-technical education. The programs include Career
Academies, Tech Prep, High Schools That Work, and Work-Based Learning (WBL).
16
Chapter 2 concludes with a discussion of barriers that have hindered the integration of
academics into career-technical education.
Historical Overview: From 1890-2006
The vocational education curriculum that emerged in California and other states
after the 1900s established a series of tracks. These tracks typically prepared students for
entry-level positions in the jobs of the early 20
th
century, including retail and wholesale
trade, clerical occupations, industrial production, automotive repair and agriculture. Most
vocational programs prepared students for employment only and were considered
terminal programs not leading to post-secondary education (Grubb & Stern, 2007).
With considerable federal funding, vocational education has a long and rich
history in American public secondary schools. The major federal influences began with
the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917. This legislation was enacted specifically to prepare youth
for jobs resulting from the industrial revolution and to provide them with an alternative to
the general curriculum of schools which were "too exclusively literary in spirit, scope,
and methods" (Swanson, 1951, p. 16).
Vocational education continued to expand until 1974. In 1974, career education
was superseded by a shift in national priorities that emphasized busing, accountability,
testing and legislation for the handicapped. As federal money for career education
disappeared, educators who were formerly advocates dropped career education programs
and reverted to more conventional practices (Herschbach, 2001).
During the period of 1980 to 1994, the number of students taking vocational
courses continued to drop. The average number of vocational credits earned by high
17
school graduates declined by about 17% (National Center for Education Statistics, 1995).
There were many reasons for the steep decline in vocational education during this period
including the fact that programs were not seen as meeting the needs of students,
employers and the community. Other reasons included: (1) vocational education
competed against other curriculum programs for a shrinking student population; (2)
vocational education suffered from an image of a “dumbed-down” curriculum; (3)
programs were often targeted to educationally disadvantaged students; (4) confusion with
school-to-work programs which became unpopular with some critics of education; (5) an
elitist view that maintained education for work was not appropriate for students aspiring
to four-year colleges or universities; and (6) a general perception that vocational
education inhibited rather than enhanced youth's future careers and educational choices
(Lynch, 2000).
Concern from stakeholders, including business and policy groups, over the
decline in vocational education forced the government into approving the School-to-
Work Opportunities Act of 1994. This act aimed to develop highly skilled workers who
would ensure international economic competitiveness. Basic components of a school-to-
work program included: 1) A school-based learning component to help students select
careers and follow a program of study to reach their career goals; 2) a work-based
learning component that encompassed on-the-job training and experience related to the
students’ chosen careers; 3) activities that connected the school-based and work-based
components (Brustein & Mahler, 1994).
18
Lynch (2000) analyzed the implementation of the School-to-Work Opportunities
Act of 1994 and found three areas that affected career-technical education. These areas
included: (a) the new economy, (b) public expectations for students, and (c) new research
on student learning, motivation and effective teaching. The new economy, as it is called,
had a significant impact on the development of vocational education. As economists
suggested, the world was no longer post-agricultural or post-industrial. Rather it was
typified by fast communications and information, rapid decision-making, and intelligent
social skills that were needed to deal with economic, technical, ecological, and ethical
issues identified with complex problems facing every economic, social, or political
system (Nijhof, 1998).
The general public also offered opinions about vocational education.
Public survey data lead to two conclusions about expectations related to career
and technical education: (a) The public does indeed want career education and
work skills included as critical components of the public school, K-12,
curriculum, and (b) parents expect their children to attend college. (Lynch, 2000,
p. 9)
Marzano, Kendall, and Cicchinelli (1999) concluded that five subject areas have majority
acceptance by the American adult public as necessary in school curriculum: health, work
skills, language arts, technology, and mathematics.
Another area that influenced the beliefs and attitudes about vocational education
reform was student learning, motivation, and achievement. Exposure to work-based
learning improved motivation and self-direction, thereby reducing behavior problems
(MacIver, 1990). Businesspersons and educational researchers both called for students to
19
reach new levels of higher-order thinking. In summary, there was consensus that it was
important to teach youth how to think, not just what to think (Lynch, 2000).
Of critical importance to the development of vocational education in the United
States was the Perkins legislation. Congressman Carl D. Perkins, a U.S. Representative
from Kentucky, was a vocal advocate for career and technical education in the early
1960s. He was influential in the passage of the Vocational Education Act of 1963 and
went on to become chairman of the House Educational and Labor Committee. In 1984,
the Vocational Education Act was renamed for the chairman, becoming the Carl D.
Perkins Vocational Education Act, known as Perkins I. In 1990, the law was revised
again and became the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act, known as
Perkins II. Perkins II was a turning point for vocational education because it placed
stronger emphasis on the integration of contextual learning and academic instruction
(ACTE, 2006).
In 1998 the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, known as
Perkins III, was passed. Perkins III offered greater flexibility to states in how federal
funds were spent, and again called for improving student achievement through the
integration of academic and contextual learning (ACTE, 2006). The act also required
more accountability on the part of individual states in order to receive funding.
In August 2006, President George W. Bush signed the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Improvement Act; know as Perkins IV. The act officially changed
the name of vocational education to career-technical education. Perkins IV also required
that schools promote the development of service and activities that integrate rigorous and
20
challenging academic studies with career technical education (ACTE, 2006). Perkins IV
raised the bar on accountability by requiring that schools and school districts put in
writing the steps they used to integrate academics into career-vocational education.
Perkins IV section 135 (b) (1) stated:
REQUIREMENTS FOR USES OF FUNDS – Funds made available to eligible
recipients under this part shall be used to support career and technical education
programs that – (1) strengthen the academic and career technical skills of students
participating in career-technical education program, by strengthening the
academic and career-technical education component of such programs through the
integration of academics with career and technical education program though a
coherent sequence of courses.
Further, schools and school districts were required to show the integration of
academics into career-technical programs in order to receive funding. Integration,
however, was not an easy task. The gap between academics and vocational education
remained elusive.
As stated above, the call for integration first emerged in 1990 as part of Perkins II.
Eighteen years later curriculum integration remains elusive. To date, there is only limited
research into proven curriculum integration techniques. As a result, curriculum
integration of academics into career-technical programs remains a high priority. “If we
are really serious about expecting career-technical education to produce both academic
and employment gains, there is a great deal of work to do on redesigning curriculum and
teaching to accomplish these dual aims” (Hoachlander, 2005, p. 42).
In order to strengthen student achievement in CTE, Perkins IV called for more
curriculum integration. In 2005 Dr. Patrick Ainsworth, Assistant Superintendent and
Director of the Secondary, Postsecondary, and Adult Leadership Division of the
21
California Department of Education testified before of the Subcommittee on Education
Reform regarding H.R. 366, the Vocational and Technical Education for the Future Act.
His comments stressed the need to integrate academics and technical education: “Career-
technical education, as with all segments of the educational system, must support student
academic achievement” (Committee on Education and the Workforce, 2005, p. 2). More
recently a position paper issued by the ACTE in January 2006 offered recommendations
to reinvent the American high school. Recommendation #4 states: “Improve how and
where academic content is taught by integrating academic competencies into CTE
curricula” (American Youth Policy Forum, 2006, p. 2). Finally, as noted previously,
California Governor Schwarzenegger, in his State of the State speech, proposed a
revitalization of career-technical education programs, calling for additional state funding
to increase opportunities to integrate core academics with occupational courses (Grubb &
Stern, 2007).
This renewed interest in curriculum integration between academics and career-
technical education has invited the question: What is the best method of integrating
academic curriculum with career-technical education courses? In 1999, the American
Institutes for Research (AIR) published comparison data on 24 nationwide school reform
initiatives. The initiatives reviewed were selected based on several criteria, but the
primary factor AIR examined was the reform group's effectiveness at raising student
achievement through such quantitative measures as test scores, grades, and graduation
rates (Lynch, 2000). Four of the top programs showing positive gains included: Career
Academies, Technical Preparation (Tech Prep) High School That Work, and Work Based
22
Learning (WBL) programs. These four reform programs used specific models for
integrating academics into career-technical education.
Grubb et al. (1991) described eight models or methods for curriculum integration.
Most practical strategies for implementation of an integrated academic and vocational
education have been based on these models (Berryman, 1992; Paris, 1998). The models
included: 1) incorporating more academic content in vocational courses: vocational
teachers made changes to vocational courses; 2) combining vocational and academic
teachers to enhance academic competencies in vocational programs: academic teachers
worked with vocation teachers to enhance learning in vocational courses; 3) making the
academic curriculum more vocationally relevant: academic teachers modified courses; 4)
curricular alignment: both horizontal and vertical; 5) the senior project as a form of
integration: seniors replaced electives with a project involving multiple disciplines; 6) the
academy model: school- within-a-school, often geared to a specific occupational cluster;
7) occupational high schools and magnet schools: self-contained schools with vocational
and academic teachers focusing on specific occupational areas; 8) occupational clusters,
career paths, and occupational majors: coherent sequences of courses geared to preparing
students for selected occupations, alignment and collaboration.
The next section will examine how the four top-rated reform programs integrated
academics into career-technical education programs in order to identify promising
practices leading to improved student achievement.
23
Four Curriculum Integration Programs
Career Academies
Kemple and Rock (1996) defined a career academy as a school-within-a-school in
which academy students at each grade level take a set of classes together, and stay with
the same small group of teachers from one year to the next. The curriculum includes
academic courses meeting college entrance requirements and technical classes, all of
which relate to the academy theme. The strategic plan for Wyoming, mentioned in
chapter 1, requires that the career academies design their curriculum around the sixteen
career clusters developed by the U.S. Department of Education and the National
Association of State Directors of CTE Consortium. Each cluster represents a broad
industry area that includes a variety of career pathways. Each pathway in turn
encompasses a number of occupations (Hoachlander et al., 2007). Examples of career
clusters include agriculture, business, finance, health science, hospitality, law,
manufacturing and technology.
The primary method used by career academies to integrate academics within
career-technical education is the academy model: school-within-a-school (Model #6),
geared to a specific occupational cluster (e.g., health professions or technology).
Corporations or business organizations often sponsor and participate in career academies
(EdSource, 2005). Therefore, teachers in career academies must be willing to collaborate
with one another and with business partners who assist in planning curricula (Medrich,
Calderon, & Hoachlander, 2003). Career academies are designed to integrate classroom
24
instruction with work-based learning to equip students with skills for both workforce
entry and postsecondary admission (Medrich et al.).
The school-within-a-school model also facilitates curriculum integration though
back-to-back scheduling and looping. Back-to-back course scheduling provides time for
students to work in the lab and for teachers to team-teach (American Youth Policy
Forum, 2003). Benefits of career academies also come from looping. Looping is when
teachers stay with their students for more that two years (California Department of
Education, 2007).
A second method used by career academies for curriculum integration combines
vocational and academic teachers to enhance academic competencies in vocational
programs (Model #2). With this method, academic teachers work with vocational
teachers to integrate academic learning into vocational courses. An example would be a
math teacher helping the construction teacher to include more math problems in his/her
curriculum.
Finally, career academies have had success with curriculum integration through
horizontal curricular alignment (Model #4). Take two teachers working together to
develop and jointly teach an applied biology/chemistry course and a health occupations
course. When health occupation students study nutrition and the digestive system, they
perform experiments in biology/chemistry laboratories. For example, they may study the
energy released when the body burns certain foods; or use chromatography to separate
amino acids; or explore the effects of enzyme activity on various foods (American Youth
Policy Forum, 2003). In order for career academies to work, the research suggests
25
support from the school site and the district office is critical. School sites can help
facilitate the integration by scheduling common preparation periods for teachers. Support
from school districts for career academies typically comes though supplemental funding
for staff development.
In terms of impact, career academies in high schools have produced several
positive effects on students’ experiences and achievement (RAND, 2004). Kemple (1997)
completed the first random assignment evaluation of career academies, during which data
were gathered over a ten-year period. The evaluation found that career academies gave
students more personal support, career guidance, technical classes, and school-supervised
work experience than more traditional kinds of high schools. Subsequent studies
concluded that students in career academies were more likely to engage in career
development activities, and to work in jobs connected to school (Kemple, Poglinco, &
Snipes, 1999). Another study concluded that academies retained a large proportion of at-
risk students whose background characteristics made them more likely to drop out than
graduates (Kemple & Snipes, 2000). In addition, research found that career academies
have increased attendance; fewer behavioral problems; increased graduation rates for
both at-risk and other students and increased transition to postsecondary education and
training when compared to traditional schools (Stern, Dayton, & Raby, 2000; Stern &
Wing, 2004).
Tech Prep
Tech Prep is a school-to-work transition strategy, helping students make the
connection between school and employment. Tech Prep was first given emphasis in the
26
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990. Perkins III
defines Tech Prep as a program of study which: 1) combines two years of secondary
education with a minimum of two years postsecondary education in a non-duplicative,
sequential course of study; 2) integrates academic and career-technical instruction; 3)
provides technical preparation in a career field such as engineering; 4) builds competence
in math, science, reading and writing; 5) leads to an associate or baccalaureate degree
and; 6) leads to placement in appropriate employment.
In terms of curriculum integration, Tech Prep programs rely on making the
academic curriculum more vocationally relevant: academic teachers modify courses
(Model #3). Tech Prep also relies on vertical curriculum alignments (Model #4) in which
high schools work closely with local community colleges to vertically align the
curriculum when designing the students’ sequence of study and curricular requirements.
The Tech Prep curriculum focuses on grades nine through sixteen. Therefore,
implementation requires collaboration and regular communication with local community
colleges. Articulation agreements are an important part of Tech Prep and through these
agreements high schools are often asked to modify vocational courses in order to better
align the high school and community college curriculum (Model #1). For example, in a
recent articulation meeting between Glendale Community College and the Glendale
Unified School District, the college requested that Flash and DreamWeaver be added to a
computer class curriculum at the high school level so that students would be better
prepared for taking courses at the community college.
27
Overall student achievement has been difficult to establish in Tech Prep programs
because of the variety of programs implemented. As illustrated in the Final Report of the
National Tech Prep Evaluation (Hershey, Silverberg, Owens, & Husley, 1998), the local
consortia emphasized different elements of Tech Prep. Only about 10 percent created
structured, career-focused, comprehensive programs that integrated academic and career
technical courses, moved to broadly define career clusters or majors, and grouped student
together for career and academic classes. Other Tech Prep consortia enhanced existing
high school vocational programs or advanced just one ingredient of Tech Prep, such as
developing an articulation agreement with a community college or promoting more
applied instruction with academic teachers.
High Schools That Work
High Schools That Work (HSTW) is a comprehensive school reform model
developed by the Southern Regional Education Board in 1987 to improve the academic
achievement of career-technical education students. The model requires students to
combine a prescribed series of college preparatory courses with a career “major.” High
Schools That Work have a network of 1,100 schools in 27 states.
HSTW programs apply five of the curriculum integration techniques described by
Grubb et al. (1991; see p. 22). The HSTW programs have “occupational majors program”
(Model #8). In addition, HSTW are occupational and magnet high schools that act as self-
contained schools with vocational and academic teachers focusing on specific
occupational areas (Model #7). The HSTW programs also incorporate more academic
28
content into career-technical education courses, such as having students use academic
concepts or ideas in carrying out career related projects (Model #1; Frome, 2001).
The fourth integration technique that HSTW programs feature is curriculum
alignment (Model #4), both horizontal and vertical. Often this requires teachers, within
and across departments, to select one or more academic or technical concepts/skills to
emphasize in their courses over a period of time. To carry this out effectively the research
suggests the need for large blocks of instructional time and joint planning time for
teachers (Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory [NWREL], 2004).
Finally, a series of interdisciplinary approaches are used in HSTW to foster
curriculum integration. Examples of interdisciplinary approaches include team short-term
and long-term projects, thematic projects, and thematic units. Exemplar projects enable
students to plan, design, and build complex products, such as a solar car, a robot, or even
a house; teacher as well student collaboration are the features. The interdisciplinary
approaches combine vocational and academic teachers to enhance academic
competencies in vocational programs (Model #2; NWREL, 2004)
As typically implemented, administrators and teachers associated with HSTW
participate annually in a minimum of four days of staff development. In addition, staff
members participate in the HSTW National Summer Conference (Southern Regional
Education Board, 1998). The HSTW program requires staff to document that a minimum
of 66 % of the faculty support involvement in the HSTW network and agree to
implement key HSTW practices (Southern Regional Education Board, 1998).
29
As described earlier, the Southern Regional Education Board collects evaluation
data from several sources, including twelfth grade academic achievement tests and
surveys of classroom activities, and uses those data to guide the development of better
classroom practices and instructional strategies (American Youth Policy Forum, 2003).
Students in HSTW programs have demonstrated achievement in the areas of reading,
math and science (Bottoms, 1997; Frome, 2001; Kaufman, Bradby, & Teitelbaum, 2000).
Work-Based Learning (WBL)
Work-based learning (WBL) combines structured work experience in private and
public sector settings outside of school with classroom-based academic instruction and
career interests (American Youth Policy Forum, 2003). Work-based learning can take the
form of an apprenticeship, internship, mentorship, school enterprise or cooperative
education. Apprenticeships and internships that combine classroom instruction with
work-based learning provide an important avenue to careers (U.S. Department of
Education, 2003). Curriculum integration within WBL programs was stressed in the
federal School-to-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA) of 1994. In STWOA, WBL was
defined as integrating academic and vocational courses to focus on a career area or
industry with links to postsecondary education (Imel, 1999).
The STWOA programs placed students at actual jobs in authentic workplaces
though internships and apprenticeships. Students return to school when they complete a
series of assignments to help them apply academic skills to what they were learning in
the field. Bob Briggs, a high school WBL program coordinator, received funding under
the STWOA legislation to help with curriculum integration.
30
We created assignments that applied skills learned in the classroom to the needs
of the workplace. For example, if a student was in an internship at an accounting
firm, we worked with the computer teacher to access and practice with the
accounting software and ten-key skills. (Briggs, personal communication, June
16, 2006)
Internships and apprenticeships often take the form of senior projects (Model #5).
The seniors replace an elective with a WBL activity that encompasses multiple academic
disciplines. Imel (1999) also noted that internships and apprenticeships helped students
explore career possibilities and clarify personal goals.
Another integration technique used by WBL programs is the school-based
enterprise concept (Model #8) which is built around an occupational cluster. The school-
based enterprise calls for students to take a specific series of classes designed around a
business to help them prepare for the world of work.
Implementation of WBL programs is complex. Teachers hired to run WBL
programs usually need a background in business and a practical understanding of
curriculum integration. In addition, proper site placement and communication with the
business are necessary to the success of WBL programs.
Placing students in work environments and leaving them to their own devices will
not engender a positive learning experience: The students must be monitored and
supported so that they understand the criteria by which their work is assessed and
receive continual feedback on their performance. (Office of Educational
Research, 1998, p. 68)
Table 1 lists the eight models described by Grubb et al. (1991) and includes which
are used by the four different programs: Career Academies, Tech Prep, High Schools
That Work and Work-Based-Learning described above. The intent of this research was
31
to determine if the promising practices investigated used any of the following eight
models.
Table 1: Models of Curriculum Integration as Defined by Grubb et al. (1991) as Applied
to Four Programs
Model and description
Career
academies
Tech prep
High Schools
That Work
Work-
based
learning
1) Incorporating more academic
content in vocational courses:
vocational teachers made changes to
vocational courses.
XXXX XXXX
2) Combining vocational and
academic teachers to enhance
academic competencies in vocational
programs: academic teachers worked
with vocation teachers to enhance
learning in vocational courses.
XXXX XXXX
3) Making the academic curriculum
more vocationally relevant: academic
teachers modified courses.
XXXX
4) Curricular alignment: both
horizontal and vertical.
XXXX XXXX XXXX
5) The senior project as a form of
integration: seniors replaced
electives with a project involving
multiple disciplines.
XXXX
6) The academy model: school-
within-a-school, often geared to a
specific occupational cluster.
XXXX
7) Occupational high schools and
magnet schools: self-contained
schools with vocational and
academic teachers focusing on
specific occupational areas.
XXXX
32
Table 1, Continued
Model and description
Career
academies
Tech prep
High Schools
That Work
Work-
based
learning
8) Occupational clusters, career
paths, and occupational majors:
coherent sequences of courses geared
to preparing students for selected
occupations, alignment and
collaboration.
XXXX XXXX
Barriers to Implementation of Curriculum Integration
Given the low status of vocational education among the public and the fact that
vocational and academic educators seldom interact (much less collaborate), spreading
reform based on curriculum integration has been slow (Stone, 2002). By 1997, a survey
of comprehensive high schools reported that although the faculties of 90% of the high
schools surveyed attended professional development sessions on curriculum integration,
only 45% had implemented such curricula (Levesque, Lauren, Teitelbaum, Alt, & Librea,
2000). Research further indicated that efforts at integration appeared to be more
successful at the structural level that at the curricular level. Case studies provided little
evidence of widespread adoption of curriculum integration within a school, because
teachers did not have access to support, joint planning time and professional
development, to name a few (RAND, 2004).
All four of the programs discussed above focused on integrating academics into
career-technical education programs. However, the impact of implementation has been
33
limited largely due to barriers in traditional public schools. “As a major reform,
integration requires a great deal of capital building in both the development of
appropriate curricular material and the training of teachers” (RAND, 1994, p. 2). Often,
teachers lacked the time and support to tailor curriculum to meet the needs of specific
student groups (RAND). In addition, student scheduling was often a major logistical
roadblock to reform, especially at large high schools (American Youth Policy Forum,
2003).
Research by the State Center Consortium (1995) on curriculum integration listed
potential barriers to integrating academic and career-technical education. The barriers
included: 1) Administrative support, 2) common planning time, 3) resources for
professional development and 4) teacher preparation time.
The teacher scheduling and teacher apathy were additional barriers to curriculum
integration. So, for example, site administrators may schedule a career-technical
instructor who is not qualified to teach academic content at a time when schedule
conflicts to not allow for teacher collaboration (EdSource, 2005). Some teachers did not
want to collaborate and were only interested in following union guidelines (Castellano,
Stringfield, & Stone, 2001), which made joint planning difficult. Absent the structural
supports, curriculum integration efforts tended to be haphazard and dependent on
individual teacher initiative (Castellano et al.). Of the four models reviewed in this
chapter, the research indicated that career academies and other smaller learning
communities appeared to provide the best environment for the design and delivery of
34
integrated curriculum (Johnson, Charner, & White, 2003). The intent of this research
was to look for common barriers and investigate how the barriers were overcome.
Conclusion
Much of the existing research on career-technical education focused on four
programs that implemented the various techniques of curriculum integration. However,
little systematic information was available to help guide curriculum integration efforts
(RAND, 2004). To help fill the knowledge gap, this study examined two charter high
schools to determine how they used the models to integrate academics with career
technical education. This chapter described the models used by Career Academies,
HSTW, Tech Prep and WBL programs and how the models lead to improved student
achievement. In addition, the study will examine the impact of the barriers that prevent
the integration of academics into career-technical education and how they were
overcome. As noted earlier, the study is especially timely and relevant: Perkins IV
legislation requires that schools describe, in detail, how they plan to integrate academics
into vocational programs. In Chapter 3 the research design and data collection
instruments are described.
35
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODS
Introduction
The purpose of this study was to investigate the promising practices of integrating
academics into career-technical education curriculum in two California charter schools.
This chapter describes the research methods. First, the research design and research
questions are explained, and then the sample selection is described. Finally, the data
collection process, data collection instruments and data analysis techniques are presented.
Research Design and Research Questions
This study was designed to explore programs that integrate academics with
career-technical education and the unit of analysis was the promising practice. This study,
which focused on implementation strategies, was guided by the following four research
questions:
1. How do charter schools integrate academics with career-technical education
programs to improve student achievement?
2. How are resources used to integrate academics with career-technical
education programs?
3. What challenges have charter schools faced integrating academics with
career-technical education programs and how were they addressed?
4. What evidence exist that the integration of academics with career-technical
education has resulted in positive educational outcomes?
36
This study was intended to collect and disseminate information on how to
implement the promising practice. The study utilized qualitative methods to identify and
analyze promising practices in two California charter schools. The qualitative methods
used included interviews, classroom observations, staff development observations, and
document analysis. The descriptive case study was the primary research method. A case
study is an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its
real-life context and is especially appropriate when the boundaries between the
phenomenon under study and context are not clearly evident (Yin, 2003). Merriam (1998)
states that a case study should be descriptive, such that “the end product of a case study is
a rich, thick, description of the phenomenon under study” (p. 25).
The case study design was chosen for several reasons. The present study was
designed to uncover how the promising practices were implemented rather than to test
hypotheses or draw causal inferences. Kenny and Grotelueschen (1984) detailed how
case study methods are appropriate when the objective is to develop a better
understanding of the dynamics of a program. As a result, fields such as sociology and
education are well suited for the case study design. A case study “tends to spread the net
for evidence widely” (Merriam, 1998, p. 35). In addition, using multiple case studies
allowed for the deliberate selection of diverse cases rather than random ones. Multiple
case studies can increase the external validity of the findings as well as enhancing the
generalizabilty of results (Yin, 2003). This method was employed in the present study
where two California charter schools were purposefully selected, as will be discussed
later in this chapter.
37
This study was designed to benefit others by disseminating the findings through
the online USC Compendium of Promising Practices. Merriam (1998) explains:
“Educational processes, problems, and programs can be examined to bring about
understanding that, in turn, can influence, perhaps even improve, practice. Case study
research has proven particularly useful for studying educational innovations, for
evaluating programs, and for informing policy” (p. 41). Innovations were the focus of the
present study.
Eisner & Peskin (1990) suggested three strengths of a case study design: 1)
accessibility, 2) decreased defensiveness and 3) seeing through the eyes of the researcher.
Accessibility refers to the notion that case studies give the reader access to experiences,
situations, and interactions. Decreased defensiveness occurs as the reader takes in the
presented information vicariously. This approach is often more acceptable than direct
presentation of data, which can cause one to be defensive. Finally, the subjective bias of
the researcher can lead to case studies that oversimplify or exaggerate a situation. This, in
turn, can lead the reader to misinterpret what is happening (Guba & Lincoln, 1981).
Merriam (1998) offers the following suggestions in order to limit researcher bias: The
qualitative researcher must have a tolerance for ambiguity, be sensitive to the context and
all the variables with it, and must be a good communicator.
Weaknesses of the Case Study Approach
Reliability. Reliability is one of the limitations of case study research. According
to Merriam (1998) there are three techniques to help ensure that the results are reliable: 1)
the investigator’s position, 2) triangulation and 3) an audit trail. All three of these
38
techniques were used in the current study. For example, findings were triangulated across
multiple data sources. In addition, according to Tellis (1997), one of the most important
methods in qualitative research is the development of the case study protocol. The
protocols for this case study were originally developed by the first cohort of Ed. D.
students (2005) and then refined by the members of the current thematic dissertation
group. The protocols were intended to help researchers: 1) remaining focused on the
targeted subject of the case study and 2) anticipate possible problems (Yin, 2003).
Validity. A second limitation of case study research is validity. Triangulation
across multiple sources of data can help avoid possible problems of construct validity
because multiple sources of evidence essentially provide multiple measures of the same
phenomenon (Yin, 2003). The sources that were triangulated for this study included
interviews with teacher and administrators, classroom observations and document
analysis. The interviews provided information with regard to the perceptions of
implementation issues related to academic integration. The observations provided an
analysis of the actual implementation of CTE integration as a teaching and learning tool.
Document analysis helped compare the school’s stated approach to CTE integration with
the enacted curriculum.
Generalizability. According to Erickson (1986) generalizability is not appropriate
for interpretive research, such as case studies:
The search is not for abstract universals arrived at by statistical generalizations
from a sample to a population, but for concrete universals arrived at by studying a
specific case in great detail and then comparing it with other cases studied in
equally great detail. (p. 130)
39
These concrete universals are exactly what the research is trying to extrapolate from the
data. The goal of this research was to provide information so other schools can
implement and benefit from the promising practice of CTE integration.
Data Collection Processes and Procedures
As stated in Chapter 1, this study was part of a thematic dissertation group. The
group consisted of eight Ed.D students from the Rossier School of Education at the
University of Southern California, which formed to study promising practices in
California charter schools. As noted, the shared protocols used for this research were
originally developed by the previous dissertation group from USC and were updated and
revised by the current group of students. The results of the research will be incorporated
into USC’s web-based Compendium of Promising Practices, which is housed at the
University of Southern California’s Center on Educational Governance. The content of
the compendium served to guide data collection. The types of data collected are specified
in Appendix A, which lists the compendium contents.
Selection of Study Participants
Nomination process. During the spring of 2007, the thematic dissertation group
developed an advertisement to encourage nominations of California charter schools with
promising practices in the eight areas under investigation (See Appendix B). The areas
included: 1) adult mentoring of at-risk students; 2) increasing redesignation rates of
English language learners; 3) integrating academics into career-technical education; 4)
school leaders’ use of data for planning; 5) teacher evaluations; 6) use of technology to
increase parent involvement; 7) use of school time; and 8) writing across the curriculum.
40
The advertisement was placed in The Charter Journal in June 2007 and was also posted
on the CEG Web-site. The Charter Journal is a quarterly publication of the California
Charter Schools Association (CCSA) with 11,000 subscribers nationally. The
advertisement requested nominations of charter schools in the eight areas previously
mentioned. The Charter Journal ad was followed by an e-Blast from CCSA to its charter
school listserv on July 11, 2007. The electronic mail listserv reached about 4,000 people
who had request information about charter schools from the Association.
In a final attempt to solicit nominations, dissertation group members requested
nominations by contacting charter school experts in California at the California Charter
Schools Association, the California Department of Education Charter School Division,
and the Charter Schools Development Center. Finally, researchers added their own
nominations, based on research and knowledge of their promising practice.
Individuals who nominated schools completed a nomination form on the CEG
Web site (See Appendix C). Information submitted on the nomination form included the
objective/goal of the promising practice, the length of implementation, a summary of the
promising practice, and positive changes associated with the promising practice. The total
number of nominations received for promising practices in the area of CTE curriculum
integration was seven.
Screening criteria and selection process. A screening process was conducted in
order to choose the final two charter schools from among the seven nominated schools.
The criteria used for selection were: 1) The promising practice had to be in operation at
least one year; 2) demonstrate innovativeness; 3) show evidence of positive outcomes;
41
and 4) have potential for replication. Additional factors considered in choosing the school
sample included, information from the nomination form about the promising practice,
information from the schools’ web sites and student achievement data from the California
Department of Education. Increased weight was also given to charter schools outside the
Los Angeles area in order to expand the scope of the study. Additional weight was given
to practices that demonstrated links to research and literature in their nominations. Once
the two charter schools were chosen, a pre-site interview (See Appendix D) was
conducted with each school principal. The interviews were conducted in October 2007
and were each about ten minutes in length. During the interview, the principal was
introduced to the research project and the data collection process was explained. The
principal was asked to nominate administrators and teachers for interviews. The
interviews were scheduled by the principal using a scheduling grid (See Appendix J),
which was then faxed back to the researcher once a date for the site visit was confirmed.
Site Visits
The site visit to each school was conducted by the researcher. The two-day visit to
Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School was conducted on November
5 and 6, 2007, and the two-day visit to the Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter
School took place during November 26 and 27, 2007. During the site visits, information
was collected from the principal, the promising practice lead, and classroom teachers.
Observations of classrooms were also conducted. Interviews were conducted with key
stakeholders because they are one of the most important sources of case study
information (Tellis, 1997). The case study interviews were guided conversations, rather
42
than structured queries typical of the survey method (Yin, 2003). Interviews were usually
conducted at the convenience of the interviewees, during school hours and after school.
Interviews were usually conducted one-on-one with the researcher and were tape
recorded. Interviews subsequently were transcribed and the transcriptions were then
coded for data analysis, which is discussed later in the chapter.
Principal Interview
An on-site interview was conducted first with the principal of each charter school
to uncover the theory of action leading to the promising practice and to assist the
researcher in gaining and understanding the school’s vision with respect to the practice.
The title of the leader of Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High was Director, and
will be referred to as Director for this study. The instrument used for the
director/principal interview was a semi-structured protocol, which was developed
collaboratively by doctoral students (See Appendix E). The protocol focused on a variety
of issues related to the history, rationale and implementation of the promising practice.
The two on-site director/principal interviews lasted approximately 60 minutes each.
Promising Practice Lead Interview
The person identified by the principal as being primarily responsible for the
implementation of the career-technical education integration was interviewed. The
promising practice lead interviews lasted approximately 45 minutes. The lead teacher at
Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High was the school’s curriculum advisor, whose
official title is Emperor of Rigor. At Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter School, the
promising practice lead interview was conducted with the team teacher with the greatest
43
seniority. Similar to the principal interview, the promising practice lead interview was a
semi-structured protocol (See Appendix F). The purpose of the lead interview was to
develop a deep understanding of the processes each school engaged in to implement the
integration of academics into career-technical education, including teacher training and
curriculum development.
Teacher Interviews
In many integrated programs, the career-technical education teacher may be
joined with an academic teacher to develop integrated lesson plans. The English, Math
and Science team teachers were interviewed at each school, along with the CTE teacher.
The teacher interviews lasted approximately 30-40 minutes, and included 25 questions
(See Appendix G). The main focus of the interview was to learn how instruction was
influenced by integration of academics into career-technical education and how the
teaching teams worked together.
Classroom Observations
Classroom observations were conducted in the classrooms of the teachers
interviewed at each charter school. Each classroom observation lasted between 60 and 75
minutes and was guided by an observation protocol. The observation protocol enabled the
researcher to view the actual implementation of the promising practice of academic
integration in the classroom (See Appendix H). The protocol focused on a series of issues
related to the classroom environment and implementation of the academic lesson. Since
the intricacies of CTE integration are often hard to describe, Patton (1987) recommends
direct observations to help validate what is learned during interviews.
44
Document Analysis
In order to improve the researcher’s understanding of CTE integration at each
charter school, a series of documents were obtained. These documents were collected
from the principal, the office manager and the teachers who were interviewed. Yin (2003)
explains that for case studies, documents are important because they help to corroborate
and augment evidence from other sources. For example, documents are helpful in
verifying correct spellings, pointing out contradictions and making inferences. The
researcher obtained the following documents from each charter school: the school’s
charter, staff and student handbooks, meeting schedules, and descriptions of classroom
curricula (See Appendix I). Since the researcher was unable to witness the
implementation of integration of academics into career-technical education over a long
period of time, the documents provided a context for interpreting the findings.
Data Analysis
As noted earlier, the tape recordings from the interviews were transcribed and
coded. The coding system was guided by the four research questions and were analyzed
for “themes and recurring patterns of meaning” (Merriam, 1998, p. 160). A code captures
a “chunk of data” that has the capacity to remain meaningful when decontextualized from
the whole. A theme takes a code and gives it shape. In the present study, codes were
derived from themes relevant to each research question. The research questions and
themes are listed in Table 2, which follows. For example, in researching about resources
needed to implement the promising practice, findings were chunked into those related to
budget, staffing, facilities/space and professional development.
Table 2: Triangulation Across Data Sources
Data sources (people or documents)
Principal
Nomination
form
PSI OSI
Promising
practice
lead
Teachers
Classroom
observations
Staff
meeting
observations
Documents
Type of collection D I I I I O FG D
1. How do charter schools integrate academics
with career-technical education programs to
improve student achievement?
Description of promising practice X X X X
Goal of program X X X X
Theory of action: how did you think this
practice would lead in increased student
achievement?
X X
History X X X X X
2. How are resources used to integrate
academics with career-
technical education programs?
Time (start-up/planning time; time PP has
been in place)
X X X
Budget X X X
Staffing (level and type of staffing
expertise needed)
X X X X
Other: Resources used by mentors X X
Facility/space X X X
45
Table 2, Continued
Data sources (people or documents)
Principal
Nomination
form
PSI OSI
Promising
practice
lead
Teachers
Classroom
observations
Staff
meeting
observations
Documents
Lessons learned: next steps for
sustainability
X X X X X
Professional development & training X X X X X X
Guiding documents X X X X
3. What challenges have charter schools faced
when integrating academics with career-
technical education programs and how were
they addressed?
Implementation/Lessons learned:
challenges
X X X X X X
Lessons learned: next steps for
sustainability?
X X X X X
4. What evidence exists that the integrations
of academics with career-technical education
has resulted in positive educational outcomes?
Evidence of impact X X X X X
Lessons learned: benefits, contributing
success factors
X X X X X X
46
47
Information about the history of the promising practice, for instance, was
provided on the nomination form and also collected during interviews with the principal
and promising practice lead. Further, school documents were collected during the site
visit in which the charter school’s experience and history with the promising practice was
described.
Triangulating across data sources is an approach that is strongly recommended in
case study research to improve validity. Garson (2002) states:
Because case study dissertations seek to provide theoretical or policy insight
based on a small number of cases or even on a single case, a triangulation
approach to validation is strongly recommended. Such a rigorous approach
involves a multi-method design in which key constructs and processes are traced
using more than a single methodology. (p. 6)
As apparent in Table 2, the study was designed to include multi-methods of data
collection. Table 2 demonstrates how data was triangulated across informational sources.
Summary
This chapter described the research methods utilized in the study. The research
methods include a description of the research design, data collection and explanation of
the data analysis process. In Chapter 4, the research findings related to each of the two
California charter schools are presented.
48
CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS
Introduction
The purpose of the present study was to investigate promising practices that
integrate academics with career-technical education. As established in Chapter 3,
qualitative case studies were conducted at two California charters schools to investigate
implementation of a promising practice. Interviews, observations, and document analysis
were used to gain insight into program implementation and to share the promising practice
through the USC Compendium of Promising Practices sponsored by the Center on
Educational Governance. Each site visit lasted two days. The visitation to the Gary and
Jerri-Anne Jacobs High Tech High Charter School occurred on November 5 and 6, 2007,
and the visitation to Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter School occurred on
November 26 and 27,
2007.
This chapter is divided into two sections that present the research findings from the
Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School (Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs
High Tech High) and from Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter School (Yuba County
Career Prep). Each section begins with background information about the school, followed
by a description of the promising practice. Next, the theory of action and the goal of the
promising practice are discussed. Finally, each section provides implementation details,
including resource requirements and recommended resources for others interested in
replicating the promising practice for school improvement.
49
High Tech High Charter School
Introduction to the School
The Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High is a charter school within the San
Diego Unified School District. It is a start-up charter school that was founded by a group
of families, business people, and educators who believed that San Diego needed more
schooling options for students with specific career interests. As a result, the group of
stakeholders invented the idea of blending traditional college aligned classes with a focus
on career-technical education. The San Diego Unified School District (SDUD) authorized
the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High as a career based charter school in 1999.
The vision of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High School is to offer all
students a rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum and real-world work experience
which prepares them to be successful citizens in 21
st
century America (High Tech High
Charter, revised 2007). Currently, the school serves approximately 1564 high school (9-
12) students at five high school sites: Three high schools are located in the Point Loma
Village, one is located in San Marcos, and the other is located in Chula Vista, California.
The San Marcos and Chula Vista sites were charted by the State Board of Education. The
Point Loma Village site includes the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High, High
Tech High International, and High Tech High Media Arts. Students must apply to the
schools and are selected through a lottery process. Interviews and observations for this
research were conducted at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High facility. At
present the ethnicity of the student body is 43% White, 28% Hispanic, 11% African
American, 8% Asian, 8% Filipino, 1% Native American 1% and 1% Pacific Islander.
50
Table 3 provides a summary of the school demographics and charter status.
Table 3: Profile of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School:
Summary of School Demographics
Variable Descriptor
Charter status Start-up
Charter authorizer San Diego Unified School District
Year chartered 1999
Year opened for operation with students 2000
Students served: current 490
Students served: projected 500
Student population 490
Ethnicity
African American 11% (53)
Asian 8% (39)
Hispanic 28% (137)
White 43% (210)
Native American 1% (5)
Pacific Islander 1% (4)
Filipino 8% (40)
Multiple/No response 0%
Special populations
Free/reduced lunch 20% (98)
Students with disabilities 9% (44)
English language leaners 3% (15)
Full-time administrators 16
Teachers 69
Teachers in a collective bargaining unit? No
51
Table 3, Continued
Variable Descriptor
Per-pupil spending $7,516
School address 2861 Womble Road, San Diego, CA 92106
Type of school Site-based
Contact information Director: Brett Peterson
(619) 243-5000
Web site www.hightechhigh.org
Description of the Promising Practice: The Academic Internship
The Academic Internship at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High is
designed as a work-site internship with an academic component. The internship is designed
to meet student needs and interest through the 650 possible work-site placements. Students
on internship are supported by the internship coordinator, the site mentor, and the core
academic teacher.
The Academic Internship is taken during the 11
th
grade year and this is the sixth
year of implementation. There are approximately 130 juniors at each of the three high
school High Tech High campuses. Sixty five juniors will be on internships in the fall and
sixty five will be on internships in the spring. Juniors leave school on Tuesday and
Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. for their internship destinations. Each student must complete 140
hours of internship per semester to receive credit, which is recorded on the school
transcripts.
52
On Tuesday and Thursday, each internship student spends between three and four
hours a day at the internship. While the juniors are on internship, the rest of the school is in
an elective period called X block. The X block includes activities such as yoga, climbing,
and tutoring. Junior core academic teachers responsible for interns do not teach X block.
This time allows academic teachers to visit interns at their work sites (Director, personal
communication, November 6, 2007).
Internship coordinator role in the academic internship. The internship coordinator,
which is a full time position, is responsible for placing each student at a business and
following-up to make sure the needs of the business and needs of the student are being
met. The internship coordinator also solicits new business sites for possible internships.
The internship coordinator visits the intern at the work-site and helps the student with
written assignments and the end of the year presentation. The internship coordinator is
responsible for communication and feedback between the student, teacher, parent, and
mentor.
Core academic teacher role in the academic internship. The core academic teacher
is responsible for trying to connect the classroom curriculum to the internship by
designing curriculum around the core assignments and making internships a reflective,
project based experience (Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High, n.d.). As
mentioned, the core academic teacher does not teach X block, which allows them to visit
the site. The site visits gives teachers an opportunity to see the work-site, in order to
understand the experiences of the intern and to adapt the curriculum to the site projects.
For example, during a classroom observation the teacher mentioned that he had a number
53
of students in the class doing internship in the biotech field. During the lesson the teacher
spent time demonstrating correct pipette usage and protocol. He reminded students that
correct pipette usage is very important for students working on academic internships with
biotech companies. Additionally, the teacher explained how the skill is necessary for
being employed in the biotech field (Classroom Observation, Appendix K)
The academic core teacher is also responsible for grading journal entries. “We turn
to the junior core academic teachers to support the students academically, in those classes;
they’re the ones collecting the journal entries and they’re the ones who are trying to
connect their curriculum with the actual internship itself” (Director, personal
communication, November 6, 2007).
Mentor role in the academic internship. The mentor is responsible for supervising
the student for a maximum of four hours every Tuesday and Thursday and for working
with the student to plan a project that helps the business or organization (Gary and Jerri-
Ann Jacobs High Tech High, n.d.). In addition, the mentor at the work-site is responsible
for student performance at the work site. The mentor assigns tasks for the student and
gives feedback to the internship coordinator regarding student performance. The mentor
is responsible for completing the High Tech High Intern Performance Review (Appendix
N). The mentor is also responsible for completing a program called Coffee Talk with the
student. Coffee Talk is a time where the intern actually sits down with the mentor,
preferably outside the workplace, and has an interview. The student will ask a series of
questions like: How did you get started? Where did you go to school? What are some of
the benefits of your job? During the interview the mentor sheds the professional side and
54
connects with the intern on a more personal level (Director, personal communication,
November 6, 2007).
Student role in the academic internship. Along with work-site responsibilities the
student is responsible for completing a series of documents and reports during the course
of the internship. These documents and reports include completing the intern profile for
placement, work-site reports, classroom assignments related to the internship and the
year-end presentation. The students are also responsible for getting to the work-site on
time and notifying the work-site should an absence occur.
Director role in the academic internship. The role of the school Director is to
support the internship coordinator by making the job as efficient as possible. The Director
assists the coordinator by helping with parents, finding new internship opportunities, and
creating time so the coordinator can grow professionally (Director, personal
communication, November 6, 2007).
Theory of Action of the Academic Internship
The theory of action contends that the Academic Internship leads to
personalization, adult world connections, and a common intellectual mission, which in
turn leads to strengthening the academic base of work-related skills and to provide a
context and motivation for learning academic skills. Figure 2, below, illustrates how the
Academic Internship can lead to improved student achievement.
55
Personalization
Adult World Connection
Common Intellectual
Mission
Strengthening
the academic
base of work-
related skills
and to
provide a
context and
motivation
for learning
academic
skills
Improved student achievement
Academic Internship
Figure 2: Theory of action—How the Academic Internship at High Tech High leads to
improved student achievement.
Goal of the Academic Internship
The main goal of the Academic Internship is to improve student achievement by
integrating a technical and academic education to prepare students for post-secondary
education in both the high tech and liberal arts fields (High Tech High, n.d.b). This goal
provides students with workplace skills through project-based learning in a real-world
environment. Additionally, the program is designed to provide local organizations with a
well-supported intern who provides a modest return on the investment. This goal is
achieved though the three High Tech High Design Principals: Personalization, Adult World
Connection, and Common Intellectual Mission (High Tech High, n.d.a).
Personalization is important because it puts the student at the center of education. It
allows students a chance to connect with the curriculum in a manner that is tailored to each
56
student’s personal interests. According to Cheng (2002), students’ learning should meet
their needs and personal characteristics, and develop their potentials particularly
contextualized multiple intelligence in an optimal way. The Gary and Jerri-Anne Jacobs
High Tech High personalizes the Academic Internship by placing students at work-sites of
their choice and providing an internship coordinator to help with questions or problems.
Making adult world connections happens when students experience education
outside the classroom walls (High Tech High, n.d.a). Adult world connections allow
students to network and meet adults outside of their normal social circles. Research
indicates that a significant correlation exists between a student’s social network and their
motivation to pursue education and careers in the technology industry (Kearney, 2002).
In addition to making adult world connections, students at Gary and Jerri-Ann
Jacobs High Tech High are involved in a rigorous curriculum. Rigor in all classes is the
common intellectual mission for the school. Efforts are made to assure the curriculum is
challenging in both the academic and vocational programs. “The key to this design
principle is that all students are placed in classes together—there is no tracking in our
sites based on perceived ability. We do not offer AP classes or IB, rather projects and
work is designed to challenge each student” (Director of Policy and Research, personal
communication, July 8, 2008).
The Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High makes no distinction between
“college prep" and "technical" education; the program qualifies all students for both
college and success in the world of work (High Tech High, n.d.a). A rigorous curriculum
enhances greater skill development in the workforce and predicts greater wage-earning
57
potential. An extensive study conducted by the Educational Testing Service found that 84
percent of highly paid professionals and 61 percent of “well-paid, white-collar”
professionals had taken Algebra II or higher level mathematics courses, while only 30
percent of low-to-moderately skilled and low-paid workers had done so (American
Diploma Project, 2007).
Implementation of the Promising Practice
History of the Promising Practice
The concept of the Academic Internship was formed long before the opening of
Gary and Jerri-Anne Jacobs High Tech High. The Emperor of Rigor and the CEO of the
school began working together on internships in 1991, as teachers in the Cambridge
Polaroid Technical Internship Program (Teacher, personal communication, November 6,
2007). The Emperor of Rigor has worked as a teacher, trainer, and program developer for
over 35 years. As a teacher in the Cambridge, Massachusetts public schools, he
developed an award-winning writing center and two innovative school-to-career
programs: the Cambridge-Polaroid Technical Internship Program and the Cambridge-
Lesley Careers in Education Program. He was named National School to Work
Practitioner of the Year in 1994. From 1996-99 he directed the New Urban High School
project, a joint initiative of the Big Picture Company and the U.S. Department of
Education. For several years, as a faculty member of the Harvard Graduate School of
Education, he led the practicum seminar for Harvard’s student teachers. He was a
founding staff member of the Tennessee Governor’s Academy for Teachers of Writing,
and a Lead Founder of the Community Charter School of Cambridge, MA. His
58
publications include several articles on high school humanities and two books: Schooling
for the Real World: The Essential Guide to Rigorous and Relevant Learning, with Adria
Steinberg and Kathleen Cushman, and Seeing the Future: A Planning Guide for High
Schools.
The CEO of the school taught carpentry for eleven years, after law school, in
urban high schools in Boston and Cambridge. He served as staff attorney for two years at
the Harvard Center for Law and Education, and was a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate
School of Education for five years. He was principal of the Rindge School of Technical
Arts, and of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. He directed the federal New Urban
High School Project, was president of the Price Charitable Fund, and is the founding
principal of High Tech High in San Diego. His program, “CityWorks”, won the Ford
Foundation Innovations in State and Local Government Award in 1992, and he is an
Ashoka Fellow (Director of Policy and Research, personal communication, July 8, 2008).
These two successful educators began studying different types of internships as
part of the New Urban High School Project in the mid 1990s, mentioned earlier. The
New Urban High School Project was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office
of Vocational and Adult Education. The intent of the project was to find schools that had
restructured what and how they taught so that learning was relevant and all students were
prepared for college and career opportunities:
We went around the country trying to find six inner city schools that were doing
Perkins, school to work reform, as a lever for whole school change. It was very
hard to find such schools but we found a little here, a little there, and we
developed some design principles out of it. But everywhere we went, where kids
were in internship programs, where the academics were connected to them, the
kids were going to college at about an 85 percent rate, as opposed to about a 75
59
percent rate for the kids who were in the college prep tracks in the same high
schools. The paradox was that school to work is better college prep than college
prep. (Emperor of Rigor, personal communication, November 5, 2007)
With this commitment to workplace internships, the founders of the Gary and
Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High wrote the internship component into the school’s
original charter in 1998. The Academic Internship has been in place for eight years. The
Internships have always been a part of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High
culture. “Internship was part of the original conversation and it has been with us since the
very beginning” (Director, personal communication, November 6, 2007).
One of the initial changes to the Academic Internship was in the title of the
activity. It was originally called the Academic Internship Program. The staff members of
the school agreed that the Academic Internship was essential and important to the school.
The word “program” was removed because “when we say program, that kind of seemed
to minimize its importance” (Emperor of Rigor, personal communication, November 5,
2007).
Lessons Learned About the Promising Practice
In the early years of the internship, there were a number of difficulties
implementing the practice, especially in the area of personalization. Initially, the students
were not paired with core academic teachers, but rather with any teacher. As a result, it
was difficult for teachers to align academic curriculum with the internship. According to
the director, this problem occurred because “the easiest thing logistically was to assign a
teacher and be done with it” (Director, personal communication, November 6, 2007). As
a result, the school changed its policy and now divides the internships by subject matter
60
to help personalize the experience. “If the students are going out at a biotechnology firm
then they will be paired with a biotechnology teacher. This is done to strengthen the
connections between the classroom and the work-site” (Director, personal
communication, November 6, 2007).
Another lesson learned in the area of personalization was the importance of the
mentors. Originally, some students went in a group to their internship. In many cases
there would be three to four students per mentor. The school decided that the mentorship
should be one-on-one, in order to personalize the experience. The school no longer works
with businesses that cannot provide one mentor per student. As an example, “Qualcomm
has about ten kids working there. But they have ten mentors, one mentor per student”
(Emperor of Rigor, personal communication, November 5, 2007).
The final lesson learned in the area of personalization was placing students
randomly at work-sites. Often, the needs of the students and the needs of the companies
did not match. As a result, the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High contracted
with MANPOWER Inc. to help schedule interviews between students and prospective
companies in order to make the appropriate pairing. Teachers believe that the interview
process is beneficial to students because it allows them the opportunity to meet the
prospective mentors and discuss the worksite responsibilities.
I think the practice of having internship interviews is really important so the
students can see if they are a good match. We encourage students to interview the
prospective mentor so that the students know what the internship entails before
committing to it. (Teacher, personal communication, November 6, 2007)
In addition to personalization, there were a number of difficulties in the area of
making real world connections. In the first three years of the Academic Internship, the
61
responsibility to organize the internships fell under the obligations of the Vice Principal.
However, the school realized that the job of coordinating the Academic Internships
needed to be a full-time position in order to help the students connect with their mentor
and core academic teachers. Helping students make connections with adults is the
primary function of the internship coordinator.
We discovered that if you want a bona fide internship program that is central to
your school, it can’t just be this little program on the side. We realized that we
need one person who can devote 100% of his or her time to the internship, and I
think that is what’s important. (Director, personal communication, November 6,
2007)
Finally, there were also lessons learned in the area of common intellectual
mission. The common intellectual mission is defined as a curriculum that is engaging and
rigorous (High Tech High Charter, revised 2007). All classes at the Gary and Jerri-Ann
Jacobs High Tech High maintain a high level of rigor. During the first years of
internships, many business did not understand the needs of their interns and the goals of
the school. Many interns were filing papers and carrying boxes. The Gary and Jerri-Ann
Jacobs High Tech High had to make considerable efforts to educate participating
companies about the expectations of the school. “If the company doesn’t really agree
with us, then we end the placement relationship with the company” (Director, personal
communication, November 6, 2007).
Benefits to Students From the Promising Practice
By personalizing the Academic Internship through effective business placements,
students are able to turn their internship experiences into something of value which they
can demonstrate to others. Students believe that the experience helps them with the
62
college application process and they were also able to use their internship experience in
the college personal statements. “The most value that I’ve seen from the internships, from
my perspective as a college counselor, has been the students’ abilities to articulate their
academic internship experience” (College Advisor, personal communication, November
5, 2007). In addition, the experience of the internship helps students during the college
interview process. “The college recruiters will leave here saying: ‘your students are
different. Your students know how to interact with an adult.’ I keep hearing that over and
over again” (College Advisor, personal communication, November 5, 2007).
Students also benefit from the adult world connections made during their
academic internships. First, a relationship is established between the intern and the
mentor. The mentors then spend time with each student addressing the responsibilities of
the work-site and helping them plan and organize for their placement. According to
teachers, the students often talk in positive manner about their mentor. One teacher
described the relationship between intern and mentor as being similar to the relationship
between a coach and an athlete.
My mentor told me this, my mentor told me that. Students are introduced to the
adult world, not by their nagging parents, not by their nagging teachers, but by
their mentor. The mentor is someone who has this other kind of relationship with
the student; it’s almost more like a basketball coach. (Teacher, personal
communication, November 6, 2007)
In many ways the coach-athlete model is beneficial because the students actually
follow the directions of the mentor. Teachers mentioned that students have special
respect for their mentors. “We have kids who say to us, I heard it from the school. I heard
63
it from home. But it didn’t really sink in until I heard it from my mentor” (Emperor of
Rigor, personal communication, November 5, 2007).
Students benefit from the business connections made during the internship. These
adult world connections allow students to network with adults outside of their own socio-
economic and geographic locations. The students are able to establish relationships with
adults that extend beyond the internship. One teacher describes the impact on students
who are relatively new to the United States:
The first generation kids begin to create networks with working adults outside the
school. A lot of our first generation kids don’t have professional networks in their
neighborhoods and with their families. Some of them get summer jobs through
their internships. They get people who also are willing to write their college
references for them. (Emperor of Rigor, personal communication, November 5,
2007)
The rigor of the Academic Internship is another benefit to students. Students are
accountable for all written assignments in the classroom and all assignments at the work
site. Several teachers reported that the internship experience helps the students
understand the importance of meeting deadlines (personal communications, November 5–
6, 2007). In addition, students are held accountable if they are late to the work-site or
need to miss work. “Students learn how to show up on time and contact the mentor if
they are sick. Further, the interns must help set up procedures to cover their work when
they are absent” (Director, personal communication, November 6, 2007).
Benefits to Parents From the Promising Practice
Parents have seen the benefits of the academic internship though the
personalization of the experience. Students have enjoyed working on projects that are of
particular interest to them. Students also have an increased enthusiasm towards school
64
because they find the experience more meaningful (Teacher, personal communication,
November 5, 2007). One educator noted that, “our parents tell us I can’t shut my kid up.
He’s talking so much about school when they come home; they’re talking when they go
to bed; they’re talking when they get up in the morning about the internship” (Emperor of
Rigor, personal communication, November 5, 2007).
The teachers and administrators at Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High
also receive feedback from the parents regarding the rigor of the internship presentations
that are done at the end of each semester. The school holds a formal evening event where
students give presentations about their internship experiences or about a project they
completed while on internship. Parents, mentors and community leaders participate as the
audience for the students. “It’s very popular with parents” (Teacher, personal
communication, November 6, 2007).
Benefits to Teachers From the Promising Practice
The teachers that were interviewed agreed that the greatest benefit from the
Academic Internship is when they visit their students at the work sites (personal
communications, November 5–6, 2007). Teachers benefit from this experience because
they can personalize their lessons based on information obtained during the site visits.
When visiting students at work-sites, teachers are able to synthesize the experience by
relating what is happening at the site to what is happening in the classroom. This is
because teachers are able to communicate with the mentor in order to improve the
experience for the child and support the academic side of the internship.
As a junior teacher, who has students on internships, I have direct contact with all
aspects of the industry. I can support students by asking the adults, how are the
65
interns communicating, how are they problem solving, how much initiative are
they showing? (Teacher, personal communication, November 5, 2007)
Benefits to the Community From the Promising Practice
The community benefits from the Academic Internship because many of the
students are placed in businesses that support the San Diego economy. For example,
many students work in the areas of biology and bio-technology, which are two of the
fastest growing industries in the San Diego area. These students are prepared for the local
workplace by training in the areas of proper protocol and sterilization techniques
(Classroom Observation, Appendix K and L).
The community also benefits from the excellent reputation of the Gary and Jerri-
Ann Jacobs High Tech High. Students come from all over the San Diego area to attend
the school and participate in the internship. The school has many visitors throughout the
year from other educational establishments and local businesses. Tours of the school
happen on a daily basis. “The Academic Internship is a rigorous program and we are
proud of it. It allows the outside world to come to the school, meet with the kids, talk and
see what we are about” (Teacher, personal communication, November 5, 2007).
Visits to the school from outside organizations have had a financial impact on the
school. Money has been given to the school by a variety of businesses and community
groups. “Some community groups have been so impressed with the Academic Internships
they have donated money to the school” (Teacher, personal communication, November 6,
2007).
66
Challenges to Students From the Promising Practice
“Transportation is the single biggest issue we have around internships” (Teacher,
personal communication, November 6, 2007). Some students drive their own cars or have
their parents drive them to their work-sites. Larger groups, like the ten students at
Qualcomm mentioned earlier, travel together on one of the school vans. Other students
take the bus with tokens paid for by the school. The bus, however, often makes it difficult
to get to the site. “Some students spend over an hour traveling because they have to
transfer from one bus to another” (Teacher, personal communication, November 6,
2007).
Challenges to Teachers From the Promising Practice
One challenge to the teachers is finding resources and internship models to help
with program and curriculum improvement. There are a limited number of examples of
internships in other school districts or on the internet. Many of the internship models
found were not applicable or helpful to the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High
staff. As one teacher explained:
We would love to look at other models, but the problem is the models are so
different, either they are in college or they are in an elite prep school, where only
the top ten percent can go. And, they’re not linked at all to their classes. (Director,
personal communication, November 6, 2007)
Teachers find helping students with internship placements can be a challenge.
One teacher remarked,
I have gone out on a limb for a student that I thought was excellent and found a
friend who is in the multimedia industry and got this student the internship and
then the student wasn’t quite as reliable as I thought he would be. (personal
communication, November 6, 2007)
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Teachers who are new to the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High often do
not have the expertise necessary to integrate class work with the internship. Every year
the training of new teachers is a challenge. It is difficult for the new teachers to make the
connection between school and the workplace. “New teachers are coming in all the time
with little or no experience with high school internship programs. These teachers don’t
automatically see the academic connection” (Emperor of Rigor, personal communication,
November 5, 2007).
Challenges to the Community From the Promising Practice
The greatest challenge to the community from the Academic Internship is that the
community and the school partners are always changing. Even though the company name
may remain the same, there are always shifts in personnel. Constantly there are new
mentors that need training and guidance. “You always have to re-educate, re-educate, and
re-articulate what it is that you’re trying to do” (Emperor of Rigor, personal
communication, November 5, 2007).
Evidence of Impact
The staff at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High uses a number of
indicators to determine the success of the Academic Internship. Progress in the program
is measured through the internship journal entries, the digital portfolio, the semester end
internship presentations, and the mentor evaluations (personal communications,
November 5–6, 2007). Internship journal entries and digital portfolios are broken down
into five sections: 1) first day journal; 2) end of week journals; 3) journals summaries; 4)
site papers, and; 5) site observation programs. “The junior academic teachers spend about
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an hour a week giving feedback on the journal entries” (Emperor of Rigor, personal
communication, November 5, 2007). As mentioned previously, the internship
presentations are given at the end of the year to an audience of parents, mentors, and the
Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High staff. The presentations cover a project that
the student accomplished while on the internship. “The presentations are a benchmark
assessment for us: Are the students doing projects that contribute to the workplace and
that have substantial academic content in them” (Emperor of Rigor, personal
communication, November 5, 2007).
In addition to journal entries, digital portfolios, and end of term projects, evidence
of impact can be seen through the mentor evaluations. Mentor evaluations track the
improvement of students over the course of the internship. “Students do not get A-B-C-D
grades from their mentors, but they do get a written evaluation. The internship
coordinator reviews the results of the evaluation with both the student and his/her
parents” (Teacher, personal communication, November 6, 2007).
Evidence of impact is also indicated through college placement. The Gary and
Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High has a 100 percent college acceptance rate, with 80
percent to four-year institutions. Teachers identified the importance of the Academic
Internship in the college application process. As noted earlier, the teachers explained how
students used their internship experiences to write their college personal statements and
reflect on internship during the college interview. “We have students rank their top three
most important courses. Internship is always in the top three” (Teacher, personal
communication, November 6, 2007).
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Resource Requirements
Budget
Three important budget elements were mentioned by the staff at the Gary and
Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High regarding the Academic Internship. These elements
include the intern coordinator, the contract with MANPOWER Inc. and the cost of
transportation. The intern coordinator is a full time administrative position at the Gary
and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High. There are three intern coordinators within the
High Tech High Point Loma Village. One coordinator is placed at the Gary and Jerri-Ann
Jacobs High Tech High, one at High Tech High International, and one at High Tech High
Media Arts Media Arts. Each coordinator has an office on-site, within each building. The
coordinator works with the students, parents, principal, the academic core teachers, the
worksites, and the mentors. Teachers see the benefit of having one person in charge of
internships.
Each of our high schools on the campus has an internship coordinator. We have a
person who is really responsible to follow up with the social service agencies and
businesses that we deal with, so that we nurture that side of it and then also to get
the assignment of the kids to the sites. (Emperor or Rigor, personal
communication, November 5, 2007)
Each of the high schools in the Point Loma Village has a contract with
MANPOWER, Inc. to assist in the business placement of students. MANPOWER, Inc.
sends representatives to the site early each semester and makes placement
recommendations for all interns (Emperor of Rigor, personal communication, November
5, 2007). In addition, the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High spends money on
free bus passes to those students who qualify for free and reduced lunch as determined by
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the National School Lunch Program. The absolute cost for the Academic Internship was
not available. The principal stated that he believed that the cost of the Academic
Internship “was only a small percentage of the actual school budget” (Director, personal
communication, November 6, 2007).
Staffing
Certain teaching characteristics are important to have when working with the
Academic Internship. Teachers and staff members interviewed agreed that common
characteristics required of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High teachers and
coordinators included open-mindedness, collaboration, and expertise. First, it was
mentioned that teachers needed to have a type of open-mindedness and curiosity about
how their courses are reflected in the workplace (Teacher, personal communication,
November 5, 2007).
It’s kind of a clinical perspective on the part of teachers who are able to find their
discipline, not only in books but also in the world of work. What that means is
that it is often helpful to have teachers who have had experience in industry.
(Emperor of Rigor, personal communication, November 5, 2007)
Second, teachers need to be willing to work with the mentor and the intern
coordinator in order to develop ways to continue to integrate the academic curriculum with
the internship. Teachers must work collaboratively and be in constant contact with each
other regarding what is happening in the classroom and at the work-site. “Like our founder,
Larry Rosenstock, always says, ‘if you want to have an integrated curriculum, you’ve got
to hire integrated people’” (Emperor of Rigor, personal communication, November 5,
2007).
71
Another point, the coordinator needs a certain amount of expertise in the area of
business. “We need internship coordinators who know something about the world of work
and community organizations. We need people who create partners and do outreach”
(Emperor of Rigor, personal communication, November 5, 2007).
According to the principal, there are certain qualities essential to the intern
coordinator:
The coordinator needs some graduate level work experience or a graduate degree,
and some form of career counseling. The coordinator needs to be a mover and a
shaker, who can go out, get the business card out, promote the school, promote the
kids and promote the program. The coordinator needs to break down the stereotypes
about what an intern does and build up the program. They must be willing to carry
the torch, follow it through, and sustain a successful program. (Director, personal
communication, November 6, 2007)
Facilities
One of the facilities required for implementation of the Academic Internship
includes office space for the internship coordinator. The internship coordinator meets with
students and prospective mentors throughout the day, and needs a private office. As a result
of these responsibilities, internship coordinators have offices in each of the three facilities:
The Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High, High Tech High Media Arts and High
Tech High International.
Professional Development and Collaboration
The teachers and coordinators are required to attend two staff development
meetings that focus on the Academic Internship. Each staff development meeting is ninety
minutes long, occurring in the months of September and December. “We have one staff
development meeting per semester devoted to working with the Academic Internship and
72
we have a meeting, upcoming in about a month’s time, that will be totally devoted to
connecting academics to the actual internship” (Director, personal communication,
November 6, 2007).
In addition to staff development meetings, teachers are required to spend extra time
working on the Academic Internship. The junior core teachers spend an hour a week on
internship planning. “The internship planning includes academic teachers talking with the
internship coordinator and visiting internship sites to know what’s going on” (Emperor of
Rigor, personal communication, November 5, 2007).
Finally, all teachers come to work one hour before for school starts to engage in
meetings with other staff members. This extra time allows teachers to work on planning
and curriculum issues. “The teachers meet in teaching teams. They meet in full faculty,
looking at student work. They meet in discipline groups and so on. They meet in a variety
of configurations over the week” (Emperor of Rigor, personal communication, November
5, 2007).
Supporting Document and Materials
Supporting documents and materials related to the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs
High Tech High are as follows: a) The High Tech High School Charter, revised 2007; b)
High Tech High Petition for Charter Renewal; c) Academic Internship Field Manual; and
d) the High Intern Performance Review (Appendix N).
Recommend Resources from High Tech High
Books
Berger, R. (2003). An ethic of excellence: Building a culture of craftsmanship in schools.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
73
Olsen, L. (1998). The school-to-work revolution: How employers and educators are
joining forces to prepare tomorrow’s skilled workforce. Reading, MA: Perseus.
Riordan, R., Roche, B., Goldhammer, H., & Stephen, D. (1998). Seeing the future: A
planning guide for high schools. Providence RI: The Big Picture.
Siegel, S., Robert, M., Greener, K., Meyer, G., Halloran, W., & Gaylord-Ross, R. (2003).
Career ladders: Transition from high school to adult life. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
Sizer, T. (1996). Horace's hope: What works for the American high school. New York:
Houghton. Mifflin.
Steinberg, A. (1998). Real learning, real work: School-to-work as high school
reform. New York: Routledge.
Organizations
Strategic Planning for the New Technology Foundation in Napa, CA, which supports the
replication of New Technology High School in twenty-four sites across Northern
California, Southern California, and the United States, Bob Pearlman, Director.
Websites
School-To-Career Best Practices – http://bobpearlman.org/BestPractices/STC.htm
Buck Institute for Education - http://www.bie.org/index.php
George Lucas Educational Foundation - http://www.edutopia.org/
PBL - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem-based_learning
Deborah Meier - http://www.deborahmeier.com/
Auto Desk Foundation - http://usa.autodesk.com
Turner Tech in Miami - http://ttech.dade.k12.fl.us/about_turner.html
Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter School
Introduction to the School
The Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter School (Yuba County Career Prep)
is located one hour northeast of Sacramento in the city of Marysville. It is a start-up
74
charter school that was founded by a group of business people and educators who
believed the Marysville area needed more schooling options for students that had specific
career interests and who were not successful at traditional public schools. As a result, the
founders invented the idea of blending traditional standards aligned classes with a focus
on career-technical education. The founders have based the school on three curricular
components: 1) Rigorous, 2) relevant and 3) character based education. The Yuba County
Office of Education (YCOE) authorized Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter School
as a career based charter school in 1999. Currently, the school serves approximately 475
students, over 85% or which are in high school (9
th
– 12
th
). Students are often referred
from other campuses from within the district and students must submit an application.
At present, the student body is comprised of approximately 47% White students,
29% Hispanic students 3% Asian students, 6% African American students and 3 % are
classified as multiple or no response. Table 4 provides additional background information
pertaining to Yuba County Career Prep.
Table 4: Profile of Yuba County Career Prep Charter School: Summary of School
Demographics and Charter Status
Variable Descriptor
Charter authorizer Yuba County Office of Education
Year chartered 1999
Year opened for operation with students 2000
Students served: current K–12
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Table 4, Continued
Variable Descriptor
Students served: projected K–12
Student population 475
Ethnicity
African American 6% (28)
Asian 3% (14)
Hispanic 29% (137)
White 47% (224)
Native American 12% (57)
Pacific Islander 0%
Filipino 0%
Multiple/No response 3% (14)
Special populations
Free/reduced lunch 73% (347)
Students with disabilities 18% (85)
English language leaners 3% (14)
Full-time administrators 3
Teachers 27
Teachers in a collective bargaining unit? Yes
Per-pupil spending $8,000
School address 1104 E Street, Maryville, CA 95901
Type of school Site-based & independent study
Contact information Principal: Carol Holtz
(530) 749-4000
Web site N/A
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The Yuba County Career Prep Campus
Yuba County Career Prep began in 2000 as a single start-up charter high school
with one career academy and fifty independent study students. Over the past seven years
Yuba County Career Prep has grown and now includes three career academies and four
hundred independent study students. Yuba County Career Prep was established at a site
that was formally a large car dealership and repair lot. On what was previously the show
room floor, the school has set up approximately 15 learning stations where teachers work
with students on independent study. The Yuba County Career Prep Independent Study
Program opens at 8:00 a.m. and closes at 6:30 p.m. Since the Independent Study Program
is a non-site based program, that part of the school was not included in the current study.
The current study is limited to the three career academies. The three career academies are
the Automotive Academy, the Construction Academy and the Business Academy. There
are twenty four students and two teachers in each of the three career academies. The
Automotive Academy and the Construction Academy are both located in renovated auto
repair bays on the main dealership campus. The Business Academy is located
approximately 2.5 miles south of the main campus in the middle of the Marysville
Business District. The Business Academy classroom is located on the ground floor of a
business building. During the site visit for this study, Yuba County Career Prep was
under construction in order to improve and modify the dealership facility.
Description of the Promising Practice:
The Team-Teaching Career Academy
The Team-Teaching Career Academy adheres to the school within a school model.
Each academy is in a self-contained location and the students remain with the same
77
teacher(s) the entire school day. Each academy has a specific career focus. The academies
are designed to meet the interests of the students and the needs of the local economy. Four-
and-a-half hours of the school day are spent in the classroom. Two hours of the school day
are spent in the shop or on internship.
Automotive Academy
The Automotive Academy was the first to open in 2000. The Automotive
Academy facility is divided into two areas, the classroom and the shop. The classroom
has 13 large desks with two students per desk. Students in the Automotive Academy
often work in pairs on classwork or on projects. At the front of the classroom the teacher
desks’ are side-by-side. The first four hours of instruction occur in the classroom. While
inside the classroom, the academic teacher is in charge of the lesson plan and the
automotive teacher plays a supporting role.
Through the south door of the classroom is the auto shop. The shop portion of the
facility is part indoors and part outdoors. Cars and tools are stored inside. During the
shop portion of the class, teachers and students will open the auto bay doors and move
some projects from the inside to the outside in order to work on them. The automotive
teacher is in charge of the lesson plan during the shop portion of the day, and the
academic teacher plays a supporting role.
Construction Academy
The Construction Academy opened in 2002. The Construction Academy facility
is divided into three areas: The main classroom, the computer lab, and the shop. The main
classroom has twenty five single student desks. At the front of the classroom, the teacher
78
desks’ are side by side. Within the classroom, separated by large glass windows, is a self
contained computer lab. Students from the Construction Academy can work on Computer
Assisted Drawing (CAD) programs in the computer lab as well as other assigned
activities. The academic teacher is in charge of the lesson plan while in the classroom or
computer lab and the construction teacher plays a supporting role.
Two large rolling doors open from the shop onto the adjacent yard area. In the
shop area is a small building that is being constructed as part of a class project. The
building will be used as storage shed on another site within the Yuba County School
District. The construction teacher is in charge of the lesson plan while in the shop and the
academic teacher plays a supporting role.
Business Academy
The Business Academy opened in 2004. The Business Academy, located in
downtown Marysville, does not have a shop area but is located in a store front in the
downtown business district. The students in the Business Academy spend the first part of
the day in the classroom and the second half of the day on an internship in a local
business. The classroom is located on the ground floor of what used to be a beauty
college. A series of long student desks are set in a “U” shape pattern with one teacher
desk at the front of the classroom. The second teacher desk is located in small room
behind the classroom. The academic teacher is in charge of the lesson plan during the
classroom portion of the day. At the same time, the business teacher works in the smaller
room, pulling students out of the main classroom to review internship requirements and
practice specific job skills.
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Rigorous
Relevant
Character Based
Strengthening the
academic base of work-
related skills and to
provide a context and
motivation for learning
academic skills
Improved student achievement
Team-Teaching
Career
Academy
During the afternoons the Business Academy students go to local businesses on
internship. The business teacher travels to the different work-sites to follow up on student
progress. Business owners are required to fill out the Applied Marketing Student
Evaluation Form (Appendix O) every two weeks. The Applied Marketing Student
Evaluation Forms are collected by the business teacher and discussed with the student.
Theory of Action of the Team-Teaching Career Academy
The theory of action for the promising practice contends that the Team-Teaching
Career Academies include curricular components which are rigorous, relevant, and
character based, which in turn leads to strengthening the academic base of work-related
skill and providing a context and motivation for learning academic skills, which in turn
leads to improved student achievement. Figure 3, below, illustrates how the Team-
Teaching Career Academy can lead to improved student achievement.
Figure 3: Theory of action—How team-teaching career academies at Yuba Career Prep
leads to improved student achievement.
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Goal of the Team-Teaching Career Academies
The main goal of the Team-Teaching Career Academy is to make academics
relevant to the students through the career focus (Principal, personal communication,
November 27, 2007). This goal provides students with technical and work related skills
plus a context and motivation for learning the academic skills. The context and motivation
help to “hook students back into education” (Principal, personal communication,
November 27, 2007). This goal is achieved though the Yuba County Career Preps three
curricular components. The components define an educational program which is rigorous,
relevant, and character based (Yuba County Career Prep Charter, Appendix O).
The importance of rigor in CTE programs is a priority because of the past division
between academic and career-based classes. In the past, rigor was reserved for high level
and college prep courses. Rigor at Yuba County Career Prep is defined by keeping the
course curriculum aligned with the state standards. Teachers and administrators spend
significant time developing lessons that meet standards. Both teachers in each academy get
a printout of the standards at the beginning of each summer and are required to develop a
four-year plan that encompasses each standard.
Relevance is important because it helps motivate the students to attend school.
Evaluations of career-technical education programs in schools and districts contribute to
increase school attendance, reduced high school dropout rates, high grades and increased
entry into postsecondary education (Krile & Parmer, 2002). Students see the relevance of
the academic work when it is applied to the technical portion of the class. As one teacher
explained: “The first thing I saw when I walked into the auto shop class was a math
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equation being done, I could not tell if it was the academic period or the vocational period”
(personal communication, November 27, 2007).
Character based education is fundamental at Yuba Career Prep because many
students do not have positive adult role models to help them with social skills. Students and
teachers discuss the importance of proper work attire and speech. “When the students get
out into the community, we try to impress upon them that we want them dressed well and
speaking correctly” (Teacher, personal communication, November 26, 2007).
Implementation of Promising Practice
History of the Promising Practice
The Team-Teaching Career Academies were designed for students who needed
extra support. The Team-Teaching Career Academies were a vision of the district’s
superintendent who wanted a program that would engage students who had been
unsuccessful at other traditional schools within the district. When the school first opened,
there was only the Automotive Academy. The first years of the Auto Academy were
difficult because much of the equipment necessary to work on engines is expensive. “In
the beginning we did not even have our own tools. The teacher brought his own”
(Principal, personal communication, November 27, 2007).
The purpose of the Automotive Academy has changed since it opened in 2000.
The original intent of the Automotive Academy was to repair cars and other small
engines. As a result of student requests and teacher interest, the Automotive Academy
began building hot rods. “We spent the first two years building a 1923 T-Bucket and we
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took it to a number of car shows. We are currently working on a 1927 Ford Roadster”
(Lead Teacher, personal communication, November 26, 2007).
The exposure during the car shows resulted in increased donations to the Yuba
County Career Prep program and significant sponsorships. “FlowMaster Mufflers has
contacted us about donating the exhaust system for the next hot rod” (Lead Teacher,
personal communication, November 26, 2007). In addition, automotive designer Raffi
Minassian has visited the Automotive Academy on a number of occasions and has
encouraged the students to build a car from scratch. Students have recently been working
with clay models in attempts to launch the 1939 Deusenberg Simone project (Automotive
Times Magazine, 2007; Appendix O).
The purpose of the Construction Academy has also changed since it opened in
2002. The Construction Academy originally began fixing houses in the community. The
school would work with other organizations in rebuilding damaged properties. “In the
early days we did not have the resources to create a building; we could only fix existing
structures” (Principal, personal communication, November 27, 2007). As the program
developed and materials were either purchased or donated, the students began creating
structures of their own. “Building our own structures gives the students a better
opportunity to learn the career aspect and digest the academic part because it is being
applied in a hands on matter. There is a lot of algebra in constructing a roof” (Teacher,
personal communication, November 26, 2007).
The Business Academy was adopted by Yuba Career Prep in 2005. During the
shop portion of the instructional day, the students spend two hours working at a local
83
business on internship. The student internship has also changed significantly since the
academy opened. “It takes a lot of communication with the business, students and
families to get the internships right” (Teacher, personal communication, November 27,
2007). During the first year of the academy, the students were on internship from 10 a.m.
to 12 a.m. That time frame did not work well for the school or the business. “We
collaborated with the local business leaders and decided 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. would be the
best time for the internship, for a variety of reasons” (Teacher, personal communication,
November 27, 2007).
Lessons Learned About the Promising Practice
In the early years of the Team-Teaching Career Academies there were a number
of difficulties implementing the practice. First, in the area of rigor, it was difficult for
teachers to maintain high expectations for student performance. Both the academic
teacher and the tech teacher must be able to collaborate and create challenging lessons for
both the classroom and the shop.
I think finding the right teachers has been the key to our success. Not only does it
take a special teacher to work at this school, it also takes a couple of years
experience here for the teachers to fully understand what the task is. (Principal,
personal communication, November 27, 2007)
The Team-Teaching Career Academies also struggled to find projects that were
relevant to the students. Originally, the Automotive Academy only worked on small
engines. The Construction Academy only fixed existing structures and the Business
Academy was limited to only internships. With support from the site administrators and
the district superintendent, the Academies were provided with extra funding to create
engaging and interesting projects. For example, the Automotive Academy builds hot
84
rods; the Construction Academy builds large shed structures that are used at other
facilities within the district; and the Business Academy completes large scale projects
with the downtown businesses. “What has been most important from this program is the
support for the teachers and students from the administration” (Teacher, personal
communication, November 27, 2007). The support for the programs can be seen in the
administrative efforts to raise funds for the academies. “The administration knows all the
places to reach out to in order to get additional funds for our programs” (Teacher,
personal communication, November 26, 2007).
The importance of character based education was learned early. Some of the
greatest challenges to students were not academic but behavioral. Students would go on
school events and not dress or behave appropriately. Originally, the teachers had to force
students to dress well and not spit or use profanity. Character based education became a
necessity. As a result, student behavior changed.
Now we are starting to see when we go places with other schools, our students are
starting to recognize poor behavior in their peers. After watching others, our
students walk out and they’ll say, “you’re pretty proud of us right now aren’t
you?” (Teacher, personal communication, November 26, 2007)
Another lesson learned by the staff at Yuba County Career Prep is that teachers
may have to be loaned to other academies within the school. According to the principal,
the administration tries to support teachers by looking at their strengths and weaknesses
and supplementing instruction where needed. “For example, the academic teacher in the
Construction Academy is especially strong in Social Science. That teacher might teach a
series of lessons in the Automotive Academy” (Principal, personal communication,
November 27, 2007).
85
Finally, all teachers interviewed agreed that holding the shop portion of the class
at the end of the instructional day was a lesson learned as the Team-Teaching Career
Academies developed. “The carrot here is the shop. You always have to hold it out there:
If the students are misbehaving, they may lose part of their shop time” (Lead Teacher,
personal communication, November 26, 2007).
Benefits to Students From the Promising Practice
Students benefit from the adult relationships and connections they develop as part
of the Team-Teaching Career Academies. As a result of being with the same two teachers
all day long, the students build strong relationships with their teachers. The teachers learn
about the student’s personal life and give them guidance and direction. Students have
stability at school that they may not have at home. “We have kids that are sleeping on
Grandma’s sofa tonight and tomorrow night they will be staying with their uncle. At
school there is a lot of stability, it will always be the same” (Lead Teacher, personal
communication, November 26, 2007).
In addition to the relationships established with teachers, the students also benefit
from connections they develop with other adults. Students meet and work with
professionals at car shows and interns work with business leaders. The relationships
developed with adults have had a positive influence on the students.
A lot of these students have never been told anything good, and then they get out
in the community and work with people that are highly successful. These business
people and professionals are treating the students with respect—it really helps
them with their self-confidence. (Teacher, personal communication, November
26, 2007)
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Students also benefit from improved self-esteem and self-confidence that comes
from being involved in the academies. During the academic and shop portions of the
class the teachers make an extra effort to motivate students and give value to their
accomplishments. “Once we convince the students that they are valuable, and that their
time is valuable, that’s when the improvement really begins” (Teacher, personal
communication, November 26, 2007). The principal also noted the importance of giving
value to students and the impact on their families. “Once the students start seeing
themselves as a person of value, it changes them. It makes them want to succeed and it
also changes the way their families look at them” (Principal, personal communication,
November 27, 2007).
Benefits to Parents From the Promising Practice
Students who belong to the Team-Teaching Career Academies have fewer
attendance and discipline problems, as compared to their previous schools. Teachers
interviewed believe this is a result of a combination of factors: 1) The self contained
nature of the academy and 2) the close relationships that are developed between students
and the teachers. As discipline and attendance issues improve, the students begin to see
success in the classroom. According to one teacher:
The parents have not gone though the processes of watching their kids succeed.
Their son or daughter has been failing over and over. The student ends up here
and we change it up; we do things a lot different. (personal communication,
November 26, 2007)
Parents also benefit when see their child improve academically. The rigor of the
Career Academies helps students improve in the classroom, which translates to increased
motivation. Teachers often receive praise from the parents regarding improved academics
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and motivation. “One parent says to me: ‘God bless you, I don’t know what you are
doing but he’s doing his work and doing well’” (Teacher, personal communication,
November 27, 2007).
Another benefit to the parents is seeing their child gain work skills. Parents want
their children to be able to get a job, if necessary, upon completion of high school. “The
parents see their children gaining skills to make them employable” (Teacher, personal
communication, November 27, 2007). Work skills are also learned as part of the
character based component of the Career Academies. Students learn about ethics and
customer service. “I think the parents really appreciate the skills the students learn,
especially speech; I work on speech all the time” (Teacher, personal communication,
November 27, 2007).
Finally, parents benefit from improved relations with their children. Students are
able to create projects that they can show to their friends and families. This sense of pride
in craftsmanship can be seen in the students from all three academies. Students in the
Automotive Academy take pride in cars displayed at car shows and the Business
Academy students take pride in their annual downtown Halloween program. As one of
the Construction Academy teachers explains:
On the weekend you will the students show the parents the house that they have
been building. All of a sudden the parent says ‘whoa, you did this?’ It makes
parents see their child in a different light. Sometimes it reinforces what the
parents already know about their kid. (Principal, personal communication,
November 27, 2007)
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Benefits to Teachers From the Promising Practice
Teachers interviewed agreed that that their ability to collaborate with each other
was a benefit of the Team-Teaching Career Academy. Teachers communicate with each
other throughout the entire day. Because the teachers share the same classroom they are
in constant discussion about improving the curriculum. One teacher describes what this
collaboration looks like in the classroom:
With two teachers in the room we can bounce ideas off each other. I have come
up with ideas for the academic teacher and she has come up with ideas for me. It
is too bad that not every career kid could have two instructors in a classroom.
(personal communication, November 27, 2007)
Teachers also learn how to improve student achievement by integrating the
academics into the shop portion of the class and by integrating work skills into the
academic portion of the class. For example, the academic teacher will meet with the shop
teacher about how to create a series of Algebra equations based upon the roof line that
was being created for the shed being built in the Construction Academy. According to the
principal, teachers spend significant time working on integration:
The teachers spend a lot of time integrating the academics with the career skills.
The teachers sit down and discuss how they are going to focus on math or draw in
the science. They spend about a half day a week doing this. (personal
communication, November 27, 2007)
Teachers also benefit from the positive working environment created by the
academies. The teachers depend on each other and work as a team. One teacher can build
upon the strengths of the other. “Part of my success is due to the guy I teach with”
(Teacher, personal communication, November 27, 2007). The benefits of this relationship
between the teachers can also impact students. “It’s very cohesive between the two
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teachers in each academy and the students see that” (Principal, personal communication,
November 27, 2007).
Another benefit to teachers is the flexibility to change the length of the lessons.
“If I want to run a lesson for an hour and ten minutes, I can. Some days my lessons are
long, some days they are shorter” (Teacher, personal communication, November 27,
2007). The fact that there is no bell schedule is described by one teacher:
Now that I have gotten into this, I don’t think that I want to go back to the old bell
system. There are times when an educational opportunity arises to grab math or
English and make it a part of the shop lesson. In traditional schools that never
happens. (personal communication, November 27, 2007)
Finally, teachers benefit from improved participation from parents.
Communication is easier when the students are successful at school. In addition, parents
are more likely to volunteer or assist. “When the students succeed in the classroom, I
think the parents tend to be happy to participate. When I call parents, they are usually
willing to talk and discuss the issues” (Teacher, personal communication, November 27,
2007).
Benefits to the Community of the Promising Practice
The community benefits from the Team-Teaching Career Academies by having
more skilled workers to meet the demand of the local economy. The concept for each of
the three academies was determined by input from business employers. “Our school is
based on what the community needs” (Principal, personal communication, November 27,
2007).
The community also benefits from having students working on projects that
improve the area. Students from the Construction Academy have rebuilt condemned
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houses in Marysville. Students from the Automotive Academy work on cars that
otherwise would be abandoned or go to disposal. “The students in the Business Academy
are right down in the business district. They are working on projects that concern the
downtown area, whether it is parking problems or how to handle a special event”
(Teacher, personal communication, November 27, 2007).
In addition, the community benefits from the excellent reputation of the school.
Students who might drop out of school are back in the classroom. Educators visit the
school from other areas in the state and support the local economy. “The community
looks at us as a positive influence” (Teacher, personal communication, November 27,
2007).
Challenges to the Students From the Promising Practice
Most of the challenges to the students are related to the character based
component of the promising practice. The challenges are not academic but behavioral. In
the Business Academy, students on internship must wear business attire. One of the
Business Academy teachers spends a great deal of time on dress. “In the beginning of the
year I have a lot of problems with the way the students dress. Everyday the students ask
me, ‘why isn’t this appropriate to wear?’” (Teacher, personal communication, November
27, 2007). In addition to clothing, jewelry can also be a challenge for students. “Jewelry
is also a problem. For safety reasons you can’t wear anything hanging one inch off the
ear” (Teacher, personal communication, November 27, 2007).
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Challenges to the Teachers From the Promising Practice
The greatest challenge to teachers involved in the promising practice is the
differentiated instruction. All teachers interviewed agreed that having students at
different levels, both academically and in the shop, is a problem. Reaching students who
have low reading levels or who are in special education takes extra time and effort. Three
of the teachers interviewed explained this issue as follows: “I have had students reading
at the 2
nd
grade level in the same class as students doing college level work” (personal
communication, November 27, 2007); “At least thirty percent of the students in my class
are on IEP’s. We have the responsibility to accommodate all of their needs” (personal
communication, November 27, 2007); and “Teachers need to be willing to put in a whole
lot of extra work. Helping all the different types of learners takes a lot of planning”
(personal communication, November 27, 2007).
Teachers interviewed also agreed that building trust with the students is a
challenge. Because many of the students at Yuba County Career Prep have been removed
from their school of residence as a result of discipline or academic issues, they have a
difficult time trusting adults. The teachers are aware of this issue and use different
techniques to build trust. For example, “I have had to kind of relax myself down a little
bit and understand and be more tolerant about some of the mistakes that they make”
(Lead Teacher, personal communication, November 26, 2007). Once the trust is built
students begin to respond in a positive manner. “When you build that trust with the
students, they will learn your personality and they know you are in it for their best
interest” (Teacher, personal communication, November 27, 2007). Another teacher
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mentioned how this trust can turn into academic improvement. “Most of these students
have little interested in the academic day, but when the students trust you, you can get the
knowledge into them in a sneaky way” (Teacher, personal communication, November 27,
2007).
Finally, teachers working in the Team-Teaching Career Academies agree that
integrating academics into career-technical education can be difficult. It takes time and a
familiarity with the program to properly combine the two curriculums. This is especially
true for the new teacher. “I think the biggest challenge in being a new teacher to the
school is how to blend or combine the academics and career classes” (Teacher, personal
communication, November 27, 2007).
Evidence of Impact
The staff at Yuba Career Prep uses a number of indicators to measure the success of
the Team-Teacher Career Academy. The first indicator is the standardized test scores. The
API for Yuba County Career Prep went up fifty points in the 2006-2007 school year from
the previous year. In addition the school had seen an increase of students passing the high
school exit exam. According to the principal: “We see the test scores go up. The reading
scores are up, the math scores are up and the students are passing the high school exit
exam” (personal communication, November 27, 2007).
Another indicator of success is the feedback the teachers and administrators
receive from parents and students. Parents see improved academics, behavior, and
attendance from students who are part of the Career Academies. “The feedback I get
from the parents is thank you, thank you, thank you. Their child has been thrown out of
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other schools around here, but is now doing well” (Principal, personal communication,
November 27, 2007). Teachers described how parents see improvement in students
involved in the academies. “The parents I have talked to are very pleased with the
progress of their children in the academies” (Lead Teacher, personal communication,
November 26, 2007). In addition to parents, students also give positive feedback about
the promising practice. Many students come back once they have finished and tutor other
students. “A lot of students that have graduated come back on their day off and work with
the current students. That’s how I am gauging the success of the program” (Lead
Teacher, personal communication, November 26, 2007).
Finally, the success of the program can be measured by how many students
actually become employed once they graduate. One teacher stated: “In the time I have
been here I know of exactly 42 students who have received full time jobs as a result of
the academies” (personal communication, November 27, 2007).
Resource Requirements
Budget
Interviewees agreed that the staffing structure was an important, yet costly, part of
the Team-Teaching Academies. The twelve students to one teacher creates a small school
environment where teacher collaboration is the focus. “It is an expensive program
because I have two full time teachers in each classroom so they can instruct together and
work out their plans together. That’s what I need for the students” (Principal, personal
communication, November 27, 2007). Along with staffing costs, equipment costs take a
portion of the budget. “It’s an expensive program when you combine the cost of
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automotive parts and equipment with scheduling two teachers in each room” (Lead
Teacher, personal communication, November 26, 2007).
Even with the high costs of implementing the promising practice, there is a
savings when it comes to discipline and referring students to the office. Rather than use a
dean or other administrator, much of the discipline is handled in the classroom. For
example: “Because I work with only 24 students I have most of the parent cell phone
numbers. When a student is messing around, I will pull my phone out and the behavior
improves” (Teacher, personal communication, November 27, 2007).
Staffing
The most significant staff members involved in implementing the Team-Teaching
Career Academies are the superintendent, administrators, and teachers. “None of this
would have happened without the support of the superintendent. He is constantly thinking
of different ways to serve our students” (Principal, personal communication, November
27, 2007. The site principal and assistant principal have also played an important role in
supporting the Academies.
The role of the administration is to support and train the teachers and to keep
everyone focused on the vision of the school. We make sure the teachers
understand the vision and we give them time to work together and to make all
their projects happen. (Principal, personal communication, November 27, 2007)
The teachers implementing the promising practice find it necessary to change the way
they have taught in the past.
As a teacher you must be willing to lay aside your own personal vision or dream
of how you want the school to run and be willing to let go and go with the
direction of the group and the leaders. (Lead teacher, personal communication,
November 26, 2007)
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In addition, those interviewed agreed that certain personal characteristics were
required of the Yuba County Career Prep teachers. First, interviewees agreed that it was
important to have staff members that were good role models who could work well with
at-risk students.
Many of these students have been manipulated by people throughout their lives.
They can tell when a teacher is trying to con them. If you are not honest and
genuine with these students, they will pick up on it, quickly. (Principal, personal
communication, November 27, 2007)
There are also benefits of having the students stay with positive roles models throughout
the entire day. “A lot of our students need a steady adult role model. That is why we do
the self-contained classroom model” (Principal, personal communication, November 27,
2007).
Second, interviewees agreed that staff members needed to have open lines of
communication with the parents or guardians. “It is important to have a lot of interaction
with the parents. Often, it is not the parent but the grandparent, guardian, foster parent or
probation officer that you will need to communicate with” (Teacher, personal
communication, November 26, 2007). Communication can come in a number of forms.
Teachers interviewed preferred emails as the main source of communication. “I send a lot
of emails to the parents of my students” (Teacher, personal communication, November
26, 2007).
Third, all teachers mentioned the importance of being able to work closely with
the other team teacher. “The guy I teach with, we get along great. We have a good time
team teaching” (Teacher, personal communication, November 26, 2007). If the
relationship between the two teachers is not close, there may be issues in the classroom.
96
“If your team teachers don’t get along with each other, you have a real problem”
(Teacher, personal communication, November 26, 2007). In addition, the positive
relationship between the two teachers can positively influence the students. “It is very
cohesive between the two teachers. Once the students see that, they feel school is a safe
place for them” (Teacher, personal communication, November 26, 2007).
Facilities
As mentioned earlier, the facility used by Yuba Career Prep was previously an
automobile dealership. In many aspects it is an excellent configuration for the Auto
Academy and Construction Academy because the auto bays convert well into classrooms
and workshops. In addition, the auto bay doors can be lifted to expose outside work areas.
Projects and equipment can be rolled out to the outside work areas during class time and
rolled back into the auto bays for storage. On the other hand, attempts to improve and
modernize the building have been difficult. “The government has not figured out how to
support structural improvements for charter schools. They say there’s money available
but getting to the money is another thing” (Principal, personal communication, November
27, 2007). During the time of the site visitation, Yuba County Career Prep was under
significant construction. “We want to do everything we can to make this a nice place for
teaching and learning. It is very important to the kids we serve” (Principal, personal
communication, November 27, 2007).
Professional Development and Planning
All teachers at Yuba County Career Prep attend a weekly staff planning meeting
which takes between 90 and 120 minutes. The meeting is held on Monday afternoon in
97
the principal’s office. The researcher was allowed to attend one meeting on Monday,
November 24, 2007. During the meeting it was observed the that administrators and
teachers spent approximately 25% of the meeting time discussing funding and academic
projects, 25% on curriculum and instruction, and the last 50% of the meeting was spent
on strategies to help specific students.
Currently, teachers at Yuba County Career Prep also spend two hours during the
week working on integrating curriculum and instruction within each academy.
“Ultimately, I would like the academy team teachers to work in pairs for at least a half
day a week” (Principal, personal communication, November 27, 2007.
Administrators and teachers also attend different professional development
conferences every year. “I will try and get as many teachers as possible to the technical
conferences this Spring” (Principal, personal communication, November 27, 2007). “We
have been to a lot of CTE trainings; we are always trying to get better” (Teacher,
personal communication, November 26, 2007).
Supporting Document and Materials
Supporting documents and material related to the analysis of Yuba County Career
Prep are as follows: a) Yuba County Career Prep Charter, b) Applied Marketing Student
Evaluation Form, c) Academy Student Handbook 2007-2008 and d) Yuba Career Prep
Automotive Times, Vol. 1, Issue 1,
November 15, 2005, Vol. 2, Issue 2, May 13, 2006 Vol. 2, Issue 1, May 14, 2007 (See
Appendix O).
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Recommended Resources
The list below includes resources that have helped Yuba County Career Prep
develop their Team-Teaching Career Academies.
Books
National Center for Construction Education and Research. Construction technology.
(2002). Prentice-Hall.
McGraw-Hill. (2004). Automotive excellence (Vols. 1–2). Glencoe/McGraw Hill.
Mescon, M., & Mescon, T. (1988). Showing up for work and other keys to business
success. Peachtree, Atlanta: GA
Organizations
Business Education Resource Consortium
www.bused.org
NATEF – National Automotive Technicians Automotive Foundation
www.natef.org
NADA – National Auto Dealers Association
www.nada.org
State Center Consortium
www.statecenter.com
Tri-Counties ROP
www.ROP.sutter.k12.ca.us
Websites
Career building - www.careercruising.com
Resume writing - www.resumewriting.com
Automotive standards - www.natef.org
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CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSIONS
Introduction
The purpose of this study was to identify and investigate promising practices that
integrate academics into career-technical education programs at two California charter
schools. Although each school implemented different programs, findings from site visits
revealed that educators at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School
and the Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter School experienced similar benefits,
which confirm findings from previous research cited in Chapter 2 of this dissertation.
Past studies revealed that integrating academics into career-technical education can lead
to improved student achievement. The study of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech
High and Yuba County Career Prep has been beneficial, as it has uncovered two specific
promising practices that prepare students for college and work. Chapter 5 presents the
findings as they relate to the original research questions, and analyzes the findings from
the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and Yuba County Career Prep to those
from the literature review in Chapter 2. The chapter concludes with recommendations for
future research, educational practice and policy reform.
Discussion of Findings
Research Question 1: How do charter schools integrate academics with career-technical
education programs to improve student achievement?
As described in Chapter 2, this research was guided by two categories of inquiry.
The categories included existing models of integrating academics into career-technical
education and barriers that prevent the integration of academics into career-technical
100
education. As the literature indicates, using models and overcoming barriers improves the
integration of academics into career-technical education, which in turn leads to improved
student achievement. One additional category that has emerged from this study was the
significance of using school design principles and curricular comments as a platform for
integrating academics into career-technical education.
The response to the research question #1 is divided into three sections. The first
section will describe how the two schools were able to overcome barriers that prevent the
integration of academics into career-technical education. The second section will outline
how the two schools used existing models to integrate academics into career-technical
education. The final section will detail how the two schools used their mission statements
to integrate academics to career-technical education.
Overcoming barriers that prevent the integration of academics into career-
technical education. Chapter 2 described different barriers that have traditionally
prevented schools from integrating academics into career-technical education. The
barriers included: 1) Scheduling, 2) teacher preparation time, 3) administrative support,
4) common planning time and 5) professional development. Both the Gary and Jerri-Ann
Jacobs High Tech High and the Yuba County Career Prep schools were able to overcome
the same barriers that prevent the integration of academics into career-technical
education.
Research indicated that scheduling was often a major logistical barrier to reform,
especially at high schools (American Youth Policy Forum, 2003). The data from both
schools suggests that scheduling was not a barrier to integrating academics with career-
101
technical education because the student and teacher schedules were built around the
promising practice. The Academic Internship and Team-Teaching Career Academies
have been with each school since the beginning and are part of each school’s internal
structure; they are not “add-on” programs. Building schedules around the practice is
beneficial because it is a structural component rather than a curricular component. This
confirms the literature which indicates that efforts at integration were more successful at
the structural level than at the curricular level (RAND, 2004).
Findings from both schools also indicate that teachers are allowed adequate time
for preparation. All teachers at the Gary and Jerri-Anne Jacobs High Tech High have
agreed to attend school one hour before the students enter the school. This extra time
allows teachers to work on planning and curricular issues. In addition, teachers who have
students on internship do not teach during the X block on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This
time is used by teachers for preparing lessons that integrate more academic concepts. At
Yuba County Career Prep teachers are allowed adequate time for preparation by
alternating instruction. During the academic period (morning) the shop teacher is
planning while the academic teacher is instructing. This extra time has allowed teachers
to develop new lessons that integrate academics into the curriculum. “The program is
designed so one instructor is teaching and one would be getting supplies or getting ready
for the next part of the day” (Principal, personal communication, November 26, 2007).
Research indicates that a lack preparation time for teachers was traditionally a barrier that
has impacted curriculum integration (RAND, 1994).
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Both the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and Yuba County Career
Prep offer support for teachers involved in the promising practices. At the Garry and
Jerri-Anne Jacobs High Tech High teachers are supported by the internship coordinator
and the site administration. Teachers at Yuba County Career Prep are supported by the
superintendent and the site administration. “We make sure the teachers understand the
vision and we give them time to work together and to make all their projects happen”
(Principal, personal communication, November 27, 2007). Teachers at Yuba Career Prep
all agreed that the administration supports the academies by raising money for the
equipment and field trips. Research indicates that lack of support is a barrier for
implementing curriculum integration. Absent the structural supports, curriculum
integration efforts tend to be haphazard and dependent on individual teacher imitative
(Castellano et al., 2001).
Another barrier to curriculum integration has been adequate time for joint
planning. Joint planning at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High occurs
between the teacher, internship coordinator, and mentor during X block. At Yuba Career
Prep, joint planning occurs when two teachers share one classroom, as the two teachers
are in constant communication with each other. One interviewee explained: “With two
teachers in the room we can bounce ideas off each other. I have come up with ideas for
the academic teacher and she has come up with ideas for me” (Teacher, personal
communication, November 27, 2007). In addition, both schools require joint planning
that specifically targets curriculum integration. According to the Principal, teachers at
Yuba Career Prep spend one half day per week sitting down and discussing how they are
103
going to focus on math or draw in the science (personal communication, November 27,
2007). At the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High the junior core teachers spend
an hour a week on internship planning (Emperor of Rigor, personal communication,
November 5, 2007). The benefits of joint planning have been documented in High
Schools That Work program evaluations. The studies discuss the importance of joint
planning time for teachers (NWREL, 2004).
Professional development at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and
Yuba County Career Prep also specifically target the promising practice. At the Gary and
Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High, teachers and coordinators are required to attend two
staff development meetings that focus on the Academic Internship. Each staff
development meeting is ninety minutes long, occurring in the months of September and
December. Teachers at Yuba County Career Prep are sent off campus for professional
development training. According to one teacher, “We have been to a lot of CTE training
and conferences” (personal communication, November, 26, 2007). Research indicated
that lack of professional development has been a barrier to successful curriculum
integration (RAND, 2004).
Using existing models to integrate academics into career-technical. Along with
breaking barriers that prevent curriculum integration, the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High
Tech High and Yuba County Career Prep also use techniques that improve curriculum
integration. Grubb et al. (1991) described eight models or methods for improving
curriculum integration. Both the Academic Internship at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs
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High Tech High and the Team-Teacher Career Academies at Yuba County Career Prep
have characteristics of curriculum integration as described by Grubb.
The Academic Internship uses three models for integration as set forth by Grubb
et al. (1991). The Academic Internship is a work-based learning (WBL) model which
creates a project that integrates academics and career-technical education (Model #5).
The only difference is the project is done at the end of the internship, during the junior
year of high school, and not the senior year as described by Grubb. The Academic
Internship also combined vocational and academic teachers to enhance academic
competencies through the junior core teachers (Model #2). In addition, those same
academic teachers worked to make the academic curriculum is more vocationally
relevent in their classrooms using information from the internship coordinator and the
business site mentor (Model #3).
The Team-Teaching Career Academy at Yuba County Career Prep uses five of
the eight Models described by Grubb et al. (1991) that integrate academics into career-
technical education curriculum. The Team-Teaching Career Academy follows the
academy model. Each academy is a school- within-a-school, geared to a specific
occupational cluster: automotive, construction, and business (Model #6). The vocational
or shop teachers in the academies align their curriculum closely with the academic
standards in order to incorporate more academic content into vocational courses (Model
#1). In addition, vocational and academic teachers are combined to enhance academic
competencies in vocational programs. The academic teachers work closely with
vocational teachers to enhance learning in vocational courses (Model #2). The close
105
relationship between the two teachers at Yuba County Career Prep also allows the
vocational teachers access to the academic classes. As a result, the vocational teachers
help the academic teachers in making the academic curriculum more vocationally
relevant (Model #3). Curriculum in the Team-Teaching Career Academies is aligned
horizontally and vertically between the different grade levels (Model #4) though
professional development and staff planning.
Table 5 lists the eight models described by Grubb et al. (1991) and depicts a
comparison between which models are used by the two promising practices: Academic
Internship and the Team-Teaching Career Academies. As described in the literature, the
models have shown to improve curriculum integration in Career Academies, Tech Prep,
High Schools That Work, and Work-Based Learning. The Team-Teaching Career
Academies use a greater number of integration models, which was not a surprise because
of four models reviewed in Chapter 2, the research indicated that smaller learning
communities appeared to provide the best environment for the design and delivery of
integrated curriculum (Johnson et al., 2003). In addition, the value of the internship
experience is not specifically listed, even though High Tech High uses the internship as a
platform for integrating academics into career-technical education. The core academic
teacher is primarily responsible for curriculum integration through designing curriculum
around the core assignments and making internships a reflective project based experience
(Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High, n.d.)
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Table 5: Comparison of Models of Curriculum Integration
Model and description
Academic
internship
Team-teaching
career academies
1) Incorporating more academic content in vocational
courses: vocational teachers made changes to vocational
courses.
XXXX
2) Combining vocational and academic teachers to
enhance academic competencies in vocational programs:
academic teachers worked with vocational teachers to
enhance learning in vocational courses.
XXXX XXXX
3) Making the academic curriculum more vocationally
relevant: academic teachers modified courses.
XXXX XXXX
4) Curricular alignment: both horizontal and vertical; XXXX
5) The senior project as a form of integration: seniors
replaced electives with a project involving multiple
disciplines.
XXXX
6) The academy model: school- within-a-school, often
geared to a specific occupational cluster.
XXXX
7) Occupational high schools and magnet schools: self-
contained schools with vocational and academic
teachers focusing on specific occupational areas.
NA NA
8) Occupational clusters, career paths, and occupational
majors: coherent sequences of courses geared to
preparing students for selected occupations, alignment
and collaboration.
NA NA
Using design principles and curricular components to integrate academics to
career-technical education. In order to improve achievement by integrating academics
into CTE programs, Hoachlander (2005) recommends that a great deal of work needs to
be done to redesign curriculum. According to the California Department of Education
this redesigned curriculum must support academic achievement (Committee of Education
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and the Workforce, 2005). Although each school’s program was vastly different in their
approach, both the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and Yuba County Career
Prep designed their curriculum to support academic achievement by incorporating three
key principles and components into their respective promising practice based on the goal
of the individual school. The goal of the Academic Internship is improved student
achievement by integrating a technical and academic education to prepare students for
post-secondary education in both high tech and liberal arts fields (Director, personal
communication, November 6, 2007). This goal is achieve through the three High Tech
High Design Principals: personalization, adult world connection, and common
intellectual mission. The goal of the Team-Teaching Career Academies is to make
academics relevant to the student through the career focus. This goal is achieved through
the three Yuba Career Prep curricular components. These components define an
education program which is rigorous, relevant, and character based (Principal, personal
communication, November 27, 2007).
The three design principles from the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High
and the three curricular components from Yuba County Career Prep share a number of
similar characteristics and have contributed to the implementation of each promising
practice. The shared characteristics include: a) Personalization, b) adult world
connections, and c) rigorous curriculum. First, both schools agree that personalization
was a key to success. Personalization at High Tech High was demonstrated through
dividing the internships by subject matter, one-on-one mentors, and targeted business site
placement of students. At Yuba County Career Prep, personalization was described as
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relevant and was demonstrated though the small size of each academy. Each of the three
academies has two teachers and twenty four students. The self-contained classroom
experience at Yuba County Career Prep opens communication lines between the teachers,
parents and students.
We have the same students all day long, so we can develop relationships with
kids. I am not seeing a new group of kids every 55 minutes; we get to know the
kids and the kids get to know us. (Lead Teacher, personal communication,
November 26, 2007)
Research indicates that when instruction is personalized and geared towards student
interests, individuals’ paid closer attention, persisted for longer periods of time, learned
more, and enjoyed participating to a greater degree than individuals engaged in activities
in which they were not interested (Cheng, 2002; Prenzel, 1988; Renninger, Hidi, &
Krapp, 1992; Schiefele, 1991).
Second, both schools agreed that getting the students out into the adult world was
an important part of the promising practice. The students from the Gary and Jerri-Ann
Jacobs High Tech High made adult world connections by working with a mentor at the
off-site business. The students from Yuba County Career Prep study character based
education in order to assist them when working with adults. “When the students go out
into the community we want them to have a positive impact” (Lead Teacher, personal
communication, November 26, 2007). The literature indicated that adult world
connections helped students explore career possibilities and clarify personal goals (Imel,
1999).
Finally, both schools agree that rigor has contributed to the success of the
promising practice. The common intellectual mission at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs
109
High Tech High is defined as a curriculum that is engaging and rigorous (High Tech
High Charter, 2007). Yuba County Career Prep included rigor in its three curricular
components. Rigor is demonstrated at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High
through challenging academics classes (micro-biology) and through structured
internships. Rigor is demonstrated at Yuba Career Prep by keeping the course curriculum
closely aligned the state standards. Rigor is significant because it requires students to
reach new levels of higher-order thinking. Research concluded that it was important to
teach students how to think, and not just what to think (Lynch, 2000). In addition,
students are able to engage in a more rigorous curriculum when it is tied to a work based
component that focuses on real issues. When students were actively engaged in work on
real issues, they demonstrate increased motivation to master content (Covington, 1992;
Lampert, 1986; Vars, 1965).
This study is significant because it validates the literature in the area of
integrating academics with career-technical education. The literature indicated that
overcoming barriers and using existing models can improve the integration of academics
with career-technical education. Both Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and
Yuba County Career Prep have overcome similar barriers and have used existing models
to integrate academics into career-technical education. In addition, an emerging theme
from this research indicates that school based design principles and curricular comments
can also be used as platforms for integrating academics with career-technical education.
110
Research Question 2: How are resources used to integrate academics with career-
technical education programs?
Resources to integrate academics with career-technical education programs were
divide into four categories: 1) Budget, 2) Staffing, 3) Facilities, and 4) Professional
development. The primary budget priorities for the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech
High are the internship coordinator, the contract with MANPOWER Inc., and
transportation expenses. Budget priorities for Yuba focus on maintaining a Career
Academy model.
Budget. The three budget priorities for the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech
High are the internship coordinator, the contract with MANPOWER Inc., and
transportation expenses. They have been developed out of the need to personalize the
experience of the Academic Internship. Personalization is one of High Tech High’s three
design principals and has been documented in research. According to Cheng (2002),
students’ learning should meet their needs and personal characteristics, and develop their
potentials particularly in contextualized multiple intelligence in an optimal way.
Budget priorities for Yuba focus on maintaining a Career Academy model which
includes small groups of students, rigorous curriculum, and an academy theme (Kemple
& Rock, 1996). Research on the effects of Career Academies indicated that students
receive more personal support, career guidance, school supervised work experiences
(Kemple et al., 1999). In addition, Career Academies retained a large proportion of at-
risk students (Kemple & Snipes, 2000). Finally, research found that Career Academies
have increased attendance; fewer behavioral problems; increased graduation rates for
both at-risk and other students and increased transition to postsecondary education and
111
training when compared to traditional schools (Stern et al., 2000, Stern & Wing, 2004).
Teachers at Yuba County Career Prep specifically reported fewer discipline referrals.
Rather than use a dean or other administrator, much of the discipline is handled in the
classroom. According to one teacher: “Because I work with only 24 students I have most
of the parent cell phone numbers. When a student in messing around I will pull my phone
out and the behavior improves” (personal communication, November 27, 2007).
Staffing. Both schools agreed staffing resources should be used to hire teachers
that had certain personal characteristics. For example, teachers at the Gary and Jerri-Ann
Jacobs High Tech High needed to have a type of open-mindedness and curiosity about
how their courses are reflected in the workplace (Teacher, personal communication,
November 5, 2007). Yuba County Career Prep teachers needed to be good role models
who work well with at-risk students.
Many of these students have been manipulated by people throughout their lives.
They can tell when a teacher is trying to con them. If you are not honest and
genuine with these students they will pick up on it, quickly. (Principal, personal
communication, November 27, 2007)
Employing teachers with personal interests that matched the needs of the program helped
to decrease teacher apathy (Castellano et al., 2001).
In addition, both schools agreed that strong support for the promising practice was
a key to success. At the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High support comes from
the Internship Coordinator who helps to establish and foster the relationship between the
student and the business.
We discovered that if you want a bona fide internship program that is central to
your school, it can’t just be this little program on the side. We realized that we
need one person who can devote 100% of his or her time to this program, and I
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think that’s what’s important. (Director, personal communication, November 6,
2007)
At Yuba County Career Prep the support comes from the administration and
superintendent. “The administration knows all the places to reach out to in order to get
additional funds for our programs” (Teacher, personal communication, November 26,
2007). Research indicated that absent the structural supports, curriculum integration
efforts tend to be haphazard and dependent on individual teacher initiative (Castellano et
al., 2001).
Facilities. The facility needs for both school differed, as the Academic Internship
was an off-site based program where the Team-Teaching Career Academy was an on-site
program. The Academic Internship required an office for the intern coordinator. The
facility at Yuba County Career Prep was under construction during the site visit even
though attempts to modernize the building have been difficult. “The government has not
figured out how to support structural improvements for charter schools. They say there’s
money available but getting to the money is another thing” (Principal, personal
communication, November 27, 2007).
Professional development. Finally, both schools use staff development to drive
the promising practice. At the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High teachers and
coordinators are required to attend two staff development meetings that focus on the
Academic Internship. Each staff development meeting is ninety minutes long, occurring
in the months of September and December. “We have one staff development meeting per
semester devoted to working with the Academic Internship and we have a meeting,
upcoming in about a month’s time, that will be totally devoted to connecting academics
113
to the actual internship” (Director, personal communication, November 6, 2007).
Teachers and administrators from Yuba County Career Prep receive staff development
regarding the Team-Teaching Career Academies through conferences. “We have been to
a lot of CTE trainings; we are always trying to get better” (Teacher, personal
communication, November 26, 2007). Lack of adequate professional development is
considered a barrier to curriculum integration (EdSource, 2005).
In summary, the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and Yuba County
Career Prep used there budget resources differently to match the needs of each school.
The Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High support the Academic Internship through
the internship coordinator, the contract with MANPOWER Inc., and transportation
expenses. Yuba County Career Prep uses budget to focus on maintaining a Career
Academy model.
Research Question 3: What challenges have charter schools faced integrating academics
with career-technical education programs and how were they addressed?
The Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and the Yuba County Career
Prep schools indicated that the promising practices created challenges for the students
and the teachers. Challenges for the students included transportation and character
education. Challenges for the teachers included proper student placement, lack of
experience integrating academics, differentiated instruction, and building trust with the
students.
The greatest challenge to students at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech
High was transportation to the business site. This challenge was addressed in the
following manner: Some students drive their own cars or have their parents drive them to
114
their work sites. Larger groups, like the ten students at Qualcomm mentioned earlier,
travel together in one of the school vans. Other students take the bus with tokens paid for
by the school. The greatest challenge to the students at Yuba County Career Prep was the
character based component of the Team-Teaching Career Academies. This challenge was
addressed by focusing on lessons that addressed proper speech and dress.
Challenges for teachers at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High
included proper placement for students and the lack of experience integrating academics.
These challenges were addressed by relying on placements from MANPOWER Inc.
instead of teacher recommendations and by using staff development to train teachers how
to integrate academics. Challenges for teachers at Yuba County Career Prep included
differentiated instruction and building trust with the students. These challenges were
addressed increased by planning time to create new lessons which accommodate different
learning modalities. “Helping all the different types of learners takes a lot of planning”
(Teacher, personal communication, November 27, 2007). Teachers at Yuba County
Career Prep are able to build trust with students by being aware of personal issues and
being more tolerant about mistakes that are made in the classroom. “When you build that
trust with the students, they will learn your personality and they know you are in it for
their best interest” (Teacher, personal communication, November 27, 2007).
The Academic Internship and the Team-Teaching Career Academy created
certain challenges for students and teachers. Both sites addressed the challenges by
shifting resources and altering instruction. Both schools agreed that teacher training was a
significant challenge.
115
Research Question 4: What evidence exist that the integration of academics with career-
technical education has resulted in positive educational outcomes?
Evidence exists from both schools that integration of academics with career-
technical education has resulted in positive educational outcomes. The positive
educational outcomes included: 1) improved test scores, 2) improved college and work
placement and 3) improved motivation towards school. First, both schools can point to
improved standardized test scores. The API at both the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High
Tech High and Yuba County Career Prep have gone up since the implementation of the
promising practices. At the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High the API moved
from 792 in 2006 to 829 in 2007. Yuba County Career Prep has seen the most significant
improvement recently with an increase of fifty points from the 2006 to 2007 school year.
“We see the test scores go up. The reading scores are up, the math scores are up and the
students are passing the high school exit exam” (Principal, personal communication,
November 27, 2007). The improvement in test scores is significant because it indicates
that integrating academics with career-technical education improves student achievement.
Research on existing programs that currently integrate academics indicate improved
student achievement; for example, students involved it HSTW have demonstrated
achievement in the areas of reading, math and science. The 1996 High Schools That
Work assessment showed significant improvement in average reading and mathematics
scores (Bottoms, 1997; Frome, 2001). Kaufman et al. (2000) found increases in the
proportion of students meeting the HSTW curriculum standards had a large impact on
achievement gains in science, reading, and mathematics. In addition, career academies
have produced positive effects on student achievement. Students in Career Academics
116
experienced higher levels of support, are more likely to give intrinsic motivations for
participating in school activities, and see strong connections between what they are
learning in school and their futures (Kemple, 1997).
Second, students, parents, and teachers from both schools agreed that the promising
practices help prepare children for college and work. All interviewees at the Gary and Jerri-
Ann Jacobs High Tech High agreed that the internship looked impressive on the college
applications. In addition, students were able to use their internship experience on the
personal statement. “The most value that I think I’ve seen from the internships from my
perspective as a college counselor has been their ability to articulate their academic
internship experience” (College Advisor, personal communication, November 5, 2007).
Also, the students did very well during the college interview process. “The college
recruiters will leave here saying: ‘your students are different, your students know how to
interact with an adult’” (College Advisor, personal communication, November 5, 2007).
Students from Yuba County Career Prep have also used the Team-Teaching Career
Academies to help them with college and getting employment. “In the time I have been
here I know of exactly 42 students who have received full time jobs as a result of the
academies” (Teacher, personal communication, November 27, 2007). The preparation for
school and work is significant because it indicates the positive outcomes of each promising
practice. Both federal and California state governments have proposed additional funding
to integrate core academics with occupational courses to offer student pathways to work
and postsecondary education (Grubb & Stern, 2007). Janet B. Bray, the Executive Director
of the Association for Career and Technical Education, advocated “every American high
117
school had the goal of preparing every student for full participation in a spectrum of college
opportunities, meaningful work, career advancement and active citizenship” (2006, p. 1).
Third, both schools agreed that the feedback they receive from students and parents
indicates improved motivation for students. At the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech
High, students are constantly talking about their internship experience and parents have
seen increased enthusiasm in their students toward school. This is because the students find
the internship experience “meaningful” (Teacher, personal communication, November 5,
2007). “Our students are talking so much about school when they come home. They’re
talking when they go to bed. They’re talking when they get up in the morning about
internship” (Emperor of Rigor, personal communication, November 5, 2007). This
improved motivation towards school has been identified in the literature. Exposure to
work-based learning improves motivation and self-direction (MacIver, 1990). The
administrators and teachers at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High also receive
feedback from the parents regarding the internship presentations that are done at the end of
each semester. Parents, mentors and community leaders participate as the audience for the
students. “It’s very popular with parents” (Teacher, personal communication, November 6,
2007). The internship presentations are significant because they closely resemble
curriculum integration Model #5 as described by Grubb et al. (1991).
The feedback from students and parents at Yuba County Career Prep is similar to
that at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High regarding improved motivation. “A
lot of students that have graduated come back on their day off and work with the current
students. That’s how I am gauging the success of the program” (Lead teacher, personal
118
communication, November 26, 2007). “The feedback I get from the parents is thank you,
thank you, thank you. Their child has been thrown out of other schools around here, but is
now doing well” (Principal, personal communication, November 27, 2007). According to
one teacher, the parents are very pleased with the progress of their children (personal
communication, November 26, 2007). This success can be attributed to the communication
and trust that is built through the Team-Teaching Career Academies.
Summary
Integrating academics into career-technical education was developed as a
platform to improve student achievement by combining concepts, principles and content
from academic disciplines with context, applications, and skills from vocational areas
(Roegge et al., 1991). Research from programs in the 1990’s that integrated academics
into career-technical education showed positive results in the areas of academic
achievement and motivation. Implementation of this reform model was limited due to a
decline in vocational education and a national focus on academic only classes. Current
research indicated students are still unprepared for college and work. The integration of
academics into career technical-education has returned as an instructional strategy due to
its link to improved student performance. Federal legislation now requires schools and
school districts to show how they are implementing the integration of academics with
career-technical education. Many schools are looking for models and practices to help
them comply with Perkins IV.
Research by Daley et al. (2005) and the California CTE Framework (California
Department of Education, 2007) indicated that charter schools would be a fertile ground
119
to investigate practices that integrated academics into career-technical education. Seven
charter schools in California were nominated to be involved in this study based on their
promising practices. Two schools were chosen out of the seven nominated based on the
selection criteria. Research on the two schools will be part of the USC Compendium of
Promising Practices. The practices and schools for this research included: The Academic
Internship from the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School and the
Team-Teaching Career Academy from the Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter
School.
Both the Academic Internship and the Team-Teaching Career Academies
integrate academics with career technical-education by breaking barriers, using existing
integration models, and by redesigned curriculum that supports academic achievement.
First, both schools were able to improve student achievement by breaking five barriers
that prevent the integration of academics into career-technical education. The five
barriers include: 1) scheduling, 2) teacher preparation time, 3) administrative support, 4)
common planning time and 5) professional development. Second, both schools use
techniques that improve curriculum integration. Grubb et al. (1991) described eight
models or methods for improving curriculum integration. Both the Academic Internship
at the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and the Team-Teacher Career
Academies at Yuba County Career Prep have characteristics of curriculum integration as
described by Grubb. Finally, both schools redesigned curriculum to support academic
achievement through the three design principles from the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs
High Tech High and the three curricular components from Yuba County Career Prep.
120
Additionally, the two schools were able to use resources and overcoming challenges to
implementing each promising practice and each school identified evidence that the
promising practice resulted in positive educational outcomes. This investigation of the
Academic Internship and the Team-Teaching Career Academy leads to a number of
conclusions on the effectiveness of integrating academics into career-technical education
and should be considered when designing implications for policy and practice.
Implications for Policy and Practice
This study is significant because it identified and discussed the benefits and
challenges associated with the implementation of integration academics with career-
technical education. This research is especially timely since Perkins IV legislation
requires that all school districts show how they are integrating academics with career-
technical education in order to receive federal funding. The following major implications
emerge from this study. They include: a) The importance of breaking the barriers that
prevent curriculum integration; b) the importance of using established models of
curriculum integration as a basis for implementing the promising practice; and c) the
importance redesigning curriculum that are aligned with school principles and
components. In addition, the minor implications from this study include effective use of
resources and overcoming challenges to the implementation of the promising practice.
Breaking Barriers
Chapter 2 describes how certain barriers have historically prevented curriculum
integration (American Youth Policy Forum, 2003; Castellano et al., 2001; EdSource,
2005; Levesque et al., 2000; RAND, 2004; Stone, 2002). Both schools are similar in that
121
they implement their promising practice to break these barriers. Schools wanting to
comply with Perkins IV could create specific plans to break barriers to curriculum
integration. Schools could target teacher preparation time, administrative support,
common planning time and professional development. Scheduling would be the most
difficult barrier for a school to overcome on a structural level. Both the Gary and Jerri-
Ann Jacobs High Tech High and Yuba County Career Prep were able to avoid this barrier
by building their student and teachers’ schedules around promising practice.
Using Established Models
Both the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and Yuba County Career
Prep use existing models (Grubb et al., 1991) to integrate academics with career technical
education. Schools trying to comply with Perkins IV could create specific plans to that
incorporate the existing models. It is recommended that schools looking to use existing
models start with Model #2, 6, 7 and 8. These four models are structural in nature where
the other four are curricular. Research indicates that efforts at integration appeared to be
more successful at the structural level that at the curricular level (RAND, 2004).
However, for many schools large structural reforms are not realistic. For those schools
the focus could remain on Models #1, 3, 4 and 5 and still be in compliance with Perkins
IV.
Redesigning Curriculum
Research indicates curriculum needs to be redesigned in order to produce both
academic and employment gains (AYPF Forum Brief, 2006; Grubb & Stern, 2007;
Hoachlander, 2005). Both the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and Yuba
122
County Career Prep used their design principals and curricular components to create
curriculum that integrates academics. Personalization, adult world connections and
curricular rigor were identified by both schools as platforms for integration. Schools
planning to comply with Perkins IV could explain how they use instructional goals to
integrate academics with career-technical education.
Implications for Future Study
With respect to integrating academics into career-technical education, future
researchers might conduct a more widespread investigation on the barriers that prevent
curriculum integration. The current study identified five barriers that were shared by both
school. Some barriers, such as teacher apathy, were discussed in Chapter 2 and not
presented in this study. Future research may want to develop a more comprehensive list
of barriers to curriculum integration and methods to overcome them. In addition, it would
be beneficial for schools to know which barriers are the most significant to overcome in
order to identify and target school reform polices.
The eight models for curriculum integration establish by Grubb et al. (1991) have
been used for the last seventeen years to integrate academics with career-technical
education. Yet, even with the models, spreading reform based on curriculum integration
has been slow (Stone, 2002). Future studies should attempt to develop a more
comprehensive list of models for integrating academics into career-technical education.
For example, as previously mentioned, the internship program is not mentioned as a
model for curriculum integration. In addition, the research should separate practices into
two categories, structural and curricular. Research indicates structural models are more
123
effective but difficult to implement (RAND, 2004). Schools just starting out on the path
to integrating academics might first want to start with curricular changes.
Finally, the design principals from the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High
and the curricular components from Yuba County Career Prep were used to integrate
academics into career-technical education. Schools can comply with Perkins IV by
redesigning curriculums in order to integrate more academics. The three platforms
(personalization, adult world connections and rigor) have been identified in the literature
as holding promise for integrating academics into career-technical education (Ainley,
1994; Covington, 1992; Imel, 1999; Lampert, 1986; Prenzel, 1988; Renninger, Hidi, &
Krapp, 1992; Schiefele, 1991). Future research should look to developing a
comprehensive list of platforms for curriculum integration based on different design
principles and curricular components.
The findings from this dissertation will become part of an interactive web-site,
USC Compendium of Promising Practices for California Charter Schools. Schools that
wish to integrate academics into career-technical education may look to the web-site for
suggestions. This research is especially timely since schools must demonstrate
curriculum integration in order to maintain compliance with Perkins IV.
Conclusion
It is hoped that the findings of this study have provided some insights into the
ways in which schools can implement the integration of academics with career-technical
education. The evidence from the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and Yuba
County Career Prep support the conclusions of the literature on this topic which identify a
124
convincing relationship between integrating academics with career-technical education
and improved student achievement. Efforts by the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech
High and Yuba County Career Prep include breaking barriers that prevent curriculum
integration, incorporating existing models that integrate curriculum, and redesigning the
current curriculum based on the goals of each school. As evidenced by the findings from
this study it is important to note that there are many similarities in the goals of each
school including personalization, adult world connections and rigor. The similarities
should inform policy makers and educators about additional components related to
implementing integration of academics into career-technical education. Finally, as a
dissemination tool, the USC Compendium of Promising Practices should inspire
educators to implement the integration of academics with career-technical education.
125
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APPENDIX A
CONTENT OF COMPENDIUM: TYPES OF DATA TO BE COLLECTED
Goal of PP
Description of PP
Theory of Action for PP
Implementation Details:
History
Time (start-up/planning time; time PP has been in place)
Lessons learned (benefits, challenges, next steps for sustainability)
Evidence of impact
Resource Requirements:
Budget information
Staffing (level and type of staff expertise needed)
Facility/space
Professional development/training
Other (e.g., technology)
Supporting Documents and Materials (printable in PDF format):
Lessons plans
Parent contracts
Video to support PP
Staff development manuals
Evaluation reports (data demonstrating results of PP)
Recommended Resources for Additional Information:
Books
Articles
Web sites
Sources of technical assistance
Potential funding sources
134
APPENDIX B
NOMINATION NOTICE
Do you know of a charter school implementing an
innovative policy, practice or program that should be widely
disseminated?
Acknowledge exemplary California charter schools by nominating
them to
U US SC C’ ’s s C Co om mp pe en nd di iu um m o of f P Pr ro om mi is si in ng g
P Pr ra ac ct ti ic ce es s
The Center on Educational Governance is adding to USC’s online Compendium of
Promising Practices, recognizing high-performing charter schools in California that
demonstrate innovation and excellence in education. CEG is requesting nominations of
charter schools that have made distinct contributions in one of the following 8 areas:
• Adult mentoring of at-risk students
• Increasing redesignation rates of English-language learners
• Integrating academics into career/technical education
• School leaders’ use of data for planning and school improvement
• Teacher evaluation
• Use of technology to increase parent involvement
• Uses of school time
135
• Writing across the curriculum
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
selection Criteria
• Demonstration of innovative practice
• Evidence of positive change
• Potential to transfer and be useful to other schools
Benefits
• Recognition at annual CCSA conference
• Publicity (press releases and radio spots)
• Framed certificate for display at the school
How To Nominate
• Visit http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/cegov
o Submit your nomination online
OR
o Download a nomination form and fax to:
Priscilla Wohlstetter, Project Director
USC Center on Educational Governance
FAX: (213) 743-2707
For more information about USC’s Compendium, please visit
www.usc.edu/dept/education/cegov/
136
APPENDIX C
NOMINATION FORM
USC’s Compendium of Promising Practices in Charter Schools
Nomination Form
The Center on Educational Governance at the University of Southern California
maintains an online Compendium of Promising Practices in Charter Schools. We are
seeking nominations for additional Promising Practices in eight areas:
1. Adult mentoring of at-risk students
2. Increasing redesignation rates of English-language learners
3. Integrating academics into career/technical education
4. School leaders’ use of data for planning and school improvement
5. Teacher evaluation
6. Use of technology to increase parent involvement
7. Uses of school time
8. Writing across the curriculum
Additional areas will be included in the future. Site visits to selected charter schools
will be conducted in the Fall of 2007.
Selection of finalists will be conducted by educational researchers at USC. Selection
criteria include:
• Evidence of positive change
137
• Innovativeness of Promising Practice
• Potential for transferability and usefulness across school sites
Benefits for selected schools include:
• Recognition at the annual CCSA conference
• Publicity (press releases and radio spots)
• Framed certificate for display at the school
Section I
Please complete all questions.
1.
Title of the Promising Practice
2. In which general area does your Promising Practice fit?
Select Value
3. What is the objective/goal of the Promising Practice?
4. How long has the Promising
Practice been implemented?
Select Value
5. Provide a brief summary (150 words) of the Promising Practice
6. Documentation of evidence for Promising Practice success (mark all that apply)
138
No data exist to support the results of this practice
Anecdotal evidence
Internal conducted evaluation
External conducted evaluation
7. Please indicate the perceived areas of positive changes produced by the
Promising Practice
a. Positive changes for target population (mark all that apply)
Students
Teachers
Parents
Other (Please specify)
b. The changes were in the following areas (mark all that apply)
Academic achievement (e.g., increased knowledge and skills)
Attitudes/Behavior (e.g., improved attendance; decreased drop-out rate;
decreased disciplinary problems)
School Operation/Management (e.g., improved cost effectiveness;
expansion/efficiency of service delivery)
139
Other (Please specifiy)
Section II
Contact Information: Please include contact information for any follow-up questions.
• Name of Nominator
• Nominator Email
• Name of Nominated School
• Nominated School Address
• Nominated School City
• Nominated School State
California
• Nominated School Zip Code
•
Nominated School Phone (xxx-xxx-
xxxx)
•
Nominated School Fax (xxx-xxx-
xxxx)
• Nominated School Website
• Key Contact Name for Nominated
140
School
• Key Contact Email
• Summer Contact Information
Submit
Clear
Return to > Center for Educational Governance
141
APPENDIX D
PRE-SITE TELEPHONE INTERVIEW – SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
School Name: ____________________________ Date:____________
Name of Interviewee:______________________________________________
Subject:______________________________________________________
Researcher:_________________________________________________________
Start Time: __________ End Time: ___________ Total Time (minutes):
[Introduction]
I am working with the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education.
We are studying promising practices in California charter schools. Through a nomination
process, your school was selected as having success in/with [promising practice]. The
purpose of this interview is to learn more about [promising practice] at your school and
to schedule a site visit at a time this fall when it is convenient for you.
The information from this research will be incorporated into a Web-based compendium
of promising practices. The website is hosted by USC’s Center on Educational
Governance. The goal of the compendium is to spread new knowledge and innovation
about promising practices to inspire educators to improve school performance.
By participating in this study, your school will get recognition at the annual California
Charter Schools Association conference; a certificate to display at your school; and
publicity in the media, including statewide and local press releases.
This preliminary interview should take only around 5-10 minutes. Is now a good time? (If
not – when would a better time be to talk with you?) Do you have any questions for me
before we begin?
A. Background- Laying the Foundation
1. How long have you been the principal at this school?
2. Would you tell me about your background and previous experience in education?
3. How long has this school been using the [promising practice]?
4. Who else on campus is involved with the [promising practice]?
[Probe for lead teachers, teachers, parents]
142
B. Scheduling and Logistics
5. We are planning to visit schools some time this fall, in October or November. The
visit will last no more than two days and I would like to speak with you again,
along with the other people you mentioned who are involved with [promising
practice]. If possible, I also would like to observe a professional development
session related to [promising practice] [and to visit a few classrooms].
a. What month and days are best to visit your school?
b. Will it be possible to attend a professional development session related to
[promising practice] during the visit?
c. [Will I be able to observe a few classrooms during my visit?]
d. Who should I speak with about arranging the visit and scheduling
interviews?
Closing: Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to visiting your school
on _______, and will plan to contact you the week before to confirm the visit. Thank
you again for participating in USC’s Compendium.
143
APPENDIX E
ON-SITE PRINCIPAL INTERVIEW PROTOCOL
School Name: _________________________________ Date:________
Name of Interviewee:_______________________________________________
Subject:__________________________________________________________
Researcher: ______________________________________________________
Start Time: _________ End Time: _______ Total Time (minutes): ________
[Introduction]
Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I am working with the University of Southern
California’s Rossier School of Education. We are studying promising practices in
California charter schools. Through a nomination process, your school was selected as
having success in/with [promising practice]. The purpose of this interview is to learn
more about [promising practice] at your school.
The information from this research will be incorporated into a Web-based compendium
of promising practices. The website is hosted by USC’s Center on Educational
Governance. The goal of the compendium is to spread new knowledge and innovation
about promising practices to inspire educators to improve school performance.
By participating in this study, your school will get recognition at the annual California
Charter Schools Association conference; a certificate to display at your school; and
publicity in the media, including statewide and local press releases.
This interview should take around 60 minutes. Do you have any questions for me before
we begin?
A. Theory of Action and History
1. Can you briefly describe [promising practice] at your school?
2. What is the goal of [promising practice]?
3. Please tell me about the history of [promising practice] at your school.
(Probe: How/why did it get started, who were the people initially involved in developing
the practice?)
4. Can you tell me a little about your role as principal with respect to [promising
practice]?
144
5. Who have been the main people involved with the planning and implementation of
[promising practice]?
6. In your opinion, what factors have contributed to the successful implementation of
[promising practice]?
7. How do you think that [promising practice] will lead to school improvement and
higher student achievement?
B. Implementation Details
8. How long has [promising practice] been in place?
9. How much start up/planning time was needed to implement [promising practice]?
10. How much planning or collaboration time on a monthly basis is needed to maintain
implementation of [promising practice]?
11. What do you see as the next steps for ensuring sustainability of the [promising
practice]?
12. How do you know [promising practice] is making a difference? [What is the evidence
of impact?]
13. What are the benefits of implementing [promising practice]?
(Probes: Benefits for students, staff, administrators, parents)
14. What are the challenges of implementing [promising practice]?
(Probes: Challenges for students, staff, administrators, parents)
15. What lessons have you learned by implementing [promising practice]?
C. Resource Requirements
16. How much of your budget is spent on [promising practice]?
17. What is the level of staff expertise required with respect to [promising practice]?
18. What facilities are needed to carry out [promising practice]?
19. How much professional development time has been devoted to implementing
[promising practice]?
145
20. Do you think the training/professional development that has been conducted meets
the needs for people to implement [promising practice] effectively?
(Probe: What other types of PD do you think would be helpful to effectively implement
promising practice?)
D. Recommended Resources for Additional Information
21. Are there any books that have been helpful to you in implementing [promising
practice]?
22. Are there any articles that have been helpful to you in implementing [promising
practice]?
23. Are there any websites that have been helpful to you in learning about [promising
practice]?
24. Are there any sources of technical assistance that have been helpful to you in
implementing [promising practice]?
25. Additional comments:
[Closing]
Thank you very much for your time. Your comments and insights are invaluable for our
research.
146
APPENDIX F
ON-SITE PP LEAD INTERVIEW PROTOCOL
School Name: ____________________ Date:___________________
Name of Interview:_________________________________________________
Subject:___________________________________________________________
Position:__________________________________________________________
Researcher: _______________________________________________________
Start Time: __________ End Time: ___________ Total Time (minutes): ________
[Introduction]
Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I am working with the University of Southern
California’s Rossier School of Education. We are studying promising practices in
California charter schools. Through a nomination process, your school was selected as
having success in/with [promising practice]. The purpose of this interview is to learn
more about [promising practice] at your school.
The information from this research will be incorporated into a Web-based compendium
of promising practices. The website is hosted by USC’s Center on Educational
Governance. The goal of the compendium is to spread new knowledge and innovation
about promising practices to inspire educators to improve school performance.
By participating in this study, your school will get recognition at the annual California
Charter Schools Association conference; a certificate to display at your school; and
publicity in the media, including statewide and local press releases.
This interview should take around 60 minutes. Do you have any questions for me before
we begin?
A. Theory of Action and History
1. Can you briefly describe [promising practice] at your school?
2. What is the goal of [promising practice]?
147
3. Please tell me about the history of [promising practice] at your school.
(Probe: How/why did it get started, who were the people initially involved in developing
the practice?)
4. Can you tell me a little about your role as lead teacher with respect to [promising
practice]?
5. Who have been the main people involved with the planning and implementation of
[promising practice]?
6. In your opinion, what factors have contributed to the successful implementation of
[promising practice]?
7. How do you think that [promising practice] will lead to school improvement and
higher student achievement?
B. Implementation Details
8. How long has [promising practice] been in place?
9. How much start up/planning time was needed to implement [promising practice]?
10. How much planning or collaboration time on a monthly basis is needed to maintain
implementation of [promising practice]?
11. What do you see as the next steps for ensuring sustainability of the [promising
practice]?
12. How do you know [promising practice] is making a difference? [What is the evidence
of impact?]
13. What are the benefits of implementing [promising practice]?
(Probes: Benefits for students, staff, administrators, parents)
14. What are the challenges of implementing [promising practice]?
(Probes: Challenges for students, staff, administrators, parents)
15. What lessons have you learned by implementing [promising practice]?
C. Resource Requirements
16. How much of your budget is spent on [promising practice]?
148
17. What is the level of staff expertise required with respect to [promising practice]?
18. What facilities/technology are needed to carry out [promising practice]?
19. How much professional development time has been devoted to implementing
[promising practice]?
20. Do you think the training/professional development that has been conducted meets
the needs for people to implement [promising practice] effectively?
(Probe: What other types of PD do you think would be helpful to implement promising
practice effectively?)
D. Recommended Resources for Additional Information
21. Are there any books that have been helpful to you in implementing [promising
practice]?
22. Are there any articles that have been helpful to you in implementing [promising
practice]?
23. Are there any websites that have been helpful to you in learning about [promising
practice]?
24. Are there any sources of technical assistance that have been helpful to you in
implementing [promising practice]?
25. Additional comments:
[Closing]
Thank you very much for your time. Your comments and insights are invaluable for our
research.
149
APPENDIX G
ON-SITE TEACHER INTERVIEW PROTOCOL
School Name: _________________________________ Date:_________
Name of Interviewee:______________________________________________
Subject:______________________________________________________
Position:______________________________________________________
Researcher: ____________________________________________________
Start Time: __________ End Time: ___________ Total Time (minutes): ________
[Introduction]
Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I am working with the University of Southern
California’s Rossier School of Education. We are studying promising practices in
California charter schools. Through a nomination process, your school was selected as
having success in/with [promising practice]. The purpose of this interview is to learn
more about [promising practice] at your school.
The information from this research will be incorporated into a Web-based compendium
of promising practices. The website is hosted by USC’s Center on Educational
Governance. The goal of the compendium is to spread new knowledge and innovation
about promising practices to inspire educators to improve school performance.
By participating in this study, your school will get recognition at the annual California
Charter Schools Association conference; a certificate to display at your school; and
publicity in the media, including statewide and local press releases.
This interview should only take 30-40 minutes. Do you have any questions for me before
we begin?
A. Evidence of Impact
1. What has been the impact of [promising practice] on students?
(Probe: How do you know?)
2. What has been the impact of [promising practice] on parents?
(Probe: How do you know?)
3. What has been the impact of [promising practice] on teachers?
(Probe: How do you know?)
150
4. What has been the impact of [promising practice] on other constituents/stakeholders
(e.g., investors, community groups etc.)?
(Probe: How do you know?)
5. Was any system for measuring the success of [promising practice] adopted during the
planning stages?
6. Are you aware of any research studies that confirm the impact of [promising practice]
on student achievement? If yes, may we please have copies?
B. Lessons Learned
7. What benefits have you experienced as a result of implementing [promising practice]?
(Probes: Benefits for students, staff, administrators, parents)
8. What challenges have you experienced while implementing the [promising practice]?
(Probes: Challenges for students, staff, administrators, parents)
9. Have there been any efforts to improve the effectiveness of [promising practice]? If
yes, explain.
10. What efforts have been made to help sustain [promising practice] at your school?
11. What future steps are needed to ensure the sustainability of [promising practice]?
12. What recommendations would you make to other educators that are thinking about
adopting [promising practice]?
C. Recommended Resources for Additional Information
13. Are there any books that have been helpful to you in implementing [promising
practice]?
14. Are there any articles that have been helpful to you in implementing [promising
practice]?
15. Are there any websites that have been helpful to you in learning about [promising
practice]?
16. Are there any sources of technical assistance that have been helpful to you in
implementing [promising practice]?
17. Additional comments:
[Closing]
151
Thank you very much for your time. Your comments and insights are invaluable for our
research.
152
APPENDIX H
CLASSROOM OBSERVATION PROTOCOL
School Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________
Teacher’s Name: ________________________________ Observer: __________
Type of Class: ___________________________________ Grade Level: ________
Time Started: ________ Time Ended: __________ Total Time :_____
Number of Students Observed: __________________
Lesson Topic (e.g., volcanoes, verbs): ___________________________________
Instructional Goal (e.g., word recognition, comprehension):
___________________________________________________________________
Indicate Language(s) Used for Activity:
English □ Spanish □ Eng/Span. Combo □ Other □
______________________
A. Classroom Environment
1. How does the arrangement of the room support [promising practice]?
(seating, learning centers, bulletin boards, display of student work, etc.)
2. What resources in the classroom support [promising practice]?
(presence of aids/parents, technology, books, learning manipulatives, etc.)
B. Academic Lesson
1. What is the intended purpose of the lesson?
(as written or stated by teacher-consider related standards)
2. What is the structure of the lesson?
(whole group, small group, pairs-consider instructional time spent)
153
3. Explain the sequence of events and distribution of time during the lesson as it
relates to [promising practice].
4. Describe the Teacher-Student interactions observed.
5. Describe the Student-Student interactions observed.
6. List (and collect copies) of pertinent resources from the lesson.
(lesson plans, handouts, teacher’s guide)
7. Additional notes
154
APPENDIX I
DOCUMENT CHECKLIST
School Name: _______________ Date of Scheduled Site Visit: ____________
Promising Practice: __________________________________________________
Researcher: _________________________________________________________
Document Type
Document Title Retrieval Date
Charter (Petition):
Renewal Petition:
Policy Documents Related to
Promising Practice
( e.g., parent handbook)
Handbook
(Faculty, Staff, Student, Parent)
Program Evaluations
(Related to Promising Practice)
Other Assessment Data
(Related to Promising Practice)
Other Documents
(Related to Promising Practice)
APPENDIX J
INTERVIEW GRID
School Site Visit: Interview and Observation Schedule for [insert school name]
I would like your help in scheduling interviews for my site visit on [insert dates].
Here are a few guidelines to help with scheduling.
• I can begin as early as [insert time] and stay throughout the day.
• Interviews and observations can be in any order.
• Please allow for at least 15 minutes between interviews.
• Please feel free to contact [insert your name] at [insert contact information] with questions or concerns.
Position
Length of
Interview
Date &
Time
Name of Person(s) to be
Interviewed or Activity to be
Observed
[Insert date] [Insert date]
1. Interview w/Principal 60 min.
2. Interview w/ [Promising Practice Lead] 60 min.
3. Interview w/Teacher #1
[insert details]
45 min.
4. Classroom Observation #1 [insert
details]
20-30 min.
5. Interview w/Teacher #2
[insert details]
45 min.
6. Classroom Observation #2 [insert
details]
20-30 min.
7. Interview w/Teacher #3
[insert details]
45 min.
155
156
APPENDIX K
HIGH TECH HIGH CLASSROOM VISIT #1
Classroom Observation Protocol
School Name: High Tech High School Date: 11/5/07
Teacher’s Name: Teacher 1 Observer: Scott Anderle
Type of Class: Biotechnology Grade Level: 11th
Time Started: 8:40 a.m. Time Ended: 9:40 a.m. Total Time (minutes): 60 min.
Number of Students Observed: 21
Lesson Topic (e.g., volcanoes, verbs): Extraction and isolation of cells for DNA bar
coding.
Instructional Goal (e.g., word recognition, comprehension): The process of crude
cell extraction.
Indicate Language(s) Used for Activity:
English X Spanish □ Eng/Span. Combo □ Other □
_____________________
A. Classroom Environment
1. How does the arrangement of the room support the integration of academics into
career-technical education? (seating, learning centers, bulletin boards, display of
student work, etc.)
-Students work at stations of four students. The classroom resembles a scientific
laboratory. For example, there are tanks, filter systems, beakers, a large LCD
screen and projector. Students wear latex gloves so not to contaminate the
samples.
157
2. What resources in the classroom support the integration of academics into career-
technical education? (presence of aids/parents, technology, books, learning
manipulatives, etc.)
-Computers, microscopes and slides, centrifuge, beakers, pictures, books.
-Multiple drying racks for beakers and samples.
B. Academic Lesson
1. What is the intended purpose of the lesson?
(as written or stated by teacher-consider related standards)
-The purpose of the lesson to have students learn biotechnical skills and produce
original scientific data in forensics through DNA extraction procedures. Students will
demonstrate the type of knowledge and skills needed by biotech employers. Students
work with CRES Genetic Division employees when preparing and analyzing data
from the automated DNA analyzer. Students learn molecular biology, ecology,
forensic science, histology and biological data exchange.
2. What is the structure of the lesson?
(whole group, small group, pairs-consider instructional time spent)
-Small groups of four worked together organizing the lab table and preparing
samples. The tables were divided into pairs and each pair was assigned parts to be
tested. For example, the spread sheet indicated that Amanda and Melissa had
Crab/Legs, Raul and Mike had Shrimp/Head.
The lesson proceeded as follows:
1) Explanation and demonstration of extraction and measuring of specimen sample.
2) Place 300 ml of T.E. (tris eota) in with sample using pipette.
3) Freeze sample to expand tissue.
4) Place solution a (detergent) in with sample using pipette.
5) Place solution b (ethyl acetate) in with sample using pipette.
3. Explain the sequence of events and distribution of time during the lesson as it
relates to [promising practice].
-Lesson focus is on biotechnical skill and production of scientific data.
The first skill that was reviewed was anit-comtamination techniques.
158
The second skill was precise recording techniques were reviewed.
-The teacher explained the importance of making processes clear for understanding
and reproducing experiments. He showed examples of research where chemical
mixtures were referred to as “ingredients.” He reminded students that the examples
displayed were that of sloppy research and that students would be accessed on 1)
order of events and 2) precise and detailed recording procedures.
The third skill was correct pipette usage.
-The teacher demonstrated correct pipette usage and protocol. He reminded the
students about changing pipette tips for anti-contamination purposes and about
recording tip changing. He reviews the fact that correct pipette usage is very
important for students doing academic internships with biotech companies and how it
is a skill necessary for being employed in the biotech field.
4. Describe the Teacher-Student interactions observed.
-The teacher moves around the room checking for understanding and reminding
students about the importance of double and triple checking the amounts of fluid in
the pipette before mixing with the sample. He also reminds students to be vigilant out
recording all details. Teacher and students also spend time discussing publication
techniques. Teachers and students discuss publication terms such as abstract,
introduction, sequence data, methods, objective, results and relevance. Teacher
reports those students involved in scientific research also need English skills when it
comes to publishing data. Students call teacher by his first name.
5. Describe the Student-Student interactions observed.
-Students work closely in pairs to complete the lab. Students work in foursomes on
anti-contamination processes and beaker and pipette distribution. Foursomes at each
station also share notes and ideas.
6. List (and collect copies) of pertinent resources from the lesson.
(lesson plans, handouts, teacher’s guide)
N/A
7. Additional notes
159
APPENDIX L
HIGH TECH HIGH CLASSROOM VISIT #2
Classroom Observation Protocol
School Name: High Tech High School Date: 11/6/07
Teacher’s Name: Teacher 2 Observer: Scott Anderle
Type of Class: Biology Grade Level: 11th
Time Started: 8:40 a.m. Time Ended: 9:40 a.m. Total Time (minutes):60
Number of Students Observed: 20
Lesson Topic (e.g., volcanoes, verbs): Evolution of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
Instructional Goal (e.g., word recognition, comprehension):
Complete bio. Table regarding the number of culture colonies
Indicate Language(s) Used for Activity:
English x Spanish □ Eng/Span. Combo □ Other □
_____________________
A. Classroom Environment
1. How does the arrangement of the room support [promising practice]?
(seating, learning centers, bulletin boards, display of student work, etc.)
-Five square large workstations with four students per table. Samples from produced
student work are posted. Students recently published the book San Diego Bay: A
Story on Exploitation and Restoration and enlarged samples are on display.
2. What resources in the classroom support [promising practice]?
160
(presence of aids/parents, technology, books, learning manipulatives, etc.)
- Freezer for lab samples
- Student lab books
- Beakers and test tubes
- Cell colony “counter” lights
- Giant 15 foot whiteboard
B. Academic Lesson
1. What is the intended purpose of the lesson?
(as written or stated by teacher-consider related standards)
-To culture bacterial colonies, change their environment, and watch them evolve.
Students have the following goals during lab. 1) Know and demonstrate aseptic lab
technique. 2) Sample and culture bacteria and fungi form the environment. 3)
Understand how and why an bacteria population might evolve to have antibiotic
resistance.
2. What is the structure of the lesson?
(whole group, small group, pairs-consider instructional time spent)
-Students work in pairs to count cultures. Foursomes work together on aseptic lab
techniques.
3. Explain the sequence of events and distribution of time during the lesson as it
relates to [promising practice].
-Teacher explains how the skills learned are important for students and interns
working in the biology field. The teacher begins the discussion on aseptic technique
before students enter the classroom. The teacher meets the student in the hall and
explains that they will need lab coats, protective glasses and latex gloves before
entering the classroom. (Observer needed same.) Students change in hall, as items are
distributed. Students enter classroom and aseptic techniques are discussed and
executed (see lesson plan). The teacher explains that skills learned in the class, i.e.
aseptic techniques and sampling bacteria, would help them if they ever worked in a
lab or in medicine. Students retrieve culture packs from frozen storage and begin
counting colonies (see lesson plan). Students document data on giant whiteboard.
Teacher leads students in a discussion on data analysis. Student call teacher by her
first name.
4. Describe the Teacher-Student interactions observed.
161
-The teacher moves from group to group assisting students and checking for
understanding. The teacher assists students with writing their observations in their lab
books. Teacher also help students with data analysis stating “always write what you
observe and don’t alter results.”
5. Describe the Student-Student interactions observed.
-Students work in pairs and share-out on project results.
6. List (and collect copies) of pertinent resources from the lesson.
(lesson plans, handouts, teacher’s guide)
-Lesson plan and lab note instruction attached.
7. Additional notes
-When teacher moved around the room checking for understanding she also asked
students questions about their academic internships. The student next to me was
working for an organization that works to prevent frivolous lawsuits and the student
across from me was working for an orthodontist.
162
APPENDIX M
YUBA COUNTY CAREER PREP CLASSROOM VISIT
Classroom Observation Protocol
School Name: Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter School Date: 11/26/07
Teacher’s Name: Teacher 1 Observer: Scott Anderle
Type of Class: Business Grade Level: 9-12th
Time Started: 1:15 p.m. Time Ended: 2:15 p.m. Total Time (minutes):60
Number of Students Observed: 22
Lesson Topic (e.g., volcanoes, verbs): Customer Service – Tasks and Needs
Instructional Goal (e.g., word recognition, comprehension): Time mangement
Indicate Language(s) Used for Activity:
English x Spanish □ Eng/Span. Combo □ Other □
_____________________
A. Classroom Environment
1. How does the arrangement of the room support career academies?
(seating, learning centers, bulletin boards, display of student work, etc.)
The classroom is located in the downtown Marysville business district, in what was
an old dime store. The location is important for the student based projects and the
career internships that are a required part of the curriculum. The classroom is set up
with six rectangle desks in a U shape with three to four students per table. Samples
from produced student work are posted. Posted works included a class project of the
newly proposed downtown parking plan.
2. What resources in the classroom support the career academies?
(presence of aids/parents, technology, books, learning manipulatives, etc.)
- Computers and maps of the city, text books and portfolios.
163
B. Academic Lesson
1. What is the intended purpose of the lesson?
(as written or stated by teacher-consider related standards)
-To help students maximize time and arrange tasks. Students complete a series of
assignments that require them to
2. What is the structure of the lesson?
(whole group, small group, pairs-consider instructional time spent)
-Students work in pairs to count cultures. Foursomes work together on aseptic lab
techniques.
3. Explain the sequence of events and distribution of time during the lesson as it
relates to [promising practice].
-Teacher explains how the skills learned are important for students and interns
working in the biology field. The teacher begins the discussion on aseptic technique
before students enter the classroom. The teacher meets the student in the hall and
explains that they will need lab coats, protective glasses and latex gloves before
entering the classroom. (Observer needed same.) Students change in hall, as items are
distributed. Students enter classroom and aseptic techniques are discussed and
executed (see lesson plan). The teacher explains that skills learned in the class, i.e.
aseptic techniques and sampling bacteria, would help them if they ever worked in a
lab or in medicine. Students retrieve culture packs from frozen storage and begin
counting colonies (see lesson plan). Students document data on giant whiteboard.
Teacher leads students in a discussion on data analysis. Student call teacher by her
first name.
4. Describe the Teacher-Student interactions observed.
-The teacher moves from group to group assisting students and checking for
understanding. The teacher assists students with writing their observations in their lab
books. Teacher also help students with data analysis stating “always write what you
observe and don’t alter results.”
5. Describe the Student-Student interactions observed.
-Students work in pairs and share-out on project results.
164
6. List (and collect copies) of pertinent resources from the lesson.
(lesson plans, handouts, teacher’s guide)
-Lesson plan and lab note instruction attached.
7. Additional notes
-When teacher moved around the room checking for understanding she also asked
students questions about their academic internships. The student next to me was
working for an organization that works to prevent frivolous lawsuits and the student
across from me was working for an orthodontist.
165
APPENDIX N
DOCUMENT CHECKLIST HIGH TECH HIGH
Document Checklist—To be collected and filed at USC
School Name: Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School
Site Visit: November 5 and 6, 2007
Promising Practice: The Academic Internship
Researcher: Scott Anderle
Document Type
Document Title
Retrieval Date
Charter (Petition):
High Tech High School
Charter
11/5/07
Renewal Petition
High Tech High Petition
for Charter Renewal
11/6/07
Policy Documents Related to
Promising Practice
( e.g., parent handbook)
High Tech High
Academic Internship
Field Manual
11/6/07
Handbook
(Faculty, Staff, Student, Parent)
Program Evaluations
(Related to Promising Practice)
High Tech High Intern
Performance Review
11/6/07
Other Assessment Data
(Related to Promising Practice)
Other Documents
(Related to Promising Practice)
166
APPENDIX O
DOCUMENT CHECKLIST YUBA COUNTY CAREER
Document Checklist—To be collected and filed at USC
School Name: Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter School
Site Visit: November 26 and 27, 2007
Promising Practice: The Team-Teaching Career Academy
Researcher: Scott Anderle
Document Type
Document Title
Retrieval Date
Charter (Petition):
Yuba County Career
Preparatory Charter
School Charter
11/26/07
Renewal Petition
Policy Documents Related to
Promising Practice
( e.g., parent handbook)
Handbook
(Faculty, Staff, Student, Parent)
Academy Student
Handbook 2007-2008
11/26/07
Program Evaluations
(Related to Promising Practice)
Applied Marketing
Student Evaluation
Form
11/26/07
Other Assessment Data
(Related to Promising Practice)
Other Documents
(Related to Promising Practice)
School reports 11/27/07
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
This research documents promising practices that integrate academics with career-technical education in two California charter schools. The study was based on past research suggesting that the integration of academics into career-technical education leads to improved student achievement. The study explored four areas related to implementation: 1) how academics were integrated into career-technical education, 2) the use of resources, 3) the challenges to integration, and 4) evidence of positive educational outcomes. This was a qualitative case study of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Carter School and the Yuba County Office of Education Career Preparatory Charter School. During the two-day site visits multiple interviews were conducted and archival documents were collected.
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Anderle, Scott Thomas
(author)
Core Title
The integration of academics into career-technical education in two California charter schools
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Education
Publication Date
09/17/2008
Defense Date
08/11/2008
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
academics and career-technical education,integration of academics,OAI-PMH Harvest
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Wohlstetter, Priscilla (
committee chair
), Gothold, Stuart E. (
committee member
), Jackson, Santiago (
committee member
)
Creator Email
sanderle@gusd.net,sb1213@sbcglobal.net
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m1602
Unique identifier
UC1116941
Identifier
etd-Anderle-2386 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-94355 (legacy record id),usctheses-m1602 (legacy record id)
Legacy Identifier
etd-Anderle-2386.pdf
Dmrecord
94355
Document Type
Dissertation
Rights
Anderle, Scott Thomas
Type
texts
Source
University of Southern California
(contributing entity),
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
(collection)
Repository Name
Libraries, University of Southern California
Repository Location
Los Angeles, California
Repository Email
cisadmin@lib.usc.edu
Tags
academics and career-technical education
integration of academics