The publication of these volumes is especially timely, considering the continued interest in curriculum integration--in the vocational education community, among those interested in school-to-work programs, among school reformers developing applied and interdisciplinary approaches, and now with the promotion of curriculum integration in high schools funded through the revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
The title, Education Through Occupations in American High Schools, is taken from John Dewey's comment in Democracy and Education that "Education through occupations combines within itself more of the factors conducive to learning than any other method." In more modern vocabulary, according to Grubb, "we can use broadly defined occupations to focus high schools and to motivate both academic and vocational instruction--perhaps the best route to high school reform."
The first volume is subtitled Approaches to Integrating Academic and Vocational Education. Several essays describe the motivations for curriculum integration, while the following section is devoted to the different approaches to integration--concentrating on the most through reforms that take place in career academies, in high schools that use career clusters or majors, and in career-oriented magnet schools. The final section argues that the integration of academic and vocational education is a method of improving pedagogy in high schools, as well as a way of reforming their content and structure.
The second volume, entitled The Challenges of Implementing Curriculum Integration, explains how to put these changes into place. Finally, an appendix provides resources for further information and technical assistance. These volumes are dedicated to the memory of Charles Benson, the former director of the National Center, one of the contributors, and in many ways the guiding spirit behind the efforts to broaden vocational education. Education Through Occupations in American High Schools will be available in April from Teachers College Press, 1234 Amsterdam Ave., New York N.Y. 10027; (212) 678-3929.
Introduction: Resolving the Paradox of the High School (W. Norton Grubb)
Part I: The Background of Integration Efforts
"The Cunning Hand, The Cultured Mind": Sources of Support for Curriculum Integration (W. Norton Grubb)
The Integration of Work and School: Education and the Changing Workplace (Thomas Bailey)
The Power of Curricular Integration: Its Relationship to Other School Reforms (Erica Nielsen Andrew and W. Norton Grubb)
Part II: Approaches to Integration
A Continuum of Approaches to Integration (W. Norton Grubb)
The Career Academies (Marilyn Raby)
Coherence for All Students: High Schools with Career Clusters and Majors (W. Norton Grubb)
Urban Career Magnet High Schools (Ruth Katz, Lola Jackson, Kathy Reeves, and Charles Benson)
Senior Projects: Flexible Opportunities for Integration (Mayo Tsuzuki)
The Voices of Students at Magnet Schools (Amy Heebner)
Part III: The Pedagogy of Curriculum Integration
Teaching Generic Skills (Cathy Stasz, Kimberly Ramsey, and Rick Eden)
Apprenticeship as a Paradigm of Learning (Sue Berryman)
Conclusion: The Promise of Curriculum Integration (W. Norton Grubb)
VOLUME II--The Challenges of Implementing Curriculum Integration
Introduction: The Components of a Complex Reform (W. Norton Grubb)
Part I: Implementation Issues
Integrating Vocational and Academic Education: Lessons from Early Innovators
Improving High School for Career-bound Youth: Reform Through a Multi-state Network (Gene Bottoms and Alice Presson)
Part II: New Roles for Teachers and Administrators
Traditions of High School Teaching and the Transformation of Work Education ( Judith Warren Little)
The Roles of Teachers ( June Schmidt, Curtis Finch, and Susan Faulkner)
The Roles of Administrators ( John Porter)
Part III: Related Programs and Supportive Services
Paths Not Taken: Curriculum Integration and the Political and Moral Purposes of Education (Ken Koziol and W. Norton Grubb)
Guidance and Counseling: An Essential Component for Effective Integration (Belinda McCharen)
Addressing Diversity in the Classroom (Carolyn Maddy-Bernstein and Maureen Coyle-Williams)
The Role of Employers: The Integration of Work-based Learning (Richard Kazis)
Linking High Schools to Postsecondary Institutions: The Role of Tech Prep (Debra Bragg)
Performance Measures and Standards: Implications for Evaluating Program Improvements (Gary Hoachlander)
Conclusion: Achieving the Promise of Curriculum Integration (W. Norton Grubb)
Appendix-- Resources for Further Information and Technical Assistance (Susan Faulkner, Zipura Burac Matias, Nora Hanson, and Margaret Ellibee)