The guide constitutes the basic text for the mini-sabbatical as a course of study and is supplemented by readings on curricular and pedagogical innovation. The guide explains the background and purpose of the mini-sabbatical and provides a detailed outline of activities and requirements. A companion document, Designing Classrooms that Work: Conception and Pilot Study, describes the conceptual framework underlying the design of the mini-sabbatical and reports on the initial implementation and outcomes of the mini-sabbatical, which was conducted in the summer of 1996.
The mini-sabbatical is designed for high school teachers in a variety of school-to-career programs such as career academies, cooperative education, school-based enterprises, and career focus schools. This guide is intended as a source of ideas and activities for conducting staff development for teachers, whether or not the entire six-week mini-sabbatical is implemented.
Development and testing of the mini-sabbatical at RAND was funded
through a grant to the National Center for Research on Vocational
Education, University of California at Berkeley, from the U.S. Department
of Education, Office of Adult and Vocational Education.