A review of interviewee responses concerning the curriculum focus revealed the following five categories of responses:
Career Exploration and Awareness
One of the main focuses of the STW curriculum at the middle school level was career exploration and awareness. Curriculum activities and experiences were designed to "catch the interest of the students" and "expand their horizons." Students were encouraged to evaluate their individual interests and abilities and build goal setting and decision-making skills through career exploration participation. Interviewees indicated that students were carefully guided through these developmentally appropriate experiences that focused on "exploring the world of work."
Self-Awareness
Student self-awareness was also frequently mentioned as a curriculum focus. According to one academy principal, participation in the STW exercises would "create awareness of individual talents and build generic skills such as, problem-solving, decision-making, negotiating, finding resources, and working with others." Another suburban site principal felt that a STW curriculum should focus on helping students to "understand what their passion is." Other interviewees indicated that the curriculum focus was on building student self-esteem and self-understanding.
Contextual Learning
Some interviewees felt strongly that the focus of the STW should be on real-life community and workplace experiences rather than simply exploration. They indicated that the information and workplace skills learned in the classroom needed to be applied in actual workplace settings, in other words, the curriculum needed to "connect basic learning with practical application." According to one suburban school principal, their STW curriculum focused on "providing workplace experiences, more than just exposure, real activities." A district administrator stated, "the school-to-work implementation focus is the actual fusion of related skills into the curriculum and the actual practicing of those skills in career experience opportunities." Actual workplace experiences were viewed as a valuable way to "give students a method to apply what they learn and see how school fits with career preparation." Several interviewees indicated the need to focus on preparing students for a changing economy. In order to accomplish this goal, one technology education coordinator suggested students become "involved in the actual workplace setting, working with the newest technological advances, and seeing technology at work firsthand."
Community-Based and Service Learning
Several sites indicated community-based learning and/or "service learning" as an integral part of their STW curriculum focus. Most interviewees viewed community-based learning as a way for students to build respect for themselves and acquire a stake in their community. Community-based activities such as clean-up projects and community safety campaigns concentrated on the developmental needs of the students and involved them in the planning and implementation of programs that serve others. Fewer respondents referred to "service learning" in the sense of "students performing meaningful service to their communities and to society while engaging in some form of reflection related to the service" (Giles, Honnet, & Migliore, 1993, p. 7). Interviewees indicated service learning activities helped to "develop a sense of civic responsibility" and "channeled energy into helping solve local problems." Service learning activities were integrated into the academic curriculum and enhanced what was taught in school by extending student learning beyond the classroom. A district executive indicated that her school focused on service learning because it "encouraged volunteerism as a way to explore the reality of jobs." Many interviewees agreed that community-based and service learning were necessary parts of students' educational growth leading to adult life and lifelong learning.
Integrated Themes
Many of the respondents indicated that STW education itself provided the focus for their academic curriculum. STW curriculum was not viewed as a separate curriculum, but carefully embedded within their daily routines. STW education was seen as a way to "reinforce the classroom curriculum" and "focus on continuous progress and was viewed as valuable for "every single child." One principal, referred to his school's curriculum as having a "school-to-life focus with a very integrated scope and sequence." People at some sites indicated specific curriculum themes that heavily focused on STW content--for example, technology, medical careers, legal careers, economics, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship. One district coordinator explained,
All of our curriculum is based on specific themes. Our total school curriculum is highly organized and highly structured and centers around a variety of different themes. School-to-work is within each theme.
A guidance counselor explained how teachers weave career information into their content area courses:
We call it careers across the curriculum. We try to wherever and whenever at least make mention of how this may pertain to a job or making a career decision or to help open doors to different opportunities later in life.