A major factor in shaping the need for revamped teaching practice is the growth of school-to-career (STC) programs. Encouraged by federal legislation, many localities and states are developing new STC programs and systems. The impetus for STC reforms comes from different sources, including a poor record of transition from school-to-career for many youth and concerns about youth preparation for a workplace that is changing dramatically in response to new technology and a competitive business environment (Stasz, 1995; Stasz, Kaganoff, & Eden, 1994; Stern, Finkelstein, Stone, Latting, and Dornsife, 1995).
STC reforms encompass a wide variety of programs and serve students in high schools, non-baccalaureate postsecondary institutions, or out-of-school youth. While some programs explicitly prepare students for work, others have an industry focus to motivate students, contextualize learning, or provide a broad introduction to industry-related career opportunities. The kinds of programs under the STC rubric include cooperative education, school-based enterprise, Tech Prep, career academies, and youth apprenticeships. While there is much variety within and between program types, STC programs, by and large, share three common elements: (1) integration of school-based and work-based learning; (2) combined academic and vocational curriculum, and (3) the linking of secondary and postsecondary education (Stern et al., 1995). Creating programs which include these elements often requires sweeping changes in curriculum; methods of instruction; and relations between schools and other organizations, including employers and institutions of higher education.
STC programs can impact participating teachers in many important ways, but perhaps most significantly when they require changes in curriculum and teaching. STC's success depends on teachers' ability to develop new integrated curricula and to design classrooms to promote active learning in students. Most teachers have little knowledge of the world of work, which makes it difficult to develop curricula that incorporate "real-world" problems or demonstrate the applicability of academic learning outside of school (Stasz, Ramsey, Eden, DaVanzo, Farris, & Lewis, 1992). Developing integrated curricula often depends on collaboration between academic and vocational teachers who each bring needed expertise to the curriculum design task; however, most high school teachers are not well-prepared to change curriculum or practice or to collaborate across disciplines in ways that support STC reforms (Bodilly, Ramsey, Stasz, & Eden, 1992; Grubb, Davis, Lum, Plihal, & Morgaine, 1991; Stasz et al., 1994).