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3
1
News
United States
Department
of Labor
Office of Information
Washington, D.C. 20210
CONTACT: Bob Zachariasiewicz
USDL: 88-336
OFFICE: 202/523-7316
FOR RELEASE: Immediate
Monday, July 11, 1988
LABOR, EDUCATION, AND COMMERCE SECRETARIES ISSUE REPORT ON "SKILLS GAP;"
McLAUGHLIN CREATES COMMISSION ON WORKFORCE QUALITY
Two-thirds of employers consulted for a new report issued today by the
Secretaries of Labor, Education, and Commerce said the current pool of
applicants for entry-level jobs lacked basic skills, such as reading,
writing, mathematics, problem-solving and communication.
To explore this skills gap and related issues in the changing American
workplace, Secretary of Labor Ann McLaughlin announced the creation of a
Commission on Workforce Quality and Labor Market Efficiency. The one-year
advisory commission, the first on its subject, will be composed of some 18
experts from business, labor, government, academia, and the public.
The Secretaries' 61-page joint report, Building a Quality Workforce,
was issued in conjunction with a July 11 conference in Washington D.C.
conducted by the three Cabinet members with invited business, labor, and
education leaders.
The report called for a stronger educational system and more
interaction between business and educators at the local community level.
"As America heads toward a more demanding, skill-intensive economy, a
literate, educated workforce is essential to our ability to compete in the
world marketplace," said Secretary McLaughlin. "Unless we act now, we will
face a serious shortage of skilled workers. This 'worker deficit' could
result in our having to import qualified employees, retrain our own workers
at huge expense, or the loss of American industries overseas."
-more-
Years of
75
Working for
America's
Future
-2-
Secretary of Education William J. Bennett said the new report showed
the need for business and educators to communicate and work together.
"Nothing improves the chances for success in the workplace as much as a
good education," said Bennett. "But too many of today's children,
particularly those coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, are not getting
the education to which they are entitled. Fortunately, American business
men and women are taking an active interest in the vital relationship
between education and a sound economy. These education partnerships can be
vehicles for improving school performance, for building civic literacy, and
for creating a workforce prepared to adapt to changes in the workplace."
Commerce Secretary C. William Verity pointed out that several
communities have already begun innovative initiatives to narrow the skills
gap.
"In our report we note several case studies where local business.
schools, and community groups have started ambitious cooperative programs."
Verity said. "In Prince George's County, Maryland, the school system is
developing 'student warranties' --guarantees to employers that its graduates
have certain skills. In Cincinnati, efforts start with a pre-school program
to help inner-city kids develop their academic and social abilities and
include imaginative cooperation between business and the school system
through high school. These are the kinds of approaches we must explore."
At the conclusion of the joint conference, McLaughlin announced the
charter of a commission on workforce quality.
"In light of the dramatic changes coming in the workplace during the
next dozen years, it is imperative that we have advice from the best minds
in the country," she said.
"The formation of this commission is a landmark. For the first time. a
group of public and private sector experts will focus specifically on how to
build on the talents and abilities of the American workforce. Its advice
will help the Labor Department, employers, unions, and employees prepare for
the future more effectively."
McLaughlin said that the issues the commission will address include:
the effectiveness of publicly and privately provided job training and
education; the best ways to keep educators informed about the skills workers
need; financing for investment in worker development; the roles of
employers, unions, and government in serving displaced workers; ways to
improve private and public job placement agencies; the need for more
flexibility by employers to help workers enter the labor force: and the
potential for increased productivity through new pay systems, benefits.
employment security, and worker participation.
-more-
-3-
The commission will be chaired by Richard Schubert, president of the
American Red Cross. A partial list of members include: Orley Ashenfelter,
an economist at Princeton University; Morton Bahr, president, Communication
Workers of America; John Clendenin, CEO, Bell South; William Kolberg,
president, National Alliance of Business; Gary McDougal, CEO Marks Control;
Russell Palmer, dean, Wharton Business School; Isabel Sawhill, senior
reseracher at the Urban Institute; A1 Shanker, president, American
Federation of Teachers; and Lynn Williams, president, United Steelworkers.
The commission will meet at least four times a year. The commission is
expected to issue its final report including specific recommendations to the
Secretary of Labor, within fifteen months, the length of its charter.
-more-
-4-
BACKGROUND: Building a Quality Workforce
This report reflects the mutual interest of the Secretaries of Labor,
Education, and Commerce in assessing and improving the capabilities of the
American workforce.
Building a Quality Workforce is based on a literature survey and
interviews with 134 business representatives and 34 educators. In addition,
seven employer/school forums were held in St. Louis, Portland, Ore. (two
forums), Prince George's County, Md., Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati.
Among the report's key findings are:
-- workers; that a basic skills gap exists and is widening among entry-level
-- that the rapidly evolving, high-tech workplace of tomorrow will
demand even greater skills;
-- that a competent workforce is essential to our ability to compete
as a nation;
-- that business and educators generally agree about the overall goals
of education but disagree on the extent of the skills gap;
-- that schools and businesses must communicate more effectively to
incorporate what employers need into academic curricula and
performance standards for students;
-- that while education reforms have brought advances in recent years,
the least progress has been for dropouts and for students not bound
for college; and
-- that aggressive action may be needed by business and education to
learn from each other and change the way education is provided.
Building a Quality Workforce concludes that to counter the skills gap,
we must improve our educational system and increase business involvement.
The report suggests that educational reform depends on increasing
accountability, strengthening school curricula, recruiting and rewarding
good educators, improving opportunities for the disadvantaged, and
increasing competitiveness through magnet schools and other techniques.
Increased business involvement means more communication between schools
and employers. Business leaders can also serve on advisory councils and
assist schools in developing good
management practices.
-more-
- -5-
The report includes summaries of many recent studies on literacy,
numerous quotations from business leaders and educators interviewed, case
successful community programs.
studies on the skills gap at several leading companies, and profiles of
# # #
A Joint Initiative Of The
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Building
A Quality
Workforce
A Joint Initiative Of The
U.S. Department Of Labor
Ann McLaughlin, Secretary
U.S. Department Of Education
William J. Bennett, Secretary
U.S. Department Of Commerce
C. William Verity, Secretary
July 1988
Contents
Page
Acknowledgements
ii
Preface by Secretary of Labor, Ann McLaughlin
iii
Preface by Secretary of Commerce, C. William Verity
V
Preface by Secretary of Education, William J. Bennett
vii
Introduction
1
How We Gathered This Information
2
Summary of Principal Findings and Conclusions
4
Building a Quality Workforce
9
The Changing Economy -- The Changing Workplace
9
Business' Challenge to Education -- The Skills Gap
13
Education's Response
24
Building A Quality Workforce -- Everybody's Job
33
Community Partnerships That Work
39
Introduction
39
Prince George's County, Maryland
41
Cincinnati, Ohio
49
Portland, Oregon
55
Appendix
i
Acknowledgements
When our three Agencies decided to
Likewise, we would like to thank Dr. Sue
undertake this initiative, we sought the
E. Berryman, Director of the National
advice, guidance and assistance of
Center on Education and Employment at
respected education and business
Teachers College, Columbia University,
institutions. We particularly wish to
for serving as an advisor on the report.
thank the board of directors and national
and regional staff of the National
Within each of our Agencies, we would
Alliance of Business, for providing us
also like to thank the dedicated staff who
access to corporate officials, and for
contributed to this report: Roberts T.
assisting us in researching and
Jones, Acting Assistant Secretary of
synthesizing the information for this
Labor, and Lloyd Feldman (U.S.
report, and producing it under extremely
Department of Labor), Edwin Dale (U.S.
stringent time pressures.
Department of Commerce) and Shannon
Sorzano (U.S. Department of Education).
ii
Preface
by Secretary of Labor, Ann McLaughlin
We are in the midst of one of the most extended
qualifications of many of our young people, there
periods of employment growth in our history.
is also a lack of agreement between business
American businesses have created nearly 16
people and educators in their perceptions of the
million jobs since 1982. This represents two and a
magnitude of the problem. However, there are
half times as many new jobs as the other six major
communities, noted in this report, where
industrialized nations, combined.
employers and the school systems have moved
aggressively to reach a common understanding of
The decisive factor in this extraordinary record of
the problem and take decisive action.
economic recovery and employment expansion
has been the quality of the American workforce.
It is our purpose, in this publication and the
Since the 1920s, the large majority of the nation's
conference we convened in Washington in July, to
productivity improvements have been directly
focus public attention on the problem and, equally
linked to improvements in the quality of our labor
as important, to point the way to solutions which
force. The quality of our future workers -- their
can be achieved, at the community level, when
skills, education, adaptability, and self-esteem --
business and education join forces to strengthen
will, in large part, determine whether we can
our schools and help to build a quality workforce.
maintain that momentum in the years ahead.
The school systems of America will play the
pivotal role -- as they have in the past -- in
determining whether or not our labor force will
have the basic skills to meet the requirements of
ann IncLaughtin
the jobs which will become available. These
requirements are changing. The jobs created in
the future will be more complex. They will
Ann McLaughlin
demand better reading, writing, mathematical
Secretary
and reasoning skills. Over half the jobs created
U.S. Department of Labor
over the next ten years will require education
beyond high school.
It is vital for all of us that our schools measure up
to that challenge. However, there are indications
that a skills gap already exists between the
emerging job opportunities and the basic
qualifications of young people graduating -- or in
too many cases -- dropping out of our high schools.
Shortly after I joined the Cabinet, I met with
Secretaries Bennett and Verity to review major
issues of interest to our three Departments. The
quality of our future workforce emerged as a
problem of intense concern to each of the three
broad national constituencies we represent:
employers; the schools and the teaching
profession; and the workers themselves.
This publication is intended to bring this problem
into focus, by presenting the perspectives of the
business and education communities. Not only do
the expectations of employers exceed the
iii
Preface
by Secretary of Commerce, C. William Verity
During our long and mostly successful history as
various fields held in July 1988. We all know we
an industrial nation, the United States has
cannot cure our educational deficiencies
always been able to put together the ingredients
overnight and that one conference cannot make a
for economic growth and an ever-higher standard
revolution. But I do believe that the more the
of living. They include such elements as
nation is aware of this once-hidden problem, the
innovation, savings to finance investment in
more likely we are to face up to it and eventually
better capital equipment, and a labor force with
solve it.
enough knowledge and skills to match the
gradually rising demands of the workplace.
The current boom in our exports shows that this
nation is still fully able to compete in the world
Today we appear to be facing -- probably for the
market. But we cannot be competitive for long
first time in our history a potential breakdown
without a quality workforce. The purpose of my
in one of the essential links in this chain. In brief,
Cabinet colleagues and myself in producing this
at a time when more and more jobs require at
publication is to drive home this point to all
least basic proficiency in English comprehension
segments of our population -- parents as well as
and mathematics, our young entrants into the
educators, students as well as business people.
labor force are proving to be disturbingly deficient
What is at stake is no less than our continued
in these skills, not to mention knowledge in such
prosperity and rising standard of living.
areas as science, geography and foreign
languages. As business people, we have always
needed to worry about achieving higher
productivity, various elements of our costs,
raising capital, our problems with foreign
competition and the directions of research and
Cweliam Verity
development. We still do, but now we have
discovered we have a problem scarcely imagined a
few decades ago -- the problem of hiring new
C. William Verity
entrants into the labor force who are capable of
Secretary
performing the work they are hired for.
U.S. Department of Commerce
Early this year my colleagues in the Cabinet,
Secretaries McLaughlin and Bennett, and I
discovered that we were all disturbed by this
situation. We had all seen scattered evidence of
the seriousness of the problem and felt we needed
to know more. We also wanted to know more
about the efforts being made at the local level
around the country to try to do something about
it, through cooperation between business and
education. I am particularly impressed by the
detailed accounts of business-education
collaboration in three places -- Portland, Oregon;
Cincinnati, Ohio; and Prince George's County,
Maryland. These merit detailed study by
business men and women everywhere who are
troubled by the problem of an unprepared
workforce.
The result of our joint concerns is this publication
and the associated conference of leaders in
V
Preface
by Secretary of Education, William J. Bennett
Nothing improves a child's chances for success in
education. And as we hold our young people
the workplace as much as a good education. But
accountable for their performance, so should we
too many of today's children, particularly those
hold our schools and communities accountable.
coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, are not
We must be prepared to insist on fundamental
getting the education to which they are entitled.
reforms that will clear the way for real
improvement.
Today's workplace more than ever demands that
American youth have a solid background in math,
Partnerships that lead to community-wide goal-
in English, and in basic reasoning capabilities.
setting can open a way to education reform.
The millions of unskilled and semi-skilled
Community support for educational excellence,
positions that once provided employment to
and community knowledge of what schools are
Americans with limited education are
doing and why, are essential for success. Support
disappearing. Continuous technological
from all sectors of the community is key to raising
innovation and ever-increasing economic
the level of performance for all our students.
competition from abroad ensure that this trend
will continue.
Five years ago, the publication of A Nation at
Risk awakened the American people to the crisis
we then faced in our schools. The response to that
report was dramatic, widespread and
encouraging. Yet we are still far from closing the
gap between the needs of the workplace and the
education our schools provide.
William J. Bennett
Secretary
Fortunately, American business men and women
are taking an increasing interest in the vital
U.S. Department of Education
relationship between education and economic
vitality. In many cities across the country, we are
seeing the development of community
partnerships that bring new resources to our
schools and new commitment to our students.
These partnerships can be a vehicle for improving
school performance, for building civic literacy,
and for creating a workforce prepared to adapt to
changes in the workplace.
Discipline and hard work are essential to success
in schools, and no less to schools that serve
children at risk. We need to explode the myth
that it is unfair to expect disadvantaged students
to meet these high standards, as though they were
incapable of success. They are capable but, all too
often, they are unchallenged.
Schools should not give up on students by
allowing them to drop out, or by letting them
graduate without obtaining a substantial
vii
Introduction
Our nation's economic strength and
schools, and what employers' workforce
vitality, our productivity and
needs will be in the future. We asked
international competitiveness, depend on
business, and we asked educators: What
our capacity to build and maintain a
preparation will our young people need to
quality workforce. The foundation of a
be ready for today's and tomorrow's
quality workforce rests with the ability of
workplace? They must be able to read,
our nation's school systems to provide the
but at what level? For what purposes?
basic reading, writing and mathematical
With what degree of comprehension?
skills as well as an appreciation for the
What types of materials?
work ethic, which our young people must
possess to perform effectively in the
The forums and consultations with area
workplace. While American education
employers and officials of local school
has made some undeniable progress in
systems yielded new insights about the
recent years, the message we have been
specific skills, competencies and worker
hearing from the business community is
attitudes that local business executives
that much remains to be done.
and educators think will be needed
during the next two decades. Taken
This publication represents a joint effort
together with earlier studies, the
among three Cabinet Agencies, all
research tells us that, as a nation, we are
working on one common agenda --
in the midst of tremendous change for our
building a quality workforce to meet the
workforce and workplace and that those
needs of a new technological society. Our
who are most responsible -- our educators
nation is experiencing a widening gap
and our business people -- have had little
between workplace needs and workforce
chance to step back to assess the
capabilities, and we need to address this
implications of these changes or to
mismatch between the needs of business
respond to them. As a result, it is not
and the skills of young people leaving our
surprising that strategies for joint action
schools.
are few.
The research for this publication not only
The information we have gathered
included a thorough review of studies by
represents the beginning of an effort to
a variety of organizations but also a
identify and articulate with greater
series of new consultations with business
specificity the needs of the business
and education leaders in many
community for worker preparation, and
communities, to find out what businesses
to foster better understanding among
find is lacking among the new entrants
business, education, and government
into the labor force coming out of the
leaders about the deficiencies in our entry
1
workers, and what must be done to
and their perceptions of how well they
overcome these deficiencies.
are doing in meeting business'
demands.
The first part of this report describes
what we have learned from our research
Fifth, to challenge each sector
about entry workers' skills, business'
education and business - to do more,
needs, current and projected skills gaps,
individually and through productive,
and how well education is responding to
broad, community-wide partnerships,
the challenge. It challenges education,
to improve the way we prepare our
business, government agencies,
students to succeed as good workers
community groups and parents to do
and good citizens.
more to build a quality workforce.
Sixth, to provide examples of
The second part of this report contains
successful community efforts -- to
descriptive profiles of several
stimulate greater interest and
communities working on closing the gap
involvement in building a quality
between workplace needs and workforce
workforce.
capabilities. Their stories document the
dedicated, creative business-education
Because education has the primary
collaborations that have resulted in
responsibility for initially preparing the
measurable improvements in education
entry level workforce, and business has
for their children.
the primary responsibility for building a
quality workplace, we have placed special
We began this initiative with several
emphasis on these two sectors. However,
objectives in mind:
the solution depends upon all sectors in
our communities and all segments of our
First, to identify what business
population.
receives the basic skills and
workforce readiness of our nation's
entry level workers.
How We Gathered This
Information
Second, to identify what business
needs -- business requirements for
entry workforce competencies now
The information in this report is based
and in the future -- to increase
primarily on a series of one-on-one
productivity and remain competitive
consultations with representatives from
in the world economy.
business and education, and community
employer/school forums held throughout
Third, to identify the skill gaps -- the
the nation during the Spring of 1988.
deficiencies in our entry workforce.
This review was not designed to be an
What do workers need to know and be
exhaustive study, but rather an attempt
able to do, to perform satisfactorily on
to assess the extent to which business
the job? Has the notion of "entry
people and educators are currently able to
level" been redefined, either explicitly
articulate business' current and
or implicitly?
anticipated entry level needs, and the
deficiencies in our current workforce, SO
Fourth, to explore how education is
that we, as a nation, can determine future
responding to this challenge their
policy directions and actions needed to
progress, performance, accountability,
address these "gaps."
2
Nationwide, 134 business representatives
community and junior colleges,
were consulted, representing both small
vocational schools or centers, technical
and large businesses (from some with as
colleges, and high schools.
few as 16 employees, to several reporting
over 10,000 workers), in urban and
suburban settings, from a variety of
Profile of Educators Consulted
industries, and at a variety of levels
within their companies. Respondents
By Position:
represented banks, hospitals, hotels,
41% Directors of Curriculum or
insurance companies, utility companies,
Employment Programs
newspapers, telecommunications firms, a
21%
Administrators
broad spectrum of manufacturing
14% Vocational Directors
companies, and retail and wholesale
14% Deans of Community or Junior
distributors.
Colleges
7% Union Representatives
Profile of Businesses Consulted
By Type of Institution:
By Position:
48% District Representatives
75% Personnel Managers
17% Community and Junior Colleges
14% Vocational Schools or Centers
13% Plant or Operations Managers
12% Company Officers or Owners
10% Technical Colleges
7% Unions
By Type:
3% High Schools
33% Manufacturing
Percentages may not add to 100 due to
30% Service
rounding.
15% Finance, Investments,
Insurance
11% Energy Producers/Providers
In addition, seven employer/school
10% Communications
forums were held across the country -- in
St. Louis, Missouri; Portland, Oregon
By Region:
(two forums were convened there); Prince
George's County, Maryland; Baltimore,
21% Central
Maryland; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and
20% Midwest
Cincinnati, Ohio.
20% Southeast
11% West
The consultations and forums were
10% Atlantic
designed to assess: 1) current and future
10% New England
entry level worker needs; 2) current and
7% Pacific Northwest
future workforce capabilities; 3) the
"gaps" or mismatches between the skills
Percentages may not add to 100 due to
business needs versus the skills of the
rounding.
entry level workers actually available; 4)
roles and responsibilities of business and
We held lengthy conversations with 34
educators in preparing the entry level
educators, representing a cross section of
workforce; and 5) the challenges involved
education institutions, from kindergarten
in building collaborative relationships
to college, including school districts and
between business and education. These
administrations, teacher unions,
consultations and forums also provide a
3
range of viewpoints across both the
business and education sectors. The
Summary of Principal
employer/educator forums comprised
Findings and
approximately 8-10 individuals and were
Conclusions
co-hosted by leaders within the business
and school communities.
The findings and conclusions presented in
The purpose of the consultations and
this report provide a challenge not only
forums was to afford an opportunity for
for business and education, but for
representatives of the business and
government and all sectors at the
education sectors to describe their needs,
national, state and local levels. One
goals, and expectations. In some cases,
challenge is to develop a new or at least
we believed it would be more fruitful to
common vocabulary to ensure that
have individual conversations, in which
business and education understand each
we could have a candid and open
other when they speak of deficiencies in
discussion about perceived needs and
basic or core skills. Nevertheless, with
gaps. In other cases, we believed that a
the vocabulary at hand, following are
small focus group composed of active
highlights of our research findings and
business and education representatives
our conclusions based on what we have
might generate some fruitful give-and-
learned:
take among the diverse representatives,
each presenting her or his view of the
community's needs and possible
Findings
approaches.
1. The economy and the workplace are
In conducting this assessment, no effort
changing rapidly, and the pace of
was made to draw a nationally
change is accelerating.
representative sample of the business or
education sectors. Therefore,
2. The jobs themselves are changing in
observations and recommendations
content and skill requirements,
expressed by participants in this specific
regardless of type or size of business.
review cannot be generalized beyond the
parameters of this report. However,
3. The "basic skills gap" between what
there is no reason to doubt that they are
business needs and the qualifications
representative of the nation at large.
of the entry level workers available
This report documents our findings,
to business is widening.
suggests some strategies, and offers new
insights into the gaps between workplace
4. Employers are practically
needs and workforce capabilities. A
unanimous in their concern that
complete list of those consulted is
competencies of entry level workers
included in the Appendix.
are deficient. These include the basic
skills of reading, writing,
Complementing these consultations, a
mathematics and communication.
literature review was conducted of what
Deficiencies were also found in such
is known about current and future
abilities as problem solving,
economic and labor force trends, what
teamwork, initiative, and
works in American education today, and
adaptability.
what reforms are still needed.
4
5. These skills deficiencies in the
Conclusions
workplace are costing American
business monetarily, through waste,
In order to close the skills gap, we need to:
lost productivity, increased
1) Improve the quality of education for
remediation costs, reduced product
our nation's youth through fundamental
quality, and ultimately a loss in
education reforms in our nation's schools;
competitiveness.
2) Mobilize businesses to assist schools in
ways that capitalize on their comparative
6. Educators agree with business about
strengths and advantages; and
the overall goals of education, and
3) Mobilize the community -- all sectors --
about the skills needed in the
to integrate efforts to ensure a quality
workplace. However, the majority of
education for our young people and a
educators maintain that their
quality workforce for our nation. The
graduates are well prepared for entry
final section of this report provides a
level positions, and only a few
detailed account of collaboration by
educators acknowledge that the gaps
business and education in several
are as severe as business indicates.
communities.
7. Educators may not be translating
Strengthen Our Educational System
their understanding of business'
needs into what happens in the
Much has been written and published
classroom.
about education reform, and this is not
the place to explore that subject in depth.
8. Business must do a better job of
However, it is worth noting that
anticipating future workforce needs,
educators can improve their processes
and communicating these needs to
and their products by learning from
educators, to parents, to students,
successful businesses and seeking their
and to other community resources
help:
that can help address these needs.
1. Increase accountability. Just as
9. Both business and education stress
business must set and meet high
the need to develop mechanisms to
standards for the quality of its
reduce the isolation of their worlds in
products, SO must the schools through
order to improve students'
rigorous performance standards.
preparation for the workplace and for
Also, as business has decentralized
responsible adulthood.
authority and responsibility, schools
must move toward school-based
10. While education reform efforts have
management and accountability.
brought undeniable progress, many
experts conclude that the non-college
2. Strengthen the content of the
bound and dropouts have been least
curriculum and improve its
affected.
delivery. Schools must concentrate
on excellence in the basic skills to
11. Aggressive action may be needed by
ensure that young people have the
business and education to learn from
foundation they need for lifelong
each other and to change the way
learning and adapting to change.
education is provided to ensure a
Just as business has had to adapt its
quality workforce and a productive
methods and technology from mass
nation.
production to more flexible
5
production to remain competitive,
perceptions, marketing and
schools must also ensure that their
packaging their products, SO must
teaching methods will address
the schools ensure that their
students' individualized needs and
communities are well-informed
prepare all young people to be
about their performance and their
competent and responsible workers
results.
and citizens. Schools must find ways
to make the basics relate better to
Expand Business Involvement
the workplace.
Business must articulate its human
3. Recruit and reward good
resource needs with greater specificity
teachers and principals. Just as
and precision, to help educators meet the
business must be highly competitive
current and future needs of employers.
in recruiting and retaining quality
Business should expand its involvement
workers, SO must the schools,
and investment in our education system
through creative recruitment and
beyond symbolic efforts in ways that
retention efforts, performance-based
improve educational effectiveness and
pay plans, and other incentives.
efficiency. Business should participate
actively in policy, educational
4. Improve educational oppor-
improvement, and management
tunities and performance of the
activities.
disadvantaged. There is a direct
link between a quality education and
1. Take the initiative to broaden the
a quality workforce. Therefore,
base of political support/
business and education must develop
advocacy for the schools. Only a
partnerships which invest in human
small proportion of our cities'
capital just as business invests in
families have school age children.
plants and equipment. Special
Schools need the involvement and
efforts are needed to target
critical assessment of the entire
partnerships to assist the severely
community (families, churches,
"at risk" including dropouts and the
volunteer organizations, community
dropout-prone, and to intervene
based organizations, government,
earlier. Demographics already tell
business and elected officials).
us that a much greater proportion of
Business has leverage to improve the
future labor force entrants will be
quality of education, by serving on
women, blacks, Hispanics, and
school boards, either elected or
immigrants. Only 15 percent of the
appointed, or on advisory councils to
new entrants to the labor force
Superintendents and principals, or
during the balance of this century
working with elected officials,
will be white males.
unions, and other community
institutions such as universities and
5. Increase competitiveness. Just as
community colleges. If business
individual businesses must respond
makes the case that the community's
to the market with increased
economic and employment future is
flexibility and increased ability to
at stake, communities will listen.
identify and seize their market niche,
SO must the schools, through parent
2. Develop community-wide
and student choice. Just as business
collaborative efforts that increase
must be concerned with image,
communication and decrease the
6
isolation of the education and the
practices. Promote decentralization
business communities. This can be
and autonomy (school-based
accomplished by bringing education
management), accountability and
to business (i.e., providing basic
performance standards, professional
skills training in the workplace, or
training and development, merit pay,
providing teachers opportunities to
application of new technology, and
work in business settings). This can
other activities which successful
also be accomplished by bringing a
businesses must employ if they are to
clearer sense of workforce
remain competitive.
expectations into the schools
(vitalizing the schools through
4. Work to improve business' labor
awareness that good jobs demand
force planning for the short- and
literacy and other basic
long-term, both to enable firms to
competencies, and through
attract, select, and retain a quality
expansion of initiatives to enrich the
labor force, and to provide guidance
curricula young people are taught).
to the schools. Business needs to
Business can help in fostering
become more intelligent buyers,
successful transitions to work and to
users, and developers of their labor
higher education.
pool to improve their own and the
nation's productivity and ability to
3. Undertake initiatives that assist
compete.
schools in good management
7
Building a Quality
Workforce
The Changing Economy-
workers in order for our country to
remain competitive.
The Changing Workplace
"On this, the fifth anniversary
The economy and the workplace are
of the report, A Nation At
changing rapidly, and the pace of
Risk, we are still perilously far
change is accelerating.
from closing the gaps between
what we need in the workplace,
"We must confront the need to
and what our schools are
boost the skills of American
turning out."
workers, maximize the poten-
William J. Bennett
tial of all our citizens, and
Secretary of Education
adjust to the rapid change
transforming the traditional
workplace of Americans. We
According to the Commerce Department,
are headed for a significant
approximately 90 percent of all scientific
knowledge has been generated in the last
and expanding, and expensive
30 years. In the next 10 to 15 years, this
-- skills gap. This gap must
pool of knowledge will double again.
be narrowed."
"Change is accelerating at a dizzying
Ann McLaughlin
pace," says Mellon Bank President and
Chief Executive Officer David Barnes.
Secretary of Labor
"Mellon must upgrade or replace its
mainframe computer on average every 18
months."
Experts both in and out of government
agree that the competitive global
The accelerating pace of change has
marketplace, increased domestic
enormous implications for the workplaces
competition due to deregulation, the pace
of the future and for our entry level
of technology development, shorter
workers. It is clear that labor market
product life cycles, and new flexible
developments over the remainder of this
production processes all require more
century will demand a flexible and
adaptable, more highly educated entry
adaptable workforce, able to shift rapidly
as foreign competition and technology
9
eliminate some jobs while creating
The consultations with business
others. According to David Kearns, CEO
confirmed the worklife realities of these
of Xerox, "Future jobs will be re-
statistical data. The large majority of
structured about every seven years and
employers consulted contend that the
work and learning will be inseparable."
complex and changing marketplace
will continually heighten the need for
a more highly qualified entry level
"Technology, especially
labor force. These future workers will
computer-related technology,
be required to work within more compli-
is increasing the role of the
cated work environments while perform-
worker due to the increased
ing multiple and more intricate tasks.
interdependence of one job to
Our findings are consistent with the
another and the trend toward
results of a study by Louis Harris and
'knowing' more than one job.
Associates, in which 81 percent of the
Perhaps even more important,
American people asserted that "how well
product quality rests largely
the United States educates its labor force
in their hands rather than in
to new skill levels will make a major
the hands of their employers
difference in whether or not this country
maintains a leading economic position in
and managers."
the world."
C. William Verity
Secretary of Commerce
Item: An April 11, 1988 Fortune
Magazine article, "Tomorrow's
Jobs: Plentiful, but..." recounts that
The Commerce Department reinforces
Tektronix, an Oregon based manu-
the importance of the impact of global
facturer of electronic equipment,
competitiveness: "The pace of technology
tried to shift its traditional assembly
development now is SO great that life
line workforce to a flexible manu-
cycles for electronics products and pro-
facturing system four years ago.
cesses already have collapsed to three to
The company discovered that 20
five years, and rarely will exceed five to
percent of its production workers
ten years in most other industries. As a
lacked rudimentary skills needed
result, any set of skills also can be obso-
for the transition. Tektronix is
lescent in five to ten years. Continuous
solving its problem by contracting
re-skilling must be a top national
with nearby Portland Community
priority."
College to run a remedial on-site
program in basic math and English
The jobs themselves are changing in
for its many non-English speaking
content and skill requirements,
assemblers. Along the way,
regardless of type or size of business.
Tektronix added courses to enhance
such skills as team building,
According to the Bureau of Labor
negotiating, and effective time
Statistics, more than half of all new jobs
management.
created between 1984-2000 will require
some education beyond high school, and
almost a third will be filled by college
While the name of a job may remain the
graduates. Today, only 22 percent of all
same, it may change dramatically in
occupations require a college degree.
content and skill requirements. Dr. Sue
10
E. Berryman, Director of the National
school dropout could do it. But now, the
Center on Education and Employment,
Federal Express Courier job includes new
cites examples such as insurance claims
technology, a computerized tracking
adjusters and bank clerks. "In the
system and demands a person capable of
insurance industry, computerization has
running it." Jobs for high school dropouts
caused five jobs to be folded into one,
or graduates without sufficient basic
known as a claim adjuster. The job
skills are virtually disappearing,
occupant is less an order taker than an
notwithstanding the rapid expansion of
advisory analyst. He or she has to have
the service sector.
good communication skills and be able to
help diagnose the customer's needs
through an analytic series of questions
Item: A Business Council for
and answers. The person needs less
Effective Literacy Newsletter (April
specific and splintered knowledge and
1988) states: Today the role of
more systematic and abstract knowledge
reading in the workplace is a much
-- the ability to understand multiple
more complicated matter. Profound
arrays of information, the rules
changes in the structure of the
governing them, and the relationships
workplace and in the nature of jobs
between arrays. He or she also needs to
now makes reading, writing and
be able to frame answers to less
other communications skills vital to
standardized requests. Insurance
the performance of even entry level
companies used to hire high school
jobs. Research done at Indiana
dropouts or graduates for the five jobs.
University (by Larry Mikulecky) has
They now hire individuals with at least
found that some 70 percent of the
two years of college for the restructured
reading material in a cross section
claims adjuster jobs."
of jobs nationally is now between
9th grade and 12th grade difficulty
Thus, bank clerks and insurance claims
(some 15 percent is even higher)
adjusters may have the same titles they
and it is likely that the job and
had many years ago, but the jobs are
social requirements for literacy will
completely revamped, requiring less rote
increase even more in the years
activity, dealing with less standardized
ahead. The trouble is that massive
requests, and demanding more ability to
numbers of present and future
analyze problems, work with excessive or
workers have only minimal or
incomplete information, ask pertinent
marginal proficiency in the basic
questions, identify sources of
skills."
information, and penetrate poor
documentation.
These changes in jobs are evident in
Evidence of these changes surrounds us
independent small businesses too, which
daily. Even Federal Express couriers are
employ about one-half of the nation's
no longer simply messengers, but must be
private sector labor force, according to the
able to work with state-of-the-art
1986 Report to the President on The State
of Small Business. In a November 1987
technology, which requires higher level
basic skills. A recent NBC Nightly News
Report, "Small Business in the Year
Broadcast entitled "Defective Students"
2000," the U.S. Small Business
noted the changes in jobs as basic as
Administration notes that technology is
couriers: "Not long ago, it didn't take
having a great impact on small
businesses. "Business investments in
much skill to be a delivery person. A high
computers will more than double between
11
1984 and 1995. Forty percent of small
In his 1987 State of the Union Address,
businesses used computers in 1985."
President Reagan talked about meeting
Small businesses consulted also indicated
the competitive challenge: "The quest for
the need for their employees to be more
excellence into the twenty-first century
versatile, as they, too, are experiencing
begins in the schoolroom, but we must go
the impact of new technology, increased
next to the workplace. More than 20
computerization, and increased
million new jobs will be created before the
competition.
new century unfolds and by then our
economy should be able to provide a job
In their book, Winning the Brain Race,
for everyone who wants to work. We
David Kearns, Chief Executive Officer of
must enable our workers to adapt to the
Xerox, and Denis Doyle, Senior Research
rapidly changing nature of the
Fellow, Hudson Institute, sum it up: "The
workplace...
"
simple truth is that we can't have a world
class economy without a world class
It is important to examine the skills our
workforce, from senior scientists to
current entry level workers bring to the
stockroom clerks. And we cannot have a
jobs of today, in order to determine how
world class workforce without world class
far we must progress to have workers
schools."
prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.
12
Business' Challenge to
Education -- The Skills
Gap
The basic skills gap between what
applicants didn't have even the basic
business needs, and the qualifications
skills required to qualify them for a
of the entry level workers available to
quality job.
business, is widening.
According to employers in a 1983
The pervasive themes emerging from the
Colorado Employability Skills Survey,
series of interviews and forums held
"Sixty percent of the young people
throughout the country, as well as earlier
applying for jobs were rejected because of
studies, reiterate what is known about
deficiencies in the application/interview
the quality of this country's current entry
process. Young applicants were
labor force and future entry labor force
particularly weak in legible writing,
needs.
spelling, English usage, and often failed
to express an interest in or knowledge of
Two-thirds of employers consulted
the position and the company."
assessed the current pool of entry
level applicants as being insuf-
Chemical Bank in New York gives
ficiently prepared in basic skills.
prospective tellers a basic math test. The
percentage of applicants passing the test
More and more businesses are citing
declined from 70 percent in 1983 to 55
difficulties in finding qualified
percent in 1987. In Massachusetts, a
applicants. At the New York Telephone
state-sponsored job program reported
Company, only 20 percent of those taking
that the average reading ability of
an operator's test pass. At Campbell-
participants dropped in the last five years
Mithun Advertising in Minneapolis, the
from 9th grade level to 4th grade level as
applicant pool is generally below their
the local job market tightened.
minimum standards in reading and
writing. The ratio of applicants to those
Employers are practically unanimous
qualifying is 20:1 for secretaries and 10:1
in their concern that competencies of
for supply and mail clerks. Motorola
entry level workers are deficient.
finds that only 20 percent of its applicants
These include reading, writing,
can pass a simple 7th grade English
mathematics and communication skills.
comprehension or 5th grade math test.
These basic skills deficiencies of workers
Michigan Bell reports that only 2 out of
are a serious concern for business,
15 applicants for clerical positions
regardless of their location, size, or type,
successfully complete all the written and
and regardless of the type of entry level
typing tests.
job.
When Mazda moved to Michigan, the
An overwhelming majority of the
company was engulfed by job applications
business representatives consulted
more than 100,000 people applied for
indicated entry level workers should
3,500 jobs at its new state-of-the-art
read at least at the eighth grade level.
assembly plant. Mazda tested more than
However, many held that the increased
80,000 people, and found that many
technological content of manuals and
13
required reading materials coupled with
require maturity and the ability to deal
greater demands on entry level workers
effectively with the public."
to maintain and upgrade the equipment
Fred Threadgill
they operate requires an 11th or 12th
Walt Disney World
grade reading level. Additionally, the
Company
majority expected entry level workers
Orlando, Florida
within office settings to have a sound
grasp of grammar and spelling.
"Assistant Managers are required to have
a high school or equivalent degree. A 12th
With regard to the basic skills of reading
grade reading level is required to under-
and writing, here are samples of what
stand operations and store administration
employers indicated:
manuals."
Denise Griffith
KFC National
Reading and Writing
Management Company
Irving, Texas
"Technicians must be able to read at the
12th grade level or above since technical,
"Writing skills continue to decline, partic-
safety, and quality control manuals are
ularly the ability to write declaratively,
written at this level."
whether it is a sentence, a paragraph, or a
several page report. This is the area where
Dr. Raymond Reed
we have had to do the most remedial work
Rockwell International
Corporation
over the past 5-10 years at all levels."
Dallas, Texas
Gordon Bonfield
Tenneco
"CRT and Word Processing employees are
Houston, Texas
not well prepared in basic skills areas,
even to the point of not being able to
The National Assessment of Educational
thoroughly and accurately complete
Progress assessment of the literacy skills
employment applications."
of young adults ages 21 to 25 confirms
business' assertions, finding that sizeable
Dave M. Forsythe
numbers were unable to do well on tasks
ARCO Oil and Gas
Dallas, Texas
of even moderate complexity. Three out
of five 20-year-olds in our country could
"Assemblers and machine operators
not get from point A to point B on a map;
should be able to read at an 8th grade
three out of five could not add up their bill
level. The employee manual is required
after lunch and did not know if they were
reading and is written on the 8th grade
given correct change. And while three
level."
out of five could read the lead article in a
David Ayres
newspaper, they could not reiterate its
ITW Switches
salient points.
Chicago, Illinois
Nine out of ten employers consulted
"Training materials are written in levels
indicated that entry level positions
requiring an eighth grade reading
require a solid basic mathematical
comprehension level. However, the jobs
foundation. Entry workers should be
14
able to work with fractions, decimals,
Nearly all business representatives
determine proportional relationships,
stressed the importance of communi-
and work with metric measurements.
cation skills, noting advancement
Here are samples of what employers say:
beyond entry level is highly unlikely
without this ability.
Mathematics
Patricia Donald, BellSouth Corporation,
Atlanta, Georgia, describes the gap as
"General material handlers need to have a
follows: "Our performance problems in
minimum of 10th grade computation
clerical positions and sales
ability. They should be able to recognize
representatives are generally tied to
fractions and decimals and be able to
communication skills, such as oral,
perform those conversions, as well as those
ability to write, and persuasiveness."
from the metric system."
William Davis
Here is what other employers indicate:
Eagle Steel Products
Louisville, Kentucky
Communication Skills
"Understanding numerically controlled
manufacturing processes is a major
"Telephone etiquette, customer service,
problem area. They must be able to
grooming and dress communicate positive
understand and use computer-controlled
or negative feedback to customers."
machine tools."
Mike Wilkerson
Laurence H. Polsky
Scotty's
Cooper Industries
Winter Haven, Florida
Houston, Texas
"Tellers need excellent oral communica-
The "Mathematics Report Card" issued
tion skills to interact with customers,
by the National Assessment of Educa-
peers, management, and all levels of
tional Progress in June 1988 stated that
officers of the bank. They also need basic
"the highest level of performance
writing skills."
attained by any substantial proportion of
Lisa Cohen
students in 1986 reflects only moderately
First Chicago National Bank
complex skills and understandings."
Chicago, Illinois
That includes computation with decimals
and simple fractions, measurement,
Business also expressed concerns
calculation of areas of rectangles and
about workers with deficiencies in
interpretation of graphs.
basic workplace abilities.
This report states that nearly half of
Many of today's entry level jobs require a
American 17-year-olds cannot perform
greater span of responsibilities, and
math problems normally taught in junior
greater ability to adapt to change. In
high school, 27 percent of 13-year-olds
addition to the three Rs, business noted
could not perform math work normally
that today's jobs require skills, attitudes
taught in elementary school, and only six
and abilities generally thought of as
percent of 17-year-olds could solve
needed at the supervisory and mana-
problems that required several steps or
gerial level. Businesses, regardless of
algebra.
location, size, or type, consistently noted
15
17
21
Motorola, Inc.: Their Fundamental Objective Is
Total Customer Satisfaction
Field:
Electronic Equipment, Systems and
Components
Assets:
$5.3 billion
Approximate Sales:
$6.7 billion
Employees:
94,400
Entry Level Workforce
Motorola is committed to keeping its manufacturing jobs in the U.S. The company hires several
thousand entry level employees per year. Entry jobs have become more diversified (multiple task
oriented) with more employee involvement in decision making. Because the company is working
with the "quality team" concept, entry level workers are required to solve problems working in a
team environment. Workers will be increasingly expected to work independently and have the
flexibility and adaptability to know every job on the line, which was not the case five years ago.
Screening and Recruitment
Motorola has tightened its policies on new hires S0 that more of its in-house staff will qualify for
internal job opportunities. Prospective employees are now expected to complete an application
form (in person) and take a simple written test of seventh grade English comprehension and fifth
grade math. In the first year, only about 20 percent of the applicants around the country were
found acceptable.
Training
Motorola provides retraining or additional training because the school system from kindergarten
through high school (K-12) has failed to meet standards. Over 40 percent of current workers need
this additional training. All upgrading is done on company time. Resources must be made
available SO that people can get the training to keep their jobs and raise their skills.
Building a Quality Workforce
Motorola indicates that the schools must be very flexible in changing their curriculum to meet the
changing needs of the business community. Business needs to buy into 100 percent partnership
with the K-12 school systems, particularly at the junior and senior levels in high school. The
company notes that while the public education system is the primary preparer of the future
workforce, community colleges must provide re-training or remedial training when the K-12
system fails to do its job.
Motorola understands that business has to do more to improve education. The quality of the
factory workers is ultimately just as important as the work that is being done in the engineering
labs. The company believes that businesses must get to know the schools better in order to
facilitate school improvement. Motorola actively participates in a variety of partnerships,
including curriculum development, scholarships, and other efforts to improve the quality of the
schools and the quality of the workforce.
Summary
Motorola has raised its skills requirements and expects to continue to do so to compete in the
global marketplace. They indicate that U.S. workers need English, basic math, problem-solving
and interpersonal skills, as well as flexibility for continued learning. Motorola believes that
everyone will need to learn new skills continually to be prepared for the future workplace.
22
Security Pacific: The Growing Skills Gap Is a Critical
Issue
Field:
Bank Holding Company
Assets:
Over $73 billion
1st Quarter 1988 Net Income:
$147.2 million
Employees:
42,000
Security Pacific Corporation is a world-wide financial services company -- in assets, the
seventh largest United States bank holding company.
Entry Level Workforce
Corporate-wide, approximately 6,000 entry workers are hired per year, primarily as tellers,
clerks, data entry operators and receptionists. With the introduction and use of new
technology, workers must be familiar with and adept at computer use. Additionally, jobs
have become more marketing-oriented and require more "selling" to customers -- requiring
good communication and interpersonal skills. Overall, the company notes a deficiency of
candidates with strong language skills and technical computer skills.
Screening and Recruitment
The company finds that many entry candidates are unable to pass a simple test estimated to
be below the sixth grade level. Many cannot balance numbers, count, add and subtract or
alphabetize at this minimum entry standard. The company also finds candidates lacking in
social and communication skills necessary for customer service jobs. Generally, four to five
people are interviewed to fill one job.
Training
Security Pacific has various in-house training programs for entry level workers. Tellers
receive five days of classroom training plus on-the-job training provided by supervisors who
themselves have received training for trainers. Security Pacific has extensive skills training
programs in word-processing and telephone equipment, and intensive training in customer
service and business communication skills.
Building a Quality Workforce
Security Pacific believes that business needs to be a partner and play a joint role with
educators in preparing future workers. The company notes that ongoing dialogue and
exchange with educators is important -- educators need to better prepare students in basic
communication and oral skills, as well as in business expectations. Security Pacific has been
involved in a variety of activities including legislation, mentoring, adopt-a-school programs
(primarily in disadvantaged neighborhoods), Regional Occupational Programs in California,
and summer intern programs.
Summary
Security Pacific indicates that they encounter high school graduates with poor basic
communication skills, and clerical workers with deficient typing skills who were trained in
schools on out-dated equipment. They indicate that they have applicants for tellers positions
who cannot balance their own checkbooks accurately; therefore, they are unable to handle
customers' accounts. Security Pacific notes a definite gap between their needs for qualified
workers and the workers who apply for their jobs. This gap is growing, and it is becoming a
critical issue to the company.
23
Education's Response
Introduction
Five years after the report A Nation At
The precipitous downward slide of
Risk was published by the National
previous decades has been arrested, and
Commission on Excellence in Education,
we have begun the long climb back to
we continue to ask, how well do our
reasonable standards. Our students have
schools perform? What do our students
made modest gains in achievement. They
know, what do they study, and what is
are taking more classes in basic subjects.
the extent of progress that has been
And the performance of our schools is
made? How accountable are the schools?
slightly improved. This is the good and
How well do educators feel they are doing
welcome news: we are doing better than
in meeting demands of the workplace?
we were in 1983.
What are the barriers that they
encounter?
A review of education reform efforts of
the states also reveals measurable
In this section we will examine how well
progress. All 50 states have adopted
education is responding to the challenge.
some type of education reform some
What do educators say about how
starting before 1983. More than a dozen
business can best work with the schools to
have completely overhauled their school
improve the quality of education, to
systems. Roughly 40 states have raised
provide effective remediation at the
high school graduation requirements; in
worksite, to bridge the gap between
19 states students must pass a test to
school and work or higher education?
receive diplomas. Forty-six states have
How do these responses compare with
mandated competency tests for new
business' perspectives on preparing a
teachers; 23 have created alternate
quality workforce?
routes to teacher certification. Teacher
salaries have increased, on average, more
The Status of Education Reform
than twice the rate of inflation, to an
average of $28,031 this year. Six states
are now legally empowered to "take over"
Studies of the status of education reform
educationally deficient schools (although
reveal a "good news, bad news" report
New Jersey is the only one to attempt to
card. On the one hand, American
do so to date).
education has made some noteworthy
progress in the last few years. Since
Efforts have also been made to reduce
1980, combined average Scholastic
truancy and dropout rates, introduce
Aptitude Test (SAT) scores have
computer literacy and foreign languages
recovered 16 points from the sharp drop
in the early years, establish after school
between 1963 and 1980. Nationwide, our
programs, require more basic academic
schools have moved back into a more
courses for a high school diploma, extend
rigorous academic curriculum.
the school year, and enhance job-
readiness programs.
In his report, American Education,
Making It Work, Secretary Bennett sums
Nationally, the education enterprise can
it up:
boast impressive outcomes in quantity of
24
education provided. According to the
know too little, and their command of
U.S. Bureau of the Census, three quarters
essential skills is too slight. Our schools
of the adult population have completed
still teach curricula of widely varying
high school, and among adults in their
quality. Good schools for disadvantaged
early 30s, the proportion rises to 87.5
and minority children are much too rare,
percent. Some 63.6 percent of today's
and the dropout rate among black and
high school graduates begin some form of
Hispanic youth in many of our inner cities
post-secondary education within four
is perilously high. An ethos of success is
years of graduation. Some 17.4 percent of
missing from too many American schools.
all American adults have completed four
Our teachers and principals are too often
years of college, up from 7.7 percent in
hired and promoted in ways that make
1960. Among those in their early 30s, the
excellence a matter of chance, not design.
ratio of college graduates has risen to 25
And the entire project of American
percent.
education at every level remains
insufficiently accountable for the result
According to results of a nationwide
that matters most: student learning.
survey, Americans have rated public
schools higher in recent years. Those
U.S. students still rank far below those in
surveyed felt that the two largest
many other countries -- particularly in
problems facing schools were drugs (28
math and science achievement. In many
percent) and lack of discipline (24
other countries, students are taught
percent).
algebra before secondary school. A June
1988 report, the "Mathematics Report
On the other hand, nearly everyone
Card" issued by the NAEP, cited
remains dissatisfied with the quality of
comparisons showing that average
our educational performance
Japanese students outperform the top
employers, the military, and even college
five percent of American students
professors and graduate schools. Fewer
enrolled in college-preparatory classes.
than 40 percent of American 17-year-olds
possess what the National Assessment of
In summary, according to the U.S.
Educational Progress (NAEP) terms
Department of Education, "student
"adept" reading skills, and only 20
achievement and school performance
percent do an "adequate" (or better) job of
earn a mixed grade for progress during
writing a persuasive letter. While few
the past five years. Despite encouraging
adults in their early 20s are wholly
improvements in patterns of course-
illiterate, most are woefully deficient in
taking, gains in student learning are
necessary skills.
slight and the average level of student
skill and knowledge remains
Again, Secretary Bennett summarizes
unacceptably low. Overall school
our educational standing as follows:
performance is up a little bit since 1983,
but by almost any standard we are not
We are not doing well enough, and we are
where we need to be."
not doing well enough fast enough. We
are still at risk. The absolute level at
Another perspective on education reform
which our improvements are taking place
can be found in an article by Denis Doyle,
is unacceptably low. Too many students
"Business-Led School Reform: The
do not graduate from our high schools,
Second Wave." Mr. Doyle looks at
and too many of those who do graduate
business' involvement in education, since
have been poorly educated. Our students
"the modern firm is both the consumer of
25
education and the model for the school of
unemployed. Of the high school
tomorrow." Mr. Doyle asserts: "The story
graduates who were not in college, 82
of business involvement in education is
percent were in the labor force and 25
worth telling, not SO much because of its
percent were unemployed.
accomplishments, but because it is just
beginning. The first wave prepared the
ground; the second wave will produce
Educators' Views of the Gaps
results." He states that, indeed, "the
reform movement has been both modest
Educators agree with business about
and incremental. While symbolic change
the overall goals of education, and
has been great, substantive change has
about the skills needed in the work-
not. What have been altered are
place. However, the majority of
perceptions. It is clear that the business
educators maintain that their
community is now ready to work with
graduates are well prepared for entry
schools to improve education or, if
level positions, and only a few educa-
necessary, to work around them."
tors acknowledge that the gaps are as
severe as business indicates.
While education reform efforts have
brought undeniable progress, many
Graduates' Preparedness for
experts conclude that there has been
Work
least progress for the non-college
bound and for dropouts.
Almost all of the educators consulted
According to the 1987 Digest of Education
agree that an important criterion of
Statistics, students at ages nine, 13, and
measuring school performance is the
17 were reading better in 1984 than they
extent to which their graduates make a
were in 1971. However, the average
successful transition to work or higher
reading proficiency of black and Hispanic
education. The overwhelming majority of
17-year-olds is only slightly higher than
educators in the sample maintain that
that of white 13-year-olds. The economic
their graduates are well prepared for
outcomes of this are apparent. Those
available entry level positions.
with lower levels of educational
attainment were more likely to be
"I think our graduates are well prepared
unemployed than those who had attained
as entry level workers in business. We
higher levels of education. The 1986
tend to keep up with the latest technology."
unemployment rate for those with one to
Gloria Christler, Chairperson
three years of high school was 15.4
Business Division
percent compared to 8.1 percent for those
Atlanta Junior College
Atlanta, Georgia
with four years of high school and 2.4
percent for those with four or more years
"Graduates are prepared to perform as
of college.
entry level workers. We are not perfect, but
we are doing a good job."
The problems of dropouts are highlighted
by comparing the labor force and the
Harvey Rucker, Director
Vocational/Technical Education
unemployment status of 1984-85
Minneapolis Public Schools
dropouts and graduates. Only 67 percent
Minneapolis, Minnesota
of the dropouts were in the labor force
(employed or looking for work) and of
"We are not graduating literate students.
those in the labor force, 36 percent were
We need a national standard for teacher
26
certification. We must look hard at
Entry Level Workplace
teacher training."
Requirements
Gayle Fallon, President
Houston Federation of Teachers
Houston, Texas
No overall agreement was evident
among educators surveyed about the
The Nature of the Workplace
precise levels of reading level
proficiency and computation ability
required for entry level workers. But
Almost all of the educators consulted
all agreed these basic skills, as well as
in this study concluded that tech-
the ability to communicate effectively
nology is having a significant impact
with a wide variety of people, are
on entry level employment.
indispensable.
Technological innovation has changed
and will continue to change the
Approximately half of the educators
employment environment. Entry level
consulted believed 8th to 9th grade
employees will work with more
reading levels would meet most entry
sophisticated tools, perform multiple
level workplace requirements; the other
tasks, and will have to respond to ongoing
half noted that they believed a 10th to
technical change within their trades.
12th grade reading level was required.
Here are samples of what educators said
about the nature of the workplace:
Reading and Writing
"A greater emphasis will be placed on
"Entry level workers must read 8th-grade
entry level skills that people have not paid
level materials and must have the ability
much attention to in the past for
to comprehend basic directions."
example, flexibility, proper work attitude,
and the ability to communicate."
Patricia W. Hunter, Director
Career and Continuing
Harvey Rucker, Director
Education Curricula
Vocational/Technical Education
Polk Community College
Minneapolis Public Schools
Winter Haven, Florida
Minneapolis, Minnesota
"Entry level workers should really be able
"Computer operation will be increasingly
to read at the 10th grade level, and
a necessary entry level skill in the future."
employers should want this level of ability.
Dr. Margaret Harrigan
The ability to write an organized and
Associate Superintendent
coherent paragraph is an essential skill
- Instruction Services
for a new worker."
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago, Illinois
Dr. Margaret Harrigan
Associate Superintendent
"Basic skills requirements have increased
- Instruction Services
due to the complexity of the jobs
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago, Illinois
themselves. Classes and courses have
become more complex and more difficult."
"New workers need to know how to write.
Dr. James D. Gray
We have not required the writing levels
Executive Dean
that we really should. New workers need
DeKalb Technical Institute
to be able to write complete sentences with
Clarkston, Georgia
27
correct spelling, grammar and sentence
proportions. These skills will be necessary
structure."
for technical workers at all levels."
Dr. Kenneth Northwick
Judith Stein, Director
Acting Deputy Superintendent
Career Education
Minneapolis Public Schools
Dade County Public Schools
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Miami, Florida
Findings were mixed among
Educators were unanimous about the
educators surveyed with regard to
importance of effective communica-
mathematics skills needed. Roughly
tion skills.
half indicated that the basic computation
skills of addition, subtraction,
Communication
multiplication, and division would meet
entry level requirements; slightly fewer
expressed the need to go beyond these
"Students need to be better speakers and
basics by including the ability to work
critical thinkers, in addition to being able
with fractions, decimals, and spatial
to read and write. They need to be able to
concepts; one in ten indicated that entry
differentiate and evaluate what they hear.
level workers must become computer
In general, students have to have some
literate.
skills relating to the media, understand-
ing the technology as communication
media. Students also need human
Here is what educators had to say:
relations skills. We cannot assume that
because the city is diverse, that students
Mathematics
are automatically exposed to the diversity.
They need stability in getting along with
"Workers should be able to add, subtract,
people from a variety of backgrounds."
divide and multiply, use a calculator and
Janet L. Witthuhn, Director
have some reasoning and problem solving
Planning, Evaluating and
skills."
Reporting Department
Minneapolis Public Schools
Dr. William C. Phillips
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Interim Superintendent
Minneapolis Public Schools
"Workers should be able to relay accurate
Minneapolis, Minnesota
messages, and understand the specific
"Workers should be able to add and
information relevant to their jobs. Most
subtract whole numbers with some
should be computer literate."
multiplication and division. They should
Dr. Myrtice Taylor
be able to perform at the 8th grade level of
Assistant Superintendent
general math which does not necessarily
Curriculum and Research Services
Atlanta Public Schools
include algebra."
Atlanta, Georgia
Dr. Kenneth Northwick
Acting Deputy Superintendent
"New workers need to be effective in both
Minneapolis Public Schools
speaking and listening skills, and be
Minneapolis, Minnesota
especially good listeners."
"Workers must be able to compute in all
Donald Howard
areas of beginning math, including
District Vocational Coordinator
Township High School District 211
fractions, decimals, ratios and
Palatine, Illinois
28
A clear consensus was apparent
Flexibility and Adaptability
among educators consulted about the
importance of problem solving skills,
"Both flexibility and adaptability are
and the ability to be flexible and
essential for new workers. Educators have
adaptable.
to help workers understand that jobs will
not be exactly like the classroom. This will
Problem Solving
help workers understand they need
continuous training and growth to get
ahead."
"Entry level workers should be able to
solve problems that require creative
Patricia W. Hunter, Director
solutions. Alternatives should be
Polk Community College
Winter Haven, Florida
generated by the problem solver. They
also should be able to weigh the choices."
"Flexibility and adaptability are very
Dr. William C. Phillips
important. New workers won't be able to
Interim Superintendent
succeed if they cannot get along with other
Minneapolis Public Schools
people and be able to change work
Minneapolis, Minnesota
functions and tasks."
"New workers should be able to deal with
Dr. William C. Phillips
problems of interpersonal relationships.
Interim Superintendent
Also, they should be able to translate
Minneapolis Public Schools
Minneapolis, Minnesota
abstracts into concrete. They should be
able to take things from real life situations
"Because of the change in careers, the
and make wise judgments."
skills of flexibility and adaptability are
Janet L. Witthuhn, Director
those most important for workers. Job
Planning, Evaluating and
specific training is not as important as the
Reporting Department
ability to adapt to a changing workforce."
Minneapolis Public Schools
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Judith Stein, Director
Department of Career Education
"Entry level workers must be able to solve
Dade County Public Schools
word problems, requiring thinking and
Miami, Florida
reasoning skills."
"Flexibility and adaptability are critical
Dr. Myrtice Taylor
for new workers. Technology is changing
Assistant Superintendent
so fast that if employees do not change
Curriculum and Research Services
Atlanta Public Schools
with it, they will become obsolete -- victims
Atlanta, Georgia
of 'Future Shock'."
Donald Howard
"Communication skills should be such
District Vocational Coordinator
that entry level workers can solve oral and
Township High School District 211
written problems."
Palatine, Illinois
Gayle Fallon, President
"Flexibility and adaptability are essential
Houston Federation of Teachers
Houston, Texas
skills for new workers. Rigidity is not an
29
asset to working. No one set of skills will
Business-Education
last a lifetime."
Partnerships
Dr. Margaret Harrigan
Superintendent
Instruction Services
The high percentage of business-
Chicago Public Schools
education direct linkages discovered in
Chicago, Illinois
this study reflects the great amount of
attention currently being paid to building
Self Direction and Initiative
relationships between business and
education. Four out of five business
representatives consulted and
"As with reasoning skills, they should be
virtually all of the educators con-
on their own within a relatively short
sulted indicated that they were
time: three to six months."
engaged in some form of collabora-
Gloria Christler, Chairperson
tive business-school venture.
Business Division
Atlanta Junior College
Many of these partnerships were
Atlanta, Georgia
addressing the schools' policy, adminis-
"Given the way most jobs are structured,
trative and managerial issues as well as
you can't expect a high degree of super-
developing programs to improve adminis-
vision in the entry level job. Whether it is
trator, teacher, and student performance.
desirable or not, the students have been
Some of the activities reported included:
prepared to enter a work environment
(1) instituting joint ventures; (2)
where they will be asked to work with little
initiating policy changes; (3) planning
supervision."
and implementing long-term school
improvement efforts; and (4) providing
Janet L. Witthuhn, Director
management support and expertise.
Planning, Evaluating and
Reporting Department
About two-thirds of the businesses
Minneapolis Public Schools
Minneapolis, Minnesota
and educators surveyed contended
that the principal impediment to
building and maintaining partner-
Attitudes and Work Habits
ships was poor communication due to
preconceived notions, unclear roles
"Attitude is very important; the greatest
and responsibilities, and/or scarcity
deterrent to getting and keeping a job is a
of organizational resources. It is clear
bad attitude. There is a lack of responsi-
that all sectors must improve their
bility, inability to take directions, inability
communication in order to close the skills
to establish a successful relationship with
gap and build a quality workforce.
employer and co-workers, inability to get
to work on time, and a casual attitude
about attendance and attire."
Implications of Educators'
Responses
Dr. Margaret Harrigan
Superintendent
Instruction Services
In summary, educators were in virtually
Chicago Public Schools
total agreement with business about
Chicago, Illinois
what basic skills are needed in the
workplace. However, the proportion of
30
educators who indicated that their
improvements in measures of academic
graduates are prepared to perform as
achievement, but for conveying the
entry level workers was far greater than
importance of attendance, homework,
the proportion of business persons who
behavior in class, responsiveness to
felt these entry workers were adequately
authority, and other indicators of
prepared.
maturity and responsibility generally
used in the workplace.
Are business and education operating on
common assumptions and definitions of
Business needs to do a better job of
entry level and of the skills needed, or
anticipating future needs, and
does the problem lie in an inability to
communicating these needs to
translate business needs into the way we
educators, to parents, to students and
teach our young people?
to other community resources that
can help address these needs.
Educators may not be translating
their understanding of business'
Generally, business was not able to
needs into what happens in the
articulate with specificity and precision
classroom. Better communication
what qualities and skills it needs in entry
between schools and business can help to
workers. While businesses know what
make this connection.
they need, they often have trouble
translating their needs to different
Education needs to focus not only on what
audiences (i.e., describing "grade level
is taught, and when, but how to make it
equivalents" of their materials,
relevant to the workplace. Students
manuals), often lack the "vision" of what
should be told straightforwardly that if
they will need over the long term, and
they cannot read, write, and compute,
often fail to translate their human capital
they will not get decent jobs.
needs into their overall corporate
strategic planning.
Both business and education stressed
the need to develop mechanisms to
For example, according to a study of labor
reduce the isolation of their worlds in
force planning in Fortune 500 companies,
order to better prepare students for
46 percent of the companies did not
the workplace and for responsible
prepare any formal human resource
adulthood.
plans, 39 percent had incomplete plans,
and only 15 percent prepare fully
Education needs business to help
integrated plans advocated in the
educators and students understand the
literature on human resource planning.
economy and economic and labor market
Business needs to become more
trends, and the nature and organization
intelligent buyers, users, and developers
of work; help students understand the
of their labor pool to improve their own
performance standards expected in the
and the nation's productivity and ability
workplace, and help enrich their
to compete.
curricula by making clear the connection
between performance in school and
Aggressive action may be needed by
opportunities available in the workplace.
business and education to learn from
each other, and to change the way
Business needs education to set and
education is provided, to ensure a
maintain high performance standards,
quality workforce and a productive
and to be accountable, not only for
nation.
31
Evidence points to a need to do more,
Education needs to develop better ties
more rapidly, and through different
with community resources that can
means, in order to make fundamental
provide assistance, make a concerted
educational improvements. Business
effort to acquire greater knowledge of
needs to articulate its future workforce
labor market and occupational trends,
needs better, and communicate these to
and stay current with changes in the
education. Business intermediaries can
workplace. Education research
help communicate this message, promote
intermediaries can help document and
community collaboration and serve as
disseminate knowledge about workplace
facilitators between the sectors.
changes and evaluate education
improvement efforts.
32
Building a Quality
Workforce ..
Everybody's Job
How We Can Close the Gap
In order to close the skills gap, we need to:
and the students themselves. Just as
1) Improve the quality of education for
business has decentralized authority
our nation's youth through fundamental
and responsibility, schools should
education reforms in our nation's schools;
consider moving toward school-based
2) Mobilize businesses to assist schools in
management and accountability. For
ways that capitalize on their comparative
example, teachers in Rochester, New
strengths and advantages; and 3)
York are taking part in an experiment
Mobilize the community -- all of the
in which they have been given
sectors -- to integrate efforts to ensure a
increases in pay as well as in
quality education for our young people
responsibility and accountability.
and a quality workforce for our nation.
Teachers have been given expanded
responsibilities for counseling
students and a broader role in running
Strengthen Our Educational
schools through "school-based
System
management" teams.
Educators can improve their processes
Just as employers set performance
and their products by learning from
standards for workers, schools should
successful businesses and seeking their
hold students accountable. For
help in these priority areas:
example, in Texas, officials have
instituted a "no pass, no play" policy
1. Increase accountability. Just as
in which students who fail a course
business must set and meet high
are ineligible for extracurricular
standards for the quality of its
activities.
products, SO must the schools establish
and enforce rigorous performance
2. Strengthen the content of the
standards. Prince George's County,
curriculum and improve on its
Maryland, for example, is initiating a
delivery. Just as business must
program that places warranties on its
establish and maintain priorities, the
students. The schools asked the
schools should concentrate on
business community to identify the
excellence in the basics first. Just as
skills they need, and the schools made
business has had to adapt its methods
a commitment to ensure that these
and technology to remain competitive,
skills are included in the instructional
the schools need to find ways to make
program. Any warrantied student
the basics relate better to the
found to be lacking in skills needed by
workplace.
employers will be "recalled" by the
school and retrained at no expense to
For example, a fifth grade teacher in a
business.
McLean, Virginia school runs a
simulation of a small economy in the
Accountability must be emphasized at
classroom to give her students
all levels -- the schools, the teachers,
experience with fundamental
33
economic concepts such as competi-
Superintendents such as John
tion, monopolies, bankruptcy, rents,
Murphy in Prince George's County,
or taxation. Reading a description of
have asked for business help in
markets, sellers, and competition in a
recruitment, and have achieved
textbook means much more to a
notable success as described later in
student who the day before has waged
this publication. Dr. Murphy's
a price war with a seatmate to corner
business advisors recommended that
the market on hot dog sales.
the Prince George's Public Schools
offer more fringe benefits to
While it is the responsibility of the
prospective teachers, and they
public schools to strengthen the
developed a plan in which business
curriculum and improve on its
provided incoming teachers with
delivery, the efforts of the school
discounts on apartment rents, cars,
system can be supplemented and
restaurants, legal services, and other
reinforced by business. The city of
extra benefits. In one year alone, the
Jacksonville, Florida implemented a
number of applicants for teaching jobs
successful summer youth employment
went from 1,000 to 4,500. Dr. Murphy
and remediation program through a
was then able to select the best
collaborative effort between the
qualified teachers for the 600
Jacksonville Private Industry Council
vacancies.
and the Duval County School Board.
This program serves over 1,000 young
In his book, American Education,
people, mostly 14- and 15-year-olds, in
Making It Work, William Bennett
four hours of classroom instruction in
notes: "In education, as in business,
the morning and four hours of work on
the way to build a staff of outstanding
public sites in the afternoon. They
professionals is to search broadly for
reduced their dropout rates for the
talent, hire those who are best able to
two-year-behind group from 37
do the job, and then offer rewards and
percent to 21.8 percent and the special
advancement to individuals who
education group from 24 percent to 16
perform well. Those who fail to
percent. This time, 92 percent of the
measure up should be given the
youth passed their courses and 88
opportunity to improve; those who
percent passed the Minimum Level
don't should be shown the door."
Skills Test. Another result of their
efforts was the continuing growth of
4. Improve educational
private sector involvement and
opportunities and performance of
participation in the summer youth
the disadvantaged. There is a direct
program, which resulted in 1,146
link between quality education and a
youths placed in jobs with over 500
quality workforce. With the changing
employers during 1986.
demographics, there will be fewer
entry workers available, and those
3. Recruit and reward good teachers
available will be from the less well
and principals. Just as business
educated segments of the population
must be highly competitive in
that have typically been least
recruiting and retaining quality
prepared for work. Therefore,
workers, SO must the schools, through
business and education must develop
creative recruitment and retention
partnerships which invest in human
efforts, performance-based pay plans,
capital just as business invests in
and other incentives. Some
plants and equipment. Special efforts
34
are needed to target partnerships to
David Kearns and Denis Doyle, in
assist the severely "at-risk" including
Winning The Brain Race: A Bold Plan
dropouts and dropout-prone, and to
to Make Our Schools Competitive, call
invest earlier.
for a system of school choice based on
competitive market forces; strict
Numerous experts recommend this,
minimum levels of achievement;
including the Department of
strong liberal arts curriculum for
Education, the Committee for
teachers followed by demonstrated
Economic Development, the Urban
across-the-board knowledge and
School Superintendents, the Carnegie
competence, and teacher salaries and
Foundation for the Advancement of
promotions based on demonstrated
Teachers, and others. Department of
competence, performance and
Education recommendations for
longevity; a uniform high school core
schools in educating disadvantaged
curriculum; restoration of teaching a
children include:
love of democracy and responsible
citizenship; acceptance of greater
1. Mobilize students, staff, and
responsibility for educational
parents around a vision of a school
improvement by Washington, through
in which all students can achieve;
models and exercising leadership.
2. Create an orderly and safe school
environment by setting high
In their study, Investing in Our
standards for discipline and
Children, Business and the Public
attendance;
Schools, the Committee for Economic
3. Help students acquire the habits
Development describes how to make a
and attitudes necessary for
school competitive:
progress in school and in later life;
4. Provide a challenging academic
"We believe that certain market
curriculum;
incentives and disincentives can and
5. Tailor instructional strategies to
should be introduced into public
the needs of disadvantaged
schooling. For example, regional or
children;
even statewide open enrollment
6. Help students with limited English
systems. Such freedom of choice would
proficiency become proficient and
send a message to those schools that
comfortable in the English
are bypassed. One outcome would be
language -- speaking, reading, and
product differentiation. We believe the
writing -- as soon as possible;
evidence in favor of magnet schools is
7. Focus early childhood programs on
strong enough to warrant widespread
disadvantaged children to increase
support for increasing their number.
their chances for success; and
Taking this a step further, a state or
8. Reach out to help parents take part
region might adopt a 'universal'
in educating their children.
magnet school plan."
5. Increase competitiveness. Just as
The Governors' 1991 Report on
individual businesses must respond to
Education, Results in Education:
the market with increased flexibility
1987, also comments on how to make a
and increased ability to identify and
school competitive: There is a range of
seize their market niche, SO should the
alternative choice models with which
schools, through parent and student
states and local districts can
choice.
experiment. For example:
35
Neighborhood associations or groups
will listen. In Cincinnati, recognizing
of teachers might contract with a local
the importance of quality public
school board to operate individual
education, the business community
schools.
rallied support to pass a levy to raise
additional funds for the schools. With
Minnesota enacted a program this
business support, the levy narrowly
year that shifts attendance choices to
passed.
students, giving dropouts and
"learners at risk" the option to choose
The Business Roundtable's April 1988
alternative schools or learning
Report, The Role of Business in
centers. State aid of up to $3,600
Education Reform: Blueprint for
follows each student to the new school.
Action, outlines programs and public
policy actions that business should
Virginia's magnet school network
take in order to put education where it
shifts curricular choice to individual
belongs -- a top priority for business
schools, allowing them to implement
involvement. Their recommendations
their own focused programs in science
are based on a set of guiding
and technology and the fine arts.
principles: 1) Select a limited number
of education programs and do them
Expand Business Involvement
well; 2) Conduct programs that are
cost-effective; 3) Develop programs
with high employee involvement;
Business should articulate its human
4) Make a sustained commitment to
resource needs with greater specificity
education programs; and 5) Support
and precision, in order to help educators
programs that will serve the interests
meet their current and future needs.
of business and society. They
Business should expand its involvement
recommend that member companies of
and investment in our education system
the Business Roundtable focus on
beyond symbolic efforts in ways that
local public policy issues such as
improve educational effectiveness and
curriculum standards, teacher
efficiency. Business should participate
competency, and teacher
actively in policy, education
compensation.
improvement, and management
activities.
2. Develop community-wide
collaborative efforts that increase
1. Take the initiative to broaden the
communication and decrease the
base of political support/advocacy
isolation of the education and the
for the schools. Business has
business communities. This can be
leverage to improve the quality of
accomplished by bringing education to
education, by serving on school
business (i.e., providing basic skills
boards, either elected or appointed, or
training in the workplace, or
on advisory councils to
providing teachers opportunities to
Superintendents and principals, or
work in business settings). This can
working with elected officials, unions,
also be accomplished by bringing a
and other community institutions
clearer sense of workforce
such as universities and community
expectations into the schools
colleges. If business makes the case
(vitalizing the schools through
that the community's economic and
awareness that good jobs demand
employment future is at stake, others
literacy and other basic competencies,
36
and through expansion of initiatives
development and merit pay, and
to enrich the curricula young people
application of new technology.
are taught). Business can help in
fostering successful transitions to
4. Work to improve business' labor
work and to higher education.
force planning for the short- and
long-term, both for the company's
Business can help improve the
ability to attract, select, and retain a
community's labor market
quality labor force, and to provide
information, thus providing greater
guidance to the schools. Business
access to employment and economic
needs to become more intelligent
opportunities for young people. At one
buyers, users, and developers of their
community forum, for example,
labor pool to improve their own and
business described the region's
the nation's productivity and ability to
tremendous economic growth, the
compete.
resulting building boom, and
indicated that they expect these
trends to continue. Yet, they could not
The Challenge to Business and
find young people to work in $15 per
Education
hour bricklayer jobs or other trades.
They talked about how the trades
Repeatedly, the businesses consulted in
represent particularly good careers
this study expressed concern that our
with rapid advancement and
young people -- the products of the
entrepreneurial opportunities, yet,
American public school system -- are ill-
with the current emphasis on the
prepared to hold available and/or future
white collar professions, the young
jobs. Many firms indicated their
people and their parents do not think
dependence upon outside or in-house
positively about the trades. They
resources to train or remediate entry
discussed the need to solicit the
level employees, or their need to recruit
involvement and assistance of unions,
from sources other than the high schools.
parents, community colleges,
apprenticeship programs, successful
While the number of youths available to
black business owners (as role
fill entry level jobs is decreasing and will
models), the banks, and even the
continue to decrease through the year
media, to convince people that the
2000, the service sector, which is human-
trades provide tremendous potential
capital-intensive, is experiencing rapid
and job satisfaction.
growth. While our entry workers are
coming to the market place with poor
3. Undertake initiatives that assist
qualifications, our economy is continually
schools in good management
producing jobs that require the highest
practices. Current management
literacy levels in the history of our
techniques used by business to remain
country.
productive and competitive include
decentralization and autonomy (in
In our changing economy, business needs
schools, this translates to school-based
to anticipate the changes better and
management), accountability and
articulate its workforce needs in ways
performance standards (in schools,
that educators can understand and
this is advocated at all levels, from
respond. Business also needs to expand
superintendents, to principals,
its involvement and investment in
teachers and students), professional
education in ways that produce
measurable educational improvements.
37
Business needs to take an active role in
management of the education enterprise
working with education, and with other
-- and ultimately into the standards
sectors within the community able to
attained by their students.
provide assistance, including
government, volunteer sectors, parents,
Communities should seek to establish
churches, and elected officials.
mechanisms to facilitate this dialogue
and for planning, implementing,
Education must seek business advice and
sustaining and evaluating their
guidance on the skills they need in their
collaborative efforts. We need these
workplaces and then respond better to
concerted efforts in order to close the
these needs. Educators need to find ways
widening skills gap, build a quality
to translate these understandings into
workforce and increase the nation's
the content of the curriculum, the
productivity.
selection of personnel, and the
38
Community Partnerships
That Work
Introduction
support needed to follow through on
initiatives. They have also continually
assessed results, revised strategies where
Across the nation, communities are
necessary, sought to expand their efforts
identifying the skill gaps and deficiencies
and remained flexible to adapt as they go
that are of greatest priority to them.
along.
They are taking actions to address these
issues through a range of partnership
In the past, most school-business
initiatives among business, education,
partnerships have been deficient in their
government, and other sectors.
ability to reach students who are most at
risk of educational failure. Even the best
Following are the profiles of three
of our examples are still grappling with
communities that have taken the first
the very real problems of excessively high
steps to overcome barriers and build
dropout rates, achievement scores that
partnerships to enhance the quality of
are barely rising back to where they were
education and economic opportunity for
20 years ago, and an array of complex
their young people. They demonstrate
issues facing today's young people.
the importance of community-wide efforts
However, each of these communities has
to improve our children's education.
acknowledged the extent of their
They also illustrate the critical role of
problems and is attempting to marshal
business in these community
the community's resources in ways that
partnerships and demonstrate that
will ultimately make a difference.
business leadership and involvement can
make a substantial improvement in a
These communities provide good
community's education of its young
examples of what strong leadership,
serious commitment and broad
people.
community collaborations can do. They
The key to their success is that they have
are not necessarily "the best in the
identified and reached agreement on
nation," nor are they "perfect"
their problems, gathered the necessary
partnerships. Rather, each one is a story
baseline data, established measurable
unfolding. Various leaders were willing
goals, obtained and sustained top level
to tell their stories in hopes that they will
business and education support, quality
help others, and gain added support for
staff resources and financial and other
their own partnership efforts.
39
Prince George's County, Maryland
"We set a goal in 1984, and that goal was that by the year 1990, our school system
which is 62 percent black, and functioning at the 50th percentile academically
would be performing in the top quartile of the nation. We would prove that in that
short span of time, we could turn a school system totally around, and that the black
youngsters in this majority black school system could be competing with their most
affluent neighbors in Montgomery County, Fairfax County, and other white,
suburban, prosperous communities in America. And, if we didn 't do it by 1990, I
told the Board of Education that they should fire me."
Dr. John Murphy
Superintendent of Schools
Prince George's County, Maryland
Building Quality Education
oriented programs for students and
teachers alike.
After 13 years of court battles over a
busing program to desegregate the Prince
The Prince George's County Private
George's County Public Schools, the
Industry Council (PIC) works in
Board of Education, in partnership with
partnership with the school system to
business, industry and the community,
ensure that young people graduating
launched a creative program to
from high school make a successful
desegregate the school system as well as
transition to the workplace. An employer
to improve the quality of curriculum and
committee and PIC staff work with school
instruction with sensitivity to the needs
personnel to match graduates with
of minority students. The new program
available jobs. The business community
led to a significant increase in minority
sees this as an invaluable service in light
student scores on standardized tests,
of the serious labor shortages the area is
above the national norm. The school
experiencing.
system, under the leadership of a new
superintendent, aggressively sought
Prince George's County's efforts are
private sector participation in shaping a
exemplary for the extent to which the
successful school desegregation program
business community has worked with the
while preparing students for the world of
school system to design and implement a
work a role which the private sector
creative program of improvements.
was eager to assume.
Launched in 1985 as "the school system of
choices," this program includes:
The Advisory Council for Business and
Industry of the Prince George's County
An enriched magnet school program
Public School system channels business
for gifted and talented students, as
assistance and resources into a variety of
part of the desegregation effort;
programs, ranging from improving the
image of the school system, to recruiting
A new program of workplace schools
a quality instructional force, to
located near employment centers
coordinating business involvement in a
offering care to the children of
wide range of academic and career-
working parents;
41
The provision of additional teachers,
remained well below the state and
equipment and educational aids for
national averages.
minority schools located in areas
where transportation to more
integrated schools was impractical.
A Revitalized School System
This comprehensive program, carried out
The Prince George's County Public
by an imaginative superintendent and
School system is the 14th largest in the
supported by the strong local business-
country. The school system's enrollment
education partnership, has earned Prince
shifted from 80 percent white in 1970 to
George's County Public Schools national
over 60 percent black in 1988. This
recognition as a role model for American
dramatic shift in enrollment, as well as a
public schools.
school desegregation mandate, caused
Prince George's County to face
The County's business-education
formidable obstacles to improving the
partnership is constantly taking on new
quality of its public education. To meet
challenges. The PIC and public school
this challenge, the school system, the
system are about to kick off a new
community, and business and industry
initiative designed to provide
formed a partnership in the mid-1980s
comprehensive, year-round services to at-
which laid the foundation for a
risk youth. Funded with federal, state
revitalized school system.
and local resources, the goal of the
program is to reduce the number of young
Superintendent Murphy implemented an
people who drop out of school. This
action plan consisting of five major
initiative, called "Success," will serve
points:
3,000 students over a five-year period.
This program offers the County hope as it
1) Lay out all the problems and stop
looks to the year 2000.
making excuses for the failures of the
public schools;
2) Get the community to take ownership
Surge in Economic Growth
of the school system;
3) Establish a foundation of trust;
In the 1980s, Prince George's County
4) Begin a process of incremental
began a dramatic economic upswing. By
change; and
1987, the County was in the midst of a
5) Create a revolution.
period of significant economic growth and
development, with a high potential for
Students With Warranties
continued expansion. In 1986, increases
were reported in practically all sectors,
many at record levels. Residential
Prince George's County is in the process
construction activity was at its highest
of initiating a guaranteed certificate
level in two decades; resident
program, in effect, a warranty on the
employment reported its largest increase
quality of its graduates. "General Motors
ever; construction began on over 1.8
gives a warranty on its cars. Home
million square feet of commercial space;
builders give warranties on their homes.
new home sales rose 33 percent; and
We must give warranties on our products,
private employment increased by nearly
too," says Superintendent Murphy. The
seven percent. At the same time, the
schools asked the business community to
County's unemployment rate -- at
identify all of the skills that they need in
approximately three percent -- has
their entry level workers. The Advisory
42
Council for Business and Industry
competitive salary-wise, we have to give
established a Career Education Task
perks."
Force to identify the employability skills
business needs, to review the current
So business assembled a package of fringe
career education curriculum and develop
benefits. Realtors donated a month's free
proposals to expand its effectiveness, and
rent and no security deposit. Lawyers
to develop programs to better inform
donated free legal services. Movers
teachers of the skills needed. The Task
donated discounted services. Banks
Force issued a report in March 1987 with
donated free safe deposit boxes and bank
a number of recommendations on
credit cards with no service fee.
employability skills, monitoring, student
Restaurants gave ten percent discounts
programs, and teacher programs.
on all meals. Car dealers offered
discounts on auto loans.
The schools will ensure that these skills
are included in the instructional program
While the rest of the nation struggles
as these youngsters go through high
with severe shortages of teachers, Prince
school. Each student will be tested on
George's County has an abundance of
these skills, and, if they pass, they will be
qualified applicants. Over 4,000 teachers
given a guarantee certificate along with
applied for 400 vacancies in 1986.
their diploma. When they apply to
Because of joint efforts between the
employers for a job, their certificate
Advisory Council and the schools,
guarantees that they have the skills
teachers' starting salaries have increased
specified by business. During the first
from the lowest to among the highest in
year on the job, if the youngsters do not
the state of Maryland, and above those of
demonstrate these skills, the schools will
many other states.
take them back, educate them and
retrain them, at no cost to the employers.
Thirty-five percent of the new teachers
hired for the 1987-88 school year are
Creative Teacher Recruitment
black, which enables the Council to reach
its goal of increasing the number of black
In 1985, Superintendent Murphy was
recruits from 28 percent in 1986 to 35
faced with a need to hire 600 teachers
percent in 1987-88. The Teacher
from an applicant pool of less than one
Recruitment Committee of the Council is
thousand. "With these numbers," he
now planning activities to maintain a
said, "the test for employment would be
large pool of applicants SO that the school
'can you breathe -- if you can breathe, we
system can employ "the best and the
will give you a contract to work in the
brightest" and raise the percentage of
school system'." The Superintendent
minority recruits from 35 percent to 45
asked business for help in recruiting a
percent.
quality instructional force for the school
system. Business came back with a plan.
Turning Their Image Around
James O. Harmon, Vice President of
Litton Industries-Amecom Division, said,
Dr. Murphy also asked the business
"The problem with you people in
community to help make the community
education is that you don't use any of the
aware of the good things that were
strategies that we use in the competitive
happening in the schools. Many of the
business world. We not only have to be
image problems were based on negative
43
perceptions, not reality. Business
Multi-Level Business-Education
developed a plan to sell the products of
Initiatives
the Prince George's County Public
Schools through aggressive advertising.
Building on what was already a strong
Their scheme was to find some
business interest in and long-term
outstanding examples of students in the
commitment to quality education, school
school system, and let the community
officials initiated the Advisory Council
know, via television, what these
for Business and Industry in 1984. With
youngsters were doing. They created a
a membership that includes executives
series of TV ads, ran them in prime time,
from leading businesses and industries,
each playing on "double entendre"
law firms, banking and financial
taking a negative impression and turning
institutions, computer and technology
it into a success story.
corporations, and the scientific and
educational fields, the Council's goals
The first ad showed a close-up of student
include:
Jane McCabe, staring into space, with a
voiceover saying, "Jane McCabe has a
Strengthening the school system's
drug problem in the Prince George's
curriculum;
County Public Schools." Then the camera
Enhancing staff development for
panned back and focused on test tubes
teachers and administrators;
and laboratory equipment around Jane,
Motivating and preparing students for
and the voice said, "You would, too, if
successful employment; and
Searle's Pharmaceutical had given you a
Assisting in public relations and
$600,000 grant to study the effect of
marketing to enhance the image of
drugs in space. Jane McCabe and the
public education.
Prince George's County Public Schools --
a lot of people think they've got a great
The Council promoted business
future."
participation in the school system
through activities such as the following:
The next ad showed Willis Pinckney, a
young black man, with his back to the
Partners in Education. Approximately
camera, writing on the wall. It said,
40 businesses are participating in the
"Willis Pinckney's name is all over the
Partners in Education program for the
walls of the Prince George's County
1987-88 school year, joining with
Public Schools." Immediately, one
individual schools for purposes defined in
conjures up graffiti. Then the camera
written partnership agreements. For
pans back showing a beautiful piece of
example:
art, with a voice saying, "It is also all over
the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington.
Maryland Natural Gas recently
Willis Pinckney and the Prince George's
entered into a long-range partnership
County Public Schools -- a lot of people
with Martin Luther King Middle
think they've got a great future."
School. The partnership includes
opportunities for students and staff to
Business developed the ideas, donated the
take advantage of a wide variety of
advertisements, and raised the money to
experiences including mentors, tutors,
air them on prime time television. This
contests, field trips and lectures
not only built community pride, but
designed to complement the school
developed pride in the teachers and
curriculum.
principals as well.
44
Spurred by a desperate shortage of
Science and Technology Institute. The
sheet metal workers despite a high
Advisory Council's Science and
starting wage, General Heating and
Technology Committee plans an annual
Engineering Company joined with
program to enhance the skills of science
the Jesse J. Warr Vocational Center
and technology teachers. During this
at Suitland High School. Company
one-week institute, teachers will spend
officials are working with the school to
time on-site in businesses and research
design a strategy to encourage
centers, learning about state-of-the-art
students to train for careers as sheet
techniques and equipment in various
metal workers. The company assists
work settings.
with training, donates equipment, and
works with the school's staff to
develop their skills.
Following The Effective Schools
Model
The banking industry requested
help in filling what are estimated to
Following recommendations made by the
be 1,000 vacant teller positions
Advisory Council for Business and
county-wide. Five banks are working
Industry's Career Education Task Force,
with Northwestern High School to
Prince George's County Public Schools
develop a program that will educate
have implemented a number of other
business education students about
critical education improvement efforts.
teller training as a starting point for a
These improvements give principals
career in banking. The banks will
greater responsibility and make them
provide internships and jobs for the
more accountable, and develop them
students, and bank employees will
through the Prince George's County
teach a course at the school.
Leadership Training Program one day
each month, and during a summer retreat
In a partnership with 47 schools, the
known as "Camp Murphy." Teachers'
Shakey's Pizza franchisee in Prince
performance is measured through
George's County devotes his entire
student tests at every grade level and at
advertising budget to school-related
every discipline to measure the growth
activities such as certificates for all
for every youngster in every classroom.
students who are promoted in school
and student bus trips to libraries.
The school system is linking the home
and the school through home computers
Summer Employment Program. New
to provide parents daily report cards on
teachers are not the only ones who benefit
their children's progress. The magnet
from business support. Complementing
school program is reputed to be one of the
the teacher recruitment program is a
finest in the nation, enticing 3,000 young
summer employment program for
people back from private schools in 1987.
veteran teachers, in which the business
The school system has developed a special
community provides part-time temporary
program for at-risk youngsters in six high
summer employment for these teachers.
schools, which gives them access to a
This summer employment program helps
computer lab, enriched experiences,
the school system retain its experienced
smaller teacher-pupil ratios, and other
teachers while enhancing their classroom
special services.
skills and expanding their awareness of
other workplace requirements.
"We have found that we can take these
at-risk youngsters who would have been
45
dropouts, deliver services different from
youngsters passed the state functional
the traditional high school model, and
writing examination, exceeding the state
turn them around. They now have an
average for blacks and whites which was
academic success rate of 75 percent. If we
at 82 percent.
can turn them around in the schools, they
are not going to be getting welfare
checks, they're not going to jail, and
A Partnership Plan for the
they're not going to become a burden on
Future
society -- they're going to become
productive, tax-paying citizens," said
In 1986, Superintendent Murphy
Superintendent Murphy.
challenged the Advisory Council for
Business and Industry to evaluate the
employability skills of the school system's
Measurable Achievements
graduates. The Advisory Council
assembled business representatives to
Working with a budget that increased
review the school system's Career
from $349 million to $426 million
Education program and to develop
between 1986 and 1988, the Prince
recommendations to "help the school
George's County Public School system
system ensure that every one of its
has achieved rapid improvement in
graduates has basic employability skills
elementary and middle school scores on
to succeed in the world of work." The
the California Achievement Test. Their
Career Education Task Force, co-chaired
goal was to move the entire school system
by a former county executive turned
into the top quartile and eliminate the
businessman and the associate
gap between the performance of blacks
superintendent of education,
and whites.
accomplished its mission with the help of
24 business representatives on three
Prior to the establishment of the
subcommittees. The Task Force's March
comprehensive education programs in
1987 report included the following
1985, minority students' test scores. had
recommendations concerned with
been significantly below the national
employability skills:
norm. In 1984, the Prince George's
County Public School system was
Upon graduation, every student
functioning academically at about the
should demonstrate proficiency in
50th percentile for all measured grades
identified employability skills;
grades three, five and eight. The system
was also failing state functional
The school should infuse career
examinations for graduation. In 1984,
education programs throughout every
only 40 percent of the county's young
grade level;
blacks passed the comprehensive writing
examination.
Each school should have a fully
staffed, fully equipped career center;
Recent results for the 1988 California
Achievement Tests show that all County
"Vocational" programs should be
third graders scored at the 73rd
retitled to remove the stigma of
percentile and black third graders scored
second-class education; and
at the 68th percentile. The 5th graders
moved to the 70th percentile, and 8th
Certificates should be provided noting
graders to the 69th percentile. In 1988,
mastery of employability skills to all
over 89 percent of the County's black
46
high school students who succeed in
additional career education for students
career education programs.
and course work on economic
development for teachers.
The Task Force also recommended that a
monitoring system be established to
To strengthen the business-education
ensure skill mastery by all students, to
partnership, the Task Force called for the
survey businesses to assess the quality of
establishment of a Round Table
recent graduates, and to provide
discussion program for businesses and
continuing services for students who do
teachers, and a more active role in career
not demonstrate basic skills in the
education programs on the part of
workplace. Also suggested were
individual business volunteers.
47
Prince George's Vital Statistics
Total Population:
696,475
(1988)
Principal Industries/Businesses: Goddard Space Flight Center, Andrews
Air Force Base, The University of Maryland, Computer Science Corporation,
Giant Food, Litton Amecom, Digital Equipment.
Employment Trends: Federal, state, and local government employs 27 percent of
the county's workers; 73 percent work for the private sector. There has been
recent growth in nearly all sectors of the economy, especially high technology,
manufacturing, tourism, foreign trade, retailing, food, and finance; and, more
than 20,000 new workers and a seven percent increase in private sector
employment in 1986. Black-owned businesses continue to expand as a result of
the Economic Development Corporation's emphasis on developing support for
small and minority-owned companies.
Unemployment Rates:
Total:
3.5%
(1987)
Youth:
N.A.
Minority Youth:
N.A.
School Population:
103,325
White:
31.0%
Black:
62.2%
Hispanic:
2.3%
Other:
6.4%
Total Number of Schools:
175
(1986)
Dropout Rate:
4.42%
(1987)
School Budget:
$426 million
(Feb. 1988)
Per Pupil Expenditure:
$4,100
Teacher/Pupil Ratio:
Elementary:
1:26.4
Junior/Middle:
1:24.8
Senior:
1:25.0
Enrollment Trends: 1987-88 enrollment is the highest in three years, reversing
a 15-year trend of decreasing enrollments; the increase is due in part to former
private and parochial students shifting back into the public school system.
For further information, contact:
Jacquelyn L. Lendsey
Joe Puhalla
Advisory Council EVP
President
Prince George's County Public Schools
Prince George's Private Industry
14201 School Lane
Council, Inc.
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
311 68th Place
(301) 952-6015
Seat Pleasant, MD 20743
(301) 350-9760
48
Cincinnati, Ohio
"Unless something is done, hundreds of children born this year in Cincinnati will
grow up functionally illiterate and unemployable. Almost half will never finish
high school. We must work together to stop this enormous waste of human potential
in our community."
John Pepper, President
The Procter & Gamble Company
A History of Corporate
stay in school and compete effectively in
Leadership
the job market after graduation.
In 1980, CBC lent its support to a grass
Cincinnati is home to several Fortune
roots, community-based effort in support
500 companies. These companies
of a Cincinnati school tax levy -- resulting
contribute to the city's strong private
in the first voter approved tax levy in
sector leadership, which has a long-
Cincinnati in over ten years. Since that
standing commitment to improvement in
time, local business has continued to
education. One of Cincinnati's early
support grass roots community efforts
partnerships between business and
and three additional school tax levies
education was the Cincinnati Business
have been successfully passed.
Committee (CBC), formed in 1977 by
CEOs of the city's major businesses, to
among other things, channel business
Developing the Cincinnati
expertise into Cincinnati schools.
Youth Collaborative
Within two years, CBC had moved to
Although the Cincinnati Business
sponsor the establishment of Partners in
Committee achieved notable successes, it
Education, a district-wide compact
did not specifically focus its efforts on
between the school system, CBC, and the
reducing the school system's high dropout
Greater Cincinnati Chamber of
rate. In 1986, several forces came
Commerce. Partners in Education links
together that led to the establishment of
schools with private sector partners to
the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, a
improve student achievement through
partnership organization aimed
programs that include financial aid,
specifically at dropout prevention. Key
tutoring, career education, and work
factors that set the stage for the
experience.
Collaborative included the following:
When the Cincinnati Private Industry
The chair of the Cincinnati and
Council (PIC) was established in 1978,
Hamilton County PIC began
representatives of CBC companies, were
examining the Boston Compact to
among the PIC members. In 1982, CBC
determine whether that approach
joined other community leaders in
could help Cincinnati improve local
establishing Jobs for Cincinnati
labor force quality through dropout
Graduates to help high school seniors
prevention. "The number of youths
49
dropping out was far greater than the
Creating Greater Opportunity
number going into the workforce," the
PIC Chair observed.
Cincinnati schools have had difficulty
preparing their students for the work
The Ford Foundation granted $25,000
world, as evidenced by the Cincinnati
to the public school system to
City School District's 40 percent dropout
establish a community organization to
rate. The 1987-88 school system budget
study the dropout problem and
of $210 million serves 52,000 children.
develop a dropout prevention plan.
Despite a per pupil expenditure of $4,038,
significantly above the national average,
Procter & Gamble President John
educators and business leaders alike
Pepper became personally interested
realized that outside help was needed to
in dropout prevention strategies and
keep potential dropouts in school and to
began developing an action plan for
equip students for productive futures.
Cincinnati.
"The school system on its own cannot
supply all the needs a child comes to us
In January 1987, the Cincinnati Youth
with," admitted School Superintendent
Collaborative was established. Co-
Powell.
chaired by John Pepper, School
Superintendent Lee Etta Powell, and
According to Tom Mooney, president of
City Council Member J. Kenneth
the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers,
Blackwell and directed by a 30-member
the dropout problem is directly related to
steering committee of business and
student motivation, which is undermined
community leaders, the Collaborative
by many factors in Cincinnati's inner-city
links hundreds of business volunteers
schools, especially the lack of
with scores of public and private sector
opportunity. "As a teacher, you can stand
organizations concerned with youth.
on your head and talk about the
importance of getting an education. But
Shifting Economy
the reality for these kids is that the odds
are against them." Cincinnati's strong
Cincinnati's economy, while healthy, is
community partnership is beginning to
shifting from an industrial focus to high
change those odds.
tech services. Employment is
concentrated in wholesale and retail
A Strong, Well-Planned
trade (25.1 percent), and the service
Collaborative Effort
sector (24.9 percent), while
manufacturing now accounts for only
The Collaborative has developed a
21.5 percent. In 1987, the Cincinnati
area gained 15,000 new jobs, with a
detailed plan for achieving its targeted
objectives -- reducing the numbers of
similar gain projected for 1988. Young
dropouts, increasing the number of youth
people, however, are realizing only
entering the job market, increasing the
limited benefit from this job growth. The
number of students attending college,
15 percent overall youth unemployment
increasing the number of children
rate and the 50 percent minority youth
involved in early childhood education
unemployment rate stand in sharp
programs, and improving the overall
contrast to the 5.5 percent unemployment
effectiveness of the instructional
rate for the city as a whole. Opening job
program. The Collaborative's
opportunities to youth is a high priority.
comprehensive plan is significant
50
because it operates on several levels:
positions have been created: a resource
1) business helping graduates find jobs or
coordinator to serve as the central point
go on to higher education; 2) business
of contact between the principal, teacher,
providing resources for the schools, both
student, and all outside agencies involved
financial and volunteer, and, most
in the project; and a counselor at Taft who
importantly; 3) business helping achieve
is responsible solely for college-related
institutional improvements. The
issues. An enrichment program called
Collaborative's agenda is a complex one,
Club Ed-Venture rewards students for
beginning with a series of three-year pilot
good attendance and performance.
projects that include:
Summers will bring in-service training
for teachers and a summer
Taft High School District Project --
school/summer jobs program for at-risk
provides counseling, mentoring,
students.
tutoring, staff development,
instructional changes, and community
The Taft project coordinator will monitor
resource coordination;
progress quarterly. "Our goal over the
next two years is to reduce the yearly
A pre-school demonstration project in
dropout rate at Taft from 17 percent to
two elementary schools;
ten percent. At the two middle schools,
we want to reduce the rate from the
Leadership Training -- aimed at in-
current level of ten percent to two
service training of educational leaders
percent. And on the California
from administrative and teacher
Achievement Test, we want to raise the
ranks;
number of Taft kids who score at or above
national norms from 15 percent to 30
Instructional Improvement -- aimed
percent," according to the project
at improving the academic
coordinator.
performance of students;
Pre-School Program. One of the
Bridges to Jobs -- provides jobs and a
Collaborative's most ambitious and long
job network; and
range strategies is the establishment of a
public school/private sector pilot pre-
Bridges to College -- an information
school program for three-year-olds at two
clearance center for higher education
elementary schools. Supervised by the
and a system of financial incentives
University of Cincinnati and financed by
for college education.
business, the program will prepare inner-
city children for kindergarten by
The Taft Project. The Cincinnati Youth
developing appropriate basic skills, and
Collaborative is providing intensive
will nurture the children's academic and
assistance for Taft High School -- the
social skills throughout their elementary
Cincinnati high school with the highest
and secondary school careers. Sister Jean
percentage of dropouts -- and at Taft's
Patrice Harrington, the Collaborative's
lower and middle feeder schools, with
Executive Director, looks to the year
improved counseling, mentoring,
2002 -- when the three-year-olds are
tutoring, smaller classes, and jobs
scheduled to complete high school -- as
programs. Volunteers have helped
the real measure of success for the pre-
reorganize the schools SO that teams of
school program. "Our goal is to see 100
teachers work with the same group of
percent of these children graduate from
students throughout the day. Two new
high school," she said.
51
Leadership Training. Cincinnati plans
review of existing data, indicators, school
to provide leadership development
policies and procedures, existing
training for teachers and administrators
resources, intervention strategies and
in selected junior and senior high schools
approaches, and the potential role of the
with high dropout rates. The training
Collaborative.
will be designed to strengthen their skills
in working with "high-risk" students.
Bridges to Jobs. Under the direction of
the Collaborative, the Private Industry
Instructional Improvement. The
Council (PIC) of Cincinnati and Hamilton
Collaborative will seek to improve the
County organized a Jobs Network, which
instructional delivery system, increase
coordinates the work of job-providing
guidance services, increase instructional
organizations to offer better access to
support, improve staff development
employment to the growing pool of
activities, and increase parent and
graduates. Bridges To Jobs links the
community involvement. The
youth employment services of the school
Collaborative's plans include the use of
system, Cincinnati's Citizens Committee
computer assisted instruction,
on Youth, Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates,
interdisciplinary teaming, related
and the YES program sponsored by the
instructional strategies, a reduced
Chamber of Commerce. It uses the
counselor-student ratio, and increased
"Boston Compact" approach of seeking
support services. Their goal is to more
priority hiring from local firms for high
effectively address teen pregnancy, low
school graduates if the schools succeed in
achievement, low self-esteem, lack of
increasing achievement and job readiness
success, lack of learning skills, and lack
levels.
of parental encouragement.
Higher Education Aid. To help
A subcommittee of the Cincinnati Youth
interested high school graduates go on to
Collaborative, chaired by Superintendent
post-secondary education, the
Powell, is also reviewing and modifying
Collaborative is creating an endowment
the public school curriculum by
that will provide "last resort" financing
developing a sequential K-12 reading
for college to qualified needy students.
program, a sequential K-12 mathematics
Higher Education Information Centers
program, and a revised English
which will serve as clearinghouses on
Composition program. It is reviewing
financial aid programs and post-
and redesigning the vocational education
secondary institutions are being
program, and establishing a competency-
developed.
based educational program to address
acquisition of basic skills.
Coordinating Community
Resources
The Collaborative has developed a
detailed 63-page plan for dropout
prevention, based upon findings from an
"An important goal of all our programs is
extensive investigation which included
to make better employees of our youth,"
analysis of existing statistics of the
according to Sister Jean. "We will draw
Cincinnati Public Schools, an interview
up a list of the basic requirements
study of 420 dropouts, a comparison of the
employers seek. We know they are not as
characteristics of dropouts and students
interested in technical skills as they are
who remain in school, and informal
in one's command of the basics and the
investigations. Their plan includes a
ability to relate with other people. When
the list is compiled, it will be incorporated
52
into the curriculum, K-12." The pilot
in achieving its vision. The mobilization
projects will yield other valuable data as
of parents, church groups, and all
well, which the Cincinnati Collaborative
interested Cincinnatians is part of the
will use to refine the approach and to
Collaborative's goals, all united to serve
develop a permanent funding strategy,
Cincinnati's youth. "Looking at the
prior to establishing the projects
primary resources in our community --
throughout the school system.
the schools, business, and the community
at large, it is clear that the schools are not
The cost of the pilot projects will be
the only ones responsible, nor should the
covered in part by reallocating existing
finger be pointed at them," said Sister
community resources and in part by
Jean.
funds raised by the Collaborative. The
pilot phase will need an additional $2
million per year, which the Collaborative
Community-Wide Support
will provide through a fundraising
campaign.
Cincinnati is in the midst of
implementing many of these new
One of Cincinnati's priorities for 1988-89
initiatives. Their strength is their
is to implement fully their networking of
overwhelming community support among
community agencies and organizations
existing youth serving organizations and
that serve youth, as well as activating
citizens concerned about their youth. The
hundreds of volunteers in the community
Collaborative seeks to improve
who wish to serve as mentors, tutors, role
coordination, eliminate duplication and
models, work with parents, or support
encourage cooperation. In the words of
divisions of the Collaborative in a
Superintendent Powell, "Cincinnati will
number of ways.
meet this challenge through the
commitment and cooperation of all
For example, the President of the
segments of the community. The
Community Chest, the City Manager,
Cincinnati Youth Collaborative will lead
and the Director of Hamilton County
the way with creative new ideas and
Welfare Services have been added to the
ambitious goals, but it is up to each of us
Steering Committee in order to focus the
to get involved, to be 'United For Youth,'
work of all organizations in the
to help prepare our youngsters for
community in assisting the Collaborative
tomorrow."
53
Cincinnati Vital Statistics
Total Population:
370,000 (1986 city population)
Principal Industries/Businesses: Wholesale and retail trade (25.2 percent),
service sector (24.9 percent), manufacturing (21.5 percent). Shifting from
industrial center to high tech.
Employment Trends: Community gained 15,000.new jobs.in 1987, with similar
gains expected in 1988.
Unemployment Rates:
Total:
5.5%
Youth:
15.0%
Minority Youth:
50.0%
School Population:
52,000 (city public school district only)
White:
38.0%
Black:
60.0%
Other:
2.0%
Total Number of Schools:
82
Dropout Rate:
40.0%
School Budget:
$210 million
Per Pupil Expenditure:
Approx. $4,038
Teacher/Pupil Ratio:
1:18
Enrollment Trends: Alternative school enrollment at 15,000 and growing.
For further information, contact:
Sister Jean Patrice Harrington
Executive Director
Cincinnati Youth Collaborative
1700 Chiquita Center
250 E. Fifth Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
(513) 621-0033
54
Portland, Oregon
"When we talk of business being involved with youth unemployment, we aren 't just
after dollars of business support. We aren 't just after people who will act as mentors
or as speakers or as trainers We also are after business providing job opportunities
for the youth. It's one thing to keep them in school and provide them with a more
work-oriented curriculum, but we also have to give them on-the-job experience."
Roger Breezley
Chairman, Business/Youth Exchange
Chairman and CEO, U.S. Bancorp
A High Yield Investment
education cooperation and extensive
youth programs that already existed in
The Portland Investment is a unique
Portland.
strategy designed to reduce youth
unemployment and improve the quality
The Business/Youth Exchange of
of young labor force entrants in Portland
the Portland Chamber of Commerce
and surrounding Multnomah County
grew out of the economic downturn in
through a comprehensive continuum of
1983 that made employers reluctant
services based on early identification of
to accept summer youth as employees.
risk and early preventative intervention.
Faced with business difficulties,
It involves an extraordinary degree of
employers were no longer willing to
commitment on the part of the business
participate in youth programs simply
community, the local governments,
as a public service. In response to this
public and higher education, organized
dissatisfaction, the business leaders
labor, and community organizations all
developed the Exchange to help the
of which are represented as signatories to
Private Industry Council and the
the Leaders Roundtable Master
school system operate a summer youth
Agreement to implement the Portland
program that would be more
Investment plan. Through that
responsive to business needs. The
agreement, each participating entity
Exchange is funded by 75 companies
commits to ensure the successful
and brokers services of over 600
implementation of the ten-year plan
business people from nearly 300
through joint advocacy and through
companies. Its chair, Roger Breezley,
contributions of staff and other resources.
Chairman and CEO, U.S. Bancorp,
The Portland Investment is the
was a key individual in founding the
culmination of a tradition of business-
Leaders Roundtable. The Exchange
education partnerships, and incorporates
has also played a role in obtaining the
some of the products of those earlier
initial funding for most of the
partnerships into its unified strategy.
Portland Investment programs listed
below.
The Leaders Roundtable could not have
developed the Portland Investment as a
The Portland Private Industry
coordinative strategy without being able
Council, serving Portland,
to build on the history of business-
Multnomah County, and Washington
55
County, is the single largest source of
Although Portland's economy is
funding for programs serving at-risk
recovering from the depressed state
youth in the Portland area, and is a
brought on by layoffs and shutdowns in
committed partner of the Leaders
the lumber and forest products industries
Roundtable. A new initiative that
in the early 1980s, poor people and
exemplifies the PIC's close
minorities still find it difficult to enter
involvement with youth and
the primary labor market. The April
education is a program aimed at
1988 raw unemployment rate for the
curbing the development of juvenile
Portland metropolitan area was 4.8
gangs. The PIC developed these
percent -- the lowest rate since 1961 and
programs at the request of the Mayor's
down from a high of 11.5 percent in 1983.
Office. Base funding is from city
Future employment opportunities will be
resources. The Portland School
concentrated in the service sector, with
District provides additional funding
an emphasis on retail sales, health care,
and the PIC administers the program
and janitorial services.
in the community.
Private sector recruiters report difficulty
The Portland Urban Network
in hiring entry level staff with adequate
Project was initiated in 1983 as a
skills. At Pacific Northwest Bell, for
joint effort among the Business/Youth
example, the manager of employment
Exchange, the PIC, the school system,
programs finds that "of the people who
and other business and community
come in and apply for the entry level
organizations to generate increased
operator position, about 25 percent are
school/business/government
failing the test, unable even to get to the
collaboration in the design and
second step of an interview." One key
delivery of dropout prevention and
issue is the higher skill levels required
youth employment preparation
for even entry level jobs. According to a
programs. The Portland Urban
First Interstate Bank employment
Network Project phased into the
officer, "Generally, people expect banks
Leaders Roundtable in 1984.
to have many positions that require
numeric and alpha filing. The truth is
Higher Skill Levels Required
that few positions require that anymore,
because these tasks are automated."
Portland is the third largest port on the
west coast for waterborne commerce, and
Business Responds to Improve
has close ties with Asia's Pacific Rim
Skills
Nations. Electronics is a major industry
in Portland and is experiencing rapid job
In 1986 and 1987, the Portland public
growth. Heavy manufacturing
school system saw its first significant rise
companies are also important, including
in enrollment since the 1969-70 school
Boeing Aircraft, Freightliner (diesel
year. For the 1987-88 school year, 52,996
trucks), Intel, James River Corporation,
students enrolled -- up 2.2 percent from
Tektronix, Precision Castparts and
the year before. Over one-quarter of the
Northwest Marine Iron Works (ship
students are minorities, primarily blacks
works). Other major industries are
(15.4 percent) and Asians (7.4 percent).
financial services, transportation, health
care, education, electric power,
Education issues which spurred the
telecommunications, and retail trade.
business community to action in 1983
were the unacceptably high dropout rate
56
(over 25 percent, with a higher rate
"The Portland Investment is a plan for
among minority students), and the youth
intervention," explained Vern Ryles,
unemployment rate (22 percent for the
former Chair of the Portland Private
total youth population, 40 percent for
Industry Council (PIC), "a plan that
minority youth, and over 50 percent for
brings the community resources together
black youth).
and focuses on the youth's problem at the
earliest possible age. The Portland
The business response is based in large
Investment is a combination of education,
part on the perceived need for higher skill
the private sector, social services, the
level and work readiness among entry
juvenile justice system, and most of the
level applicants. An Omark Industries
institutions that provide services for
employment coordinator, who had little
youth in our community."
trouble hiring qualified manufacturing
workers as recently as 1987, remarked on
This comprehensive effort grew from the
a pronounced change by the spring of
conviction of several community leaders,
1988: "We want to see people who can
including the Business/Youth Exchange
think and work well in a team
Chairman Roger Breezley, Chairman,
atmosphere, and really get in there and
U.S. Bancorp, the Mayor, and Portland's
go, and we're not seeing that. We really
School Superintendent, that a broad
want to be seeing much stronger
effort was necessary to improve long-term
educational skills and mechanical
job opportunities for disadvantaged
aptitude, or at least the math skills, and
youth, to improve employment
they're just not there."
preparation, and to improve coordination
and accountability among programs.
Partnership Approach -- The
That conviction led to the founding of the
Leaders Roundtable in 1984. The
Portland Investment
Roundtable's initial membership
included political, business and
The Portland Investment is the
educational leaders, and was joined by
centerpiece of the strategy developed by
organized labor, the Portland School
Portland and surrounding Multnomah
Board, Portland Community College, and
County to address the needs of at-risk
others with major policy making and
youth. It is a master plan to consolidate
funding influence over youth
the fragmented youth employment
employment programs. The goal of the
programs, stimulate private sector
Portland Investment is to effect long-
involvement in schools in order to reduce
term structural change that will:
school dropouts, provide increased
employability skills and provide
Reduce the number of school dropouts;
increased access to jobs, especially for
Enhance basic skills;
low-income and minority youth. Initiated
Provide increased access to jobs
in 1986, it includes a continuum of
especially for low income and minority
assistance that can help at-risk youth,
youths.
prenatal to age 21, to overcome the
barriers to school completion and
The Portland Investment represents the
employment. The continuum links
Leaders Roundtable's ten-year strategy
education, personal support services, and
to accomplish those objectives. It calls for
training to the needs of the individual
modifying the many existing Portland
child, young person, and family.
youth programs as necessary and
integrating them into a comprehensive
57
continuum of programs to bring at-risk
those jobs will be available. The
youth into the city's economic and social
progression through middle school work
mainstream. Where gaps exist, new
experience to full-time employment after
programs will be developed. This unified
graduation is used as a way to show at-
approach emphasizes prevention of youth
risk youth that "playing by the rules"
problems based on early intervention.
leads to more than just a minimum wage
job. Graduates carry both a high school
The Roundtable developed its preventive
diploma or GED and an additional
approach through four task forces
diploma that certifies workplace
concerned with the needs of children and
readiness.
youth: 1) prenatal through grade five, 2)
middle school, 3) high school, and 4) out of
The programs described below are among
school, ages 14-21. The Roundtable
those the Portland Investment includes
identified many of the barriers to
in its "ladder" of programs to introduce
eventual employment that a young
in-school, at-risk students to the world of
person may face -- from the prenatal
work and help them to set life goals,
stage through age 21. These included
beginning in eighth grade and continuing
substandard basic skills, low self esteem,
through high school.
vocational skill deficits, young
parenthood, and employer bias, among
Financial Services Academy. The
others. The Portland Investment's
Urban Network Project joined with the
programs are intended to intervene at
Portland Urban League to establish the
each age -- with preventive strategies for
Financial Services Academy, a three-year
the younger children and remedial
program preparing students for entry
approaches for the older ones -- and to
level positions in the financial field.
address each barrier as needed. All
Operating at a local high school, the
programs combine academic preparation
Financial Services Academy provides a
or remediation, employability skills
specialized curriculum, intensive basic
training and support services. Most
skills development, job sampling
students receive these services within the
opportunities, paid work experience,
context of multi-year programs that
business community mentors, and pre-
operate year-round.
employment skills training. Results to
date are significantly decreased dropout
As eligible youth progress through
rates for students in the program,
Portland Investment programs, many
substantial increases in grades, and a
obtain increasingly responsible work
steady rise in attendance and test scores.
experience positions. Career preparation
begins in middle school with subsidized
Summer Training and Education
public sector employment for 14- and 15-
Program (STEP). Since 1985, Portland
year-olds and progresses to paid
has been a site for this demonstration
unsubsidized private sector work
program which draws its primary
experience prior to high school
funding from the PIC and Portland Public
graduation.
Schools. The program works to reduce
summer learning losses among at-risk
By the time the youth in Portland
youth through a combination of
Investment programs graduate from high
education, work experience, and personal
school, they are expected to be ready for
counseling with an emphasis on life
primary labor market jobs, and the
skills. The personal counseling is
Leaders Roundtable guarantees that
designed in part to prevent teen
58
pregnancies. STEP also offers year-round
or academic success. Most participants
support services to interested
are minorities. BRIDGE assesses eighth
participants.
graders to determine who needs its
services, and then runs special classes for
STEP serves 14- and 15-year-olds from
ninth and tenth graders that stress the
low-income families. Eligible youth are
connections between school and work,
those who have tested from one to four
provide basic skills enrichment, motivate
years below grade level in reading and
them to stay in school, and help them set
mathematics. Participants receive 90
personal and academic goals. BRIDGE
hours of group and individual instruction
students participate in STEP during
in basic reading and math skills, and 110
summers. First semester results show
hours of work experience through the
that 45 percent of students were able to
city's summer youth employment
improve their GPAs.
program.
Comprehensive Summer Youth
When the STEP demonstration concludes
Employment Program (CSYEP). This
in 1988, the PIC and the Portland school
cooperative summer youth program
system will continue the basic program in
involves the Private Industry Council,
the city's schools. Results have been
the school system, and the local
positive; participants out-performed a
government, as well as the STEP
control group of nonparticipants, testing
program. Portland Mayor Bud Clark, a
over half a year higher in reading and
founder and strong supporter of the
over three-fourths of a year higher in
Portland Investment, consolidated
math. They were also less likely to fail in
funding from a variety of city agencies to
school, and, if sexually active, were more
supplement the PIC's Job Training
likely to use contraception. In the 1986-
Partnership Act (JTPA) resources,
87 school year, over 80 percent of
resulting in a combination work
participants maintained 2.0 GPAs or
experience/remedial education program
better.
serving over 2,000 young people
annually. CSYEP is specially designed to
work well with STEP and other local
BRIDGE. This pilot program is
education and employment programs.
supported by the Oregon State Youth
For example, the program schedules work
Coordinating Council, and provides
assignments in coordination with the
services year-round to students too young
school district's summer school classes so
for the STEP program. Its goal is to help
that youth who need to improve basic
disadvantaged youth establish the
skills can attend classes. For its part, the
patterns of personal and academic success
School Board expanded the number of
that lead to graduation and
basic skills classes offered in the summer
employability.
and waived summer school tuition for
low-income youth.
BRIDGE operates at Grant High School
(Portland's model school of effective
CSYEP results to date can be measured
teaching strategies that decrease the
in part by employers' reactions to youth
dropout rate) as well as at two middle
employees. In Summer 1987, 251 youths
schools that feed into Grant. It targets
were placed in unsubsidized employment
young people who are between one and
in the private sector. Employers
four grades behind in reading or math or
participating for the first time expressed
who face other barriers to employability
a high degree of satisfaction with youth
59
placed at their businesses. Three fourths
and the State Youth Coordinating
of employers would hire again through
Council, serves dropouts and other
the program; over two thirds rated youth
unemployed youth, and is a resource for
as "good" or "excellent" on preparation
many of the in-school education and
for job responsibilities and quality of
employment programs. Results to date,
work.
from July through December 1987, show
that of the youths who were enrolled in
Partnership Project. This school-to-
year-round programs, roughly half were
work transition program is aimed at 11th
placed in jobs, and one fifth earned GEDs.
and 12th grade students who have a
grade point average at or near 2.0, are
Outside-In Pre-Employment
economically disadvantaged, and have
Program. This program provides career
demonstrated some ability to attend
exploration, work experience and
school. The program focuses on
training to homeless youth between the
upgrading basic skills, providing work
ages of 16 and 21 -- a particularly difficult
experience before graduation, and
group. Youth participate in formal Pre-
increasing self-esteem. It includes
Employment Training as well as
competency-based pre-employment
practical work experience. All work
training, life skills, classes in applied
experience includes staff supervision.
math and English, part-time paid work
Complementary services include case
experience in the private sector during
management, housing, mental health,
the school year, summer work experience,
medical, and various other support
and job opportunities after graduation.
services.
The program also maintains contact with
students for one year after graduation.
Portland Investment Marketing Plan.
At Grant High School, the June 1987
In May 1988, Leaders Roundtable
Partnership seniors had a 100 percent
members approved a written
graduation rate compared to a 93 percent
commitment to insure job opportunities
graduation rate for all Grant seniors.
in the primary labor market for all
Out of 150 participants, to date, the
graduates of Investment programs.
overwhelming majority are working,
working and attending school, or
A marketing plan was developed and
attending school only.
includes:
Youth Employment Institute.
A work readiness diploma;
Portland also has an extensive system of
An organized publicity plan;
education and training programs for out-
Staged media events; and
of-school youth, operated through the
Special recognition to employers who
Portland PIC. The Youth Employment
hire a diploma-bearing graduate of a
Institute, established in 1985 by the PIC
Portland Investment program.
60
Portland Vital Statistics
Total Population:
419,810
(1987)
Principal Industries/Businesses: Manufacturing holding steady; growth
expected in non-manufacturing sector (services, trade, finance,
insurance, real estate).
Employment Trends: Non-manufacturing employment in the Portland
Metropolitan Statistical Area is expected to account for most of the
growth (+9,200 in 1989); manufacturing employment is expected to rise
slightly (+700 in 1989).
Unemployment Rates:
Total:
5.6%
(Feb.
1988)
Youth:
22.0%
Minority Youth:
40.0%
School Population:
52,996
(1987)
White:
73.0%
Black:
15.4%
Hispanic:
2.2%
Asian:
7.4%
American Indian:
2.0%
Total Number of Schools:
89
Dropout Rate:
25%
School Budget:
$285.8 million
Per Pupil Expenditure:
Approx. $4,400
Teacher/Pupil Ratio:
Elementary:
1:25
Middle and high school:
1:18.5
Enrollment Trends: Declined every year since 1969-70; began to increase
slightly in 1984-85; rose 2.2% between 1986-87 and 1987-88 school
years.
For further information, contact:
Thomas Nelson
Executive Director
Business/Youth Exchange
Portland Chamber of Commerce
221 Northwest Second Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
(503) 228-8617
61
Appendix
Contents
Appendix A
Community Forum Participants
A-1
Appendix B
Business Representatives Consulted
B-1
Appendix C
Education Representatives Consulted
C-1
Appendix D
Selected Bibliography
D-1
Appendix A
Community Forum Participants
Baltimore Forum
Robert Keller
Jack Miller
Greater Baltimore Committee
Dean
Samuel R. Billups, Jr.
2 Hopkins Plaza
Community and Vocational
Principal
Suite 900
Development
Walbrook Senior High School
Baltimore, MD 21202
Mt. Hood Community College
2000 Edgewood Street
26000 SE Stark Street
Baltimore, MD 21216
Michael C. Middleton
Gresham, OR 97030
Executive Vice President
Alice D. Murray Cole
Maryland National Corporation
Tom Owens
Program Coordinator
10 Light Street
Education and Work Program
VIP Program
Baltimore, MD 21202
NW Regional Educational Lab
Suite 400 A
101 SW Maine, Suite 500
101 W. 24th Street
Patricia Waddell
Portland, OR 97204
Baltimore, MD 21218
Assistant Manager
Office of Employment
Teresa Russo
Anton S. Endler
Development
Open Meadow Learning Center
Baltimore Gas & Electric
Youth Employment Services
7602 N. Emerald Avenue
P.O. Box 1475
101 W. 24th Street
Portland, OR 97217
Baltimore, MD 21203
Baltimore, MD 21218
Carlos Taylor
James Ethridge
Judy Wereley
Director of Curriculum
Assistant Director, Operations
Partnership Coordinator
Portland Public Schools
Office of Employment
Office of the Superintendent
P.O. Box 3107
Development
Baltimore City Public Schools
Portland, OR 97208-3107
701 St. Paul Street
200 E. North Avenue #201
Baltimore, MD 21202
Baltimore, MD 21202
Art Terry
Assistant Professor of
Linda A. Harris
Education
Director
Portland Educators'
Department of Counselor
Office of Employment
Forum
Education
Development
Portland State University
701 St. Paul Street
P.O. Box 751
Tanya Colie
Baltimore, MD 21202
Portland, OR 97207
Summer Training and
Employment (STEP) Advocate
Anthony T. Hawkins
The Private Industry Council
Kit Youngren
Vice President
Assistant Dean of Instruction
1704 NE 26th Avenue
The Rouse Company
Portland, OR 97212
for Industrial Programs
200 E. Pratt Street
Clackamas Community College
Baltimore, MD 21202
Al Miller
Oregon City, OR 97045
Director of Career/Community
Earl R. Jones
Education
Executive Director
Hillsboro Union School District
Portland Employers'
Vocational/Alternative Schools
645 NE Lincoln Street
Forum
Baltimore City Public Schools
Hillsboro, OR 97124-3236
200 E. North Avenue
Doreen Barth
Baltimore, MD 21202
Employment Coordinator
Omark Industries
P.O. Box 883
Portland, OR 97204
A-1
Angela Burns
Cincinnati Forum
Sally Weinkam
Employment Officer
Employee Relations Manager
U.S. Bancorp
Thomas L. Adkins
Central Trust Company
Portland, OR 97204
201 East 5th Street
Director, Employment Services
University Personnel
Cincinnati, OH 45202-4117
Karen Dion
University of Cincinnati
Employment Specialist
Shirlee Williams
3333 Vine Street (ML 117)
Port of Portland
P.O. Box 3529
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0117
Assistant Superintendent
Curriculum Development
Portland, OR 97208
Alex Brown
and Support Services
Cincinnati Public Schools
W.A.T.C.H. Program
Kathy Edwards
Education Center
Highland School
Employment Officer
230 E. Ninth Street
2423 Eastern Avenue
First Interstate Bank
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Cincinnati, OH 45202
P.O. Box 3131
Portland, OR 97208
Sheila Wilson
Herb Brown
President
Second Vice President
Jacki Lindquist
Western Southern Life
Private Industry Council
Employment Supervisor
Northwest Natural Gas
Insurance Company
of the City of Cincinnati
220 Second Avenue
400 Broadway Street
and Hamilton County
Cincinnati, OH 45202
30 E. Central Parkway
Portland, OR 97223
Suite 1009
Michael E. Discepoli
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tom Owens
Education and Work Program
Manager of Employment and
Personnel Development
NW Regional Educational Lab
The Procter & Gamble Company
101 SW Maine, Suite 500
Pittsburgh Forum
One Procter & Gamble Plaza
Portland, OR 97204
Cincinnati, OH 45202
David Bergholz
Chairman, Advisory Council
Bill Prows
Jean Patrice Harrington, S.C.
Public Education Fund Network
Manager, Educational Programs
Executive Director
600 Grant Street
Pacific NW Bell
Cincinnati Youth Collaborative
Suite 444
421 SW Oak
1700 Chiquita Center
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Portland, OR 97204
250 E. Fifth Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Stephen L. Cohen
Pearl Schmitz
President
Personnel Manager
Jerry Lawson
Pittsburgh Plating Company
Montgomery Ward
Board Member
5817 Forward Avenue
1400 Jantzen Beach Center
Cincinnati Public Schools
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Portland, OR 97217
Education Center
230 E. Ninth Street
Linda Croushore
Susan J. Stanley
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Executive Director
Employee Relations Manager
Mon Valley Education
CD Medical, Inc.
13520 SE Pheasant Court
Ed J. Riguad
Consortium
Manager
University Drive
Portland, OR 97222
Shortening and Oil
McKeesport, PA 15312
Business Unit
Tim Stickney
Foodservice and Lodging
Al Fondy
Employment and College
Products
President
Relations Coordinator
The Procter & Gamble Company
Pittsburgh Federation
Pacific Power
One Procter & Gamble Plaza
of Teachers
920 SW 6th Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45202
53 South 10th Street
Portland, OR 97204
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
A-2
Arthur Gray
St. Louis Forum
Prince George's County
Area Personnel Manager
Forum
IBM
Theodore H. Allison
2005 Market Street
Director
Gretchen Clausell Huntley
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Human Resource Support
Employment Manager
Services
Hechinger Company
Bill McKelvey
McDonnell Douglas
3500 Pennsy Drive
Vice President
Manufacturing Sandon, Inc.
Astronautics Company
Landover, MD 20785
St. Louis Division
171 Industry Drive
P.O. Box 516
Gary Lachman
Pittsburgh, PA 15275
St. Louis, MO 63166-0516
Community Holdings
Corporation
Timothy J. McMahon
Mitchel W. Henson
Vice President
11404 Lake Arbor Way
School/Business Partnerships
Bowie, MD 20716
Triangle Tech
Ferguson-Florissant School
1940 Perrysville Avenue
District
Raymond G. LaPlaca
Pittsburgh, PA 15214
Administration Center
General Partner
1005 Waterford Drive
Fred A. Monaco
Carrollton Enterprises
Florissant, MO 63033
P.O. Box 400
Director
Career and Vocational
Beltsville, MD 20705
Education
Michael B. Higgins
Director
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Jacquelyn L. Lendsey
Human Resources Plans and
Prince George's Public Schools
35 Ridge Avenue
Development
14201 School Lane
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
McDonnell Douglas
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Marjorie J. Moreland
Astronautics Company
St. Louis Division
James Mazzullo
Assistant for Community Affairs
P.O. Box 516
Westinghouse Electric
Washington Suburban Master
St. Louis, MO 63166-0516
Plumbers Association
Corporation
12204 Distribution Place
6 Gateway Center
Room 1041
Phillip S. Paul
Beltsville, MD 20705
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Professional Development
Administrator
Brian McCall
General Dynamics
Master Plumber/Owner
Mary Lou Nakles
President
Data Systems Division
B. McCall Plumbing & Heating
12101 Woodcrest
The Office Annex
8918 Simpson Lane
Executive Drive
2 Gateway Center
Clinton, MD 20735
Suite 720
St. Louis, MO 63141
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
John A. Murphy
Vince Vento
Superintendent of Schools
Roland Rogers
Director, Athletics and
Prince George's County Schools
Director
Community Education
Sasscer Administration
Rockwood School District
Division of Human Resources
Building
111 East North Street
14201 School Lane
Presbyterian University
Hospital
Eureka, MO 63025
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
DeSoto at O'Hara Streets
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
J. Wayne Walker
Veronica S. Norwood
Director
Associate Dean
Diana L. Smyrl
School Partnership Program
Community Services
St. Louis Public Schools
Vice President
Prince George's Community
5031 Potomac
Community College
College
of Allegheny County
St. Louis, MO 63139
301 Largo Road
600 Allegheny Avenue
Largo, MD 20772-2199
Jane Walters
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
PEN Director
Practical Education Now Office
11055 St. Charles Rock Road
St. Ann, MO 63074
A-3
R. Ray Ogden
Joseph T. Puhalla
Joshua I. Smith
Director
President
Chairman and Chief
Career Education, Practical
Prince George's Private
Executive Officer
and Fine Arts
Industry Council, Inc.
The MAXIMA Corporation
Sasscer Administration
311 68th Place
2101 E. Jefferson Street at
Building
Seat Pleasant, MD 20743
Executive Boulevard
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Rockville, MD 20852-4993
A-4
Appendix B
Business Representatives Consulted
Deidre Abair
Judy C. Beard
Worth R. Christler
Employment Representative
Operations Manager, Personnel
Manager/President
The Atlanta Journal and
Southern Bell
Computerized Office Services
Constitution
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta, GA
J. Veronica Biggins
David W. Clements
Robert L. Abernathy
Executive Vice President and
Operations Support Coordinator
Corporate Director
Director of Human Resources
Exxon, Inc.
General Dynamics Corporation
Citizens and Southern
Houston, TX
St. Louis, MO
Georgia Corporation
Atlanta, GA
Lisa Cohen
Stephanie Acerrio
Human Resource Officer
Assistant Secretary
Bobbie S. Boatwright
First National Bank of Chicago
Morgan Guaranty Trust
Personnel Director
Chicago, IL
Company
Cooperative Enterprises, Inc.
New York, NY
Dundee, FL
Margaret Crawford
Manager of Staffing
Darlene M. Acosta
Gordon Bonfield
Harley Davidson
Personnel Manager
Senior Vice President
Milwaukee, WI
Jordan Marsh
Tenneco, Inc.
Miami, FL
Houston, TX
Pete Crystal
Employment Manager
Frank Adams
David Boyd
McKesson Corporation
Director of Personnel
Director of Government
San Francisco, CA
Motorola, Inc.
Relations
Ft. Worth, TX
ARCO Oil and Gas Company
Joan Davian
Los Angeles, CA
Senior Human Resource
Ronald L. Allen
Administrator
Manager, Human Resources
James A. Brandt
Personal Products
Johnson Products Company, Inc.
Vice President-General
Milltown, NJ
Chicago, IL
Manager
Zurn Industries - Marland
William L. Davis
Clarence Antiquia
Clutch Division
Chairman and Chief Executive
Vice President, Administration
LaGrange, IL
Officer
Ocean Beauty Seafood Division
Eagle Steel Products, Inc.
Sealaska Corporation
Gregory Brewer
Jeffersonville, IN
Seattle, WA
Senior Human Resource
Administrator
Karen M. Dobbins
Michael D. Badka
Personal Products
Human Resource Officer
Director of Personnel
Milltown, NJ
First Bank of Minneapolis
Motorola, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN
Schaumburg, IL
R. A. Brown
Human Resources Department
Gerald Earp
Leo Barlow
Georgia Power Company
President and Owner
Vice President, Administration
Atlanta, GA
Pacific Transformers
Sealaska Corporation
Turkwila, WA
Juneau, AK
Georgia Catchpole
Manager of Personnel
Bill Eglinton
Kathy Barth
Batus, Inc.
Senior Vice President
Employment Services Officer
Louisville, KY
Public Service Company of
Seafirst Bank
New Mexico
Seattle, WA
Albuquerque, NM
B-1
Art Fandell
Lori Goldman
Wilbert T. Holloway
Director, Placement Services
Director of Human Resources
Manager, Public Affairs
Eastman Kodak
Miami Marriott Dadeland
Southern Bell
Rochester, NY
Miami, FL
Miami, FL
Pat Fangio
Richard Greene
J.D. Hufford
Management and Professional
Human Resource Manager
Manager, Employment Policies
Training
Union Carbide
and Administration
Security Pacific Automation
Moses Lake, WA
Chevron Corporation
Company
San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Martha Grey
Personnel Manager
Barbara A. Janousek
Katherine Faulkner
Ethicon
Staff Manager, College
Director of Human Resources
Albuquerque, NM
Employment
Lotus Development Corporation
South Central Bell
Cambridge, MA
Denise Griffith
Louisville, KY
Division Training Manager
Joan M. Fiori
KFC National Management
Betty J. Jeffries
Assistant Manager, Staff
Company
Director, Non-Management
Employment
Irving, TX
Employment
National Bank of Detroit
Michigan Bell
Detroit, MI
Jeanne Hamway
Detroit, MI
Manager of Employment,
Bill Fleet
Employee Relations
Carolyn Johnson
Director of Human Resources
Personal Products
Training Manager
Seattle Marriott
Milltown, NJ
Domino's Pizza, Leary Region
Seattle, WA
Federal Way, WA
Rod Hanks
Dave M. Forsythe
Director, Human Resources
Elma Johnson
Employment Manager
Lockheed Aeronautical
Administrator, Non-Exempt
ARCO Oil and Gas Company
Systems Company
Recruiter
Dallas, TX
Burbank, CA
Campbell-Mithun Advertising
Minneapolis, MN
Luis H. Franco
Howard L. Harmon, Jr.
President
Staff Director
Mary K. Johnson
Tru Sight Opticians
New York Telephone
Employment Manager
Albuquerque, NM
New York, NY
Marriott Marquis Hotel
New York, NY
Donald Fronzaglia
John W. Harris
Director, Personnel
Vice President
Erik P. Kahn
Polaroid Corporation
Cincinnati/Dayton
Assistant Vice President of
Cambridge, MA
Marketing Area
Human Resources
The Kroger Company
Connecticut Mutual
Wendy Garte
Cincinnati, OH
Hartford, CT
Director of Human Resources
Somerset Marriott
Robin J. Harris
John Kennett
Somerset, NJ
Training Manager
Owner and President
Wang Laboratories, Inc.
Independent Publications, Inc.
Fred Gillette
Tewksbury, MA
San Jose, CA
Director of Personnel
John Sexton and Company
Dennis L. Havlin
Diane M. Keyser
Chicago, IL
President
Recruiter
RAMP Manufacturing, Inc.
CenTrust Savings Bank
Rick Going
Haines City, FL
Miami, FL
Store Manager
The Kroger Company
Donald L. Hawk
Beverly King
Cincinnati, OH
Executive Vice President
Director of Human Resources
Texas Commerce
L.A. Department of Water
Bancshares, Inc.
and Power
Houston, TX
Los Angeles, CA
B-2
M.G.C. Lardge
John C. McClintock
Marshall Pepper
Human Resources Manager
Assistant Staffing Specialist
Administrator, Employee
Chevron U.S.A., Inc.
Price Waterhouse
Compensation
San Francisco, CA
Minneapolis, MN
A.O. Smith
Milwaukee, WI
John M. Lyman
Ronald J. McGowan
Manager, Technical Training
Manager of Human
Al Perry
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft
Resources, New York
Director, Human Resources
East Hartford, CT
Leviton Manufacturing
Administration
Company, Inc.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Dena Maloney
Brooklyn, NY
of Kentucky, Inc.
Vice President and Manager
Louisville, KY
Security Pacific Automation
Terrance McSorley
Company
Employment Tax Manager
James Phelps
Los Angeles, CA
Southland Corporation
Personnel Manager
Dallas, TX
Hewlett-Packard
Robert Manna
Andover, MA
Vice President, Manager
Susan Metzger
of Trust Securities
Personnel Director
Laurence H. Polsky
Continental Illinois Bank
Micron Technology
Vice President, Personnel
Chicago, IL
Boise, ID
Cooper Industries
Houston, TX
Ron Marenco
James Mulligan
Human Resources Manager
Vice President, Personnel
C.R. Redus
Intel Corporation
Texas Eastern Transmission
Supervisor, Employment
Folsom, CA
Corporation
and Placement
Houston, TX
Chevron Corporation
Marilyn Marrish
San Francisco, CA
Director of Human Resource
Thomas E. Murphy
Services
Group Vice President, Human
Raymond A. Reed
Kaiser-Permanente Medical
Resources
Director, Community Relations
Program
The Kroger Company
Rockwell International
Oakland, CA
Cincinnati, OH
Corporation
Dallas, TX
William Marshall
Cynthia M. Myers
Employment Manager
Senior Employment Analyst
Karen A. Rhodes
Western Southern Life
Detroit Edison
Manager of Staffing and
Insurance Company
Detroit, MI
Development
Cincinnati, OH
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Clarence Nails
Atlanta, GA
Ray Martinelli
Senior Employment
Director of Human Resources
Representative
Clifford Rhodes
Esprit
Citicorp Savings
Director, Management Programs
Brisbane, CA
Chicago, IL
Honeywell, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN
Martin Martinez
Katherine I. Owens
Associate Director, Corporate
District Manager, Employment
Joe Richey
Personnel Relations
Illinois Bell
Employment and Training
Merck & Company, Inc.
Chicago, IL
Manager
Rahway, NJ
Pacific Bell
Norman S. Parks
Woodland Hills, CA
Corporate Director, Employee
Relations
Brenda Richmond
Sanders Associates, Inc.
Operations Manager
Nashua, NH
Southern Bell Company
Atlanta, GA
B-3
Judy Richter
Mark Schuler
Harris Sussman
President
Owner
Manager, Strategic Information
Capezio Dance Theatre
Schuler's Furniture Service
Management
Shop, Inc.
Jennings, MO
Digital Equipment Corporation
Lawrenceville, NJ
Concord, MA
Tapas K. Sen
Margaret Richter-Sward
Division Manager
Martin Taylor
Associate Staffing
AT & T
District Employment Manager
Representative
Basking Ridge, NJ
United Parcel Service
Northwestern National Life
Doraville, GA
Insurance Company
Linda Short
Minneapolis, MN
Vice President and Director,
Lunitta Thomas
Human Resources
Supervisor
Judy Riggs
Bank of America
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Director of Training,
San Francisco, CA
Lakeland, FL
Distribution Center
Esprit
Joleen Skolte
Fred Threadgill
Brisbane, CA
Staffing Specialist
Manager, Personnel Services
Minnegasco
Walt Disney World Company
Elizabeth R. Rowe
Minneapolis, MN
Orlando, FL
Manager, Compensation
Rich's Department Stores
Jennifer C. Smith
Garig Trsek
Atlanta, GA
Assistant Vice President,
Production Manager
Corporate Human Resources
Lopi Stoves Division
Mary F. Rusch
Aetna Life Insurance Company
Travis Industries
Personnel Specialist
Hartford, CT
Kirkland, WA
Trust Company Bank
Atlanta, GA
Judy Smith
John Vicklund
Credit and Accounting Manager
Vice President, Human
Karen Sabatino
Fairbanks Sand and
Resources
Director, Employee Services
Gravel Division
Eldec Corporation
Wear Guard Corporation
Sealaska Corporation
Lynnwood, WA
Norwell, MA
Fairbanks, AK
Dan Waters
Fran Sacs
Luther D. Snow
Human Resources Manager
Personnel Manager
Vice President, Human
Eastern United States
Alexander's
Resources
DHL Airways, Inc.
Menlo Park, NJ
Entron Corporation
Piscataway, NJ
Houston, TX
Beth Sandell
Diane Watson
Human Resources Specialist
Mary Ann Sorensen
Senior Staffing Specialist
Marriott Marquis Hotel
Director of Nursing Resources
Pillsbury Company
New York, NY
St. Joseph's Hospital
Minneapolis, MN
Atlanta, GA
Ronald H. Schafer
R.D. Wuerfel
Employment and Training
Joe M. Stevens, Jr.
Personnel Manager
Department
Vice President, Employee
The Kroger Company
Peoples Gas Light & Coke
Relations and Corporate
Cincinnati, OH
Company
Affairs
Chicago, IL
Brown & Root, Inc.
John C. Ziegmann
Houston, TX
President
Janet Schroeder
Z Mark, Inc.
Assistant Manager of
Kevin Sullivan
Houston, TX
Recruitment
Vice President, Human
General Mills, Inc.
Resources
Minneapolis, MN
Apple Computer, Inc.
Cupertino, CA
B-4
Appendix C
Education Representatives Consulted
John Bastolich
Donald Howard
Sandra Peterson
Director of Curriculum
District Vocational Coordinator
President
Minneapolis Public Schools
Township High School
Minnesota Federation of
Minneapolis, MN
District 211
Teachers
Palatine, IL
St. Paul, MN
Gerald Butts
Director
Patricia Hunter
William Phillips
Vocational Education and
Director, Career and
Interim Superintendent
Federal Grants
Continuing Education
Minneapolis Public Schools
Anchorage, AK
Curricula
Minneapolis, MN
Polk Community College
Gloria Christler
Winter Haven, FL
Vera Rose Poitier
Chairperson, Business Division
Manager, North Center and
Atlanta Junior College
Jeanne Jehl
Center for Continuing
Atlanta, GA
Administrator
Education for Women
San Diego City Schools
Valencia Community College
Gabe Cortina
San Diego, CA
Orlando, FL
Assistant to the Superintendent
Los Angeles School District
C. Edward Lawrence
Augustin Rivera
Los Angeles, CA
Director of Vocational and
Special Advisor to the Provost
Special Programs
for External Relations
Anthony D'Ovidio
Milwaukee Public Schools
Technical College of City
Superintendent
Milwaukee, WI
University of New York
Somerset County Vocational
New York, NY
and Technical Institute
Bernard Minnis
Bridgewater, NJ
Director of Vocational
William L. Roberts
Programs, Adult
Group Vice President of Job
Bob Elye
Alternative Programs
Corps Operations
Dean of Technical
Jefferson County Public Schools
Management and Training
and Applied Sciences
Louisville, KY
Corporation
Wenatchee Valley College
Ogden, UT
Wenatchee, WA
Edward Nemeth
Dean, Computer
Harvey Rucker
Gayle Fallon
Information Systems
Director, Vocational/Technical
President
DeVry Institute of Technology
Education
Houston Federation of Teachers
Decatur, GA
Minneapolis Public Schools
Houston, TX
Minneapolis, MN
Kenneth Northwick
James Gray
Acting Deputy Superintendent
Fred Schollmeyer
Executive Dean
Minneapolis Public Schools
Executive Director, Division of
De Kalb Technical Institute
Minneapolis, MN
Vocational Education
Clarkston, GA
Dade County Public Schools
Elena Papaliberios
Miami, FL
Margaret Harrigan
Employment Programs
Associate Superintendent-
Specialist
Al Squire
Instruction Services
NYC Dropout Prevention
Field Director
Chicago Public Schools
Program
Atlanta Federation of Teachers
Chicago, IL
New York, NY
Atlanta, GA
C-1
Judith Stein
Joyce Tibbs
Janet Witthuhn
Director, Department of Career
Director, Vocational Education
Acting Director, Planning,
Education
Detroit Public Schools
Evaluating and
Dade County Public Schools
Detroit, MI
Reporting Department
Miami, FL
Minneapolis Public Schools
Barbara Whitaker
Minneapolis, MN
Myrtice M. Taylor
Assistant Superintendent
Assistant Superintendent,
Atlanta Public Schools
Ruth Wollin
Curriculum and Research
Atlanta, GA
Coordinator of Vocational
Services
Education
Atlanta Public Schools
Flint Community Schools
Atlanta, GA
Flint, MI
C-2
Appendix D
Selected Bibliography
The Economy and the Workplace
American Society for Training and Development. Basic Workplace Skills: Enhancing Employer
Competitiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers (forthcoming 1989).
The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) is currently in the second year of a
Department of Labor funded project on "Best Practices: What Works in Training and
Development." Four books and a "how to" manual will be published concerning such issues as the
economic impact of training on productivity and competitiveness, measuring and evaluating
training, and the role of basic workplace skills on the employer's bottom line.
Berlin, G., and Sum, A. Toward A More Perfect Union: Basic Skills, Poor Families, and Our
Economic Future. Occasional Paper No. 3, Ford Foundation Project on Social Welfare and the
American Future, 1988.
Maintains that the basic skills crisis is intertwined with problems of youth employment,
dropouts, teenage pregnancy, welfare dependency, and the decline in workforce productivity
growth. It also presents a conceptual framework for thinking about the problem, describes
effective programs, identifies weaknesses in the nation's educational and training institutions,
and suggests an agenda for future action.
Braden, P.V. "The Impact of Technology on the Work Force," Community, Technical and Junior
College Journal, 24-29, Dec./Jan. 1987-88.
Describes the forces of global change that will continually make products, processes, and skills
obsolete. It argues that to maintain and strengthen industrial competitiveness in an era of rapid
change will require continual reinvestment in advanced technology and lifelong re-skilling of the
workforce.
Butler, O.B. "Why Johnny Can't Get a Job," Fortune, 163, Oct. 28, 1985.
States that important changes are needed in public education including the improvement of basic
skills, greater emphasis on the ability to solve problems, higher standards for graduation, and the
expansion of quality pre-kindergarten programs.
Doyle, D.P. "Business-Led School Reform: The Second Wave," Across the Board, 24-32, Nov. 1987.
Describes the relationship between business and schools from a historical perspective to the
present. It argues that major education reform is needed and challenges business and schools to
begin aggressively designing the school of the 21st century.
Ebersole, P. "Future Employees' Lack of Basic Skills Alarms Companies," Rochester (NY) Democrat
and Chronicle, 1A, May 1, 1988.
The Forgotten Half: Non-College Youth in America. Washington, D.C.: Youth and America's
Future: The William T. Grant Commission on Work, Family and Citizenship, 1988.
Calls attention to the approximately 20 million 16-24 year-olds who are not likely to embark upon
undergraduate education. It argues that the primary problem lies with the economy rather than
with the youths themselves. The report explores ways in which a wide range of community
institutions, acting in concert with schools, can provide these youths with a better chance of adult
self-sufficiency.
D-1
Functional Literacy and the Workplace. Washington, D.C.: Education Services, American Council
of Life Insurance, (Undated).
Presents the proceedings of a National Invitational Conference called to bring leaders from
business, education, labor and government together to discuss the multitude of issues
surrounding the area of literacy and the workplace.
Gaining the Competitive Edge. American Society for Training and Development, 1988.
Discusses the critical importance to employers of developing human capital as a competitive
advantage. Also includes case studies of companies that have successful strategies and
recommendations for a plan for action.
Guthrie-Morse, B. "The New Age," Community, Technical and Junior College Journal, 30-32,
Dec./Jan. 1987-88.
Explores such issues as global competition, declining per capita and family income, the rise in
income inequality, the changing workforce, and the implications for training and education.
Hallett, J. J. Worklife Visions. Alexandria, Virginia: American Society for Personnel
Administration, 1987.
Examines the shift from an industrial to an information economy and the effect on work and
education. The author asserts that the changes in the economy are SO far-reaching that it is
impossible to define future requirements based on current data. Instead, new definitions of work,
careers, employment and education must be adopted.
Harris, L. "The American Work Force: Restoring Its Competitiveness," National Forum, 38-39,
Spring 1988.
Examines the results of a major study for the Carnegie Forum on Employment and Education.
Discovers that educating the workforce, not lowering wages or introducing protectionist
legislation, is what many Americans believe to be the solution to restoring competitiveness.
"Help Wanted: America Faces an Era of Worker Scarcity That May Last to the Year 2000,"
Business Week, 48-53, Aug. 10, 1987.
Discusses how employers are responding to the problems of worker scarcity and the widening
mismatch between the skills workers have and the skills employers need.
"High Schools and the Changing Workplace: The Employers' View," Report of the Panel on Secondary
School Education for the Changing Workplace, Washington D. C.: National Academy Press, 1984.
Examines the needs of high school graduates entering the labor force and employers' views of
what these graduates will need to perform effectively in the workplace. It describes a set core of
competencies that will equip young people for success in the labor market.
Hollenbeck, K. "Employer Recruitment and Selection of Young Workers," Journal of Industrial
Teacher Education, Vol. 23, No. 4, 43-44, 1986.
Illustrates that numerous factors affect the hiring process, of which educational factors are only
one part. However, studies are consistent in emphasizing the importance of employability skills
such as positive attitude, good work habits, interpersonal abilities and neatness.
Junge, D. A., Daniels, M. H., and Karmos, J.S. "Personnel Managers' Perceptions of Requisite Basic
Skills," The Vocational Guidance Quarterly, 139-147, Dec. 1984.
Presents the results of a survey designed to determine the perceptions of business and industry
regarding the important specific skills for successful employment and the actual competence in
the skills of entry level employees with secondary education. It demonstrates a significant
discrepancy between the skills that business and industry need and the level of competence that
secondary school graduates bring to the work place, particularly writing, listening, reasoning,
reading, mathematics, and science.
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Kearns, D.T. "A Business Perspective on American Schooling," Education Week, 32, Apr. 20, 1988.
Explains the interest of business in school reform, and outlines lessons of the marketplace deemed
necessary for education.
Kirsch, I. S., and Jungeblut, A. Literacy: Profiles of America's Young Adults. Princeton, New Jersey:
National Assessment of Educational Progress, Sept. 1986.
Contains the results of a survey of young adults aged 21-25 designed to identify the nature and
extent of the literacy problems facing young adults. The results show that a sizable number
appear unable to do well on complex tasks.
Kolderie, T. "Education That Works: The Right Role for Business," Harvard Business Review, 56-62,
Sept./Oct. 1987.
Argues that business should be helping to see that the schools get opportunities and incentives to
innovate on their own.
Lavender, M. "Illiteracy Costs Company Billions," Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle, 1A,
May 2, 1988.
Making America Work: Productive People, Productive Policies. Washington D.C.: National
Governors' Association, Center for Policy Research, July 1987.
Discusses major issues such as international competitiveness and changes in workforce
productivity, and presents state strategies designed to address these issues.
Making America Work Again. The National Commission on Jobs and Small Business, 1987.
Identifies one of the causes of our national decline in competitiveness as an unwillingness to
invest in education. It points out that there is no sustained, coherent public policy towards
training of the workforce. Lastly, it outlines the elements of such a policy.
Merrifield, D.B. "Forces of Change Affecting High Technology Industries," National Journal,
253-256, Jan. 29, 1983.
Addresses some of the major forces that are restructuring the U.S. and world economy including:
the targeted industrial strategy, the emergence of lesser developed and underdeveloped countries,
and the technology explosion.
A Michigan Employability Profile: Report to the Governor's Commission on Jobs and Economic
Development. Michigan: Employability Skills Task Force, Apr. 22, 1988.
Mikulecky, L. "Literacy in the 'Real World'," Reading Informer, Special Issue, 2-8, Jan. 1984.
Discusses the issue of functional literacy, its impact on the workforce, and the implications for
educators.
Nasar, S. "Jobs Go Begging at the Bottom," Fortune, Vol. 113, No. 6, 33-35, Mar. 17, 1986.
Examines the shrinking supply of entry-level workers and some ways employers are responding.
Packer, A. H. Employment in the Year 2000: A Candid Look at Your Future. Testimony before
the House Subcommittee on Investment, Jobs, and Prices of the Joint Economic Committee,
Apr. 19, 1988.
Power, P.H. "Upgrading the American Workforce," The Entrepreneurial Economy, 14-17,
Dec./Jan. 1988.
Argues for a national policy on worker education and training.
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Reich, R. B. Education and the Next Economy, Washington, D.C.: National Education Association,
Professional and Organizational Development/Research Division, 1988.
Provides a framework to discuss the future needs of the economy, where it should be heading and
what education can and should contribute.
Shank, S. E. "Women and the Labor Market: The Link Grows Stronger," Monthly Labor Review,
Vol. 111, No. 3, 3-8, Mar. 1988.
Examines the historic trends of women in the labor market, the current nature and extent of
women's connection to the labor market, and discusses future trends.
Small Business in the Year 2000. Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration,
Nov. 1987.
Discusses the key demographic, technological, and international trends that will be the catalysts
for major changes in the U.S. economy, and in U.S. small businesses during the remainder of the
20th century.
The State of Small Business: A Report of the President. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government
Printing Office, 1986.
Contains the annual report on small business and competition by the U.S. Small Business
Administration.
Tucker, M. and Mandel, D. R. Competitiveness and the Quality of the American Workforce.
National Governors' Association, Center for Policy Research, 1987.
Contains a critique of state policies aimed at mobilizing the educational establishment on behalf
of improved competitiveness, a policy framework for a high quality workforce, and
recommendations.
Venezky, R. L., Kaestle, C.F., and Sum, A.M. The Subtle Danger: Reflections on the Literacy
Abilities of America's Young Adults. Center for Assessment of Educational Progress, Educational
Testing Service, Jan. 1987.
Focuses on the educational, labor, and citizenship implications of the NAEP Young Adult
Literacy Assessment. Literacy is defined, the historical roots of literacy are discussed, and the
relationship between literacy and respondents' backgrounds is explored. It concludes that
literacy skill levels are not adequate, on average, for maintaining world leadership in a changing,
technological society.
Workforce 2000: Work and Workers for the 21st Century. Indianapolis: Hudson Institute, 1987.
Discusses the major trends shaping the U.S. economy into the year 2000. It presents three
different scenarios for the U.S. economy in order to discuss the range of possible outcomes both in
terms of the workforce and policy options. Lastly, six major issues that require rethinking and
revision between now and the year 2000 are examined.
Education
Bennett, W.J. American Education: Making it Work. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing
Office, Apr. 1988.
This report to the President assesses the state of American educational progress since 1983, and
discusses future needs and strategies for educational reform.
Bennett, W. J. First Lessons: A Report on Elementary Education in America. Washington D.C.:
U.S. Government Printing Office, Sept. 1986.
Secretary of Education Bennett reports on the condition and direction of elementary education in
America.
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Bennett, W. J. "Five Ways Philanthropy Can Support Education," Philanthropy, Vol. 1, No. 1,
Spring 1987.
Secretary of Education Bennett suggests that philanthropists can support education by
remembering elementary and secondary education, recognizing excellence, becoming personally
involved, supporting the basics, and asking for something in return.
Bennett, W. J. James Madison High School. Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, 1987.
Bennett, W. J. What Works: Researching About Teaching and Learning. Washington, D.C.:
U.S. Department of Education, 1986.
Contains the results of research concerned with education issues, particularly issues dealing with
the home, classroom, and school.
Bennett, W. J. Schools That Work: Educating Disadvantaged Children.
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, 1987.
Explains how schools serving children in poverty can be strengthened, and profiles schools that
are providing good examples of education's capabilities.
Berryman, S. E. "Breaking Out of the Circle: Rethinking Our Assumptions About Education and the
Economy," Occasional Paper, No. 2, National Center on Education and Employment, Teachers
College, Columbia University, 1987.
Discusses the research agenda of the National Center on Education and Employment and in
doing SO outlines the way in which the National Center is redefining the research concerning
employment and education issues.
Berryman, S.E. "Education and the Economy: What Should We Teach? When? How? To Whom?,"
Occasional Paper, No. 4, National Center on Education and Employment, Teachers College,
Columbia University, Apr. 1988.
Discusses the changes in the economy that are bringing about fundamental changes in the way
workers do their jobs. Indicates that these changes should have an impact on what, when and
how we teach skills to students.
Berryman, S.E. "Shadows in the Wings: The Next Education Reform," Occasional Paper No. 1,
National Center on Education and Employment, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1987.
Describes changes in skill requirements in the economy, shows the relationship between these
changes and the current wave of educational reforms, and discusses reforms that may arrive in
the future.
Bishop, J.H. "Why High School Students Learn So Little And What Can Be Done About It,"
Working Paper #88-01, Cornell University, Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, 1987.
Contains the testimony to the Subcommittee on Education and Health, U.S. Congress on
October 1, 1987.
Byrd, M., Jr. Reforms for Excellence: A Plan for Educational Reform in Chicago. City of Chicago
Board of Education, Feb. 1988.
Discusses reform efforts in the Chicago public school system including system wide reforms,
models for reform, and funding.
Children in Need: Investment Strategies for the Educationally Disadvantaged. New York:
Committee for Economic Development, Research and Policy Committee, 1987.
Recommends a three-part strategy to improve the prospects for disadvantaged children including
prevention through early intervention, restructuring the foundations of education, and targeted
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retention and reentry programs. These strategies combine comprehensive educational,
employment, health, and social services for both in-school youth and dropouts.
Dealing with Dropouts: The Urban Superintendents' Call to Action. Washington, D.C.:
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Nov. 1987.
Discusses the dropout problem and presents the superintendents' action plan for a joint effort to
keep more youngsters in school until graduation. It also describes six strategies the
superintendents believe hold promise for keeping at-risk students in school.
Education for Democracy: A Statement of Principles. Washington, D.C.: American Federation of
Teachers, The Education for Democracy Project, 1987.
Calls for schools to purposely impart to their students the learning necessary for an informed,
reasoned allegiance to the ideals of a democracy. Includes specific recommendations for changes
in school curriculum.
Finn, Chester E., Jr. "A Fresh Option for the Non-College Bound," Phi Delta Kappan, Nov. 1986.
"An Imperiled Generation: Saving Urban Schools," A Carnegie Foundation Special Report.
Princeton, New Jersey: The Carnegie Foundation, 1988.
Argues that America must confront the crisis in urban schools. It proposes a comprehensive
program developed from the best practices observed.
Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Education. A Report to the President of the United States.
Washington, D. C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, Dec. 1987.
Summarizes the results and recommendations of the Job Training and Retraining National
Networking Conference.
Jones, R. T. "Influence Beyond the College Gates," Community, Technical and Junior College
Journal, 20-23, Dec./Jan. 1987-88.
Proposes that college presidents can influence the shifts that are necessary to prepare the nation
for the future. Suggests that they should take the lead in making workplace literacy a national
objective, encouraging employers to invest in more education and training, and ensuring that the
formerly underutilized of this society (women, minorities, handicapped persons) are integrated
into the workplace.
Kearns, D. T., and Doyle, D.P. Winning the Brain Race: A Bold Plan to Make Our Schools
Competitive. San Francisco: Institute for Contemporary Studies Press, 1988.
Challenges business leaders, policy makers, and citizens to support their reform strategy for
major change in the education system. It argues that business must take the lead in setting the
reform agenda which should draw on the lessons of the marketplace (i.e., competition,
performance, accountability). It also presents a six point program for reform.
Levine, M. Summary of Report: Survey of Employer Needs. Committee for Economic Development,
Sept. 1984.
The results of a survey designed to provide information for schools that would enable them to
evaluate how well they are preparing students for successful work experiences, and to help form a
basis for business/education collaborations at the local level.
The Nation Responds: Recent Efforts to Improve Education. Washington, D. C.: U.S. Department of
Education, May 1984.
Describes the response to recent studies of education, including the report of the National
Commission on Excellence in Education, "A Nation at Risk". It includes state initiatives, and an
informal sampling of significant efforts by local schools, districts, the private sector, and post-
secondary education.
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"A Nation Still at Risk," Newsweek, 54-65, May 2, 1988.
Discusses the results of five years of reform efforts in the education system after the 1983
National Commission on Excellence in Education report, "A Nation at Risk".
One-Third of a Nation. A Report by the Commission on Minority Participation in Education and
American Life, 1988.
Argues that America is moving backward in its efforts to achieve full participation of minority
citizens in the life and prosperity of the nation. Discusses the reasons for this, and strategies for
progress.
Peterson, R. M. Developing Good Workers. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Education,
Dec. 1982.
Argues that developing the productive capacities of students is a valid function of schooling and is
not in conflict or competition with other educational purposes, such as academic excellence.
Ravitch, Diane and Chester E. Finn, Jr., What Do Our 17-Year-Olds Know? New York:
Harper & Row, 1987.
The Revolution That Is Overdue: Looking Toward the Future of Teaching and Learning. A Report of
the American Federation of Teachers' Task Force on the Future of Education, 1986.
Contains recommendations for a second stage of education reform to sustain and extend the more
promising features of the first stage and to correct its oversights and deficiencies.
Business-Education Partnerships
Countdown 2000: Michigan's Action Plan for a Competitive Workforce. Michigan: Adult Literacy
Task Force, Mar. 1988.
Explores the reasons behind the skills gap, examines the extent of the skills challenge, identifies
the participants and some problems in the state adult training and education system, presents a
set of principles to guide improvements to the system and makes specific recommendations for
action by the state.
Farrar, E., and Cipollone, A. The Business Community and School Reform: The Boston Compact at
Five Years. Mar. 1988.
Examines how the Boston Compact's business and public education agreements fared during the
period 1985-1987. It considers the business community's role in the Compact, the school
department's progress toward improving the schools, and the perspective of people who worked in
two of the city's high schools. Lastly, there is an analysis of the Boston Compact's
accomplishments and its prospects for improving Boston's high schools.
The Fourth R: Workforce Readiness. Washington, D.C.: National Alliance of Business, Nov. 1987.
Argues that business and education must collaborate on programs to improve the quality of
education, build civic literacy, and create a workforce that can adapt to work place changes. It
advocates the development of partnerships that aim at the higher levels of involvement, i.e.,
policy and institutional change.
Hollis, D. W. "Through Partnerships, Business Helps Schools," Business/New York, 6-11, Jan. 1988.
Discusses some of the different partnerships in New York and their contributions in assisting the
transition from the educational system to the workforce.
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Investing in our Children: Business and the Public Schools. New York: Committee for Economic
Development, Research and Policy Committee, 1985.
Presents a reform strategy for guiding public schools including recommendations in the following
areas: Employability - Student Needs, Business Needs; Investment Strategies in Education;
Teachers and Schools; Business and the Schools - Shared Goals, Common Interests.
Lacy, R. A., and Kingsley, C. The Guide to Working Partnerships. Brandeis University, The Center
for Human Resources, The Heller School, 1988.
Provides practical information about how to implement partnerships. It uses the experiences of
"The Partnership Projects," a network of 21 work/education partnership programs fostered by the
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation.
Levine, M., and Leonard, M. "Schooled in Cooperation," Foundation News, 54-58, Mar./Apr. 1988.
Discusses the evolving role of partnerships, and, on the basis of interviews and case studies, the
factors that are important to partnership success.
Levine, M., and Trachtman, R. (eds.) American Business and the Public Schools: Case Studies of
Corporate Involvement in Public Education. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University,
1988.
Presents the first comprehensive look at corporate America's involvement in public education. It
includes seven case studies and 22 mini-cases to represent the full range of business/education
collaboration in the 1980s.
Martin, R. L. Business and Education: Partners for the Future. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Chamber
of Commerce, 1985.
Gives an overview of the education system, summarizes the national reports on education,
discusses how business has been contributing to education, and outlines how a business might
begin involvement with education.
McMullan, B. J., and Snyder, P. Allies in Education: Schools and Business Working Together for
At-Risk Youth. Vol. I, Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures, Fall 1987.
Analyzes the school/business phenomenon as it is represented by the nine case studies presented
in Volume II. It places partnerships in the historical framework of business/education
collaborations; characterizes activities and interventions that collaborations have undertaken;
describes the role of business; analyzes the effects on students, schools, business and educators;
and discusses what light this might shed for future partnership efforts.
McMullan, B. J., et al. Allies in Education: Schools and Business Working Together for At-Risk
Youth. Vol. II, Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures, Sept. 1987.
Contains separate profiles of nine school/business collaboration efforts based on direct field
studies of the programs conducted in 1985 and 1986. Each profile addresses four basic issues:
what is the nature of the school/business collaborations; what types of youth are served; what role
does business play in the collaborations; and how did business get involved.
The Role of Business in Education Reform: Blueprint for Action. The Business Roundtable, Ad Hoc
Committee on Education, Apr. 1988.
Contains a set of principles and recommendations to guide business involvement in education.
Snyder, P. and McMullan, B. J. School/Business Collaboration Study: A Profile of Philadelphia High
School Academies, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures,
June 1987.
Examines the Philadelphia High School Academies. These are four-year vocational preparation
programs that are a partnership effort of the Philadelphia Public Schools and business, labor, and
community organizations.
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