Career and Technical Education: Developing a Well-Equipped Workforce

Evidence today suggests there is a skills gap among employable young adults. This study was based on a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program evaluation that was conducted in a rural school district in North Carolina. The study examined the perceptions of the program by CTE High School teachers, CTE Community College instructors, CTE local employers, and CTE program graduates. The focus was the overall functioning of the program and its ability to form students who are college and career ready through attainment of important future ready attributes. The study was conducted through a mixed methods approach. Data were collected from two instruments. First, quantitative data were collected by the completion of a survey. Next, qualitative data were collected from focus group interviews. Collecting the quantitative data first, and then further explaining the responses through qualitative data, formed an explanatory sequential design. Two important resources that were used to determine components of effectiveness included the 12 elements from the National Assessment of Career and Technical Education framework and the 17 attributes of a North Carolina future ready graduate. Together, these resources aligned with categories connected to college and career readiness. Data found that strengths of the district CTE program included academic and skill attainment, partnership opportunities, and workplace alignment. The greatest weakness involved fluent communication between the CTE groups

Locating the Social and Political in Secondary School Literacy

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88064/1/RRQ.33.1.6.pd

Midwives being ‘with woman’: An integrative review

Background Midwives being ‘with woman’ is embedded in professional philosophy, standards of practice and partnerships with women. In light of the centrality of being ‘with woman’ to the profession of midwifery, it is timely to review the literature to gain a contemporary understanding of this phenomenon. Aim This review synthesises research and theoretical literature to report on what is known and published about being ‘with woman’. Methods A five step framework for conducting an integrative literature reviews was employed. A comprehensive search strategy was utilised that incorporated exploration in electronic databases CINAHL, Scopus, Proquest, Science Direct and Pubmed. The initial search resulted in the retrieval of 2057 publications which were reduced to 32 through a systematic process. Findings The outcome of the review revealed three global themes and corresponding subthemes that encompassed ‘with woman’: (1) philosophy, incorporated two subthemes relating to midwifery philosophy and philosophy and models of care; (2) relationship, that included the relationship with women and the relationship with partners; and (3) practice, that captured midwifery presence, care across the childbirth continuum and practice that empowers women. Conclusion Research and theoretical sources support the concept that being ‘with woman’ is a fundamental construct of midwifery practice as evident within the profession’s philosophy. Findings suggest that the concept of midwives being ‘with woman’ is a dynamic and developing construct. The philosophy of being ‘with woman’ acts as an anchoring force to guide, inform and identify midwifery practice in the context of the rapidly changing modern maternity care landscapes. Gaps in knowledge and recommendations for further research are made