WHY SCHOOL-TO-WORK TRANSITION?
Although the goal of universal literacy in the United States refers specifically to the literacy of adults, significant progress toward the goal is dependent to a great extent upon individuals’ educational experiences prior to adulthood. Encouraging business involvement in strengthening the connection between school and work acknowledges the interconnectedness of a literate adult population and its prior educational experiences. Because early educational reform efforts focused on college-bound youth, little attention was given to the need for improving school-to-work transitions of noncollege-bound youth. However, recent reports such as THE FORGOTTEN HALF (William T. Grant Foundation 1988) and AMERICA’S CHOICE (National Center on Education and the Economy 1990) stress the need to “overcome the disconnection between education and work” (National Governors’ Association 1990, preface). This renewed emphasis on the school-to-work transition has been prompted by such factors as changing dem
