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The transition from school to the world of post-compulsory education is a major landmark in the lives of young people with special educational needs (SEN). In England the Connexions service set up to support young people during transition was planned to provide both a universal service and one that provided special support to vulnerable young people, particularly those at risk of not being in education, employment or training (NEET). The present paper reports the findings of a study of 46 Connexions personal advisers (PAs) who were supporting young people with specific speech and language difficulties (SSLD) or general learning difficulties, as part of a longitudinal study of these young people's development. Interviews were held with the PAs to identify patterns of organisation, the nature of services delivered to these young people and the factors that influenced successful support. The findings highlight the diversity among Connexions services, the limited expertise with young people with SEN and the structural barriers that may limit effectiveness. In addition, the Assessment, Planning, Implementation and Review Framework was not consistently used. The Connexions service has the potential to provide important support to young people with SEN at this key transition point but our study indicates the need for modifications to its operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The OECD's Review of the Quality and Equity of Schooling in Scotland provides a welcome opportunity to see the familiar in an unfamiliar light. It confirms that Scotland is a well-schooled nation, but it also identifies challenges, particularly with respect to social inequalities in achievement, the academic tradition of secondary education, the organisation of post-compulsory learning and the governance of Scottish education. The review is timely, and current developments (including Curriculum for Excellence, the reunification of education under a single Cabinet Secretary and the concordat with local authorities) provide opportunities to address these challenges. The review is intended to stimulate a debate within Scottish education; this commentary offers a research-based contribution to that debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarises the findings of a study of the first four years of Higher Still. The reform aimed to provide `opportunity for all' by introducing a `unified curriculum and assessment system' of post-16 education. Higher Still's flexible climbing-frame model did indeed extend opportunities, especially for middle- and lower-attaining 16 year olds who stayed on at school and for students with special needs. It encouraged collaboration between schools and colleges and it enhanced the comprehensive principle rather than undermined it. It placed vocational' and general education on a formally equal footing, although its short-term impact on subject choices was modest. However, while the climbing-frame model extended access it was less successful in increasing attainment, and the goal of a seamless progression framework proved difficult to realise. Moreover, the system introduced by Higher Still was not fully unified: implementation in the college sector was incomplete and schools and colleges implemented somewhat models of curriculum and assessment. Some of the `unifying' goals of Higher Still transferred to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides an analysis of the take-up of modern apprenticeships in Scotland for the period 1999-2001. The methodology includes secondary data sources and a case study. The findings indicate that, although the numbers participating in the MA scheme have increased, there remain major concerns both with completion rates and the quality of the programme. The authors also question the relevance of using pedagogically driven theoretical models to understand the complex and dynamic nature of work-based employment practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the existence of a "discouraged worker" effect among young people in the second year of post-compulsory education in schools in four contrasting Scottish labor markets. In both Scotland, the relationship between labor market conditions and patterns of post-compulsory educational participation has been the subject of debate and controversy. Previous studies of the "discouraged worker" effect have tended to concentrate on a macro-level analysis: little attention has been paid to developing an understanding of the factors which young people see as influencing their decision to remain in full-time education. In this paper the article authors explore the "discouraged worker" effect from a qualitative perspective, highlighting some of the reasons why young people follow trajectories which include extended educational participation and examine the ways in which young people from different social backgrounds adapt to the culture of the upper secondary school. The authors suggest that cultural responses to the school have become more individualized and that "discouraged workers" can be identified in both the middle and the lower attainment bands.