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Nearly 70 people from across Minnesota attended a meeting on the topics, "What Secondary Learners Require of Schools." High school and postsecondary students, parents, teachers, administrators, counselors, community organization representatives, and business people participated. Following an opening session, participants separated into five student and two adult teams. In three sessions, work teams discussed concerns that young people face today and in the future, what students feel they need in order to be successful, and what they want and need from school. Major themes that emerged were as follows: economic growth and occupational outlook, academic and occupational choices, need for real-life applicable choices, need for basic skills and lack of transferable skills, concern about social issues and other problems, family living, self-care and self-esteem, defining success, direct involvement of administration with students, teachers who want to teach, keeping up with technology, and depending on others. These themes paralleled those from the town meeting held during the summer of 1988. (YLB)

This document contains task force findings and recommendations regarding development of a statewide plan for facilitating education and employment transitions (EET) of youths and adults throughout Minnesota. Chapter 1 presents a rationale for a statewide EET system in the context of the employment/earnings patterns of Minnesota youths and adults, productivity and global competition, labor needs, lifelong learning, and workplace dynamics in a changing culture. Outlined in chapter 2 are underlying assumptions and characteristics/attributes of Minnesota's system for EET. Chapter 3 presents seven recommendations focusing on establishment of a lifework development system, work-based learning, learner outcomes, learner support, professional development, coordination, and standards. Described in chapter 4 are representative EET programs sponsored by government, education, and nonprofit agencies/organizations in Minnesota. Chapters 5 and 6 discuss national efforts for EET in the United States and EET in Western Europe and Japan. Barriers to EET and the role of the public and private sectors in EET are analyzed in chapters 7 and 8, respectively. Appended are excerpts of legislation pertinent to the task force's mission/operation, biographical profiles of task force members, and lists of task force meeting sites/dates and invited speakers. Contains 97 references. (MN)

This document presents the findings of the Task Force on Technology Competence, which was formed to determine what every Minnesota high school graduate should know about technology and how technology education should be integrated into the elementary and secondary school curriculum. In chapter 1, technology competence (TC) is defined as "students' ability to apply knowledge, tools, and skills to solve practical problems creatively, extend human capabilities, and evaluate the impact of technology on themselves and society," and a conceptual framework for TC is outlined. In chapter 2, the scope of TC is defined as including not only knowledge and skills expressed through proficiency but also attitudes and values necessary to use technology in an ethical manner, and 13 world-view and practice attributes deemed necessary for Minnesota high school graduates relative to TC are described. Chapter 3 outlines 14 sample learning activities designed to help learners understand the interdependence of and demonstrate/apply the 13 world view and practice attributes of technology. Chapter 4 presents five major findings regarding for integrating technology education into the curriculum and four suggestions for doing so. Appended is the task force membership roster. (MN)

This document, which was developed by a task force whose members represent the instructional, student support service, administrative, and executive ranks of technical colleges with very diverse sizes, locations, and programs, lists 50 proposed indices of effectiveness regarding the program advisory committees (ACs) in Minnesota's technical colleges. The indices are divided in a manner designed to suggest a working format for the development of a leadership guide that will eventually be written to train AC members to plan and implement comprehensive curricular reviews. Specifically, the 50 indices of effectiveness are organized as follows: organizing an AC (purpose, function, structure, policy, practice); helping AC members become acquainted (relationship building); maintaining AC vitality by establishing definite member life-cycles and considering specified criteria when selecting members (occupational expertise, industry perspective, peer recognition, commitment, diversity); working together as a group to solve problems, make decisions, plan, forecast trends, and anticipate the future (knowledge/skills, facilitator competencies, group ownership); planning and conducting effective AC meetings; and developing an AC work plan. Appended is the task force membership roster. Contains 14 references. (MN)