High School Career and Technical Education for the First Decade of the 21st Century.

New directions for high school career and technical education for the first decade of the 21st century are identified and described. The work is based on a review and synthesis of contemporary creative thought, opinion, policy-influencing documents, research, and reflective thinking from a plethora of stakeholder[s] involved generally with high school education and more specifically with career and technical education. Four forces are underpinning reform of high school vocational education in the US [United States]: the new economy, public expectation for schools, new research on student learning and motivation, and high school reform. Six components are integral to reform: high school majors, contextual teaching and learning, work-based learning, authentic assessment, career academies, and tech prep.