To the north of Los Angeles, Pasadena High School educates a multicultural population whose diversity reflects the changing face of the United States in the 21st century. The Academy resulted from a partnership between the high school and the Printing Industry Association of Southern California, which represents more than 1900 printing businesses in the greater L.A. area. A team of five teachers is responsible for the integrated curriculum, which combines academic instruction with vocational training in classes deliberately kept smaller than regular high school courses, allowing for more cooperative learning and student-teacher interaction. Instructional leadership is crucial, for although the computer provides the lessons, teachers must be able to help any student in a classroom of 30 pursuing 30 different lessons. For vocational study, students choose from traditional high school vocational classes, a dual enrollment program at the community college, an internship program, or employment at a job they find on their own.
All students participate in individual and small group peer counseling.
In the Aviation program, students participate in flight training and can earn a Federal Aviation Administration Certified Pilot's License or Federal Communications Commission License by the time they graduate. The Baltimore Commonwealth is an unusual partnership through which the city's business, education, community, and government sectors have joined forces to try to improve the prospects of Baltimore's high school students for academic achievement, college opportunities, employability, and personal development. Baltimore's Office of Employment Development has created a one-stop shop for student services and for businesses interested in employing students. Under the aegis of the Commonwealth, an array of programs and services is provided, ranging from internships to summer jobs to permanent employment, from career exploration to job readiness skills preparation. A county-wide consortium, EFE coordinates a system of occupational education throughout Kalamazoo County, an area that includes 1.7 million students and nine school districts.