Educational improvement is feasible even under adversity if one focuses on important problems one at a time and seeks creative approaches to maintaining quality. (SK)

Presents two viewpoints on the question of using funding from the Vocational Education Act to maintain ongoing vocational programs. Ballard argues that programs have improved qualitatively because of additional program improvement monies, whereas Burdette argues that the ban on using funds for maintenance treats some states unfairly. (CH)

The Perkins Act greatly expands the tasks of state councils on vocational education. Their duties encompass three policy objectives: achieving public involvement in vocational education, providing independent assessment of vocational programs, and improving vocational education policies and the policymaking process. (SK)

The Perkins Act charges the National Council on Vocational Education with advising the president, Congress, and the secretary of education on the implementation of the Perkins and the Job Training Partnership Acts, strategies for business cooperation with vocational education, effective ways of providing labor market information, special needs…

Teachers of 12-month programs in vocational agriculture must constantly be on the alert to safeguard summer programs. Successful vocational agriculture teachers are concerned with eight summer program areas: in-school youth, Future Farmers of America, adult education, facilities, planning, community service, inservice training, and other summer…

The Florida Division of Vocational Education has developed a system to help educators correct problems identified during program review. The local program improvement plan as a follow-up to vocational program review is a management strategy supported by legislative intent and direction. (JOW)

Recommends the following conditions to improve vocational agriculture: (1) inappropriate philosophies must be identified; (2) alternative philosophy must be formulated; (3) individuals must assume leadership roles in promoting and orchestrating the adjustment; and (4) evaluation of philosophical beliefs with respect to changing vocational needs…

Illustrates how the current summer program contains the same basic components as a 1954 program which included (1) visitation of in-school youth, (2) adult farm activities, (3) Future Farmer group activities, (4) civic activities, (5) professional cooperation, (6) adult demonstrations and meetings, (7) professional improvement, and (8)…

The first step in any planning process should be problem identification. Appropriate planning techniques, starting with formal needs assessments, will help vocational education control its own future. (LRA)

Reviews three roles of the federal government that are accepted as essential tasks of federal leadership: (1) leadership in the process of democratization, (2) employment, and (3) readiness to rely on vocational education in periods of emergency. Suggests improving vocational education by rethinking the federal role. (LRA)

Distinguishes between administration (decision making, planning, organizing, communication, influencing, coordinating, and evaluating) and supervision (the achievement of instructional expectations). Stresses the importance of good supervision in keeping vocational agricultural programs responsive to changes in the industry. (JOW)

A former MDTA and CETA project coordinator describes the goals and frustrations accrued during several years' field experience with funded programs. He recommends a redirection of CETA back toward a vocational and occupational training emphasis. This would serve to enlarge the skills and competencies of those covered by the program. (CT)

Practical reasoning with its dialogical nature and its special attention to aims, context, alternatives, judgment, and action emerges as an appropriate approach for understanding and taking action in the redesign of teacher education programs in vocational education. (Author)

The authors suggest that it will take a new dimension of teamwork under the Perkins Act to meet the challenges of the coming decade. Vocational education can be improved, they say, by close collaboration among the new state councils on vocational education, the state boards, the newly required technical committee, and a host of other groups. (CT)

Vocational education services are not used by Black Americans because these services are still perceived by the Black population as representing education for people who cannot achieve in other areas. Vocational educators have shown a lack of concern for altering this image among Blacks. (LRA)