A random nationally generalizable sample of 563 public and private nonprofit institutions offering up to 2 years of postsecondary education (response rate, 85%) was studied to determine the status of vocational program quality before and after passage of the 1990 Perkins amendments. Data on vocational program enrollments, initial changes to…

This brief highlights some of the most significant changes mandated by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 and identifies concerns that may compromise success in reaching these goals. The paper first identifies the significant changes created by the legislation, such as the replacement of set-asides with…

This publication provides educators, policymakers, and researchers with vocational education data through 1992. It begins with text and figures covering these key questions: what is vocational education? how widespread is vocational education participation? what types of vocational education do students take? to what extent do students with…

This document reports the proceedings of a teleconference convened to acquaint vocational education leaders and the vocational education community with the federal guidelines for "tech prep" programs as well as the elements of successful programs. About 700 down-link sites from 48 states participated in the conference, with an etimated…

The Perkins Act requires states to adopt systems of outcome-based standards and measures of performance for judging the success of local vocational programs and guiding program improvement. Criteria for the design of states' systems of performance measures and standards include the following: the measures should be defined clearly and precisely;…

In North Carolina, work force development education (WDE) begins in grade 6 with exploratory courses and leads to specialized classroom instruction in grades 11 and 12. Since 1992-1993, North Carolina's WDE programs have been evaluated with respect to eight long-range performance standards. Only in the case of standard 1 (all students will have…

This monograph provides a status report on issues related to accountability, including standards and assessments, data systems, and the role of incentives for schools, teachers, and students in improving student achievement. Using information gathered from the literature and interviews with state administrators of vocational education, this paper…

A literature review was conducted to determine the impact of secondary vocational education on females. Literature on the following topics was reviewed: women in the labor market (wages and occupations, the role of women's wages in family income, and the future labor market); the vocational education system (issues and problems in vocational…

This annual report describes activities and accomplishments of the Pennsylvania Council on Vocational Education (PACVE). It begins with letters from the: Chair of PACVE, Governor, Secretary of Education, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, and Director of the Bureau of Vocational-Technical Education. Other contents include listings…

In accordance with a mandate included in the 1990 amendments to the Perkins Act, a national evaluation of Tech-Prep implementation was conducted. The evaluation had two main objectives: to determine how effectively Tech-Prep is being implemented and to identify useful implementation practices and challenges. Data were collected from the following…

This document contains six studies that were commissioned for the National Assessment of Vocational Education. "Introduction" (Ann M. Milne) provides an overview of the reforms of the 1980s. "The Impact of Educational Reform on Vocational Education" (Marion Asche, Donald E. Elson, Ann Echols, Arthur Williams) examines primary…

This document presents statistical data about vocational-technical education (VTE) in Ohio in 1993-94 and summarizes the mission and 1993-94 activities of the Ohio Council on Vocational Education (OCOVE). Presented first is a fact sheet on VTE in 1993-94. The next sections explain the structure and purpose of the OCOVE and summarize its…

Eight tech prep consortia located across the United States were studied to assess their tech prep implementation and outcomes. Special attention was paid to the consortia's use of and success with the following tech prep components: formal articulation agreements; core curriculum; rigorous instruction emphasizing integration of academic and…