Educational reform in the United States is perpetually evolving. Much of the recent reforms have concentrated on high-stakes testing and assessment, but a parallel effort has been emerging in the field of vocational and career education. Prompted partly by federal legislation--most recently by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act…

This article examines how the states plan to implement the Programs of Study (POS) that were mandated by the 2006 reauthorization of the federal legislation for career and technical education. A coding system was developed for summarizing the methods described in the plans of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.…

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe barriers to the implementation of competency-based vocational education (CBVE) in Florida's secondary schools and to recommend strategies/solutions to overcome these barriers. Implications for policy formation and for administrative action were to be drawn. This project used as its basis the…

A study examined existing perceptions of the effectiveness of vocational education in Michigan. Researchers sought the opinions of 1,879 educators (including teachers, administrators, counselors, admissions representatives, and public relations professionals) connected with vocational education; 1,099 nonvocational educators; 745 parents; 1,030…

This two-part report describes various strategies for involving the private sector in job training programs and summarizes a study conducted with prime sponsors of Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) programs in Texas. Included in a discussion of involving the private sector in job training programs are the following topics: the new…

As part of a project to develop a planning guide to assist local vocational education administrators in improving their planning efforts, a needs assessment questionnaire was developed to identify the degree of need for assistance in planning activities. Two hundred sixty-four Missouri local vocational administrators completed the pilot-tested…

A study evaluated performance-based teacher education (PBTE) programs conducted in three Australian states in technical and further education (TAFE) programs during 1979 to assess the potential of PBTE for TAFE teacher education and to determine the most effective strategies for its implementation. One institution in each of three states--South…

This project was conducted to describe state programs of economic development concerned with state-provided training for industry and to share the results among the states. Surveys were sent to the 50 state directors of vocational education plus the directors in the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Of the surveys…

A study identified barriers to the implementation of competency-based vocational education (CBVE) in Florida and gathered and reported suggested solutions to overcoming those barriers. To gather data for the study, researchers conducted force-field analysis sessions, site visits, a literature review, and telephone surveys. From data concerning and…

A study surveyed county vocational directors in Florida to determine their equity concerns as well as their perceptions of the potential success of various program strategies. Results indicated that urban and rural districts had different equity concerns. Urban vocational directors perceived a greater degree of overall concern with all ten equity…

A project was conducted to extend the planning and implementation for performance-based teacher education (PBTE) and competency-based vocational education (CBVE) in Florida by developing criteria according to which programs could be planned, implemented, and evaluated. A steering committee of Florida vocational educators met throughout the…

A study examined the impact of teaching handicapped students in regular vocational education classrooms on class interaction and instructional variables. During the study, researchers conducted individual interviews with 22 vocational education instructors from 11 randomly selected school districts throughout Texas and later conducted a total of…

A project was conducted to develop a vocational instructional program designed to meet the vocational needs of students in small school districts. During the first phase of the project, a literature review was conducted to identify the philosophical bases, purposes, and structures that characterize cooperative vocational education programs and…

This paper presents recommendations for the facilitation and acceptance of change to remove sex bias and discriminatory practices in vocational education. They are based on the review of theory and research relating to attitude and behavior change, information about various equity programs, and results from the statewide survey of vocational…

An analysis of the procedures states have adopted to distribute federal funds for vocational education under the 1976 Amendments to the Vocational Education Act shows that there is widespread confusion and variation among the states. While the Act specifies that a formula must be used for distribution of funds, the exact criteria for determining…