Education & Pedagogy

These three commemorative speeches deal with the role of liberal education at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and at community colleges in general. John E. Cleek, JCCC president, outlines the growth in enrollment and facilities that characterized the first decade (1969-1979) of JCCC's development and discusses the possibility that, with the formation of an arts council and the establishment of an artist-in-residence program, JCCC could become a center for the arts in Johnson County during its second decade. Such a program, Cleek maintains, could be integrated into the college without diminishing the importance of career and vocational education. Mark Curtis, president of the Association of American Colleges, discusses the complementary nature of vocational and liberal education; expresses concern over the truncated character of technical education when it lacks a substantial liberal arts component; and cites examples of the successful integration of humanities into the curricula of medical, engineering, and community colleges. Finally, John Schonleber, an educational consultant, discusses the origins of liberal education, the different meanings liberal education has had over time, and the role that the college can play in eliminating the false disjunction between life and work. (JP)

Part two of selected issues to be considered by the 96th Congress regarding the Higher Education Act reauthorization are examined. Recently funded at approximately $5 billion, the programs of this legislation serve over 3 million students through financial assistance and nearly the full range of traditional higher education institutions and many proprietary vocational/technical schools. The primary focus of the Higher Education Act is student assistance, which accounts for some 94 percent of the funds appropriated for the act. Focus of this report is on lifelong learning. Sessions in Hartford and Waterbury, Connecticut examined the program of community service and continuing education authorized by Title I of the Higher Education Act. Text of House Resolution 4531, the Lifelong Learning Act of 1979, is provided. Prepared statements, letters, and supplemental materials from representatives of community interest programs, presidents of colleges, and project directors are included. (PHR)

This report was prepared in response to the Oregon Committee on Instruction, Research and Public Service Programs' request that it be informed periodically as to developments in teacher education and the state system's production of elementary and secondary teachers in relation to demand. The report provides information and discussion concerning: (1) present allocations, both undergraduate and graduate, in teacher education in the state system institutions and the rationale for those allocations; (2) the relationship of present/projected production of teachers and other certified personnel to anticipated employment opportunities; (3) comparative costs of instruction in professional education courses among the state system institutions, and how these costs compare with average costs for all courses combined at those institutions; (4) appropriate production-demand ratio and means to attain and maintain this ratio; (5) quality improvement of teacher education graduates; (6) maintenance and improvement of inservice teachers' skills. Principal findings and recommendations are given for each area of investigation. The state policies regarding admission and retention of teacher education candidates in the state system is examined in the appendix. Extensive data tables are included. (MB)

A review and analysis of programs and strategies which help program planners and curriculum developers eliminate sex bias in vocational education are presented in this state-of-the-art paper. It is noted that vocational educators are only now beginning to report in any volume on the subject of sex fairness and that there is little doctoral research in this area. The following topics and issues are discussed: sex fairness in vocational education as a warranted assumption, impact on careers of sex-role stereotyping and sex bias in vocational education, forces promoting sex fairness in vocational education (including socialization, instructional materials, vocational interest inventories, world of employment), and forces promoting the eradication of sex unfairness in vocational education (including legislation). Recommendations are made to maximize reduction of sex unfairness in vocational education. These include the following: enforce appropriate laws, provide overt support, take affirmative action, provide new models for vocational aspirations, require inservice education for vocational educators, re-examine the principles of vocational education, and disseminate information. (TA)

This publication is an annual statistical report describing conditions in education as well as those in the larger society that affect education. In this year's report, statistical data are presented on a wide variety of issues concerning educational institutions, participants, and personnel. Each entry on a topic consists of a table and a chart presented together. The data, highlighted in the chart and briefly described in a statement accompanying the chart, are extracted from the facing table. The first part of the report describes trends and developments affecting education at all levels. Chapter 1 deals with the societal context for describing the condition of education, chapter 2 covers elementary and secondary education, and chapter 3 examines postsecondary education. In the second part of the report, special topics have been selected for closer analysis. Chapter 4 looks at education personnel, chapter 5 examines the financing of higher education, and chapter 6 compares education and labor force participation patterns in the United States with those in other selected countries. A cumulative index lists topics and data shown in the 1975, 1976, and 1977 editions, as well as in the present edition. (Author/MLF)

In the 1950s and 1960s, educational economists led the developing nations of Asia, Africa, and Latin American onto an educational merry-go-round where all the educated could do was seek further education. These nations have turned in the 1970s to political scientists, sociologists, and educationists in an attempt to rectify the situation. In place of "manpower planning,""universal primary education," and "investment in human capital," the new slogans are "basic education,""earning while learning,""life-long education," and "aptitude testing instead of examinations." The economist still has valuable things to say, however. For example, oversubsidization of higher education at the expense of elementary education can be reversed only if the popular demand for free higher education can be discouraged without adverse political effects. Basic education schemes appear better designed for preparing students to live in their communities but may require unavailable teaching skills to implement and may in fact institutionalize a class system Third World governments are dedicated to eliminating. The tendency of developing nations to seek educational reform without compensating reform of the labor market is self-defeating. Changes in government employment practices could go a long way toward redressing the imbalances that result. (Author/PGD)

The preservice-inservice, performance based teacher education (PBTE) program of the University of Toledo (Ohio) is described as an important example of the progress PBTE has made in the last decade and as an embodiment of changes the movement is undergoing as it assumes a permanent position in the process of educating American teachers. Presented against a backdrop of predictions on the future of teacher education, the Toledo program and its organization is described as a blend of PBTE, competency based education (CBE), and individually guided education (IGE). Conceptual design and basic assumptions of the program are listed. The public school system inservice program, paralleling campus program development, is also described, as is the creation of a Teacher Education Center, designed to assume the role of implementer and re-educator in schools where PBTE, CBE, and IGE are being initiated. Other activities of the university in preservice and inservice PBTE teacher education are noted. The necessity for a review of research and evaluation needs are examined, and a prediction for the future of PBTE is given. (MJB)

This publication is the final report of the federally-funded population education project of Zero Population Growth (ZPG). In this report, population education is defined and discussed, the development and performance of the project is described, evaluation measures are presented and analyzed, and the continuation of the project after the federal grants expired is mentioned. This project involved conducting population education workshops during 1975 and 1976 in five states: Delaware, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, and Maryland. The goal was the incorporation of population studies into school systems in these states. Participants were science and social studies teachers, administrators, and professors of education. Data were collected from participants to determine to what extent they reacted to the workshops and incorporated population education into their schools. A telephone survey was conducted to validate the initial questionnaires. Data support the hypothesis that the participants would use their professional roles to institutionalize and expand population education. Data from the questionnaires were used to improve ZPG teachers' materials. Some samples of these materials, along with the workshop agenda, hhe questionnaire, and the telephone survey are included in the appendices. (MR)

The cooperative education planning study provides an overview and initial analysis of the varied postsecondary cooperative education goals and realities and identifies key issues and indicators of program success to be considered in evaluation cooperative education programs. The study involved several data sources and approaches, including: (1) a literature review; (2) a review of Federally finded 1973-74, cooperative education program proposals; and (3) a detailed examination of eight cooperative education school programs. Data were gathered through: (1) interviews with program coordinators, faculty, students, and staff, (2) a mail survey of current and past students, and (3) telephone interviews with past and present employers of cooperative education students. The eight sample schools (University of Detroit, the University of the Pacific, Pratt Institute, Pasadena City College, Alice Lloyd College, Lees Junior College, Texas Southern University, and Washington Technical Institute) were selected for their diversity in type of institution, student body characteristics, geography, and mode of program operation. The remainder of the document discusses findings in the areas of defining cooperative education, program goals, differing perspectives, major programmatic issues, indicators of program success, and a summary of the study's implications. (BP)

Drawing upon career education leaders and specialists as sources, the authors explore the status of career education by discussing definitions, program dimensions, roles of career education, program evaluation, and recommendations for the State of Mississippi. The most common definitions of career education focus on five aspects: (1) career development, (2) integral part of education, (3) individualized, (4) comprehensive, and (5) preparation for life. Prevalent career education program dimensions include: self, occupational information, psychology of work, organizational, social contribution, planfulness, work ethics, school-work relationship, occupational preparation, and work adjustment. Central to the implementation of the career education concept are the roles of teachers, counselors, and vocational educators, with business and industry personnel and parents also playing vital roles. In the area of evaluation, currently accepted guidelines involve: goals, criteria, participants, feedback and follow-through, and planned continuous process. Various evaluation models are described--cost-effectiveness approach, outcome approaches, and local assessment techniques. Recommendations for Mississippi include provision for: adequate funding of education, pre-service and in-service training of educators, adequate counselors, continued expansion of comprehensive educational programs, and local system support in a statewide commitment. (EA)

The harmonizing of occupational development with academic learning is not a passing fad. A primary aim of early 17th-18th century colleges was to supply regions with knowledgeable professional workers. The functional role of education continued to remain strong, as evidenced by the Morrill Act in 1862. The Smith-Hughes Act (1916), however, was an instrument of divisiveness separating the academic and vocational. The Vocational Education Act of 1963 gave new impetus toward reconciling general and vocational education . Its amendments provided many of the major dimensions for career education as did the Educational Amendments of 1972 and 1974. The College Board has responded to evolving laws and practices by providing and offering new dimensions of testing. Currently, the College Board is conducting a study that will include a listing of existing effective career education linkage systems in States, an identification and analysis of the most critical linkage areas, models of career education delivery systems, successful implementation approaches, and legislative recommendations. In conclusion, the career education movement needs liberal arts defenders and vocational/occupational development specialists; the labor/business/ industry community; Federal leadership; and the leadership of teachers, professors, and students. (EA)

The document presents general information about the bureau's different functions and responsibilities and provides addresses and telephone numbers for the following divisions and their offices: Office of the Deputy Commissioner (Executive Office, Planning Office, Office of Consumers' Education, Office of Community Education, Metric Education Program, Manpower Development and Training Act Staff, and Comprehensive Emoloyment and Training Act Staff); Division of Occupational Planning; Division of Vocational-Technical Education (State Programs and Services Branch, Program Support Branch, and Postsecondary and Adult Occupational Program Branch); Division of Adult Education (Programs Services Branch and Program Development Branch); Division of Research and Demonstration (Research Branch, Demonstration Branch, and Curriculum Development Branch); and Division of Educational Systems Development (Urban Rural Program, Teachers for Indian Children, Bilingual Education Training Program, Career Opportunities Program, Exceptional Children's Program, Vocational Education Personnel Development, Categorical Programs, and Dropout Prevention Program). The administrative structure of the bureau is illustrated in an organizational chart which also supplies the names and telephone numbers of current program managers. It also includes a listing of 10 regional offices dealing with bureau programs. (EC)

The study has presented a case history of the evolution, passage, and early implementation in vocational education of a Massachusetts law, the first of its kind in the country, designed to counter practices and policies in public education which resulted in students receiving different treatment solely on account of their sex. Analysis of the Federal and State legislative history from 1906 until the present has revealed that early legislation encouraged the separation of vocational programs by sex as a way of meeting what was then viewed as the special needs of girls. Later legislation continued this separatism, leading to the isolation of vocational education programs for females. Analysis of the data pertaining to Massachusetts' vocational education has clearly demonstrated the existence of a separate system of education in which females have not participated equally with males. The study recommends a series of corrective actions which the State Board of Education could undertake. The 90-page appendix contains separate system data from localities and regions, supplementary documents (student questionnaire, Chapter 622 recommendations/regulations/policy statements and educational specifications in response to Chapter 622), and selected references. (Author/EA)

Recognizing the need for competency-based teacher education to become more closely coordinated with the field of experience of teachers, the study focuses on identifying professional competencies which majors in agriculture and natural resources education should have developed prior to student teaching. Based on interviews with four supervising teachers, a checklist of competencies was prepared and mailed to 27 vocational agriculture teachers (who had served as supervising teachers) who were asked to rank the degrees of need for mastery of each competency. The analysis of the 20 respondents indicates a great or considerable need for student teachers to have developed several competencies prior to their field work. Ratings are presented in tabular form. Nine of the highly rated competencies (instructional planning, instructional materials and resources, conducting instruction, supervised occupational experience programs, working with FFA, evaluating instruction, counseling, maintaining community relations, and maintaining a professional role) are summarized. Recommendations stress coordination of the segments of teacher education programs and improvement of these programs. An appendix containing the checklist of competencies and accompanying letter conclude the report. (JB)

Provided are some of the proceedings of a conference on assessment of competency based teacher education (CBTE) programs in special education. Presentations by conference participants cover the following topics: research findings regarding evaluation and validation in performance based teacher education (Robert S. Soar); the New York state education department's assessment plans required in teacher education program proposals (Vincent Gazzella); the application of systematic observation methods (such as computer assisted teacher training) in research and training in special education (Melvyn I. Semmel); and models for research and development in performance based teacher education (Frederick McDonald). Summaries are provided of potential contributions and concerns regarding assessment processes of public school teachers (James G. Ward), public school administrators (Gilbert Duken and Michael Solimando), and teacher education students (Karen Cochran, Nathan Glasper, Karen Kowalchuck, and Margaret Maxwell). Also included are worksheets (Patricia M. Kay) which are noted to be based on a model for building an internally valid assessment system. In a conference evaluation (Alice Kornblith and Cecile Segal), it is concluded that although the conference was well organized, more technical expertise and individual consultation were needed. (SB)