Vocational Special Needs Learners: Five Years of Research and Development.

Overview & Synopsis

This publication is a review and synthesis of the last five years of the literature related to special populations designated in the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. The document contains six chapters. "Black American Participation in Vocational Education" (Ernest Fields) traces the historical evolution of education for jobs as experienced by Blacks. "Limited English-Proficient Persons" (Joan Friedenberg) documents the fact that a majority of vocational education programs make little or no effort to recruit these students into their programs. "Education Behind Bars: Focus on Vocational Education for Adult Inmates" (Ida Halasz) finds that while a lack of basic academic and employability skills is a contributing factor to crime, the corrections system does not put great emphasis on education. "Individuals with Disabilities and Vocational Education" (Margaretha Izzo, Janet Ciccone) reports that a vast number of disabled youth leave secondary school without the skills required to make the transition to work and to remain employed. This chapter also addresses the controversy regarding formal versus informal assessment. "Encouraging Nontraditional Options" (Louise Vetter) indicates that much of the available research focuses on student recruitment into nontraditional programs. "Single Parents and Homemakers" (Louise Vetter) identifies the comprehensive services needed for an optimal program for this group. (YLB)