Vocational Education of the Handicapped Youth - State of the Art. A NASBE Report.

Overview & Synopsis

A number of policy questions has emerged as a result of various efforts to improve special education and vocational education services to handicapped students at the secondary level through linkages among general education, special education, and vocational education. These questions reflect recent research findings which demonstrate that the percentage of handicapped adults represented in the work force is far less than the percentage of nonhandicapped adults. Contributing factors include the following: a perceived decline in the number of handicapped students receiving special education services at the secondary level; severe shortages of personnel who are trained in both special education and vocational education; limited vocational education programs and service delivery options; and a limited funding base. The overriding questions are whether education can become more responsible to the overall needs of handicapped youth and how to determine the most effective means of accomplishing that objective. An analysis of the needs assessment data from four states has identified six issues as most clearly reflecting the state of the art for vocational education of handicapped youth: (1) interagency cooperation, (2) personnel preparation, (3) funding, (4) service delivery/program options, (5) program evaluation, and (6) services to Native Americans and other minority handicapped youth. (Author/JH)