FORD FOUNDATION GRANTS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION.

Overview & Synopsis

IN ASSISTING EFFORTS TOWARD QUALITY VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, THE FORD FOUNDATION HAS MADE GRANTS TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE VIEW THAT VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY AT ALL LEVELS OF SECONDARY AND POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, AND THAT IMPROVEMENT OF VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL EDUCATORS, ACADEMIC AND GENERAL AS WELL AS VOCATIONAL. DESCRIPTIONS OF PILOT PROGRAMS AND EXPERIMENTS INCLUDE (1) NINE IN CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT, (2) FOUR IN RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND INFORMATION, (3) FOUR IN VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL TEACHER TRAINING, AND (4) 13 IN COOPERATIVE WORK-STUDY EDUCATION. REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLES INCLUDE--(1) A PROGRAM TO DETERMINE WHICH APPROACH IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION WORKS BEST IN MOTIVATING RECENT DROPOUTS TO FINISH HIGH SCHOOL, (2) A PROGRAM TO DEVELOP TRULY COMPREHENSIVE SECONDARY SCHOOLS THAT OFFER VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL SUBJECTS AS ELECTIVES IN THE SAME WAY AS ACADEMIC SUBJECTS, (3) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CURRICULUM CENTER TO CONCENTRATE ON CONTINUING RESEARCH DESIGNED TO IMPROVE AND UPDATE ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION, AND (4) A 4-YEAR PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PREPARE ACADEMIC AND TECHNICAL TEACHERS FOR 2-YEAR PROGRAMS AT JUNIOR COLLEGES, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, AND SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS. THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE FROM FORD FOUNDATION, OFFICE OF REPORTS, 477 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022. (PS)