Revamping Vocational Education.

Overview & Synopsis

Historically, vocational education has been targeted at those destined for nonprofessional work, and vocational teachers, administrators, and students have become isolated from the mainstream of secondary education. Research has found broader student participation in vocational education than anticipated, the numbers peaked in 1984 and now are suffering widespread decline. A new emphasis on vocational education over the "basic skills only" approach can better serve the majority of students who will work for smaller firms that cannot afford job training. A basic tenet of the new Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act is integration of academic and vocational education to reform the entire curriculum. The new law also directs federal resources to the poorest districts that need the most improvement. Perhaps the most significant change is that much of the initiative for setting goals to improve local programs should come from the local level. Recommendations for local school boards are to expand the name to vocational-technical education, expand program content, offer high quality programs to all students, form partnerships with business, and integrate female students. (YLB)