Vocational Education's Role in Dropout Prevention. ERIC Digest.

Overview & Synopsis

Appropriately implemented vocational education programs can help achieve National Education Goal 2--increasing the high school graduation rate to at least 90 percent. A 3-year study of dropout prevention in 10 demonstration sites has resulted in an enhanced vocational education program model described in "Vocational Education for the 21st Century" (Hamby 1992) to help at-risk students graduate with skills for the competitive job market. The model has both a curriculum component and an educational support system. The curriculum component encompasses four areas: academics, vocational-technical education, employability skills training, and development of life-coping skills, a critical element for school and work success. The educational support system comprehensively addresses a number of elements: program location, instructional strategies, counseling, student management, parent involvement, and transportation, among others. The Lifelong Options Program (LOP) is a holistic approach arising out of the experiences of the demonstration sites. Its six curriculum components are as follows: vocational education, applied academics, counseling, employability skills, life coping skills, and physical education. The vocational component offers students a choice among options: vocational education curriculum, job shadowing, community-based education, work experience, and school-based business enterprise. (SK)