The Vocational Education Study: The Final Report. Vocational Education Study Publication No. 8.

Overview & Synopsis

This document reports on findings of the studies on vocational education that the Education Amendments of 1976 directed the National Institute of Education to conduct. The introduction overviews these studies of vocational education programs conducted under the Vocational Education Act of 1963 (VEA) and other related programs conducted under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA). A summary of findings and conclusions follows. Chapter 1 describes federal vocational education policy, specifically the VEA. Chapter 2 considers allocation provisions for vocational education funds, inclulding the federal and states' formulas. Chapter 3 discusses distribution of vocational education resources by four objects: enrollments, services, target populations, and occupations. Examination of the evaluation requirements of the 1976 amendments is found in chapter 4. Chapter 5 describes different forms of coordination between the VEA and CETA. Chapter 6 reports on a study of Consumer and Home Economics programs to determine content, kinds of students, influence of 1976 legislation, and effects on learners. The concern of chapter 7 is effect of participation in vocational education on learners. Chapter 8 examines the effectiveness of the VEA in equalizing opportunities to and in vocational education. Chapter 9 assesses the means provided in the VEA to realize federal policy goals. (YLB)