School administrators favor this program over the other programs of this design because it helps the needy students stay in school and is locally administered. The funds for work study needs to be increased by 500 percent provided school systems can initiate the program by September 1. Many school administrators contend students began to get short of money after school has been in session 2 months. f. Research and Training The Tennessee Research Coordinating Unit for Vocational Education, having the major responsibility for developing and coordinating vocational education research in the State, is operated as an integral part of the Department of Vocational-Technical Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The RCU is funded on a contract basis each fiscal year after a program of activities is developed jointly with the State Division of Vocational-Technical Education. Funding is shared approximately 75 percent with State and Federal funds and 25 percent with University funds. Some specific projects are funded by other agencies such as the State Advisory Council on Vocational Education and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The basic objectives of the Tennessee RCU are: 1. To collect and disseminate to appropriate audiences-information on progress and application of occupational research. 2. To stimulate and encourage occupational education research and to develop research activities in State departments, colleges and universities, local school districts, and nonprofit educational organizations. 3. To coordinate occupational education research activities conducted by State departments, colleges and universities, local school districts, and nonprofit educational organizations. 4. To conduct occupational education research and development projects. As a result of research and development activities, national, regional and State trends, advisory committee recommendations, and statewide conferences, the following research and development priorities (in descending order) have been established: 1. The development of information systems (document and data based). 2. Vocational-technical curriculum development. 3. Individualized instruction. 4. Guidance and counseling. 5. Teacher education. Most of the RCU activities, including minigrants, have been focused on these priorities. To facilitate retrieval, dissemination, and consumption of research and research-related information, three regional research and development offices were established in July 1971. In addition to operating as strategic contact points for referrals and requests, the regional research and development coordinators provide valuable technical assistance in the writing of research proposals, conducting small research projects, and analyzing and utilizing packaged infor mation such as manual and computer searches of ERIC and other information systems, Since October of 1970, 13 cooperating institutions have served as "Regional Resource Centers" where individuals could use the necessary indexes, view microfiche on a reader or reader-printer, and printout pages as necessary. Presently, two PRC's are located in secondary schools, three in State technical institutes, seven in area vocational schools, and one is in a community college. Workshops for regional resource centers are held regularly in November and May as a means of keeping the individuals involved up-to-date on both RCU activities and current trends in information needs throughout the State, PRC personnel serve voluntarily as liaison between their institution and the school, and are supplied with 1,500 free microfiche and a reader-printer. The information retrieval and dissemination system for vocational education, first established in July of 1970, has its central data base in the college of education at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Dissemination of library materials is supported and facilitated by both regional resource center representatives, where files are individually organized and maintained, and regional research and development offices, which are linked by a teletype system (Jackson, Murfreesboro, Knoxville). The "Query" computerized retrieval system continues to be used with access to the IT Computing Center. Increased emphasis has been placed on maximum utilization of already completed computer searches by the printing and dissemination of the Index to Query Computer Searches, with updates added to it every three months. The RCU continues to publish and disseminate the RCU Circulator. This monthly newsletter has proven to be a valuable feedback mechanism from readers and, as of February 1973, is mailed to ap proximately 4.500 persons bimonthly from September through May. The mailing list has expanded from the original total of 2,600 in 1970 to the above mentioned total by individual and group requests. At the RCU offices in Knoxville, four reader-printers are available and four portable readers are on hand for overnight checkout. In addition, one microfiche reproducer and a Xerox (for manual searching) are also located in the same building with the library containing the complete ERIC microfiche collection. Several other departments on the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, campus have purchased portable readers for private use and campus libraries and librarians cooperate by both giving and receiving referrals. This same working relationship is being developed with many other college and university libraries throughout the State. Selective Dissemination of Information Subsystem The Tennessee Selective Dissemination of Information Sub-System for Area vocational schools, State technical institutes, community colleges, and secondary schools was first initiated in September of 1972. Using the 1972 Directory of Personnel in Vocational Education in Tennessee, a faculty profile was constructed for each school, listing the total number of teachers in each vocational instructional area. The profile servies as a key for assembling the SDI package for each school. The package provides individual teachers with sample listings of available materials in specific instructional areas on a regular basis. In addition, the superintendent and/or principal was given an opportunity to both update the faculty profile for his school, designate a contact person who would always be responsible for distributing the SDI sheets to the appropriate teachers, and request a mimeographed review of readers and reader-printers presently available. It is hoped that the SDI sub-system will both serve as a means of informing Tennessee vocational instructional personnel of the kinds of instructional materials available from the RCU and also encourage the use of the 13 regional resource centers scattered throughout the State. During the fiscal year 1972-73, the SDI sub-system was organized so that materials for secondary schools and those for postsecondary schools would be mailed on alternate months from October through May. The following schedule was developed to assist in meeting the mailing deadlines: September: Postsecondary No. 1. January: Secondary No. 2. May: Secondary No. 4. In many cases, documents from the AIM indexes on topics such as cosmetology and cooperative education were limited. The Tennessee RCU/SDI sub-system has, therefore, proven to be a valuable checkpoint for the types of documents that are scarce in the FT clearinghouse files and has put the information specialist in a position to be able to make recommendations for greater emphasis by the clearinghouse in the instructional areas for which there is both a demand and little supply throughout the State of Tennessee. Plans for 1973-74 are to prepare SDI materials on a quarterly basis as new AIM indexes are received. Project INFOE Project INFOE (information needed for occupational entry) was developed and implemented during fiscal year 1972 and fiscal year 1973. This program parallels VIEW programs in other States. The purpose of INFOE is to develop and disseminate career information for use by students in grades 7 through 14. An INFOEscript format which provides for general career information on three pages and for specific information pertinent to the locale on the fourth page. In localizing information for the fourth page, data were obtained from local offices of the Tennessee State Employment Service, regional vocational education supervisors, State area vocational-technical schools, State technical institutes, State community colleges, and from businesses and industries. Content for the first three pages of general information is adapted from existing guidance materials. After being validated for use in Tennessee, the four pages were photographed and reproduced on aperture cards. Activities completed to date include: 1. Pilot test of an INFOE deck of cards consisting of information on 200 job titles in 89 schools in Tennessee during spring, 1972. 2. Dissemination of INFOE decks consisting of information on 400 job titles in 150 schools during fall, 1972. 3. Development of an INFOE institution deck consisting of cards containing information which describes all postsecondary institutions in Tennessee and selected institutions outside of the State. (March, 1973) 4. Development of an INFOE program offering decks of cards containing information which describes all the vocational and technology programs offered in Tennessee. (March, 1973) Elementary INFOE The Tennessee research coordinating unit in cooperation with the Tennessee Valley Authority is developing a career information system for students in grades 4, 5, and 6. The system, called elementary INFOE (information needed for occupational exploration), is designed to provide students with basic information on career clusters as well as general information on specific job titles. The key to INFOE is in INFOEscript reproduced on a microfilm aperture card. Twenty INFOEscripts will be developed for each of the 15 career clusters identified by U.S. Office of Education. One INFOEscript for each cluster will consist of an introduction. and an overview of the careers contained in the cluster. In addition, 19 scripts for each cluster will contain general information on specific job titles. Specific objectives are: 1. To develop 300 microfilm aperture cards containing career information on 15 career clusters for use by 4th, 5th, and 6th grade stu dents. 2. To pilot test the INFOE materials in a total of 30 elementary classrooms selected from schools in the following states: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee. 3. To provide inservice training and printed guides on the use of the INFOE materials to teachers and students in the pilot test scools, SUMMARY In summary, the net effects of the functions performed in research in the State of Tennessee have had a direct positive effect on bring ing about change in vocational technical programs at the local level. In addition, indirectly the effects of the research program have made an important contribution by providing a data bank as a statewide resource for planning and development. (4) State advisory council.--Major recommendations and responses for the past 3 years are as follows: 1. The council recommended that more attention be given to developing appropriate programs for elementary students which provide the opportunity to learn the world of work and have "hands on" experiences with occupational skills. Such programs should be carefully evaluated with wide sharing of information concerning successes and weaknesses. Response.-Several exemplary and career education projects are currently in operation, each providing "hands on" experiences with occupational skills for elementary students. Each program approaches the problem in a different way. Evaluations of these projects are currently in process. Since most of the programs are relatively new, little information about their strengths and weaknesses has been determined and disseminated. Some information concerning the operation of the programs, however, has been disseminated. 2. The council recommended that coordination of effort and articulation at all levels be increased among secondary, postsecondary and adult education agencies to avoid costly duplication of programs and to permit intelligent study and consideration of the direction vocational-technical education is taking in terms of where it should be headed. This framework should allow for: (a) Flexibility necessary to recognize differences in local situations, (b) full recognition of the expanded programs in technical education at all levels of operation, (c) initiative to attempt new approaches with new linkages. Response.-A statewide conference on management by objectives was conducted to explore and set forth objectives for the total program of vocational-technical education. Personnel from local schools, area vocational-technical schools, technical institutes, community colleges, State staff of vocational education, and representatives of the universities participated in the conference. The development of curriculum material involving several services was pursued during the year which involved education institutions from the junior high level through the university in order to insure an articulated program eliminating duplication of efforts among the various levels of vocational-technical education. During the reporting period programs were made at all levels through cooperative planning for programs that are being pursued and planned to determine better ways of training for occupational entry. 3. Efforts should be continued to broaden the base of program offerings available to students. Although progress is indicated programs should be identified with actual job opportunities of anticipated job placement. Response. The process of local planning is bringing about an awareness to local school officials that job opportunities and training programs must be compatable. The data required in local plan applications demands an involvement by local businessmen, industrialists, labor representatives, lay people, educators, agriculturists, and others. This type of resource is most valuable in planning local programs to meet employment needs of the community being served. 4. Strong emphasis should be placed on developing new programs specifically for the disadvantaged without consideration for redirecting existing programs that serve the general vocational student population. Response.-Emphasis continues to be placed on the development of vocational basic education remedial programs for those disadvan |