WISCONSIN

State Director-Eugene Lehrmann

INTRODUCTION

Vocational education has experienced dramatic growth in the past 10 years. Unfortunately, good vocational enrollment information for 1963 is not available. The available data indicates that about 88,000 persons were served that year at the postsecondary and adult levels, The total enrollment for 1968 was 167,536. By 1972 enrollment was 253,495, an increase of 51 percent. This rapid growth is expected to continue into the near future with enrollment reaching 355,000 in 1977.

Of particular note is the growth in service through full-time postsecondary programs. In 1963 a total of 11,959 persons were served. In 1972 a total of 48,990 enrollments were recorded.

The secondary education system in Wisconsin has been moving rapidly to assume its responsibility in providing vocational education to high school age youth. Enrollment at that level has increased from 38.536 in 1968 to 103,278 in 1972.

Adult programs continue to be a strong factor in the vocational education delivery system with enrollments now exceeding the 100,000 mark. Data in the following sections further detail the past and expected future growth of vocational education in Wisconsin.

PUBLIC LAW 90-576; PART B-STATE VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

b. General Description

Job training opportunities have expanded in all occupational areas, with dramatic growth in the health education occupations and trade and industrial areas. Overall, secondary courses increased from 442 in 1964-65 to 1,018 in 1971-72, for a 130 percent increase. At the postsecondary level, program offerings numbered 57 in 1964-65, more than tripling to 236 in 1971-72. Adult courses increased from 331 to 2,804 over the same 7-year period.

To assure that new program development is responsive to labor market needs, a system of advisory committees is utilized. These committees are made up of employers, employees, and others who are chosen from candidates submitted by member organizations or associ ations of each occupation or cluster of occupations. The policies that exist on all levels insist that these advisory committees be formed and function to assure that the system's philosophical concepts as well as practical instruction are carried out.

c. Postsecondary Programs

The students enrolled in the full-time postsecondary programs are served at the campuses of the 38 technical institutes and area vocational schools located throughout the State of Wisconsin. Enrollments in these programs increased by 72 percent from 1968 to 1972 and are expected to increase by nearly 50 percent in 1977 over 1972. The following table displays the number of different instructional programs offered at the postsecondary level in 1972.

A total of 13,607 disadvantaged students were served in job training programs during 1972. This total is a very substantial increase over the 1,981 students who were served in special programs ( both disadvantaged and handicapped) during 1968. Approximately 22,500 disadvantaged students are expected to be enrolled in 1977.

e. Handicapped Students

In 1972, 3,097 handicapped students were enrolled in vocational education programs. This total represents a more than 50 percent increase in this type of student over 1971. By 1977 it is expected that about 5,000 students will be served through special programs for the handicapped.

f. Adults

In 1968, 2,457 persons were enrolled in adult preparatory job training programs and 48,432 were engaged in supplemental training programs. MDTA enrolled approximately 3,000 persons in 1968.

In 1972, 21,128 adults were enrolled in the preparatory job training programs and 36,992 were enrolled in supplemental training programs. Another 5,020 were enrolled in apprenticeship training programs, Some 2,364 persons received training under the MDTA programs in

1972.

g. (1) Financing.-Part B funds are distributed among local educational agencies and other agencies on a project approval basis. Project proposals are submitted according to specific guidelines and these ap plications are reviewed in terms of specific criteria in order to determine which projects will be funded and the rates at which approved projects will be funded.

The major categories and their relative weights are as follows:

Manpower Needs -Weight: 6, points possible: 30. Applications will be evaluated in terms of the extent to which the project or program helps prepare persons for occupations which rank high in terms of need for new employees and/ or which are new and emerging. Current sources of information, such as publications of the Wisconsin State Employment Service (WSES), will be used to determine occupations which are rated as having "severe" or "great" needs, "mild" or "slight” needs, or no evident need. WSES data may be supplemented with special surveys or information obtained from reliable sources and which is properly documented and published. Ratings will be as follows: "severe" "great" needs; 5; “mild" and "slight” needs : 3; no need : 0.

Vocational Needs -Weight : 3, points possible: 15. Projects which aim at serving special target groups as defined in the 1968 Act and the State Plan will be rated 5. These groups include disadvantaged, handicapped, dropouts and underachievers. Projects which aim at serving regular groups will be rated 3. Excess Costs-Weight: 3, points possible: 15.

Projects which have evidence of costs which are unusual compared to other projects or program within the educational system will be rated 5; excess costs will include such items as summer employment of instructors, extended employment or released time to conduct special program emphasis (cooperative education, planning new programs, etc.), high expenditures for initial equipment acquisition, etc. Projects which have only normal costs will be rated 3.

Relative Ability to Pay-Weight: 4, points possible: 20. School districts which are at the state median or below in their ability to draw on resources at the local level to support their education programs, as indicated by such measures as the equalized valuation per student, will be rated 5. Those which are above the median will be rated 3.

Total points possible: $0.

Additional Considerations

To help assure that local educational agencies will not be denied opportunity to participate in vocational education programs due to an inability to provide local matching funds, additional consideration will be given to those agencies which are in areas considered to be “economically depressed" under the provisions of the State Plan. An additional 5 points may be awarded local educational agencies located within "economically depressed" areas.

To help assist local educational agencies which are located in areas considered to be "high dropout areas" or "high youth unemployment areas" in the State Plan, projects from those agencies may be awarded an additional 5 points.

Projects that have special features which are considered to be demonstration or pilot in nature and which help to meet special needs of the state program may be awarded an additional 10 points.

Total additional points possible: 20.

Summary

Rating Scale for Vocation Education Act of 1968 Project Applications

Manpower Needs-Weight : 6, Points possible: 30.

Employment needs severe or great............

5

Employment needs mild or slight.

Employment needs not evident..

Vocational needs-Weight: 3, Points possible: 15. Service to special target groups-

Service to regular groups----

Excess costs-Weight: 3, Points possible: 15.

Unusual, high costs..

Normal costs---.

Relative ability to pay-Weight: 4, Points possible: 20. Median or below median valuation_

Above median valuation....

Total points possible: 80.

Additional considerations:

Schools in economically depressed areas.

Schools in high dropout or high youth unemployment areas_.
Demonstration or pilot projects---

Total additional points possible: 20.

(ii) Financing for Metro and Rural Poverty Areas.-There is only one city in Wisconsin with a population of 250,000 or more. This is Milwaukee. In 1971-72, the Milwaukee Area Technical District (Milwaukee and a portion of Ozaukee Counties) received $4,063,800 in State aids, or approximately 28 percent of all State aids. According to the Wisconsin Department of Administration's "Population Projections", the Milwaukee Area Technical District contained approximately 25 percent of the State's population in calendar year 1972. For 1971-72, the Milwaukee Area Technical District received 19 percent of all Federal aids distributed under the Vocational Education Act of 1968 ($890,529).

The State's poorest rural area, as measured by the percent of families with income less than poverty level (on a county-by-county basis) is the Indianhead Vocational-Technical Education District (Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, Iron, Burnett, Washburn, Sawyer, Polk, Barron, Rusk, and St. Croix Counties). In fiscal year 1971-72, that district received approximately 4 percent of all State aids and contained approximately 5 percent of the State's population. In 1971-72, the Indianhead Vocational-Technical District received 7 percent of all Federal funds distributed under the Vocational Education Act of 1968 ($314,842). h. Construction and Equipment (Postsecondary Schools)

Note.-Estimated total construction funds required in fiscal year 1977-78 equal $12,979,000 (all funds).

4,370,000

14, 241, 245

4,411,706 12, 373, 015 8,945, 005 10, 143, 000

35,873, 726

CAPACITY INCREASES PROJECTED AS NEED REQUIREMENTS FROM 1973-74 TO 1977-78 (POSTSECONDARY)

PUBLIC LAW 90-576; OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS

a. Exemplary Programs and Projects

No Federal funds under this part were received for expenditures prior to fiscal year 1970. Attached is a listing of projects funded for 1972. In Wisconsin, 40 percent of the State's allocation under part D, exemplary funds are administered by the State department of public instruction while the Wisconsin Board of Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education administers 60 percent. Much of this is spent on articulation programs between the two agencies. Annually, Wisconsin received applications exceeding by 2 to 3 times the amount of Federal funds available.

Many of the projects pertain to development, purchase and delivery of occupational and vocational guidance information to youth at all grade levels. Consequently, it is difficult to indicate the exact number of persons served in many cases. Regional career information centers and mobile guidance units in sparsely populated areas have proved to be widely used and successful. Video tapes and localized colored sound slides of workers on the job have helped to create awareness of jobs in youth. Other projects included use of young parolees and minority groups and disadvantaged students to encourage their peers to return or enroll in vocational and literacy courses. Slow learners were given work experience in auto mechanics during the summer to supplement classroom learning during the school year. Individualized learning packages and audio-visual materials for learning resource centers were also developed.

Projects for 1977 include expansion of the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary VTAE students served by exemplary programs from 25,000 in fiscal year 1972 to 100,000 in fiscal year 1977, which will require an anticipated increase of Federal funds from $157,566 in fiscal year 1972 to approximately $1 million in 1977.

b. Residential Vocational Education

The postsecondary vocational schools in Wisconsin serve a commuter clientele or the students are of an age whereby they arrange for their own housing. This housing is often supervised and, in fact, inspected by the district vocational school.

Approximately 138,000 public school students are members of districts offering comprehensive vocational programs. There are an additional 157,000 high school students who are not so favored. Residential schools may not be acceptable; however, much of this unacceptability is due to financing. If the financial constraints were removed, this