c. Prepared, or selected, and used an evaluation instrument for the purpose of assessing the occupational aspirations of students enrolled in school.

d. Prepared, or selected, and used a survey instrument to assess the occupational needs and job opportunities in the school-community. e. Established and operated an advisory committee for vocational education within the school district.

f. Prepared a minigrant proposal for a research project to be funded by the Arkansas Department of Education. Twelve projects were approved and funded; two externs conducted other funded projects and did not apply for a minigrant.

g. All externs assumed a major responsibility in the planning and arrangement for one or more of the weekend seminars.

h. The following is a statement from the final report of an extern which seemed to reflect the general feeling of all participants.

It is my opinion that the group goals, as set forth for the extern program seminars, have been successfully achieved. Each of the week-end seminars have focused upon specific objectives and in all instances have been met successfully The wealth of knowledge that has been gained from each of the different activities of the Extern Program will have a profound effect upon each of the participants, and upon vocational education generally, within the State of Arkansas.

STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL

In our opinion the most significant contribution of the council in the past 5 years centers around its interest in broadening the availability of vocational training for secondary students. In December, 1972, the council recommended to the State board that a request be presented to the Arkansas General Assembly in January 1973, for increasing available State funds for secondary vocational education programs by $2.5 million. In addition to making the recommendation, the council assumed a leadership role and was successful in getting State funds for secondary programs of vocational education increased from $1,500,000 in 1972-73 to $5 million for each year of the 1973-75 biennium.

Although it has not been possible to fully implement many of the recommendations of the council, the State board is in agreement with most of the recommendations and is implementing them as rapidly as possible. Some changes which are attributable at least in part to their recommendations are:

1. Admission of high school students to postsecondary institutions: Some of the students at some of the schools are accepted only for exploratory courses during hours in which post-secondary students are not in classes. In other instances, secondary students are trained concurrently with postsecondary students. The advisory council is interested in seeing high school students (11th and 12th. grades) enrolled for 3 hours per day in actual skill training.

2. Increased emphasis given to career awareness in grades 1 through 6. The council pointed out that its recommendation depends, to a large extent, on involvement of persons outside the field of vocational education. The State board has assigned one staff member full-time responsibility for development of the career education con

cept, including occupational awareness, and for coordinating the career education efforts of all personnel in the Department of Education.

3. Interest has been increased in implementation of area high school programs of vocational training. Three new area programs were started in 1971-72, and several school districts are attempting to initiate programs in the near future.

SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In summary, enrollment in vocational education, including consumer and homemaking, has increased 31 percent in the past 10 years. Enrollment in occupational training courses, excluding consumer and homemaking, has increased 42 percent. The number of area vocational-technical schools for postsecondary students has increased from 1 to 15. Five area vocational-technical facilities (high school) have been built and programs established.

Persons involved in vocational education in Arkansas recommend the continuation of categorical funding for vocational education. Tremendous progress has been made in the past 10 years in development of a vocational education program that is consistent throughout the Nation but flexible enough to meet the needs of individual States. Although the revenue-sharing approach would provide additional flexibility, we feel that effectiveness would be diminished. We are very much opposed to abandonment of categorical funding for vocational education.

Our recommendation on reorganization and regionalization of the Office of Education is that any arrangement has advantages and disadvantages which makes us reluctant to become unduly concerned about any particular organizational structure as long as the one in use provides a status for vocational education that will allow handling it on an administrative level that will result in progress. However, the constant reorganization that has existed in recent years is very crippling in our opinion to total education as well as vocational education.

Services from our regional office of HEW are more than satisfactory, even with limited staffing.

CALIFORNIA

State Director-Samuel L. Barrett

INTRODUCTION

We are indeed grateful for the opportunity to comment again on the progress and status of vocational education in California and to recommend improvements in Federal programs. It seems appropriate to note that 10 years have passed since the landmark legislationthe Vocational Education Act of 1963-was inaugurated. The outcome of this legislation and its amendments of 1968 has been spectacular growth, not only in numbers of persons trained for occupations, but also in acceptance and support by education, the State legislature, business and industry, and the general public. When such growth is applied to the Nation's most populous State, the result is measurable impact on the problem of delivering a dependable supply of trained manpower for California's huge job market (8,468,000 total civilian employment).

The first 2 years after the passage of Public Law 90-576 were characterized by intense planning, professional development, and operational activity to meet the intent of Congress. The last 2 years were characterized by operational efficiency and accountability for quality programs of vocational education.

Growth in enrollments has been spectacular, and can be directly attributable to substantial aid from the Vocational Education Act of 1963 and its amendments. Enrollment in 1963 was 462,687. By 1968, enrollment jumped to 1,036,086 and to 1,233,920 in 1972, 9-year growth was 165 percent. Projected enrollments by 1977 will be 1,679,115, an increase of nearly 300 percent since 1963.

Secondary Level

REGULAR (PART B) PROGRAMS

Student enrollment in vocational education at the secondary level continues to grow to the point that it is now more than 40 percent of the total grade 9-12 population in the State's comprehensive high schools. The vitality of vocational education in California is exemplified by the degree of commitment school districts have been placing on the occupational preparation of their students. While the total student population of kindergarten through grade 12 is experiencing a slight decline and funds to support adequate education are becoming increasingly scarce, nearly all school districts with secondary schools are maintaining vocational education programs at or above the previous year's level. Table 1 shows the secondary enrollment in job training programs for 1963, 1968, 1972, and 1977 (projected).

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99-988-73-pt. 1

Secondary students receive training in seven instructional areas: (1) agriculture, (2) distribution, (3) health, (4) homemaking (gainful), (5) office, (6) technical, and (7) trade and industry.

Agriculture education has witnessed steady growth in spite of a general decline in on-farm employment. One reason for growth in enrollment has been expansion of the multibillion enterprise known as agribusiness, which many students find attractive because of the many opportunities for future employment. Another reason for growth is interest in ecology, of which some aspect is found in many new programs, both in urban and rural schools.

Although certain subjects are basic to any curriculum in agricultural education, the course of study in each high school also reflects the characteristics of agriculture in the district it serves. Thus, agricultural departments in metropolitan areas may concentrate on ornamental horticulture, turf management care of laboratory animals, landscaping, and floral arrangement; departments in major agricultural areas may, on the other hand, concentrate on agribusiness, production agriculture, and related occupations. This approach is realistic and attracts students by making job opportunities more visible to them.

TABLE 1.-ENROLLMENT IN THE REGULAR (PART B) PROGRAM OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Distributive education programs are conducted in the high schools to enable students to enter occupations related to sales, marketing, and distribution. Employment opportunities are many, considering some 750,000 Californians hold positions in this category. Labor market projections indicate a replacement need for about 100,000 persons in 1973 and about 250,000 in 1977. There remains a need to greatly expand programs of distribution education at the secondary level.

Health occupations education is another area which should be expanded at the secondary level. There is widespread interest among high school students for job preparation programs that will enable a graduate to enter a health occupation or to gain advance training and licensure in a health program in a community college. Until recent years, health occupations programs were rarely found in the high schools. With recent national and State emphasis on health care services, new programs for high school students have been established. A health careers program for secondary schools in the

Los Angeles area is being implemented. Eight secondary schools and 300 students are involved in this program. Training is offered for such occupations as pharmacy aide, environmental worker, cardiopulmonary aide, medical records aide, nurse aide, licensed vocational nurse, and rehabilitation aide. Plans are to involve 50 to 60 percent of California secondary school districts in a similar program by 1975.

Home economics occupational education continues to expand. Among instructional programs having the highest enrollment were: (1) Care and guidance of children, (2) clothing management and production, (3) food management production and services, (4) home furnishing, equipment, and services, and (5) institutional and home management, and supporting services. Continuing to capture student interest were programs related to the care and guidance of small children. Persons trained in this field find ready employment in nursery schools and child care centers.

Office occupations education in California secondary schools prepares students for entering employment in office-related occupations. This subject-matter area has the largest enrollment at this level. Employment in the office occupations in California approximates 1,300,000 persons. Labor demand projections indicate that the replacement need for employees in these occupations is approximately 250,000 for 1973, rising to 600,000 in 1977. Continual emphasis is placed on simulating actual job conditions, both in classroom arrangement and in job tasks learned. Demonstration programs are identified and visited by educators from other schools for diffusion of exemplary practices.

Although programs in technical education have been outstanding, many will be held at the current level or may be curtailed through 1977. Rapid technological change, newly emerging fields, and deemphasis of some areas are resulting in high unemployment among skilled technicians, and retraining for such occupations as communications, mass media, and environmental support seems to be indicated. Changes in technology and national and State priorities will signal the need for some new pretechnical preparation programs at the secondary level.

Trade and industrial education supplies trained manpower for occupations that function directly in the designing, producing, processing, fabricating, assembling, testing, modifying, maintaining, servicing, or repairing of any product or commodity. The employment demands for this decade will mandate an increase in occupational training in such areas as fire service, law enforcement, hospitality, and recreation, construction, manufacturing, personal services, and transportation.

Postsecondary Programs

According to long-standing tradition and policy, the greater part of postsecondary vocational education in California has been offered in the community colleges. By State law, one of the principal purposes of the community colleges has been to provide vocational training. The other purposes have been (1) to offer courses for those planning to transfer to 4-year institutions of higher education; and