(b) Consideration should be given to 2 year funding in order to provide State and local educational agencies greater lead time for planning purposes.

(c) Efforts should be made to maintain or expand the current central staff in the U.S. Office of Education. Present regional offices are working out satisfactorily, but further regionalization would tend to negate the benefits of central leadership.

(d) Better Schools Act of 1973:

1. At this point in time it is difficult to conceive how it would be possible to administer special revenue sharing for education for the 1973-74 school year. Until more information is received, it is difficult to react to the legislation. Generally the specific bill is considered negatively.

2. Vocational education has grown tremendously since the 1963 act was passed and under the Vocational Amendments of 1968. There is much to be said for a line item budget for vocational education if growth of the past few years is an indication.

MINNESOTA

State Director-Robert P. Van Tries

INTRODUCTION

During the past 10 years vocational-technical education in Minnesota has experienced tremendous growth. The following table shows the total enrollments in secondary, postsecondary, and adult:

19th grade vocational education is not included in the 1977 projection because it will no longer be reimbursed.

It should be noted that the growth during this period of time has been greater than the comparable increase in Federal financing. The Minnesota Legislature has annually increased its financial commitment to vocational-technical education to a greater degree than has the Federal Government. State budgets have nearly doubled every 2 years. The success of the vocational-technical programs at the several levels has been observed and received by the State legislature with considerable satisfaction, resulting in financial commitment.

PUBLIC LAW 90-576 "PART B-STATE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS”

a. Job Training Enrollments

The figures on the following page were taken from the 1963, 1963, and 1972 Federal reports. The 1977 projections were obtained from table I of the first year 1973 Minnesota State plan for vocationaltechnical education.

The increase in job training programs for both youth and adults is easily observable in the figures from the previous section. The most profound expansion in Minnesota took place in the postsecondary level during the past 10 years. The past decade has seen postsecondary enrollments increase from 2,000 students to 21,000 students. During this same period of time programs have been initiated in over 300 occupational areas.

Federal funding has been most influential in providing assistance to the State in the construction of facilities. Operationally, Federal funding has contributed barely 5 percent of the expenditures.

c. Postsecondary Courses

At the present time Minnesota has 33 area vocational-technical institutes offering classes in occupational areas at the postsecondary level. The following are the enrollments at these institutions:

In addition to the area vocational-technical institutes, classes are offered through the junior colleges where, because of geography, ready access is not available to the institutes. The following are enrollments within the junior colleges:

The postsecondary offerings in Minnesota have maintained a high degree of quality and are presently riding a crest of popularity with students. Approximately two students for each available space were turned down in the past year. Even with the tremendous growth which has taken place in the past 10 years, the system is unable to provide sufficient program offerings.

d. Disadvantaged Students:

(1963). No statistics are available.

(1968). Relatively few funds were used in programs especially designed for disadvantaged students to succeed. Enrollment figures indicated that approximately 5,200 being served in regular programs were classified as disadvantaged. The effect of the mandate of the Vocational Act of 1968 had its impact on vocational programing for disadvantaged at that time.

(1972). By 1972 the disadvantaged (part B) moneys had generated new programs which were not available to students in Minnesota prior to this time. The most popular of the programs was the work experience for the disadvantaged. A total of approximately 9,800 disadvantaged persons were identified and served with $1,244,947. As a result of a formula developed by the vocational-technical division, an additional $800,000 was generated in State and local funds.

(1977). Additional programs for the disadvantaged can be projected in the State of Minnesota. It would be safe to say that programs for the disadvantaged could be doubled or tripled if additional funds became available. By 1977 we would still be just scratching the surface of the number of disadvantaged students who could profit by vocational training.

e. Handicapped Students:

(1963). No statistics are available.

(1968). For many years handicapped persons had been served in the vocational-technical system in Minnesota. The number of dollars reported in 1968 was quite insignificant as most of the handicapped were being served in regular programs. The effect of the mandate of the Vocational Act of 1968 had not yet had an impact on vocational programming for the handicapped. Approximately 2,800 students were reported during fiscal year 1968.

(1972). By 1972 the handicapped (part B) moneys had taken affect in Minnesota. Programs throughout the State had been devised to either lend supportive services to regular programs or to modify curriculum in special education programs in which handicapped persons could succeed and become useful, productive members of society. The most popular of the special programs was the work experience for handicapped. The handicapped in these programs were given real work as a vehicle to adjust and to modify their behavior so that they could compete in the labor market. A total of 5,270 handicapped students were reported as having received special services as a result of the part B set-asides. Minnesota's allocation was $713,913. As a result of a formula devised by the vocational-technical division, another $450,000 was generated in State and local funds.

(1977). Additional programs for the handicapped can be projected in the State of Minnesota. It would be safe to say that programs for the handicapped could be doubled or tripled if additional funds became available. By 1977 we would still be scratching the surface of the number of handicapped students who could profit by vocational training.

f. Adults:

Part B funds are used in regular retraining programs for currently employed persons as well as apprentices engaged in formal training programs. These enrollments are shown below as compared to those funded through manpower funds:

(i) The following pages, reproduced from the 1974 Minnesota State Plan for Vocational-Technical Education, show the distribution method of part B funds among local and other agencies. As indicated previously, Minnesota uses its part B funds predominantly for postsecondary education, which consists of a statewide system of 33 area vocational-technical institutes. All students in the State have access to these institutes; and, therefore, the State constitutes a single region. Matching fund formulas within a State such as Minnesota is more costly in accounting than in providing the intent of the legislation.

Also, the State support system within the elementary/secondary schools that exceeds 75 percent State funding almost negates the ability-to-pay factor.

In terms of meeting local manpower needs, the State has two generalizable areas within its economy-its metropolitan industrial area and its outstate rural communities. Considerable data is drawn by the educational systems in attempts to identify manpower needs. However, these efforts at best are meager; and, when combined with literally no reinforcement information from the Department of Labor, the variable is not of appreciable use. Similarly, excess costs are extremely difficult to gather with accuracy. However, recent research projects have identified determinants whereby accurate estimators can be utilized.

The identification of persons to be served has been extremely expedited since the 1970 census, and population groups have been better identified and categorized.

With the low percentage of Federal funding in the total programs, the distribution requirements seem futile.

3.27 Application of Criteria in Determining the Relative Priority of Local Applications. The State Board will consider the following criteria in allocating federal funds to local education agencies:

1. Manpower needs and job opportunities.

2. Persons to be served.

3. Relative ability to pay.

4. Excess costs.

The specific subcriteria, the weighting procedure and the formula for allocating funds to local education agencies is described in the following material:

99-988-73-pt. 1—29