MINNESOTA-EXEMPLARY PROJECTS IN CAREER EDUCATION, FUNDED UNDER SECTION 131(a) OF PART C OF THE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AMENDMENTS OF 1968 (PUBLIC LAW 90-576), FOR FISCAL YEAR 1973 Project title A comprehensive exemplary program "Orientation to the World of Work" (career development K-12). Independent School District No. A comprehensive career education program has 94, Cloquet, Minn. been developed and implemented at Cloquet with the assistance of community resource people. It is aimed at providing all students throughout their entire educational experience (K-12) a series of related, comprehensive, systematically planned career educational activities. Emphasis on self-concept and attitude development of the student will continue at the elementary level, with an interdisciplinary approach and exploratory work experience programs utilized at the junior and senior high school levels, respectively. Performance contracting has been used as one means of developing and testing curriculum materials and encouraging staff involvement in the project. Project TACO: Technology as- Independent School District No. Three goals, summarized as awareness, appreciasisted career orientation. 279, Osseo, Minn. tion and attitude, and decisionmaking, form the basis for a comprehensive career education project for one of the smaller suburban school systems in the metropolitan area. The project is being conducted on a pilot basis in the district with four elementary schools, three junior high schools, and the counseling and guidance departments in the senior high schools involved. Objectives have been developed and activities initiated which consider the needs of students, teachers, and the community. Career awareness education...... Independent School District No. The career education project at Owatonna includes 761, Owatonna, Minn. staff and students from both public and parochial elementary schools. All students and staff at this level are currently involved. Considerable effort has gone into the development of curriculum materials with a view to integrating career information into the ongoing curriculum. The goals of this project are: (1) To modify the attitudes of educators toward career development, (2) to change the attitude of the community toward a career awareness program, (3) to integrate career awareness materials into the elementary curriculum, and (4) to develop in students a positive attitude for all types of jobs. Plainview has used a two phase procedure in implementing career education in its school system. The project started in its initial phase at the elementary level, K-6, with an upward progression into grades 7-9 in the succeeding phase. All learning experiences at both levels are integrated into the existing curriculum. Games, demonstrations, skits, role playing, and audiovisual materials are used in the classroom in teaching about the World of Work, while field trips, resource people and individual and group projects are modes of instruction used outside the classroom. In addition to learning about the World of Work, emphasis will be given to teaching students about hobbies and leisure time activities. an articulated, comprehensive (k-12) career education program to be conducted in 6 elementary schools, a junior high school and a senior high school. Principals of the elementary schools will aid in orientation of teachers in World of Work concepts. Each building principal will aid teachers in planning, promoting, and establishing career education projects within the classrooms, building, and the community. At the elementary level there is a strong emphasis for parents to be called upon to serve as resource persons. Exploratory experiences at the junior high school have been included as specific units and projects within subject matter classes. These will be expanded during the year with increasing activity from the various departments. Likewise, at the senior high school level projects have been initiated in various subject matter fields. In addition provisions for work experience and student job placement services are being developed. MINNESOTA-EXEMPLARY PROJECTS IN CAREER EDUCATION, FUNDED UNDER SECTION 131(a) OF PART C OF THE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AMENDMENTS OF 1968 (PUBLIC LAW 90-576), FOR FISCAL YEAR 1973-Continued Project title A developmental career development elementary program for independent school district No. 623. The relevance of community resources toward the development of understanding occupational opportunities and the significance of the world of work in the Willmar Public School. A career development program, Independent School District No. The career education project at Roseville is focusing 623, Roseville, Minn. Independent School District No. Independent school district No. on the elementary level, K-6. Its purpose is to develop and test effective methods for teaching occupational awareness in the context of a large urban elementary school system. As such, the project has expanded horizontally from its pilot phase to include numerous schools, teachers, students, and counselors at the elementary level. Considerable emphasis has been given, at this site, to the evaluation component of the project. The development of an articulated comprehensive career education program for a predominantly rural community represents the thrust of the project at Willmar. The project has progressed through a series of phases, involving the elementary, junior, and senior high schools. Major emphasis has been placed upon identifying and using community resources in the instructional process. Most of the project focus will be accomplished through the existing curriculum as correlated to the identified resources of the community. Separate career guidance activities are also an integral part of the project. White Bear Lake is a recent addition to the career education exemplary project, having been chosen as a replacement site for another suburban school. The focus at this site will be on the junior high school level (7-9) with 2 public schools and 1 parochial school involved. The project will utilize performance contracting and begin with "already developed" curriculum materials procured from throughout the Nation. STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL Minnesota utilized an advisory committee long before the mandate from the Federal Government for such a council. Therefore, significant historical change is difficult to assess. Since 1969 the Minnesota Council has produced several public reports and made numerous recommendations, most of which were directed toward the total educational structure at the State and Federal levels. The majority of their recommendations have been directed at either the Congress or the State legislature, with little action being directed toward local or State governance. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS During the past 10 years vocational education has experienced the greatest growth of any segment in the State of Minnesota. This is borne out not only in the numerical observation of enrollments but also in the evaluatory information available on the graduates. An extremely high percentage of the graduates find financial and social success through their vocational experience. Unfortunately, this growth-while great- has not kept pace with the demand for vocational training. Much work is yet to be done to serve the needs of Minnesota. The following are offered as recommendations to Congress to assist in expediting the attainment of necessary services: 1. Increase the level of Federal funding to a rate commensurate with the commitment of State and local agencies. 2. Reduce the reporting structures that are required by the U.S. Office of Education. Of particular concern is the requirement of extensive planning within specified formats, having at the same time specific reporting structures that are not comparable to the planning documents. 3. Congress should carefully examine its requirements for extensive planning if it is unwilling to appropriate funds upon which to plan. Many man-hours are wasted in planning alternatives because it is not known how much money will be available and when it will be available. Such is the case at the present time. 4. The reorganization of the U.S. Office of Education should be done permanently. Centralization or decentralization has become less a frustration than the fact that during the past decade reorganization has been a constant trauma with personnel in the U.S. Öffice of Education. State staff seldom know who their current contact person is nor how long they will be dealing with a particular individual. This has led to considerable discontinuity and decision reversal as well as confusion. 5. No recommendation is made in regard to the Better Schools Act in that until it has been worked out in finer detail and State decisions are made, its impact on the system is unquantifiable and unpredictable. MISSISSIPPI State Director-Troy V. Majure INTRODUCTION It is felt that vocational education enrollments in Mississippi have made excellent growth since 1963, and it is believed that the atmosphere is now right for a rapid growth in the future. Even though the growth in enrollment has been satisfactory it is thought that the most significant improvement in vocational education in recent years has been expanding the vocational education offerings to students. In 1963 most students were offered only agriculture or home economics, but now most students have a choice of several types of training. As rapidly as funds have become available local school districts have been assisted in constructing and equipping vocational education facilities that would enable the schools to offer a comprehensive program. The facilities for offering post secondary vocational education are presently adequate for meeting the need. The need for providing secondary facilities for offering comprehensive programs in vocational education has been only half met. If these additional needs are met in the future local school districts must have help from the State and Federal governments. Even though considerable progress has been made toward reaching people with special needs, not nearly all of the needs have been met. Therefore, special programs for handicapped and disadvantaged people will be needed in the future and Federal funds are an absolute necessity. Remedial education for many students in vocational education is necessary if these students are to make satisfactory progress in their occupational training. Additional funds are needed to provide this extra assistance to these disadvantaged students. The total vocational education enrollments for 1963, 1968, 1972, and the projection for 1977 are given below. 1963 1968 1972 19771 96,285 102, 564 115, 285 164, 358 1 Based on objectives projected to 1977 and increased funding to provide services to youth and adults. In fiscal year 1972, in addition to the 115,285 students who were enrolled in vocational education, 25,000 were enrolled in career education. In fiscal year 1977 it is estimated that 118,000 additional students will be enrolled in career education. (452) |