students as well as adults. These schools are continually expanding their facilities to meet the occupational training needs. In addition to these, one postsecondary school is operated by the State prison board at Parchman. Thirty-four secondary area vocational schools have been built and are now in operation with 11 more under construction. The vocational schools are very popular with school boards and a great demand is placed on the State board of education to continue to expand vocational offerings in secondary programs. In order to meet the occupational training needs in Mississippi, it is estimated that about 35 more area vocational schools will need to be constructed. Advance funding of vocational education would enable each State to do a better job of planning. If we knew at least 6 months prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, more effective use of funds could be realized.

The greatest need to improve Federal programs is to provide more funds that can be used for construction of facilities, equipping of building, and operation of programs.

The following comments are made concerning the Better Schools Act of 1973. This legislation would:

(a) Repeal all existing Federal vocational education legislation, as well as the ESEA Act.

(b) Cause concern since vocational education represents the only content area included in this bill-all other sections reflect people impact areas.

(c) Eliminate all funding for consumer and homemaking education.

(d) Place authority for fund allocation in the political arena (Governor) rather than through the duly authorized State educational agency.

(e) Permit 30 percent of vocational education funds to be transferred to other purposes-or with approval of a request, all funds allocated to vocational education could be transferred.

(f) Affect program impact by making it dependent on presidential budget and Governors' distribution of funds each year-planning for continuity will be impossible.

NOTE. No President has ever increased vocational education funds significantly, no doubt due to higher education's control of U.S.O.E. (g) Cause Congress to have little interest in increasing funds above presidential budget since it will no longer have a relationship to people's needs.

(h) Prevent long-term State and local planning since continuity of funding is eliminated.

The administration's plan for reorganization and regionalization of the U.S. Office of Education will continue to make less effective an already weakened vocational education agency at the national level. We need strong leadership at the national level.

MISSOURI

State Director-B. W. Robinson

INTRODUCTION

The Statewide program for vocational education over the past 10 years has shown dramatic increases in the number of programs, services, and activities. Most importantly has been the increased number of Missourians who have been afforded vocational opportunities as a result of these programs. Table I summarizes vocational enrollments by level for fiscal years 1963, 1968, and 1972 and provides projections for

1977.

Level

TABLE I.-TOTAL VOCATIONAL ENROLLMENT, BY LEVEL AND FISCAL YEAR

Secondary.

Postsecondary.

Adult...

Totals.

As indicated in table I, the total number of individuals served in 1963 was 75,053. The table indicates a growth pattern up to fiscal year 1972 of a 226 percent increase over fiscal year 1963. The projections for 1977 are tempered by anticipated sources of revenue and do not reflect actual numbers that could be served in the Missouri delivery system. The amount of available resources each year dictates the number of people which can be served. Our experience in Missouri is that the demand for programs, services, and activities at the local level outstrips the resources from Federal and State funds to provide partial support for these programs. While Federal funding has served as a catalyst for the growth of our State's vocational programing, very significant dollar support has come from local districts and appropriations of the Missouri General Assembly. There is no doubt that with additional funds from all levels the vocational program in Missouri will continue on this expansion trend.

a. Job Training Enrollments

This subsection will, in tabular form, present the job training enrollments for fiscal years 1963, 1968, and 1972 and will provide projections for 1977. Enrollments are categorized by high school, post high school, and adult training programs. Table II summarizes secondary level job training programs among the several areas of training for the fiscal years mentioned. It may be noted that from fiscal year 1963 to fiscal 1972 the number of people served has nearly tripled.

(465)

Table III presents job training enrollments at the postsecondary level and indicates a program growth of 1,052 people served in fiscal year 1963 to a total of 14,090 in fiscal 1972.

TABLE III.-JOB TRAINING ENROLLMENTS, POSTSECONDARY

Table IV reveals adult job training enrollments. The Missouri adult vocational training program indicates a steady growth pattern. Since this program was well established in 1963 enrollment increases have not been as dramatic as other levels of instruction. However, enrollment has grown from over 23,000 in 1963 to over 30,000 in 1972. Two factors should facilitate growth in adult enrollment. In the past few years the department of education has developed a close relationship with the business and industrial community. Then, too, the construction of facilities in area schools and community colleges gives opportunity to offer valid adult training.

As can be noted, the Missouri vocational delivery system provides training opportunities in the vocational areas as follows: Agriculture, distributive education, health occupations, occupational home economics, business and office education, technical and trade occupations.

Actual enrollments may be found by reviewing tables II through IV for these service areas.

Over the past several years newer program areas have been initiated in agriculture to accommodate labor market demands. Special programs such as farm mechanics, ag mechanics, ag sales and service have emerged as some of the newer training programs. In distributive education the midmanagement program has rapidly expanded at the postsecondary level. Cooperative methodology has also experienced rapid growth in the distributive education area. Newer programs in the health field include dental hygiene, inhalation therapy, and associate degree nursing programs leading to an R.N. The occupational home economics area has experienced new program growth in programs of child care development along with increased numbers of programs for the foods service area. Data processing and administrative management programs for the business education area have grown rapidly. While cooperative methodology is now increasing rapidly in this area, large numbers of students are still enrolled in clerical and secretarial training programs. The technical occupations represent an area in which new programs such as police science, fire and safety technology, waste and waste water technology, and aviation programs have recorded significant amounts of program activity. Perhaps the greatest expansion in trade occupations has occurred with the initiation of large numbers of building and construction trades programs over the State. c. Postsecondary Courses

Table III summarizes the postsecondary job training enrollments for fiscal years 1972, 1968, and 1963 by service area. As can be noted, the enrollment pattern represents the most rapidly expanding level of training. In 1963 there were 1,052 individuals enrolled contrasted to 14,090 enrolled in 1972. The Missouri delivery system for postsecondary Vocational education includes the statewide junior college system as well as area vocational schools. Approximately 60 percent of the postsecondary enrollments are to be found in the State's community colleges. At present Missouri has one postsecondary technical institution which annually serves over 650 students.

d. Disadvantaged Students

In fiscal 1968 the statewide program for the disadvantaged was not sufficiently developed to show program enrollments. In 1970 special programs for the disadvantaged were initiated to serve the special needs of this target group. Table V summarizes the disadvantaged and handicapped enrollments, by level, for fiscal year 1972.

Level

TABLE V.-DISADVANTAGED AND HANDICAPPED ENROLLMENTS, BY LEVEL, FISCAL 1972

Secondary.

Postsecondary.

Adult

Totals.

Total disadvantaged enrollment for this year amounts to 12,483 individuals served. Projections for 1977 are that 18,345 individuals will be served. Disadvantaged students are enrolled in job preparatory pro

grams and are provided ancillary or other supportive services deemed necessary for their success in the program.

e. Handicapped Students

Programs for this target group were not initiated until fiscal 1970. The vocational division annually conducts a census to identify students with handicapping conditions. For these individuals special instructional techniques, methodologies, and facilities are required. These programs have proven to be very costly. While the census figure reveals large numbers of students to be served our experience has been that increased commitment of funds will be required to significantly impact on this population target group. Table V reveals that in fiscal 1972 nearly 3,700 handicapped students over the State were served. At the same rates of expenditure we project that he fiscal year 1977 program activities will accommodate 5,434 individuals.

f. Adults

Table IV reveals the adult job training enrollments by fiscal year and areas of training. A steady growth pattern has been established for this level of instruction.

Table VI summarizes the Missouri adult vocational education programs for fiscal 1972.

TABLE VI.-ADULT VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, FISCAL 1972

It may be noted that of a total of 36,176 adults served, nearly 27,000 received supplemental instruction, 4,649 adults were enrolled in preparatory programs, while 4,684 were engaged in related apprenticeship instruction. The adult enrollments attributed to Public Law 90-576 totaled 36,176 for 1 year. The State enrolls annually 2,000 students in MDTA job preparatory programs. There are slightly more than 13,000 adults enrolled annually in the adult basic education program funded from Federal sources.

g. Financing

(i) The program for distributing part B funds among local educational agencies involves three steps. (1) The disadvantaged and handicapped set-sides are calculated and subtracted from the base grant indicating the approximate amount available for distribution to regular operating programs. (2) A base grant for regular programs is calculated, i.e. secondary = $200 per teacher month employed, postsecondary=$120 per semester hour, adult=75 percent of contract salary. (3) A formula adjustment is calculated which considers the relative ability to pay and excess cost. Such items as taxable wealth, avail