is a direct result of the availability of funds from part G of the act. More new programs were implemented under part G than any other source except the disadvantaged set-aside provision of part B. e. Work Study The 1968 Amendments include provisions under part H of the act for vocational work-study programs for vocational-technical education students. Work-study programs have made it possible for many students to enter or stay in school and pursue their vocational-technical education objective. In addition, such employment provides youth the opportunities to develop work attitudes, occupational skills, abilities, and knowledges essential to their future. Vocational work-study students served: 1963, none. 1968, 134. 1972, 85. 1977, 150. f. Research and Training Part C funds provide an opportunity for vocational educators to explore and experiment with new techniques which are not able to be tested under regular program funding. These funds are made available to educators on a grass roots level as well as on a higher education or preparation level in an attempt to involve more directly those people who ultimately are in the position to benefit directly from the efforts of research and development activities. The key to these activities, however, is that they are in a position to guide, conduct, and control the destiny of the research activities. The cooperation and expertise of those involved is thereby assured. Two projects in North Dakota which exemplify this research philosophy are a Power Plant Operators Training Course which will have nationwide impact, and a farm management program which will serve many farmers and students statewide. With the emergency of Lignite Plants for power in North Dakota, the training program will provide leadership personnel through a union, private industry, and public education cooperative effort. Farm management improvement is essential to provide increased efficiency in farm grown prod ucts. Advisory councils A Master Plan Committee for vocational education submitted 78 recommendations to the State Board for Vocational Education in 1970. A status report presented to the Advisory Council for Vocational Education in 1973 regarding the 78 recommendations reflected substantial progress toward implementation of the committee's recommendations. An excellent working relation exists between the Advisory Council and the State Board for Vocational Education. The Advisory Council concept has provided effective input from an excellent cross-representation of the general public whose interest is exemplified by the active role in vocational education assumed by the council. Annual reports on the progress of vocational education together with recommendations have been submitted to the State Board for Vocational Education each year as required by law. The State Board has favorably accepted most of these recommendations and action has been taken to implement them. The Advisory Council has promoted vocational education to the general public through the development of brochures and TV films. The Advisory Council is presently conducting a formal evaluation of the total vocational offerings in North Dakota at all levels of education. A complete report of this evaluation together with recommendations will be made to the State Board for Vocational Education and to the citizens of North Dakota. The Advisory Council has acted as an agency to which individuals or agencies may express their concerns regarding vocational education in our State. Summary and recommendations The 1963 Vocational Education Act and subsequent amendments must be considered as the most effective legislation passed by Congress concerning vocational education. The results of this legislation must be gratifying to Members of Congress when the Congress assured the general public of the satisfaction of the 1968 legislation by extending the 1968 amendments with virtually no changes in 1972. North Dakota has made full utilization of the provisions of the Act and has been able to successfully broaden the services to all the target groups and levels of education only because the Congress had the vision and foresight to implement such a historical piece of legislation. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. It is imperative that vocational education receive greater fiscal attention than ever before if Congress deems it necessary to place vocational education in its rightful place in our everchanging technological society. 2. The Vocational Education Act, as amended, is receptive and responsive to meeting the current needs of our youth and adults, labor and industry, and special target groups. 3. Vocational education may lose its identity and effectiveness if the current legislation is repealed. The following concern and comments are in reference to the Better Schools Act: 1. Transfer out provisions of the vocational education component. a. Thirty percent without the Commissioner's approval. b. Up to 100 percent upon the approval of the Commissioner. 2. No provisions for disadvantaged, handicapped, consumer and homemaking, advisory councils, and State level administration. 3. Congressional priorities for investment in quality educational programs of the national concern would be jeopardized. 4. Findings and purposes under the Better Schools Act states, "to encourage greater attention to the vital field of vocational education." In North Dakota this proposed legislation would do little if anything to promote this concept particularly if the State loses $450,000 as proposed in the President's budget for the Better Schools Act. 5. It is inconceivable that Congress would favor such legislation in view of historically successful results of past and current legislation and the support given to vocational education legislation. 1 Based on objectives projected to 1977 and increased funding to provide services to youth and adults. One of the most significant educational movements in the State of Ohio since 1963 has been the growth and development of vocational education services to youth and adults. The Vocational Education Acts of 1963 and the Vocational Education Amendments of 1968 changed the goals, scope, and quantity of vocational education offered in cooperation with the public education of our Nation. These acts did much more than expand and extend the vocational education movement in Ohio-they redirected the movement toward social and economic goals. Vocational education had, since 1918, been concerned with providing skills and knowledge necessary for employment to youth and adults. The thrust of the new act was to make youth and adults employable with all that the term envisions. The Vocational Education Act of 1963 and the Vocational Amendments of 1968 listed above also charge vocational education with the responsibility of serving all ability levels of all races, creeds, and colors in all sections of the State. Even though the Federal Vocational Education Acts have been envisioned as matching acts, State and local dollars invested in vocational education exceed the Federal funds invested on a ratio of about 7 to 1. Since 1918 State and local dollars have more than matched Federal dollars for vocational education and local dollars have increased to several times the Federal dollars each time the Federal funds have been increased. The Federal funds, however, have been extremely important in generating additional funding, for vocational education at the State and local level and in redirecting the program activities. The numbers listed above indicate graphically the significant growth of vocational education in the State of Ohio. The growth in numbers, however, does not tell the story. The real story rests in the change that has taken place in the services provided by vocational education and the nature of the people served. Critics of vocational education looking at the changes in vocational education since the passage of the Vocational Education Act of 1963 grudgingly admit that agriculture and home economics enrollments are no longer as high a percent of the total vocational education services as in earlier years. They complain bitterly, however, that agriculture and home economics still represent too high a percentage of the total persons served. In their complaints concerning vocational agri culture they conveniently forget that the only product in this Nation which can be sold competitively on the world market at this point are the agriculture products of this Nation and the fact that our American farmers are the most productive farmers in the world. Vocational agriculture programs have had and will continue to have a significant impact on the success of our agriculture production in our Nation through our high school, young farmers and adult farmer programing. What is not really available from existing statistics at the national level is the fact that head counts are extremely poor procedures for measuring either impact of vocational education services or units of dollars invested. The following listing indicates a comparison of enrollments by head count in our major vocational areas in 1972. These head counts are reduced to full-time equivalents, which is a truer measurement of instructional and dollar investments in the vocational education programing. SECONDARY ENROLLMENT AND FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS IN 1972, INCLUDING USEFUL HOME ECONOMICS This comparison indicates that neither agriculture nor home economies, which also receives criticism, provides the major investments in vocational education today. PUBLIC LAW 90-567 "PART B-VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM" 1 This figure indicates the full-time equivalent enrollments when equating secondary enrollments Example: 10 agriculture students at 1.5 hours per day equal 2.5 FTE, 10 trade and industrial studnts. FTE figures indicate more accurately emphasis in the vocational education programs. Also, invest- Distributive. Home economics. Trade and industrial. Health occupations.. Technical Special needs. Total |