e may expect more and more students to undertake study of the neglected anguages, since more adequate resources will be available. Finally, the Naon's effort overseas, particularly in the underdeveloped areas of the world, ill be strengthened by equipping those with responsibilities in these areas with primary tool of international relations-knowledge of the language and the rea with which they are concerned. By means of the Language Research and Studies Program under title VI the esources of modern foreign language teaching and scholarship are being rought to bear on one of the major deficiencies in American education. Alhough many of the projects contracted for have yet to be completed, the impact of the Research Program is already being felt, not only through alerting people o the needs for language development but also through launching activities n every area of modern foreign language learning which would otherwise not ave been undertaken except slowly and sporadically over the course of decades. PART B. LANGUAGE INSTITUTES * The primary aim of these Institutes is to provide language teachers with a greater fluency in the language they teach-the capacity to speak and understand the language and to provide them with new methods of language teaching. Reinforced by a year of experience and supported by an increased appropriation, the Institutes program was tripled for the summer of 1960 with the establishment of 37 short-term Institutes in 29 States, Puerto Rico, and Germany. Italian was added to the languages offered and an experimental program of advanced-level Institutes in French, German, and Spanish was inaugurated to develop further the language competencies of selected teachers who had participated in the 1959 summer program. A program of 42 short-term and regular-session Language Institutes for the training of modern foreign language teachers of elementary and secondary school students was put into effect in fiscal year 1960. This expanded program had the benefit of the experimental program of 16 short-term and regular-session Institutes conducted in 1959. A total of 2,013 language teachers were enrolled in the 37 Institutes conducted in the summer of 1960 at a cost of $2,679,645. Of the Institute participants, 1.742 were secondary and 271 elementary school teachers; 1,886 taught in public schools and 127 in private schools; 845 received advanced training in French, 777 in Spanish, 297 in German, 66 in Russian, and 28 in Italian. Over 10,000 language teachers applied to attend the 1960 summer Institutes. almost 3 times the number who had applied to attend the 1959 summer Institutes. The 37 summer Institutes in 1960 could accommodate only one-fifth of the qualified applicants. The academic-year Institute program continues to be modest in scope primarily because of the limited number of language teachers who are able to spend an entire year in specialized advanced training. Four regular-session Institutes for secondary school teachers of French and Russian and for elementary and secondary school teachers of Spanish are being conducted in the 1960-61 academic year. A fifth Institute has been added for training secondary school teachers in German. The Russian Institute at Indiana University includes some experimental features in its attempt to utilize the considerable foreign language resources possessed by bilingual American citizens. Attending the 1960-61 regular-session Institutes are 41 French teachers, 25 Russian teachers, 30 Spanish teachers, and 21 German teachers. The cost of the five Institutes is $639,942. With the conclusion of the Institutes being funded from fiscal 1960 appropriations, a total of 3,132 teachers of modern foreign languages will have participated in the Institutes program during the first 2 years. As a result of this specialized training, about 300,000 school pupils throughout the Nation should have been receiving improved language instruction in the fall of 1960. * TITLE VII. RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION IN MORE EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF TELEVISION, RADIO, MOTION PICTURES, AND RELATED MEDIA FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES The Advisory Committee considered 263 separate research proposals during fiscal 1960. These proposals were submitted by institutions, agencies, and individuals from 43 States and the District of Columbia. Of the 263 grant applications submitted, 51 were approved for funding. Nine States, which previously had no title VII research activities in progress, were among those from which approved projects were submitted. On the basis of 2 years' activity, there are now title VII research projects located in 34 States and the District of Columbia. The 51 projects approved in fiscal 1960 were supported by 52 separate grants, totaling $850,527 in fiscal year 1960 funds. Support of all 52 grants to completion would require a total expenditure of $2,026,105. It should be noted that one of the approved projects is being conducted cooperatively by two separate agencies, thus accounting for the disparity between the number of research grants and the number of research projects. Among the 51 new research projects, television continues to be a major area of emphasis. Building upon information about research in progress under title VII, investigators are tending, however, to shift their interest from concern with the relative effectiveness of television and "conventional" teaching to interest in more complex research problems: Investigation of the effectiveness of having student responses "fed back" to the television teacher in a project at the American University. Examination of the total context of teaching a foreign language via television and other media at Denver, Colo. An assessment of visual testing techniques, looking toward the use of television for testing purposes, at Florida State University. Motion pictures and the effects of combinations of media also are being examined in a substantial number of projects. The major upsurge of interest during the past year, however, has quite clearly been in the area of self-instructional methods, as typified by "teaching machines." Only four of the 1959 projects were concerned with this new, expanding area of research, in contrast to 14 of the 1960 projects. Among the major emphasis in teaching machine projects are: The identification of principles for presenting teaching-machine programs, being investigated at Indiana University Medical Center, Bucknell University, and the American Institute for Research. Subject areas and instructional goals for which these machines are best suited. Studies on these problems are in progress at San Jose State College, Hollins College, and the University of Houston. The effectiveness of teaching-machine materials when used in combination with other instructional media and methods under investigation at The Pennsylvania State University and the Denver Public Schools. * On the basis of 2 years of title VII, it is clear that this program will provide a substantial body of research evidence about The potential contributions to learning by television, teaching machines, and combined uses of a wide range of media. Special applications and innovations in the use of motion pictures, still projected materials, and television. Techniques for producing motion pictures, still-projected materials, television presentations, and teaching-machine programs, so that maximum learning will result from their use. This much can be seen at the half-way mark of title VII. In the next 2 years the findings of the projects now in progress will be available, and new and additional projects will provide a greater increment of knowledge about teaching and learning. PART B. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON NEW EDUCATIONAL MEDIA The Advisory Committee on New Educational Media has approved dissemination activities in seven program areas: Research services. Media information and services. Equipment and facilities information. Organization and administration information. Teacher and professional education activities. Program reporting and interpretation. During fiscal 1960, 22 new dissemination activities were supported by expenditures in excess of $375,000 and will require a total of over $500,000 in all fiscal years to bring them to completion. Coupled with continuation funds required for contracts approved in 1959, and the one research project renegotiated as a demonstration, over $411,000 was obligated for dissemination activities from 1960 funds. During fiscal 1960, a number of high-priority projects were completed. One of the best examples of a fundamental project is the contract at Columbia University which identified the need for an educational media information service, and provided the basic classification system needed for coping with research information problems. On the foundation of this study, it will be possible in future years to develop a solid structure of research information. A basic problem in media information and service has been identified and delimited through a contract at Indiana University. This project has identified the scope of need for a comprehensive catalog of films, film-strips, and tapes. * A series of regional leadership conferences has provided briefing for over 1,000 teachers, educational administrators, and lay leaders, affording them the opportunity to discuss recent developments in the use of educational media, and to plan activities within their several States. * Another contract, under the direction of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters, led to a conference on the role of State and regional networks in education, and the feasibility of establishing such networks. The proceedings of this conference have been made available to school administrators and educational broadcasters. A specific mandate in title VII requires that the Commissioner promote coordination of title VII activities with similar programs conducted by other agencies, organizations, or individuals concerned with the new educational media. Toward this end there has been a series of conferences, held under the auspices of Michigan State University, leading to the establishment of the Educational Media Council. The council consists of representatives of all the principal organizations and agencies concerned with educational media, including textbooks, publishers, librarians, audiovisual organizations, and broadcasters. For the first time, there is now a single organization which provides a forum for all persons concerned with educational media. Another type of reporting function, under contract with the National Educational Television and Radio Center, has led to the production of To Speak With Friends, a 20-minute film, the first of a series of filmed case reports on effective teaching practices utilizing new media. To Speak With Friends reports on the uses of various media in modern foreign language instruction. Two years of activity under part B, therefore, have provided needed information to school administrators, classroom teachers, and the public throughout the United States. TITLE VIII. AREA VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS Authorization for fiscal 1960.-$15,000,000. Basis.-50-50 matching by State and/or local funds. Purpose. To alleviate the manpower shortage by assisting the States to provide, through area vocational education programs, training of less-than-college grade for youth, adults, and older persons, including instruction for apprentices, designed to fit them for useful employment as highly skilled technicians in recognized occupations requiring scientific knowledge, as determined by the State board for such State, in fields necessary for the national defense. Provisions.—Title VIII amends the Vocational Education Act of 1946 (the George-Barden Act) by the addition of a new title III to that act. To be eligible a State must amend its State plan to include a new part which "(1) designates the State board as the sole agency for administration of such part of the plan (or for the supervision of the administration thereof by State or local educational agencies); (2) provides minimum qualifications for teachers, teacher-trainers, supervisors, directors, and others having responsibilities under the plan; (3) shows the plans, policies, and methods to be followed in carrying out such part of the State plan; (4) provides such accounting, budgeting, and other fiscal methods and procedures as are necessary for the proper and efficient administration of such part of the State plan; and (5) provides that the State board will make such reports to the Commissioner, in such form and containing such information, as are reasonably necessary to enable the Commissioner to perform his functions under this title." Funds are allotted to a State in the same ratio as it shares in the total amount for other programs under Title I of the George-Barden Act. The amount of any allotment not required by a State is avaliable for reallotment to other States for the same purpose. (See table 35.) Funds may be used for administration, supervision, salaries of teaching and supervisory personnel, instructional supplies and equipment, and certain other essential operating costs for the programs provided for in the State plan. Payments to States must be used exclusively for the training of individuals designed to fit them for useful employment as highly skilled technicians in fields necessary for the national defense. Area vocational education programs gathered momentum in 1960, the first full year of operation, as vocational educators across the Nation met the challenge and assumed the responsibility for training highly skilled technicians. With most of the preliminary phases of the program completed, it is clear that the States have laid a solid foundation for the years ahead despite the handicap of starting the program in the 1958-59 school year after school programs and budgets were already planned. During fiscal 1960 a total of 101,279 persons' (or slightly more than twice as many as in fiscal 1959) were enrolled in 1,503 programs and courses for the training of technicians under title VIII. Approximately 32,937 persons were enrolled in 598 preparatory programs and 68,342 in 905 extension programs. Enrollments in 1960 represent an increase of 52,715 over 1959. Preparatory curriculums offered cover nine occupation fields: electronic, mechanical, electrical, chemical, aeronautical, production, civil, instrumentation, and data-processing and computer programing. It is anticipated that new curriculums in other areas of technology will be organized as the program develops. Preparatory curriculums were organized for high school students in the upper levels of their classes, for high school graduates who wished to pursue technical training courses in the 13th and 14th years of their schooling, and for adults of any age who had the qualifications to enter and complete courses. Extension courses were made available to those people already engaged in a technical occupation to improve their technical knowledge and skills for advancement in their occupations and for upgrading workers into new or more difficult jobs. These extension courses involving the application of science and mathematics were offered in a wide variety of units. In one locality many highly specialized courses such as telemetering, transistors, and servomechanisms were offered in support of a missile program. A unique extension course was offered in steel alloy welding in connection with special problems of housing nuclear reactors in atomic submarines. 1 Provisional figures, subject to final review of State reports. A total of 598 programs were approved by State boards for vocational education and conducted in the following types of institutions: Vocational or trade schools_. Technical high schools. Area vocational-technical schools- 4-year colleges or universities__. State boards for vocational education and others____ Total_ 175 160 134 47 29 23 20 10 598 In addition to such elements as a rigorous curriculum, well-equipped laboratories, and qualifed instructors in high quality technician training programs, the States emphasized the careful selection of able students. Standardized tests were used frequently as screening devices. An increasing number of States reported the use of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) as a basic testing instrument for title VIII students. The Engineering and Physical Science Aptitude Test (EPSAT) and the Differential Aptitude Test (DAT) were also used. Because the program was new, orientation of guidance personnel with regard to title VIII programs and closer liaison with vocational educators were found necessary in many areas for the development of student selection procedures. All States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, had amendments to their State plans for vocational education approved so that they could benefit from the financial assistance provided by title VIII. An increasing number of States have enacted legislation to implement the area vocational education concept. Some of this legislation dealt with authorization to expand school geographic boundaries or areas; some provided for the establishment of State or area technical institutes and community or junior colleges and designated such schools as qualified to conduct programs for vocational technical training under this title; others provided for statewide or area studies and surveys to determine the need for area programs. Some of the legislation dealt with authorizations and appropriations of funds to implement the National Defense Education Act. A number of States reported that their present laws were adequate to permit effective operation of area vocational schools. In 26 States, supervisors were designated or added to the staff with specific responsibilities for promotion, organization, and approval of programs. It is significant that where States appointed special supervisors, the program has developed more rapidly than in those States where the responsibilities for the program were not specifically assigned to a new or an existing staff member. During the year, the interest, encouragement, and support of industry, labor, educators, and competent advisory committees continued to contribute to the success of title VIII. Industry has cooperated wholeheartedly in determining training needs in the various technologies. Advisory and consultative committees, including representatives of management and labor, assisted in curriculum construction and other phases of the program. Organized labor assisted in determining how the program might best be used in the training of journeymen for technical operations. The Department of Labor furnished statistics concerning the supply and demand for technicians, made job descriptions available. helped with surveys and studies, and assisted the States in the selection of students through the General Aptitude Test Battery. Many States initiated surveys, varying in intensity and coverage, of State, county, or area scope. Some surveys were designed primarily to determine needs for training in a specific field or technology: others covered all technologies within the scope of the geographical area covered. Sample findings of these surveys from widely scattered areas throughout the country are shown below: 9.500 technicians will be needed in one Western State during the next 10 years. 1.260 technicians will be needed annually for replacement purposes in an Eastern State. 3.500 technicians will be needed in the metropolitan area of a midwestern city during the next 5 years. |