The Council recommends: That the State Board of Vocational Education support mandatory licensure of proprietary schools to include the following provisions:

a. Texas Education Agency be responsible for administration of the act with the advice and counsel of an advisory council.

b. Adequate reporting of enrollments, completions and placements by occupational categories.

c. Standards should be established to assure a quality product and should include such factors as teacher qualifications, curricula and facilities.

d. Included in methods of operation should be a pro rata refund policy, promissory employment practices should be valid, schools and their salesmen should be bonded, and recruitment policies including solicitation and advertising should be carefully assayed. e. Sufficient income from licensing fees, renewal fees and noncompliance penalties to support licensing activities.

f. Proprietary school resources be considered in the total resources available to school administrators for developing comprehensive occupational programs in discharging their responsibilities for occupational preparation of youth and adults.

g. SB 261 be amended to include a representative of proprietary schools on the Advisory Council for Technical-Vocational Education in Texas.

h. State Board of Vocational Education should extend to administrators and teachers in proprietary schools in-service programs to improve the quality of instruction.

RECOMMENDATION VII

Texas has long been a leader in technical-vocational education in our nation. However, we do have dropouts from our present educational system. The educational community should commit itself to an effort of "no dropouts" in serving the needs of our youth and adults. Educational planning should include demographic, economic and labor force data.

The Governor's Office is active in efforts to coordinate data collected by the various state agencies and commissions. Data is being utilized by a variety of groups responsible for planning such as local school districts, cities, counties, Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Councils of Government, Comprehensive Area Manpower Planning Systems, and other agencies and organizations. Data from the Texas Employment Commission, CAMPS, and other state agencies and groups must be interfaced for the benefit of planning within the field of education. All systems need to be coordinated so that problems can be readily identified and steps taken to rectify them.

The responsibility of the Council as outlined in Section 7(i) of SB 261, "Provide up-to-date statistical data on employment opportunities in the Texas economy to persons trained in these institutions through cooperation with the Texas Employment Commission and other appropriate research agencies at both the state and national levels." Therefore, the Council recommends:

That the feasibility of an electronic data system be examined with a view of implementing a coordinated information retrieval

system. The State Board of Vocational Education should initiate planning toward this end.

RECOMMENDATION VIII

The Council is aware of the need for well qualified technicalvocational teachers. These teachers are essential for the growth and development of vocational programs to train persons for occupations. In the July, 1970 issue of the American Education magazine, the U.S. Department of Labor is quoted with the following provision for the next decade, "The aggregate supply (of elementary and secondary teachers) is expected to significantly exceed demand if recent entry patterns into the occupation continue."

However, Don Davies, United States Office of Education, Associate Commissioner for Educational Personnel Development points out in the same article, "There is no end to shortages in expanding fieldsearly childhood, vocational, and special education, and in junior colleges. Counselors and social workers are also in short supply, and some geographical areas suffer shortages of all kinds of educational personnel."

The supply of qualified technical-vocational teachers is critical and should be given priority by institutions of higher education with vocational teacher preparation.

The Council recommends:

1. That the State Board of Vocational Education in cooperation with the Coordinating Board on Higher Education establish a consortium to include higher educational institutions with vocational teacher preparation programs for the purpose of training technical-vocational teachers.

2. Programs of industry/education cooperation to provide qualified teachers and to keep the teachers updated in their skills.

3. Institutions of higher education with vocational teacher preparation programs should involve employers in laboratory and internship programs for training.

4. That teaching experience credit be given for related nonteaching work experience in determining salary schedules of technical-vocational teachers.

RECOMMENDATION IX

A rapidly changing technology within existing occupations, the emerging of new occupations, the redirection of existing training programs and other changes has created a need for a statewide comprehensive technical-vocational curriculum and materials system to serve technical-vocational education at all levels. The staff of such a system should take the initiative to apprise itself of the needs of the state, developments throughout the nation in the field and develop lines of communication with employers to utilize their expertise as an effective resource for the curriculum and materials system.

The Council, therefore, reccomends:

That the State Board of Education establish a statewide comprehensive technical-vocational curriculum and materials system.

The system would serve as a resource bank with a publishing capability. An advisory committee would assist in identifying the objectives for the center and developing operating policies. Such an advisory committee would be representative of the education. profession and employers.

RECOMMENDATION X

The Advisory Council for Technical-Vocational Education in Texas developed a questionnaire requesting information from local school districts concerning the number of high school graduates entering colleges, technical-vocational schools, private schools, the work force and other related information. The questionnaires were mailed to 947 school districts offering vocational education in Texas at the secondary level. Approximately one-half of the districts responded. However, less than 20% of those responding gave all the information requested on the questionnaire. Notes appeared on the questionnaire to the effect that a school does not maintain this information and other similar remarks. A special analysis was made of the returns giving complete information. Yet with the more promising returns, approximately 30% of the graduates and dropouts leaving high school were unaccounted for either in statistics on the work force or further education.

Local school districts are not presently required to have responsibilities for placement activities nor collect, maintain and report follow-up data. In the opinion of the Council, the failure of local school districts to engage in these activities in a serious manner is responsible, in part, for the lack of product evaluation of public education and subsequent program changes to make the education process relevant to the needs of the student and community.

It is therefore recommended:

That the State Board of Education initiate on a demonstration basis in a minimum of twelve school districts, representatives of the broad cross section of districts within the state regarding size, geography and other factors, a system of report and follow-up with the view that such system when proven could be implemented statewide by September 1973. It is further recommended that the State Board make an effort to identify students by a social security number by September 1971 as a base for identification and development of further systems of information and follow-up.

RECOMMENDATION XI

During the 61st Legislature, a student contact hour formula was established for funding technical-vocational programs in junior colleges throughout the state. Basically the system is very effective in rewarding those who produce. The principal problem has been in the level of funding which has proven to be inadequate. Too, there is not adequate provision for the generation of new programs.

Only direct costs were included in the initial formula. It is the opinion of the Council that such formula should also support the indirect costs of technical-vocational education. The Advisory Council has sponsored a study of both direct and indirect costs of technicalvocational programs in Texas. This study is Attachment 4 to this report.

68-338-71-14

The Advisory Council recommends:

That the student contact hour formula for the funding of all post secondary technical-vocational education be refined, improved and changes made in the formula rates to adequately fund technical-vocational education programs. Further, that provision be made and funds provided for the generation of new programs. Further, that provision be made and funds provided for approval on a project basis of special programs to meet particular needs within the service area of an institution.

That the Texas Education Agency devise and require a uniform cost accounting system which will display all elements of cost in technical-vocational education. Information gathered from this system would be used for management and planning.

RECOMMENDATION XII

The increase in ancillary units in vocational education in the State of Texas as a result of such units being funded through the Minimum Foundation Program will bring vocational administration and supervision to a large percentage of the vocational programs in the State. These services are urgently needed to properly relate the vocational program to the needs of youth, adults, and the labor market being served. The increase in vocational guidance counselors in the school system to a total of 167 for 1970-71 will further support the quality and efficiency of vocational education throughout the state. The Council applauds the strengthening of this vital aspect of technical-vocational education development. This large increase in positions in vocational supervision, administration and counseling will mean that a number of persons employed in these positions will not have had prior experience in this capacity.

The council therefore recommends:

That the State Board make special efforts to provide as much direction through in-service education and other supportive services as possible, to enhance the effectiveness of these ancillary units in the meaningful development and growth of technicalvocational education in the state. The headquarters staff of the Department of Occupational Education and Technology should take the leadership in utilizing the resources of the field staff, applicable services of Education Service Centers, employers and other groups in support of local school districts and their efforts to improve their programs in technical-vocational education. The Council supports staff increases to perform these services.

UTAH

Chairman-Robert Halladay

Ex. Director-Jack C. Higbee

RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations are made in the light of program objectives listed in the State Plan, labor market demands taken from parts of the State Plan, and economic and unemployment conditions in various districts of the State. It is highly possible that some of the recommendations will not be feasible for implementation in Utah due to conditions or information not available to the evaluation team.

It is recommended that:

1. The State Board for Vocational Education appoint a Deputy Superintendent for adult and vocational programs. This person should come to the position with a vocational background.

2. The Utah State Vocational Advisory Council appoint an Executive Secretary. This job description should include:

(a) Working with the State Board in developing the State Plan.

(b) Working with industry and local advisory committees to gather information which will be presented to the State Board to upgrade curriculum and reduce the time lag between industry's present patterns and education's procedures, provide advice on courses to be offered to meet today's employment needs, develop the concept with education that job placement and job preparation are inseparable.

(c) Coordinate the activities of the Council.

(d) Work with the State Department in upgrading, in a positive manner, the vocational education in the State.

(e) Communicate to the public on vocational education.

(f) Provide the Legislature leadership to secure the necessary support for vocational education.

3. The State Legislature should be asked to memorialize the United States Congress to make funds available before vocational programs begin.

4. Some work experience in the occupational field being taught in the vocational program of the State should be required of all teachers or coordinators of all cooperative part-time programs.

5. All vocational teachers or coordinators should be required to attend summer teacher education programs or workshops developed in cooperation with the teacher training institutions.

6. Vocational course offerings should be readjusted to be more nearly in line with predicted labor market needs. In line with this, current programs appear to be varied in the following manner:

(a) Vocational Office Occupations courses should be decreased until more in line with predicted labor market needs and employment pos