ERIC ED393015: Vocational-Technical Education: A Matter of Access. An Evaluation of the Accessibility of Vocational-Technical Education.

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by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CE 071 257
ED 393 015
Berkley, Annecia; And Others
AUTHOR
Vocational-Technical Education: A Matter of Access.
TITLE
An Evaluation of the Accessibility of
Vocational-Technical Education.
Georgia State Council on Vocational Education,
INSTITUTION
Atlanta.
Jan 96
PUB DATE
NOTE
53p.
Evaluative/Feasibility (142)
Reports
PUB TYPE
MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*Academic Persistence; *Access to Education;
DESCRIPTORS
Compliance (Legal); Disadvantaged Youth; Economically
Disadvantaged; Educationally Disadvantaged; *Federal
Legislation; Postsecondary Education; School Holding
Power; Secondary Education; *Special Needs Students;
*State Programs; Technical Education; *Vocational
Education
*Carl D Perkins Voc and Appl Techn Educ Act 1990;
IDENTIFIERS
*Georgia
ABSTRACT
A study was conducted in Georgia to determine if
members of special populations have an equal opportunity to enter
vocational-technical programs in the state and to examine support
programs and services funded by the Perkins Act that assists members
of special populations in successfully completing
vocational-technical education programs. Data were gathered from
Georgia educational planning documents, interviews with staff at the
state department of education and the department of technical and
adult education, and discussions with teachers from various school
systems. The study found that at both the secondary and postsecondary
levels, members of special populations appear to have an equal
opportunity to enter vocational-technical education programs as
readily as all other vocational students. In fiscal year 1993, 39
percent of the students enrolled in secondary and 37 percent in
postsecondary vocational education courses were identified as members
of special populations. In fiscal year 1994, the percentsge of
special population students enrolled increased to 44 percent in
secondary vocational education courses and to 34 percent in
postsecondary courses. Educationally and economically disadvantaged
populations
persons comprised the largest percentage of the special
(about 33 percent of all students enrolled in vocational-technical
special
programs in the state). The study also found that members of
populations appeared to be somewhat successful in completing
vocational-technical education programs, with 42 percent of these
students graduating from the postsecondary level in 1993. The study
the
was unable to determine if any direct causal link exists between
support programs and services funded through the Perkins Act and the
graduation rates lot members of special populations in postsecondary
institutions. (Graduation rates for members of special populations
enrolled in secondary vocational education programs were not
available.) The research did reveal that services to members of
special populations can be improved in funding and program
evaluation. (KC)
VOCATIONAL-TACHNICAL
EDUCATION:
A MATTER OF ACCESS
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2
An Evaluation of the Accessibility of
Vocational-Technical Education
VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL
EDUCATION:
A MATTER OF ACCESS
Georgia Council on Vocational Education
January, 1996
Report prepared by:
Annecia Berkley
Paula Moore
Dr. Gail Fletcher
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Fagg
Introduction
1
Definitions
1
2
Identifying Special Populations In Vocational-Technical Education Programs
3
Secondary Schools
6
Postsecondary Schools
7
Pettins Funds Allocations
Programs And Senices Funded Under The Perkins Basic Grant
12
12
Program Improvement
12
Secondary Schools
Related Vocational Instruction
13
14
Coordinated Vocational Academic Education/Project Success
16
Postsecondary Schools
Programs To Provide Single Parents, Displaced Homemakers, And Single
19
Pregnant Women With Marketable Skills
19
Secondary Schools
21
Postsecondary Schools
23
Promms To Promote The Elimination Of Sex Bias And Stereotyping
23
Secondary Schools
23
Career Information Resource Centers
24
Career Connections/PECE
25
Postsecondary Schools
26
Proporoon of Male/Female Enrollment
26
Secondary
26
Postsecondary
1
30
Programs Funded Under The Per Rips Special Programs Grant
30
Community-based Organizations
30
Consumer and Homemaking Education
31
Secondary
31
Postsecondary
32
Summary Of Pert:ins Funding
34
FindiNs, Discussion and Recommendations
39
Some Final Thoughts
UST OF TABLFS AND FIGURFS
Page
TABLES
7
Table 1: Perkins Funding For Georgia
8
Table 2: Basic Grant Allocations
9
Table 3: Special Progams Grant Allocations
10
Table 4: Basic Grant Distributions
17-18
Table 5: Distribution of Perkins Funds To Technical Institutes
Table 6: Proportion of Male/Female Enrollment in Secondary Vocational Programs:
27
General Student Population
Table 7: Proportion of Male/Female Enrollment in Secondary Vocational Programs:
28
Special Populations
Table 8: Proportion of Male/Female Enrollment in Postsecondary Technical Programs:
29
General Adult Population
33
Table 9: Summary of Perkins Allocations
FIGURES
5
Figure 1: Secondary Vocational Education Student Population
6
Figure 2: Postsecondary Technical Education Student Population
11
Figure 3: Educational Funding In Georgia
Figure 4: Comparison Of Secondary Programs: RVI, CVAE, & Project Success
15
&
Figure 5: Comparison of Secondary Programs: RVI, CVAE, Project Success
20
Single Parents/Single Pregnant Women Programs
Parents/Single
Figure 6: Comparison of Secondary & Postsecondary Single
22
Pregiant Women Prog-ams
35
Figure 7: Vocational-Technical Enrollment For FY 1993
(
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
v ocational Edu-
The Georgia Council
cation wishes to ackno dedge and ex-
press thanks to staff members at the Geor-
gia Department of Education and the
Georgia Department of Technical and
Adult Education who provided informa-
'Lion, resources, and assistance for the
completion of this report. In particular,
the Council recognizes the assistance of
Naomi Dorsey at the Department of Edu-
cation and Loydia Webber, Dr. Brenda
Gilmour and Dr. Brenda Jones at the
Department of Technical and Adult Edu-
cation.
Gail M Fletcher, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Georgia Council on Vocational Education
INTRODUCTION
The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology
Education Act of 1990 provides federal funding for secondary
and postsecondary vocational-technical education programs.
Each state receiving Perkins funds must assure that equal access
Each state
to these programs is provided for the disabled, the disadvan-
taged, those of limited English proficiency and other special
receiving
populations. In keeping with the Perkins mandates, the Georgia
Council on Vocational Education (GCOVE) conducted a study
to determine the extent to which members of special popula-
Perkins funds
tions have equal access to quality vocational-technical educa-
tion progams in the State. The period ofthe study is Fiscal Year
must
(F Y) 1993 which covers July 1, 1992 through June 30, 1993 and
FY 1994 which covers July 1, 1993 through June 30, 1994.
assure that
GCOVE used the Georgia State Plan for the Administration of
Vocational Education FY 1991-1992 and FY 1993-1995, the
equal access
Georgia Annual Performance Report For Vocational and
Applied Education for FY 1993 and FY 1994, Georgia Tech-
to
nical and Adult Education: Vision 2000, and infonnal inter-
views conducted with staff at the Department of Education
vocational-
(DOE) and the Department of Technical and Adult Education
(DTAE) in developing the conclusions and recommendations
in this report. In addition, discussions were held with teachers
technical
from various school systems during a DOE conference to
address school-to-work issues for special populations.
programs
DEFINITIONS
is
Under Title II of the Perkins Act, members of special popula-
pro;
tions are defined as individuals who have disabilities, are
'?.d for
educationally or economically disadvantaged, or are of limited
English proficiency. The definition also includes individuals
members of
who participate in programs to eliminate sex bias and individ-
uals in correctional institutions. Other members of special
special
populations are defined by the Perkins Act as single parents,
displaced homemakers, and single pregnant women.
populations
Accessibility is usually defined by federal guidelines as the
right of any individual to enter or make use of educational
programs regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, or
disability. The definition ofaccessibility is expanded under the
Perkins Act through its recognition that members of special
GCOVE's Evaluation of the Accessibility of Vocational-Technical Education - Page 1
populations may need additional support because they may lack
the requisite skills and abilities that are needed to successfully
complete a vocational-technical education program. The pur-
SIM=111=all,MMMILSas
pose of this study, therefore, was twofold:
1 ) to determine if members of special popula-
The definition
tions have an equal opportunity to enter voca-
tional-technical programs in Georgia; and
of
2) to examine the support programs and servic-
accessibility
es funded by the Perkins Act that assist mem-
bers of special populations to successfully
complete vocational-technical education pro-
under
gams in Georgia.
Perkins
IDENTIFYING SPECIAL POPULA-
TIONS IN VOCATIONAL-TECBNICAL
recognizes that
EDUCATION PROGRAMS
members
Four state agencies provide vocational-technical education
the
proganis that use Perkins funds for program development:
of
Department of Education, the Department of Technical and
the Department of Corrections, and the
Adult Education,
special populations
Department of Children and Youth Services. For the purpose
of this study, GCOVE focused on the ability of members of
may need
special populations to successfully enter and complete voca-
tional-technical education programs in Georgia's secondary
school systems (DOE) and postsecondary technical institutes
additional support
(DTAE). Vocational-technical education programs in Geor-
gia's correctional facilities are reviewed in separate GCOVE
to successfully
reports entitled, Vocational-Technical Education in Georgia 's
Correctional Facilities: Adults in Transition and Vocational-
complete a
Technical Education in Georgia's Youth Correctional Facili-
ties.
program of
A Caveat
study
Both DOE and DTAE provided GCOVE with total student
enrollment figures based on a duplicated student count. Essen-
tially these agencies add up enrollment figures for each individ-
ual vocational-technical class to determine this aspect ofoverall
student enrollment. A student enrolled in four separate classes,
Page 2 - GCOVE's Evaluation of the Accessibility of Vocational-Technical Education
9
would be counted four times,
such as key boarding, auto mechanics, marketing and horticulture,
however, does not indicate the
hence a "duplicated student count." The duplicated student count,
vocational-technical progam of
number of students pursuing a diploma or degree in a cohesive
study.
figures from its Manage-
During GCOVE's research process, DOE provided program enrollment
ofthis document, DOE staff provided different
ment Information System (MIS). Upon final review
and Related Vocational Instruction (RVI) based on
progam enrollment figures for Project Success
for each progam at the
the information collected through the annual progam reviews completed
differ. MIS reports
end of the school year. The enrollment figures from these two reporting systems
of 1,347 for FY 1993 and 1,001 for FY 1994. The annual program
a total RVI program enrollment
3,533 for FY 1994. For
reviews report a total RVI program enrollment of 3,091 for FY 1993 and
Perkins funding per
consistency, GCOVE uses only the MIS enrollment figures in calculating
indicates the student enrollment figures based on data
program participant, and where provided,
from the annual prop.= reviews.
Secondary Schools
in 321 secondary schools.
In FY 1993, there were 311,793 students attending Dudes 9-12
vocational education class
Approximately 68% ofthe total student body were enrolled in at least one
student count of 213,140.)
during that time. (This percentage is based on a duplicated vocational
vocational education students in
DOE identifies these students as comprising the total universe of
Of the total vocational education enrollment,
the secondary school system for FY 1993.
populations. (See Figure
approximately 39% (84.103) were identified as being members of special
education students:
1 for a visual display.) That is to say, of 213,140 vocational
30% (63,907) were identified as disadvantaged
(economically or educationally);
5% (9,829) were single parents or single
pregnant women;
4% (8,970) were disabled; and
1% (1,397) were limited in English
proficiency.
.
(12,256) received a diploma with a
Of the 58.708 seniors who gaduated in FY 1993. 21%
with both a vocational education
vocational education endorsement; 7% (4,304) received a diploma
special education diploma.
endorsement and a college prep endorsement; and 2% (1,106) received a
secondary schools.
there were 320,114 students attending grades 9-12 in 267
In FY 1994.
student count of 206,759) were
Approximately 65% ofthe total student body (based on a duplicated
These students comprised the
enrolled in at least one vocational education class during that time.
Education - Page 3
GCOVE's Evaluation of the Accessibility of Vocational-Technical