ERIC ED437581: Review of Postsecondary Vocational Programs.

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by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CE 079 676
ED 437 581
Leyden, Bernadette; Hendon, Claude
AUTHOR
Review of Postsecondary Vocational Programs.
TITLE
Florida State Legislature, Tallahassee. Office of Program
INSTITUTION
Policy Analysis and Government Accountability.
REPORT NO
NO-95-25.
1996-01-09
PUB DATE
NOTE
5p.
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
AVAILABLE FROM
Accountability, 111 W. Madison, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Tel: [phone] (Toll Free); Fax: [phone]; e-mail:
[email protected]. For full text:
http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/reports/econ/r95.25s/html.
Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090)
Reports
PUB TYPE
Evaluative (142)
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Cost Effectiveness; Labor Force Development; *Outcomes of
DESCRIPTORS
Education; Postsecondary Education; Program Effectiveness;
Program Evaluation; *State Programs; State Standards;
*Vocational Education
*Florida
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
A review was conducted to identify improvements in the
public postsecondary vocational education system in Florida that could save
the state money. The study found that 37 percent of adult vocational
education programs were poor performers in fiscal year 1992-93, costing the
state approximately $13.1 million while either producing few completers or
producing completers who fared poorly in the job market. In addition,
duplicative programs that had low placement rates, trained students for
non-targeted jobs, or had low enrollment cost the state approximately $70.9
million in 1993-94. Poor-performing programs meet neither the students'
employment goals nor the state's economic development goals, and eliminating
or reducing state funding for these programs could achieve savings from
reduced administrative, teaching, and facility costs. In addition, the
consolidation or elimination or duplicative programs in the same region or
county could achieve cost savings. The following recommendations were made:
(1) the legislature should increase the use of performance-based incentive
funding, such as employment outcomes; (2) the legislature should direct the
educational regulators to develop criteria to eliminate poor-performing
programs and duplicate program offerings; and (3) the State Board of
Education should establish standard program lengths for vocational
certificate programs and ensure the implementation of the rule for associate
degree programs for uniformity and consistency statewide.
(KC)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
Report No. 95-25
STATE OF FLORIDA
Office of
Program Policy Analysis
And Government Accountability
January 9, 1996
AJames L. Carpenter
Interim Director
U.S: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educerional Research and Impresensenl
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
REVIEW OF
lis document has been reproduced as
Iris
r ceived from the person or organization
originating it.
POSTSECONDARY VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS
Minor changes have been made to
Improve reproduction quality.,
Points of view or opinions stated in this
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
,MM==ilP
Adult Vocational Education Programs
Exhibit 1:
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
(1993-94)
Inardersamearseasavenre,,,
Total
The purpose of this review is to identify improvements
Number of
Program
in the public postsecondary vocational education system
Institutions
Number
Costs
that could save the state money.
Specifically, our
Offering
of
(in
identify vocational programs that
objectives were to:
Program
Programs
Millions)
Students
produced few completers or whose completers faired
District Voc-Tech
poorly in the job market; identify duplicative offerings
Certificate
46
112,981
$223.5
of programs by two or more schools in the same region
Community
or county; and, identify vocational certificate programs
College:
that exceed the recommended number of hours.
Certificate
21,007
20
28.2
A.S. Degree
60,293
28
142.0
Total
5393.7
194,281 741
BACKGROUND
isasnereaampasse,,,rssechdeosruseserereced-re,,,resereeerrej
The total number of community colleges in the stale is 28
Florida invests over $1 billion each year in work force
and the total number of vocational centers is 46.
The public
vocational
postsecondary
development.
Source:
Department of
Education and Division of Community
education system, the largest provider of vocational
Colleges.
intended to increase students'
vocational
training,
is
skills needed to enter and progress in the workforce.
State general revenue and student fees provide the
PROGRAM PERFORMANCE
of
vocational
funding adult
for
majority (94%)
and Associate of Science
(A.S.) degree
certificate
(37) percent of all
Thirty-seven
adult
vocational
programs that cost $393.7 million in 1993-94.
(See
education programs were poor performers in fiscal
Vocational certificate programs, delivered
Exhibit 1.)
year 1992 -93.1
These programs
the
cost
state
by vocational-technical centers and community colleges,
and produced few
approximately
$13.1
million
are measured in clock hours of instruction. Examples of
completers or the completers faired poorly in the job
certificate programs computer
include
vocational
market.
operations, law enforcement, and welding.
Certificate
program lengths range from 24 clock hours for Mine
We found
produced few
vocational
programs
that
Safety and Health to 2,850 clock hours
for Court
completers or whose completers faired poorly in the job
offer A.S. degree
Community colleges
Reporting.
To analyze vocational programs, we used
market.
programs that are measured in student semester hours.
Florida Education Training and Placement Information
Program lengths for these programs range from 60
Program
(FETPIP)
employment
data
1992-93
on
student semester hours for Postal Service Management
For our analysis we selected
program completers.
to 90 student semester hours for Midwifery.
criteria that would identify programs performing below
minimal levels. We defined poor-performing programs
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS
as programs with five or fewer completers statewide or
BEEN GRANTED BY
that met at least one of the following employment
criteria during October through December 1993: 2
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
2
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
To assess whether these duplicative program offerings
Less than 50% of completers were employed at
we considered
following
the
appear unnecessary,
any point in time during the quarter; or
criteria:
Less than 25% of completers were employed full-
Low Placement - placement rates for completers
time for 11 of 12 weeks in the quarter.
are below the state average;
Training for Non-Targeted Jobs - programs that
Of the 347 vocational programs included in our analysis,
do not train students for jobs targeted by the
127 (37%) programs met our definition of a poor-
Occupational Estimating Conference; and
Statewide, 84 programs had five
performing program.
or fewer completers and 43 additional programs met at
Low Enrollment - 15 or less students enrolled.
least one of our criteria for poor performing programs.
These 127 programs had 1,604 completers.
In addition to the above criteria, we examined the extent
to which programs considered more costly by DOE
We estimate that $13.1 million was spent on these poor-
Such duplication was not significant,
were duplicated.
The Department of Education's
performing programs. 3
but the need for more than one high cost program
of vocational
programs
(DOE) recent
restructuring
within a region or county may need to be considered.
eliminated two programs in 1994 and three programs in
1995 that we identified as poor-performing.
Programs
Duplication
in Vocational
Offered
by
and
Vocational-Technical
Community
Colleges
During 1993-94, community colleges and
Centers.
I 1993-94 data on program completers was not available by program.
Therefore, the most recent data available for our analysis was for fiscal
vocational-technical centers that served the same region
year 1992-93.
offered some duplicative vocational certificate programs.
duplication
vocational
Statewide, the program
in
2 We included all employment outcomes of program completers but
not students who left the program prior to completion.
offerings occurred 47 times. For example, a community
college and two vocational-technical centers in the same
3 This amount represents the statewide average cost per completer
multiplied by the number of completers of poor-performing programs.
offered identified
region welding.
We
all
41
occurrences of duplication that met at least one of the
criteria of low placement rates, training for non-targeted
.
(See Exhibits 2 and 4.)
jobs, and/or low enrollment.
`,..../(q
W11.1111617.."
The criteria most frequently met was training for non-
DUPLICATIVE PROGRAM OFFERINGS
lall====t2Z2133M
127=1
targeted jobs which occurred 27 times.
The estimated
cost of these duplicative programs was $6.1 million in
Vocational programs offered by two or more schools in
1993-94.
the same region or county may serve a useful purpose.
However, duplicative offerings of programs that have
Offered by
Duplication
Programs
low placement rates, train students for non-targeted
in
Vocational-
or have low enrollment are of questionable
Technical Centers.
There are eight counties with more
jobs,
Using the most
than one vocational-technical center.
In 1993-94, these duplicative programs cost
benefit.
recent data on program offerings (1993-94), we found
an estimated $70.9 million.
duplication in the vocational program offerings occurred
199 times. We identified 151 occurrences of duplication
There are several regions in the state served by both a
that met at least one of
community college and one or more vocational technical
requires cooperative
Legislature
The
centers.
4 This amount represents the average cost per student statewide
agreements between community colleges and school
the number of students
multiplied by
the duplicative
enrolled
in
program offerings.
certificate
regarding
districts
programs.
However, these cooperative agreements focus on student
transfer of credit across institutions and do not delineate
the certificate programs each institution will offer.
The
law requiring cooperative agreements has not prevented
that our analysis shows may be
program offerings
unnecessary.
There are also several counties that have more than one
In these counties we found
vocational-technical center.
more than one school offered the same program.
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
- 2 -
our criteria of low placement rates, training for non-
Program
Occurrences
Exhibit 4:
of Duplicative
(See Exhibits 3
targeted jobs, and/or low enrollment.
Offerings That Met Our Criteria by
Again, the criteria most frequently met was
and 4.)
Vocational Area
training for non-targeted jobs which occurred 110 times.
The estimated cost of these duplicative programs was
Duplication of
Program Offerings Between
$64.8 million in 1993-94.
CC and VT
VTs
in the
in the
and
Vocational-
Community
Colleges
Exhibit 2:
Vocational Area
Same Region
Same County
Technical Centers in the Same Region:
Number of Duplicative Program Offerings
Agriculture
0
That Met Criteria
Business
48
2
Health
9 25
Home Economics
2
19
Industrial 20
52
Marketing
3
1
Public Service
7
Total Number of
Occurrences
41
151
CC = Community College.
VT = Vocational Technical Center.
of Program
Office
Source:
Policy Analysis
and
Government
Accountability analysis of Department of Education 1993-
94 vocational data.
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Govemmen
Source:
Accountability analysis of
Department of
Education
1993-94 vocational data.
OBSERVATIONS
based on
Vocational-Technical Centers in the Same
Funding for
vocational
education
Exhibit 3:
is
the
County: Number of Duplicative Program
number of students
the program;
enrolled
thus,
in
Offerings That Met Criteria
programs are funded even if they are poor-performing
performance may
programs.
funding
Basing
on
(N=151)
eliminate the problems cited in this report.
The state
started a voluntary incentive program, referred to as the
Performance Based Incentive Fund (PBIF), to encourage
Training for
Non-Targeted
vocational training that leads to employment in targeted
Jobs
(see OPPAGA
fields
high-wage/high-skill
that
are
Report No. 95-16).
Participating vocational-technical
Low
centers and community colleges earn a portion of their
Placement
funding based on student outcomes in targeted fields.
This program has the potential to remedy many of the
problems outlined in this report if a greater proportion
Low
Enrollment
of vocational funding is awarded through PBIF.
00
20
80 80
20 40
140
1 1
In addition to the PBIF program, DOE and the Division
Number of Programs
of Community Colleges are developing or are using
other mechanisms
improve
to
of
the performance
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Govemmen
Source:
Accountability analysis of Department of Education
Program "exit points" where
vocational programs.
1993-94 vocational data.
students could leave the programs prior to completion,
but still obtain marketable skills in a vocational area are
being identified.
Vocational programs
be
may
redesigned to allow for multiple exit points for students.
- 3
4
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
Therefore, we recommend that the Legislature:
In addition, both DOE and the Division of Community
and
process
review
program
a
employ
Colleges
Increase the use of performance-based incentive
their
vocational
evaluate
to
reviews
accreditation
funding, such as employment outcomes. This will
In addition to developing mechanisms to
programs.
better ensure that only those programs that meet
improve program performance, existing methods such as
the students' and the state's employment goals are
program reviews may need to be strengthened.
funded; and
Direct the Department of Education and the State
We further noted that DOE has developed recommended
Board of Community Colleges, in consultation
needed to
program lengths that identify the clock hours
Jobs and Education
Partnership,
the
to
with
most
vocational
teach minimum competencies
for
eliminate
poor-performing
criteria
to
develop
Our analysis comparing actual program
programs.
programs and duplicative program offerings that
lengths to recommended lengths for programs with the
appear unnecessary.
variations
wide
identified
code
classification
same
For
statewide in clock hours for the same program.
To protect the credibility of vocational programs, we
example, one program was offered at lengths ranging
recommend the State Board of Education:
from 66 hours to 2,948 hours. Nine institutions offered
length,
recommended
the
31
below
program
the
Establish standard program lengths for vocational
institutions offered the program above the recommended
certificate
ensure
programs
the
and
length, and 2 institutions offered the program at the
of the
for
implementation rule
degree
A.S.
These variations
recommended length of 900 hours.
uniformity
for
programs
consistency
and
lack of consistency and uniformity
in
highlight
a
statewide.
that may affect
the
programs
certificate
vocational
credibility of some certificate programs.
'711.1=77777=1.
Board of Community Colleges
recently
The State
7leS7d3abt
.
adopted a rule to establish lengths for A.S. degree
The Secretary of the Department of Education agreed
As of
programs (to be implemented by Fall 1996).
with the overall concepts and observations of the report.
December 1995, the State Board of Education has not
However, he disagreed with several criteria used to
adopted this rule.
poor
determine
performance
and
unnecessary
duplication.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Executive Director of the Florida State Board of
..
Community Colleges described processes that the Board
Poor-performing programs meet neither the students'
uses obtain
feedback
regarding programs'
to
employment goals nor the state's economic development
performances.
Eliminating or reducing state funding for these
goals.
reduced
from
savings
achieve
could
programs
The complete responses are a public record and are
In addition,
administrative, teaching, and facility costs.
available upon request.
we found many duplicative programs in the same region
Consolidation or
or county that may be unnecessary.
of such programs
cost
could
achieve
elimination
savings. However, such savings would be less than the
total program expenditures because these students may
continue to need other vocational training.
in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards and included appropriate
This project was conducted
Copies of this report in alternate accessible format may be obtained by contacting
performance auditing and evaluation methods.
Report Production at [phone] or FAX [phone].
Review Conducted by: Bernadette Leyden and Claude Hendon
Review Supervised by: Jane Fletcher
- 4 -
5
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
ERIC1
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Educational Research and It nprovernent (OHM
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Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)
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