ED 326 692

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PUB DATE

CONTRACTNOTE

AVAILABLE FROM

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EDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS

AESTRACT

DOCUMENT RESUME

CE 056 520

Pritz, Sandra G.

The Role of Vocational Education in the Developmentof Students' Academic Skills: An ImplementationGuide. Information Series No. 340.ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and VocationalEducation, Columbus, Ohio.

Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED),Washington, DC.

89RI8806200551p.; Includes "Vocational Technical Education:Developing Academic Skills. A Position .9tatement ofthe National Association of State Directors ofVocational Technical Education Consortium."Center on Education and Training for Employment, 1900Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1090 (implementationguide order no. IN340--85.25); National Associationof State Directors of Vocational Technical Education,1420 16th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036(position statement--$5.00).

Guides - Non-Classroom Use (055) -- InformationAnalyses - ERIC Information Analysis Products (071)

MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.*Academic Education; *Basic Skills; CurriculumDevelopment; Educational Change; *EducationalCooperation; *Integrated Curriculum; Job Skills;School Restructuring; Secondary Education; Teameaching; *Vocational Education

Integrated programs provide students with e balancedmix of academic and vocational skills needed in the workplac k. and forlifelong learning. Basic skills in mathematics, science, andcommunication form the foundation for lifelong learning and thecontent for higher-order skills. Occupational skills depend on and donot exist apart from academic foundations. The National Associationof State Directors of Vocational Technical Education Consortiumsupports the concept of integration and the restructuring of therelationship between academic and vocational education. Federal,state, and local initiatives are recommended to bring about thisreform. A number of strategies for implementing thevocational-academic approach are being tried in many schools,bolstered by the mandate for enhanced integration in the Carl D.Perkins Vocational and Applied TechnologY Education Act. Morewidespread implementation depends on the resolution of a number ofissues: (1) developing the drive and achieving commitment from alllevels; (2) setting goals to bring about the integration of academicsin vocational education and the integration of academic andvocational education; (3) overcoming such barriers as staff concernsand lack of funding; (4) determining structural questions such as whowill teach academic and vocational skills, what effect willorganizational structure have on making cnanges, what curricularmaterials will be used, and who else (parents, counselors, community)needs to be involved; (5) providing inservice training for vocationaland academic teachers; and (6) preparing to evaluate integrationefforts. One strategy for implementation is cross-correlation ofvocational and academic curricula, that is, identification cf exactlywhere academic concepts are used in vocational courses. A matriX ofvocational tasks and academic concepts can assist in this effort.Cross-correlation can lead to other joiut activities such asadaptation/adoption of curriculum materials, shared lesson plann4ng,and documentation for granting academic credit for basic skillstaught in vocational classes. Recognition is growing that integratedtdartnerships supporting students' varied learning styles are the mosteffective means of achieving tale academic and vocational competenceneeded in a global economy. The policy issues, strategies, andexamples provided in this position statement and guide can assistpolicy makers, administrators, and teachers in reaching that goal.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice of Educafional Research and Implovement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONigCENTER (ERIC)

This document has been- reproduced asreceived from the person or organization 0orkinatiog

C Minor changes have been made to Improvereproduction quafity

- Polrts of vlew or opinions% [Med in this dint,.ment do not necessarily represent officialOE RI position or policy.

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"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATER!AL HAS BEEN pRANTED BY

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TO THE EDUCATIONAL. RESOURCES!NFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."

_

THE CENTER MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Center on Education and Training for Employment is tofacilitate the career and occupational preparation and advancement of youthand adults.

The Center fulfills its mission by utilizing the full ranga of resources at TheOhio State University; conducting applied resear-oh, evaluation, and policyanalyses; and providing leadership development, technical assistance, andinformation services that pertain to

* the delivery of education and training for work;

the quality and outcomes of education and training foremployment;

the quality and nature of partnerships with education,business, industry, and labor;

opportunities for persons in at-risk situations to succeed ineducation, training, and work environments;

short- and long-range planning for education and trainingagencies; and

approaches to enhancing economic development and jobcreation.

3

Information Series No. 340

THE ROLE OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN THEDEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS' ACADEMIC SKILLS

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Sandra G. PritzCenter on Education and Training for Employment

ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational EducationCenter on Education and Training for Employment

The Ohio State University1900 Kenny Road

Columbus, OH 43210-1090

1989

4

Project Title:

Contract Number:

Act under WhichAdministered:

Source of Contract:

Contractor:

Executive Director:

FUNDING INFORMATION

ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and VocationalEducation .

RI88062005

41 USC 252 (15) and P.L. 92-318

Office of Educational Research and ImprovementU.S. Department of EducationWashington, DC 20208

Center on Education and Training for EmploymentThe Ohio State UniversityColumbus, Ohio 43210-1090

Ray D. Ryan

Disclahner: This publication was prepared pursuant to a contract with theOffice of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Depart-ment of Education. Contractors undertaking such projectsunder government sponsorship are encouraged to express freelytheir judgment in professional and technical matters. Points ofview or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent officialU.S. Department of Education position or policy.

Discrimin ation Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states: "No person inProhibited: the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or nation-

al origin, be excluded from participation in, be Cenied thebenefits of, or be subjected to discrimination ,mder any programor activity receiving federal financial assistance." Title IX ofthe Education Amendments of 1971 states: "No person in theUnited States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from par-ticipation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to dis-crimination under any education program or activity receivingfederal financial assistance." The ERIC Clearinghouse project,like every program or activity receiving financial assistance fromthe U.S. Department of Education, must be operated in compli-ance with these laws:

11

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORDv

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYvii

INTRODUCIION1

IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES TO CONSIDER 3

Developing the Drive3

Setting Goals3

Overcoming Barriers5

Structural Issues6

Preparation9

Evaluation9

ALTERNATIVE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES 11

ABSTRACTS OF EXEMPLARY PROGRAMS 13

CURRICULAR RESOURCES25

REFERENCES27

111

FOREWORD

The Educational Resources Information Center Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, andVocational Education (ERIC/ACVE) is 1 of 16 clearinghouses in a national informationsystem that is funded by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (GERI),

U.S. Department of Education. This publication was developed to fulfill one of thefunctions of the clearinghouseinterpreting the literature in the ERIC database.

The Role of Vocational Education in the Development of Students' Academic Skills repre-sents a collaborative effort between ERIC/ACVE and the National Association of StateDirectors of Vocational Technical Education Consortium (NASDVTEC). The need todevelop methods of integrating academic and vocational skills has remained a high priority

for the field of vocational-technical education. This package is intended to assist in thatprocess. One component is a statement, Vocational Technical Education: Developing

Academic Skills, that presents NASDVTEC's position on the role of vocational-technicaleducation in helping students develop basic academic skills. The second part is animplementation guide designed to assist administrators and practitioners in educationalsettings in implementing integrated programs that will help students acquire the academicskills needed in the workplace and as a foundation for lifelong learning.

In 1986, the Center on Education and Training for Employment (CETE) at the Ohio StateUniversity undertook the research, synthesis, and development of a package of resourcematerials (BASICS: Bridging Vocational and Academic Skills) to assist educators in theintegration effort by sharing what had been learned. The author of this implementationguide, also a developer of the BASICS package, has adapted portions of the guide directlyfrom documents in 'ne package and incorporated findings ,from subsequent experience.

ERIC/ACVE would like to than:. Sandra G. Pritz, Senior Program Associate at CETE, forher work in the preparation of this publication. Her col:ege teaching experience and 17-year specialization in curriculum development and instruction for both education andindustry have been applied in the development of materials to assist students who have lowbasic skills achievement and in numerous articles, presentations, and workshops on thesubject. Ms. Pritz was one of the pjmary developers of the BASICS package and alsodirected a project that resulted in a package of teacher and student materials entitled TheDropout Prevention Series. She has worked on the basic competencies project and thedropout prevention initiative of the Southern Regional Education Board's State VocationalEducation Consortium and has worked with NASDVTEC on basic skill:, integration.

The following people are also acknowledged for their critical review of the manuscript priorto publication: Karen Ryals, Director, Adult and Vocational Education, Alaska Department

of Education; Richard C. Makin, Coordinator of Research, Oklahoma Department ofVocational-Technical Education; and Mark Newton, Associate Director, CETE.

Publkation development was coordinated by Susan Imel. Sandra Kerka edited themanuscript, and Janet Ray served as word processor operator.

vi

Ray D. RyanExecutive DirectorCenter on Education and

Training for Employment

8

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Integrated programs give students a balanced mix of academic and vocational skills neededin the workplace and for lifelong learning. Basic skills in mathematics, science, andcommunication form the foundation for lifelong learning and the content for higher-order

skills. Occupational skills depend on and do not exist apart from academic foundations.

The National Association of State Directors of Vocational Technical Education Consortiumsupports the concept of integration and the restructuring of the relationship between

academic and vocational education, Federal, state, and local initiatives are recommendedto bring about this reform.

A number of strategies for implementing the vocational-acad,nic approach are being triedin mary schools, bolstered by the mandate for enhanced integration in the Carl D. Perkins

Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act. More widespread implementationdepends on the resolution of a number of issues:

Developing the drive and achieving commitment from all levels

Setting goals to bring about the integration of academics in vocational education andthe integration of academic and vocational education

Overcoming such barriers as staff corrt)rns and lack of funding

Determining structural questions such as--

-- who will tegch academic and vocational skills-- what effect will organizational structure have on making changes-- what curriculum materials will be used-- who else (parents, counselors, community) needs to be involved

Providing inservice training for vocational and academic teachers

Preparing to evaluate integration efforts

One strategy for implementation is cross-correlation of vocational and academic curricula,that is, identification of exactly where academic concepts are used in vocational courses.A matrix of vocational tasks and academic correpts can assist in this effort. Cross-correlation can lead to other joint activities such as adaptation/adoption of curriallummaterials, shared lesson planning, and documentation for granting academic credit for basicskills taught ii. vocational classes.

vii

Exemplary integrated programs can be found at the school district level (Norfolk PublicSchools, Virginia and New Bern-Craven County Schools, North Carolina), at the state level(Ohio's Program OPTIONS, Arizona's Basic/Essential Skills Taxonom, and at the regionallevel (the Southern Regional Education Board's State Vocational Education Consortium).

The Center for Occupational Research and Development and the Agency for InstructionalTechnology have developed the following integrated curricula based on the concPpts ofapplied learning: Principles of Technology, Applied Communication, Applied Mathematics,Applied Biology/Chemistry, and Workplace Readiness.

Recoguition !'s growing that integrated partnerships supporting students' varied learningstyles are the most effective means of achieving the academic and vocational competenceneeded in a global economy. The policy issues, strategies, and examples provided in thisposition statement and guide can assist pacy makers, administrators, and teachers inreaching that goal.

Information on integrating academic and vocational education may be found in the ERICdatabase using the following descriptors. *Academic Education, *Basic Skills, CurriculumDevelopment, Educational Change, *Educational Cooperation, *Integrated Curriculum, JobSkills, School Restructuring, Secondary Education, Team Teaching, *Vocational Education.Asterisks denote descriptors having particular relemce.

viii

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INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this implementation guideis to assist educational administrators andpractitioners in implementing integratedprograms that will help students acquirethe academic skills needed in the work-place and az a foundation for lifelonglearning. In this paper, "integration" isused to describe the various ways in whicheducators are changing practices and cur-ricula to provide students a balanced mixof academic and vocational experiencebased on the concept of applied learning.A number of strategies for implementingthe vocational-academic approach arebeing tried at different levels in manyschools throughout the nation, and theseefforts will be bolstered by the targetedmandate calling for enhanced integrationin the Carl D. Perkins Vocational andApplied Technology Education Act.

The publication of the position statementby the National Association of StateDirectors of Vocational Technical Educa-tion Consortium represents an importantstep in the promulgation of the voca-tional-academic integration concept withone un;fied yoke. Furthermore, thisstatement should be helpful in communi-cating with policy makers at the national,

1

state, and local levels and in communicat-ing with nonvocational educators who area critical half of the integration equation.

In 1986, the Center on Education andTraining for Employment at the OhioState University undertook the research,synthesis, and development of a packageof resource materials (BASICS: BridgingVocational and Academic Skills) to assisteducators in the integration effort bysharing what had been learned. It wasclear then, as it is now, that the exactprocess by which educators of widely dif-fering backgrounds, training, and experi-ence can work effectively together variesaccording to the situation. However, it isalso clear that the educational challengesof today can best be met through con-certed action by all educators to designprograms that apply the academic skills inthe context of occupational preparation.

The "how to" involves (1) resolving a num-ber of issues, at least in a preliminarymy; (2) designing integration efforts; and(3) sharing information and resources.This guide discusses these steps and thenpreser.ts some examples of existing exem-plary programs.

a

IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES TO CONSIDER

Developing the Drive

A thoughtful analysis of the reasons fordeciding to embark on an integration pro-gram will resuit L. a clarity of purposethat is important for developing commit-ment and for shaping the implementation.The impetus may have come from the na-tional, state, or district level, buteducators at the building level need tobelieve that the change can resu't inimproved student achievement and teach-er performance. Factors should be iden-tified that people consider "burning issues"and care about enongh to invest them-selves and to base action on them.

Several factors that have proven to berallying points for others are as follows:

The ueed to help students meetexpanded graduation requirements

Decreased vocational enrollments anddecline in program offerings

A high rate of illiteracy and/or unem-ployment, in tbe geographical area

The role that vocational-academicintegration can play in dropout pre-vention and in meeting the needs ofstudents with low motivation forlearning

Response to business and industry'srecognition that employees needstronger basic skills for adequate jobperformance

3

External pressure for accountability.(Many schools are feeling the pres-sure from the state luvel, whereresponse to the concerns has beer/articulated, to the extent that someform of integration or related out-come has been mandated in a numberof states.)

Developing the drive depends on an advo-cate--a person or a support group whounderstands the shuadoll, believes in theinitiative, and can obtain the support ofothem, from the s ,hool board and super-intendint to school personnel. Leadershipfrom school and central office administra-tion is important at this stage and con-tinues to be important at later stages.

Setting Goals

A prerequisite for setting goals is to estab-lish a common understanding of therelated terminology. For example, thcterm "basic academic skills" carries differ-ent mcanings to different people. In thisdiscussion, basic academic skills is used tomean foundational rather than low level,elemental rather than elementary. Basicacademic skills, generally drawn frommathematics, communications (reading,writing, speaking, and listening), andscience, provide foundations for furtherlearning. They provide a depth of under-standing that allows for generalizabilityand transfer across tasks. Higher-ordersl 'Us such as problem solving, criticalthinking, and decision making represent a

1 2

purposeful combination of basic skills f9rapplication (Pratzner 1988).

It should be noted in this context that,clearly, the role of vocational educationin academic skills acquisition is notlimited to basic skills remediation. Al-though vocational programs may providea setting within which ability to use learn-ed basic math, communications, and sci-ence can be effectively assessed, seriousacademic deficits that have accumulatedfor many years are not suitably addressedsolely through vocational instruction.However, some evidence exists thatremediation and academic instruction ingeneral can take place more effectivelythrough a strategy of high expectationsand applicatiom rather than rote drill ofisolated low-level facts (Bottoms 1989;Peterson 1989); certainly, vocationalprograms can employ this strategy.

Setting goals also requires a decisionabout the desired scope and intensity ofthe program. The concept of integratededucation goes to the heart of schoolorganization, desired learner outcomes--indeed, the basic questions of teachingand learning. Goals must be set thataccount for the breadth of the conceptanJ yet are realistic. The goals mustreflect the realities of local process, yetfocus on student and school perforhance.

As one might expect, the ways integra* inis put into practice fall along a continuum.One end of that continuum might belabeled integration of academics in vnca-tional education and the other end isintegration of academic and vocation&education.

4

Integration of Academics in VocationalEducation

One type of response to the challenge issimply for vocational educators to take onmore responsibility for academic basicskills as part of their programs. This isessentially a unilateral approach, per-ceived generally as reinforcement, applica-tion, and enhancement of skills that stu-dents should possess already. Vocationalinstructors vary in their degree of comfortand adequacy of training to undertakeintensified efforts in this regard. As visi-bility and awareness of the need spread,more vocational instructors are receivinginservice training and seeking further edu-cation in teaching academics. It is recog-nized that more is needed. Research indi-cates that. cra the average, vocationalteachers completing just over onecollege zok.se in communications andmathemtics and about two courses plus3-4 hours of inservice training in teachingbasic skills in their subject areas. On theaverage, both vocational and nonvocation-al teachers report that they have com-pleted less than one college course andvery little, if any, inservice training relatedto working with the gifted/talented, thedisadvantaged, limited-English-proficientstudents, the handicapped, or single/teenage parents (Webtr et al. 1988).

A helpful adjunct is the growing, thoughstill inadequate, availability of learningmaterials that focus on basic skills inparticular vocational programs. Thesematerials, some of which promote integra-tive higher-order thinking, at e importanttools to assist teachers who are ready tomake changes in their practices.

Integration of Academic and VocationalEducation

The type of response to the challenge thatmoves beyond the unilateral to a jointeffort of vocational and academic educa-tors is a pioneering endeavor to bridgethe unhealthy schism that often existsbetween academic and vocational pro-grams and their staffs, It involvesrecognition '-at each has much to offerthe other atm that the challenge can bestbe met through concerted action with athree-part agenda:

to strengthen the academic basis ofvocational education,

to strengthen the connection betweenconcept learning and application inacademic education, and

to strengthen the application ofacademic skills in the workplace.

Overcoming Barriers

Change is a process, not an event. Often,people recognize in theory that any newprocess will have its difficult aspects to beworked out over time. In practice, itseems to help to know what the typicalbathe's are. Those listed here are localor district concerns.

Staff Concerns

It is natural for both vocational andacademic teachers to have concerns aboutchange. Some of these concerns need tobe shared with administrators to find outtheir thinking and to make them aware ofthe feelings. It also helps for teachers toshare their concerns--to seek answers, to

5

seek help, and to develop a spirit ofsharing and trust.

Some typical concern,F of both academicand vocational teachers are the following:

How will this change affect my job--especially my job security?

Will I be relinquishing control overwhat I teach?

How will I find time to cover thevocational content if more time isspent on academics? (or) How willI find time to cover the academiccontent if more time is spent onapplications?

How much additional work will beinvolved in the change, and how willI find the time and energy to do it?

Can I count on the needed adminis-trative support for this change?

Vocational teachers may wonder howstrong their own academic skills need tobe in order to teach others. They wonderhow they can develop the neede i skills.They also suspect that academic teacherswill be reluctant to get involved.

Academic teachers may be concernedabout their ability to relate their subjectmatter to occupational reality. Some maybe concerned about the wisdom of doingso; they may worry about keeping theirsubject matter "pure," not watered down.Academic teachers also share many of thesame concerns as vocational teachers.

The experiences of many other teachers inpioneering joint efforts have indicated thatsuch concerns are normal. They can bealleviated and ultimately dispelled bycreative inservice opportunities to work

1 4

together and broad administrative supportfor doing so. The real need and the posi-tive results for both students and teacherssoon become paramount in their thinking.

Funding

Although change rarely comes without aprice tag, vocational-academic integrationis relatively inexpensive because it is pri-marily a change in approach. However,there is no escaping the fact that re-sources to buy staff time for planning,inservice training, and curriculum revisionare important to successful efforts.

Federal and state support for the integra-tion effort is increasing. In applying forsupport, it is helpful to remember all therelated programs whose goals can bereached through the applied academicsavenue. A number of districts havepooled fundinl from programs for dropoutprevention, education of the disadvan-taged, and the Job Training PartnershipAct (JTPA). The new initiatives for "techprep" can viably be coordinated withvocational-academic integration.

The window cf opportunity is open wideto involve business and industry. Com-panies that are nervously viewing thepotential for adequate preparation of theirfuture work force can assist in the integra-tion effort in numerous ways.

Structural Issues

Instruction

Who will teach the academic skills? Insome institutions and in some states, voca-tional educators are identifying the aca-demic skills they already teach in theirprograms and are seeking--and being

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granted--approval to award academiccredit toward graduation for academicskills learned through vocational instruc-tion. A great deal of math or science orEnglish is already taught in vocationalclasses because the academic skills areessential to successful performance of theoccupational skills. Many an electronicsteacher provides science instruction.Many a business teacher provides Englishinstruction. Many a carpentry teacherprovides math instruction.

Other institutions and states feel that toensure high-quality academics worthy ofcredit, certified academic teachers mustprovide the academic instruction, corre-lated with and reinforced by the occupa-tional instruction. Although vocationalteachers possess the academic skillsneeded for occupational tasks, they maynot have the expertise to explain thetheory underlying the skill. That is one ofthe concerns of those urging educationalreform.

Who will teach the vocational skills? Insome cases, one vocational teacherteaches both shop and related instruction.In other cases, different teachers handlethe two instructional tasks or use a teamapproach to teach both. Taking into con-sideration the present staffing structureand the demands of the proposed integra-tion effort, those involved in planningneed to determine how responsibility forteaching the vocationr:1 curriculum will behandled in the future.

Institutional Charac:eristics

What effect will the organizational struc-ture have on the ability to integrate sub-jects? Can the structure be modified orchanged? The educational institution mayhouse both academic and vocational stu-

1 5

dents and teachers, all under unifiedleadership. Since the teachers -ire allunder the same roof, getting them 1,,)geth-er is not a physical problem, though itmay require scheduling changes.

The institution may house only vocationalstudems, but may have both academic andvocational teachers to provide a total pro-gram for those students. As in the previ-ous situation, the actors involved in thechange are at least all under the sameroof.

On the other hand, the institution mayhouse only occupational students andteachers, with academic Kudents andteachers housed at home schools. Thevocational students may complete theiracademic work prior to or concurrent withtheir vocational course work. Change toa more integrated system is no less possi-ble in this situation but does invol- e someadditional concerns. For example, whenteachers are housed in separate facilities,many different, geographically distantlocations may be involved, depending onthe number of home schools and the sizeof the district. That makes interactionamong teachers more of a challenge.Strong cooperative relationships may beimpeded by the institutions' competitionfor students in the face of decliningenrollments.

Planners need to consider the structureand the level of integration sought inmaking decisions about whether the struc-ture should remain the same Gr change tofacilitate greater integration. There arenumerous options:

Team vocational and academic teach-ers to promote sharing

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Cluster the, teachers in each voca-tional program with a math, science,and English teacher

Give academic teachers a vocationalEupervisor and vocational teachers anacademic supervisor to promote across-pollination of ideas andapproaches

Form a vocational-academic team tosupervise teachers from both groups

Materials

What curricular materials will be required,and how will they be secured or devel-oped? Poor and even mediocre materialscan be the basis for a good deal of discon-tent. Many teachers have felt the lack ofresources for the teaching of applied aca-demics (textbooks, guides, software) to bea major barrier.

The lack of resources is particularly criti-cal given that, in many cases, students ina class represent a wide range of abilitylevels. Thus, it is recommended that theclasses be individualized as much as possi-ble. If the total vocational program iscompetency based and individualized,adopting the same approach for the aca-demic subjects should not constitute amajor problem. If conventional group-based instruction is the institutional norm,however, individualization--particularlywithout adequate, appropriate curricularmaterials--can seem an awesome task.

Some integrated materials are availableand others are in development. TheCenter for Occupational Research andDevelopment (CORD) and the Agencyfor Instructional Technology (AIT) havedeveloped applied scien,- courses forsecondary and postseconnary vocational-

16

technical students, entitled Principles ofTechnology and Unified Technical Con-cepts. CORD has developed materials forapplied math, and AIT has developedmaterial: for technical communications.(See Curricular Resources section foradditional detail.)

In some cases, state- or locally devet3pedmaterials can be located through suchsources as the National Network for Cur-riculum Coordination in Vocational andTechnical Education (NNCCVTE).Often, however, teachers are happierusing such materiais if they develop--or atleast adapt--them. This suggests the needto plan for curriculum development, anactivity that :Okes both time and specialskills. These issues are covered in detailin BASICS' Instructional Materials Devel-opment ,(Pritz and Crowe 1987) and Sup-plementary Instructional 1?esources (Veach,Pritz, and Crowe 1987).

Other Actors

Who else needs to be involved in theeffort? The integrated educational pro-gram will gain strength if all the signifi-cant actors in the student's education areinvolved in the joint effort. For example,special educators need to be an integralpart of the program. They have expertisein strategies to meet individual learnerneeds in support of basic skills achieve-ment. Parents who are helped to under-stand the benefits for students of a fayintegrated curriculum can lend support.Further, parents usually play another rolein which they can be supportive, namelyas workers and employers. Those in theworkplace can assist the effort by reflect-ing to the schools the ways in which basicskills are needed for participatory man-agement, quality control, and teamwork.

8

Guidance counselors have a importantrole in the integration effort. Tney arekey communicators of the plan and itsrationale to students and parents, as wellas facilitators of communication betweenvocational and academic teachers. Anoth-er critical aspect of their role is sysmaticindividualized planning with students.Full benefit of an integrated educationcan be realized oniy if students are guidedtoward a coherent program of study withhigh expectations for achievement, whichimplies a carefully developed and moni-tored 4-year plan for each student. Simi-larly, assessment of student performanceis a guidance concern that is of height-ened prominence recently.

Once the questions presented here areanswered, logistical arrangements can bemade to support the effort. Althoughvocational and academic teachers canprovide input on support concerns such asspace and time, administrators will usuallyneed to coordinate arrangements. Manysupport issues relate to time concerns:time to plan, time to meet, time to share.This one concern can make or break theintegration effort. If teachers cannotreasonably find the time to get together,they are unlikely to do so. Without thisinteraction, there can be little coopera-tion, correlation, or integration. Littleteam sp;rit will be built. If, however, at abare minimum, teachers meet for 10 min-utes a day, that sharing is likely to becomea habit.

One very effective way to provide time isto phase in the change over an extendedperiod. This not only pr ides moreoptions for building in the time neededfor planning, developing, and implement-ing the innovation; it also provides timefor all the participants to go through thechange process to the point where theinnovation is routinized, refined, and

1 7

institutionalized--an integral part of thecurriculum.

Preparation

Another crucial issue is adequate training.Inservice training needs to be available soteachers can feel adequately oriented tothe integration approach to be used.They may also want training to performthe occupat: onal and task analysesrequired, to use the task ,malyses toidentify academic skill requirements, andto develup curricular materials. Trainingvocational and academic teachers togetherhelps to reinforce a cooperative relation-ship by providing an environment con-dncive to sharing.

Virtually everyone in a position to observesees a great need for inservice (and pre-service) training to help teachers under-stand and practice applied learning tech-niques--not simply developing a commit-ment to the idea, but following through onhow to do it in the classroom. Anothertopic of needed inservice activity is

coordinated teaming. Vocational andnonvocational teachers who are unused toworking together can be greatly assistedby some ideas on how to coordinate theirteaching, whether it be through aligningschedules, actual team teaching, or thedozens of other ways to interact creatively.

Another item for inservice emphasis is theimportance of high expectations and atten-tion to differences in student learningstyles. Teachers need help in implement-ing that idea in the classroom. It does notdo simply to say "expect more" and leaveit at that. Nor is it easy to keep up

9

with what cognitive scientists are discover-ing about the learning process that can beof immense help.

Vocational and academic teachers mayalso need additional preparation in eachother's fields. Academic teachers canoffer workshops to help vocational teach-ers improve their own basic skills. Voca-tional teachers can offer minicoursescovering occupational skills to help aca-demic teachers relate their instruction tooccupational reality. Academic teacherscan be invited to vocational teacher con-ferences to promote sharing of ideas andmaterials.

Additional preparation can take placethrough informal sharing. For example,vocational and academic teachers mayseek each other's help in private orborrow each other's texts for study.

Evaluation

Once an integration approach has beenselected, plans should be made to eval-uate the success of the program in pro-ducing the expected outcomes. Evaluationis important for local program improve-ment and decision making. Beyond that,a need exists to gain evaluative evidenceabout the success of various types of inte-gration efforts. Studies are underway toassess the effectiveness of pilot programs.As results and findings become availableand are supplemented by additional stud-ies, they will provide significant informa-tion on which practitioners can basedecisions.

1 8

ALTERNATIVE IMPLEMENTATION S RATEGIES

One of the simplest strategies, at least onthe surface, is simply to highlight andmake more explicit for students the specif-ic academic basic skills that are embeddedin the tasks in their vocational program.The tacit assumption of the past that stu-dents can automatically recognize the con-nections inherent in their different frag-mented courses is giving way to the reali-zation that teachers need to help studentsmake connections. Research shows that asignificant gap exists between the use ofbasic skills in the vocational classroomand overt attempts to capitalize on thoseopportunities to strengthen students' basicskills (Weber et al. 1988). The fact that itis almost impossible to perform a voca-tional task without using an academicbasic skill means that there is a rich mineof "teachable moments" to tap.

A strategy that involves more thoroughbilateral cooperation is cross-correlationof vocational and academic curricula--inother words, identification hy both voca-tional and academic teachers of exactlwhere academic concepts are used invocational courses. A typical vehicle forsuch identification is a matrix of voca-tional tasks and academic concepts, whichcan be coded at intersection points wherea particular academic concept is neededto perform a particular vocational task.Various further judgments can be incor-porated into the cells of the matrix, suchas time spent in instruction and practiceor level of learning required. Cross-correlations have been undertaken in anumber of districts and fostered by a

11

number of states (as well as by the Centeron Education and Training for Employ-ment through its BASATS resource pack-age).

It is immensely helpful for this cross-correlation of curricula to be accom-plished by teachers in tandem. In mostinstances, for example, math teachers havethe training to document the basic mathconcepts whereas vocational teachers aregenerally more experienced in how theyare used. Furthermore, the cross-correlation activity can be the precursor ofa variety of follow-up joint activities oncea cooperative working relationship hasbeen established. One of these additionalactivities is curriculum development oradaptation/adoption of existing learningmaterials to use as the basis for moreintegrated instruction. Another is sharedplanning of who sbould teach what, when,and to whom to complement each other'sefforts most effectively. A third is toprovide documentation for the potentialgranting of academic credit for basic skillsachieved in vocational course work, inso-far as it can be proven to be fairly earned.

On this last point, much controversy canbe averted and discord avoided if themost scientific and professional methodsavailable can be employed to documentthe skills on which applications for creditare based. During the initial period inwhich states were mandating increasedacademic requirements for graduation,fears were expressed that these would fallinequitably on vocational concentrators

is

who were leaning basic skills in voca-tional classes but accumulating no aca-demic credit for them. Si' .tilariy, fearcwere expressed by academic educatorsconcerning the need to hold firmly toquality standards, lest the academiccontent required for credit be diluted ortaught by those uncertified in the disci-pline. Mthough these specters have notdisappeared, some progress has beenmade where there is clear recognition thatstudents need bona fide skills and that itis up to both vocational and academiceducators to work together to see that stu-dents acquire these skills and get creditfor them. It is also important that stu-dents earn them in an environment thatprovides for some diversity in studentlearning needs.

Overall, students are achieving morewhere they are counseled to pursue acoherent and rigorous planned program ofvocational and academic courses. Some

evidence exists tint student achievementparallels enrenment in higher-levelcourses (Bottoms 1989). Implementationstrategies should incorporate a multi-faceted role for counselors in strength-ening basic skills through planning,assessment, facilitation of a teamapproach, and monitoring.

Strategies selected for implementationshould, for each school, fit into andfurther the other objectives and programsalready in place. Educators must beassisted in responding with targeted solu-tions for needs identified in their ownsituation. Yet the overall goals and pur-pose need to be established and unwaver-ing. The following section provides someexamples of programs; descriptions ofthese programs quickly illustrate thepoints made here concerning flexibility,variability, and single-mindedcommitment.

I

ABSTRACTS OF EXEMPLARY PROGRAMS

This section provides summaries of sometechniques, models, and ptactices thathave been judged successful at local, state,and regional levels. It shows the diverseefforts being made by educators to pro-mote basic skills learning. The types ofstrategies range from techniques usedindependently by classroom teachers tojoint efforts made by academic and voca-tional teachers to develop strategies andmaterials that reinforce, remediate, andenhance basic skills learning. Each pro-gram is composed of a selected blend ofelements unique to the foundation onwhich the program is being built andunique to how the staff perceives thepossibilities. The variety of innovativeapproaches being used nationwide isimpressive and gives testimony to theresourcefulness and creativity of theeducators involved.

L ,acriptions of additional exemplaryprograms with the goal of vocational-academic integration can be Found in thefollowing resources:

Crowe, Michael R. Pritz, Sandra G.;Sechler, Judith A., and Veach, June.BASICS: Bridging Vocational andAcademic Skills. Columbus: TheNational Center for Research inVocational Education, 1987. Relevantitems in this series incluee:

Crowe, Michael R., and Pritz,Sandra G. Introducing BASICS, avideotape.

Crowe, Michael R.; Pritz, SandraG.; and Veach, June. Implementa-tion Guide for BASICS: BridgingVocational and Academic SIdlls.

Adapted by Pritz, Sandia G., andCrowe, Michael R. Techniques forJoint Effort: The Vocational-Academic Approach.

Adapted by Pritz, Sandra G., andCrowe, Michael R. Technique forRemediation: Peer Tutoring.

Adelman, Nancy E. The Case forIntegrating Academic and VocationalEducation. Background paper for theNational Assessment of VocationalEducation, U.S. Department of Edu-cation, 1989.

Grubb, W. Norton; Plihal, Jane;Davis, Gary; Lum, Jeannie; andMorgaine, Carol. 'The CunningHand, The Cultured Mhze: Modelsfor Integrating Vocational andAcademic Education. Berkeley:National Center for Research inVocational Education, University ofCalifornia, forthcoming.

School District Level Progams

Program Site: Norview High School, Nor-folk Public Schools, Norfolk, VA

Key Features: Teams of English, math,and vocational teachers; appliedlearning activities; graduate courseoffered for teachers; reading acrossthe curriculum.

Description: In 1987 the Norfolk PublicSchools were selected as a pilotdistrict for the program BASICS:Bridging Vocational and AcademicSkills developed by the Center onEducation and Training for Employ-ment (CETE, then the National Cen-ter for Research in Vocational Educa-tion) at the Ohio State University. Asa result of inservice sessions based onthe program materials at the selectedh:gh school site, teachers chose tocollaborate across acadei-ic-vocation-al lines to develop a series of learningactivities that could be used in severalcourses to help students apply aca-demic basic skills (primarily readingat first) in realistic occupational tasks.The collaborative effort was directedby the pilot site coordinator, thesupervisor of business education, whohad full administrative support fromthe superintendent, the school princi-pal, and the director of adult andvocational education for the effort.This effort established a foundation ofinterdisciplinary communication. Sub-sequently, the school was also selectedas a pilot site for the StrengtheningBasic Skills project by the SouthernRegional Education Board (SREB)-State Vocational EducationConsortium.

Objectives. An advisory committee,composed of central office personnel,

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school adtninistrators, vocational teachers,math teachers, English teachers, coun-selors, and community representatives,was organized to establish objectives forthe project. Because the high school wasalready working to improve the readingskills of all students, the advisory com-mittee felt strongly that for the first year,the focus of the project should be onreading. Thus, the objectives included--

offering a graduate course fromOld Dominion University--Teach-ing Reading across Disciplines--to all vocational, English, andmath teachers;

developing teams of English,math, and vocational teachers toidentify and use strategies tostrengthen basic competencies;

reinforcing basic competencies invocational instruction;

increasing the time devoted toapplied learning activities inEnglish and math classes; and

encouraging students to takehigher-level English and mathcourses.

Graduate course. Teaching Readingacross Disciplines (3 graduate credits)was offered free to all English, math,and vocational teachers at NorviewHigh School in the spring of 1989.The class, which was taught at thehigh school, provided for thefolLwing:

It enabled teachers to learn aboutreading strategies to incorporateinto their instruction--strategiesthat lead to active reading by

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students, not just recall ofinformation.

It used the team approach. Fiveteams were established, each ofwhich was composed of English,math, and vocational teachers.

It provided time for team mem-bers jointly to develop activitiesbased on the identified readingstrategies.

It led to a wide variety of coop-erative efforts, innovative ideas,and renewed energy.

A committee of teachers who co..i-pleted the course selected lesson planssubmitted by teachers as a part of thecourse requirements and compiiedthem into a booklet to be given toevery high school teacher. Follow-upobservations were conducted in theclasses of those teachers who com-pleted the course.

Project expansion. The project wasexpanded during the 1989-1990 schoolyear to include science teachers andteachers at the Norfolk TechnicalVocational Center who became mem-bers of the teams.

In addition, the other SREB pilot siteprograms in Virginia have been re-quired by the State Department ofEducation to include an emphasis onreading for learning in their plans. Asa minimum, each site set up a team ofthree persons to develop a plan toimprove reading for learning. TheDepartment of Education contractedwith a teacher educator to provideinservice training for a team ofacademic and vocational teachers instrategies for improving reading for

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learning in content fields. This teambA'.came responsible for preparing otherteachers at the site.

Contact Person:

Esther Bailey, Supervisor of BusinessEducation

Department of Adult and VocationalEducation

Norfolk Public Schools800 East City Hall AvenueNorfolk, VA 23510

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Program Site: New Bern-Craven CountySchools, New Bern, NC

Key Features: Multilevel--three middleschools, one ninth-grade school, threehigh schools; interdisciplinary teams;staff development; development ofmiddle-grades curriculum guide.

Description: Initiation. In the spring of1987, one 'If the successful applicantsfor pilot site implementation of theBASICS program was the New Bern-Craven County Schools, New Bern,North Carolina. Although most of thepilot sites were implementing the pro-gram at the secondary level, the coor-dinator at New Bern, the vocationaleducation director, was interested ininvolving the three middle schools,one ninth-grade school, and highschools across the district in a multi-level project. Over the previous sum-mer and fall, discussions had takenplace among instrultional and admin-istrative staff concerning the need tointegrate vocational and amdf-miceducation more closely.

The district also successfully soughtfunding through JTPA and establisheda Basic Improvement Program to pro-vide support for students with prob-lems related to academic and voca-tional studies or attendance.

This broad-based recognition of theneed gave support for the administra-tive decision that teachers from bothvocational and academic programswould be involved ir. the innovationfrom the beginning. Further, consoli-dated administrative support came,not only from the vocational director,but also from the superintendent andassociate superintendent of instructionin the central office. They asked

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principals to identify the teachers in eachschool that would make this kind ofprogram work.

Early staff development was impor-tant to the positive beginning. Adecision was made to pay for sub-stitute teachers so that the teacherscould be involved with one of theBASICS developers from CETE.Together, they explored the possibil-ities for the school district andidentified the high priority concernsthat could be addressed by an integra-tion program. The list includedcohesion of academic and vocationaleducation; instructional relevance;credit flexibility; need to teachproblem solving, responsibility, andinitiative; demonstration of coordi-nated and caring support, dropoutprevention, and the development andmonitoring of 4-year education plans.

At a later session, while the teachersand counselors worked on actionplans, the associate superintendentbrought the school principals togetherto discuss the program with a repre .se.niative from Pennsylvania'sDauphin County Area Vocational-Technical School, which has a suc-cessful integration system based onclustering.

initial iinplementation. The schooldistrict already had a strong career(prevocational) exploration program,encouraged in the state of NorthCarolina, to which 20 full-timeteachers were assigned across thethree middle schools. The New Bern-Craven County strategy developed forirxorporating BASICS at the middleschools (grades 7 and 8) was to dividethe teachers in each school into inter-disciplinary teams for planning

purposes. A typical team has acareer exploration teacher, a m2.th/science teacher, a language arts/social studies teacher, an excep-tional children's teacher and,wherever possible, a cultural artsteacher and a physical educationteacher. Each team has a teamleader. The team leaden form acore group to work with theBridger (coordinator) for theirschool.

Middle-school students are assignedto a team of teachers, and studentsrotate every 9-12 weeks into one ofthree exploration labs. The teachingteam coordinates subject matterinstruction with the lab activities bymeetkg frequently during their com-mon planning period.

During this phase, integrated instruc-tion was identified as the staff devel-opment priority from the associatesuperintendent level. This allowedfor curriculum development of theIntegrated Middle Grades CurriculumGuide of competencies across disci-plines, with strategies and activitiesdeveloped by the teachers.

Full implementation. An initialreticence of teachers unused to thenew relationships yielded to mutualrespect through creative sharingactivities that have become ongoing.First, one staff development day wasspent with the academic teachersrotating through the career explora-tion labs as though they were stu-dents, gaining an appreciation of theimportance of the labs. The returnvisits of the career explorationteachers tc the academic classes wereequally helpful.

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Another activity that is popularenough to be subscribed on a purelyvoluntary basis is summer visits tolocal business and industry sites bygroups that include both vocationaland academic teachers. The programis coordinated by an advisory counciland provides an option for continuingeducation credit. At the end of thevisit, the interdisciplinary group meetsto document what they have seen,which gives them a solid opportunityfor communication about integration.

Institutionalization. The middleschools' project steff are surveyed atthe end of every 12 weeks to gatherinformation about what they are do-ing and what they feel they need inorder to refine the program progressively. Lead teachers continue tomeet three times per year to updatethe cross-referencing of curricula forthe guide.

Contact Person:

L. Dougias Davis, Director ofVocational Education 07

William Rivenbark, Associate Super-intendent for Instruction

New Bern-Craven County Board ofEducation

3600 Trent RoadNew Bern, NC 28562

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State-Level Programs

Program Site: Program OPTIONS(Applied Academics), Division ofVocational and Career Education,Ohio Department of Education

Key Features: Coordinated planning,materials development, and teachingof applied academics with vocationalprograms.

Description: Background. In an effort tofulfill the goals and recommendationsmade in several key planning docu-ments (e.g., Keeping Vocational Edu-cation at Work and Master Plan forExcellence), as well as those made ina n, ter of "reform" reports releasedin the early 1980s (e.g., A Nation atRisk anu 77ze Unfinished Agenda),during the 1985-86 school year theOhio Division of Vocational andCareer Eductu.ion initiated its AppliedAcademics Program. Under thatprogram, which 'c administered via asupport mode rather than bymandate, vocational educators whoare interested in strengthening theacademic components of their pro-grams are offered a variety ofstrategies from which to select. Thesestrategies or "OPTIONS" are adaptedfrom the types of daily vocationalclass schedules that have been usedtraditionally in Ohio.

Requirements. Program OPTIONSincludes the following key tenets andrequ irements:

Teachers of applied academicscourse must be certified in theirrespective academic areas. (Avocational teacher may teach anapplied academics course in his/her vocational program if he/she

is also certified in that academicarea.)

State staff have undertaken spe-cific steps to ensure ever-widening awareness and supportfor the OPTIONS Programthrough presentations to localsuperintendents and directors.

State staff routinely provideinservice training to state andlocal administrative and instruc-tional staff to acquaint them withapplied academics and, specific-ally, with Program OPTIONS

Applied academics teachersdevelop courses of study thatreflect the specific academicrequirements that are found inrelated vocational course syllabi(i.e., job duties and tasks) and areapproved by the Divisions of Ele-mentary and Secondary Educa-tion and Vocational and Car -Education. In lied of developingnew courses I study, teachersmay adopt the Principles of Tech-nology, Applied Mathematics,Technical Communications, orsimilar applied (and approved)curricula.

Under Program OPTIONS, thecourses focus on strengtheningthe academic components ofvocatks.nal programs by teachingapplied academics that relatedirectly to the specific comextsdefined by the duties and tasksaddressed in those programsrather than as more traditional,generalized (and typicallyabstract) academics.

n4' 0

Impact. Since its inception in schoolyear 1985-86 through school year1988-89, Program OPTIONS hasaffected--

50 out of 101 Vocational Educa-tion Planning Districts

440 out of 627 local educationagencies (LEAs) or schooldistricts

28,608 secondary vocational stu-dents across the state

During the 1989-90 school year, anadditional 13,614 students participatedin applied academics courses offeredvia Program OPTIONS.

During 1989-90, the Center on Educa-tion and Training for Employmentconducted a comprehensive statewideevaluation of the Applied AcademicsProgram for the Ohio Department ofEducation. The findings show thatthe program is having a significantpositive impact on the math achieve-ment of vocational students whoparticipate and more limited impacton their science and reading achieve-ment. OPTIONS graduates reportearning about $.75 per hour morethan non-OPTIONS graduates, andemployers of OPTIONS graduates aremore positive about those students'occupational competence and abilityto adapt to changes in the workplace.The results affirmed the need for theApplied Academics Program andpointed to several specific recorr -nn-dations for improving it as part ofOhio's modernization initiative.

Expansion. The continuing need forenhancing vocational students' basicacademic skills was highlighted

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recently by passage of Ohio Senate Bill140, which calls for modernization of thevocational curriculum in order to furnishstudents with the skills (academic, occu-pational, and employability skills)required to participate successfully in theworkplace of the future. In keeping withthe legislative mandate, the State Boardof Education has proposed as the firstobjective in its action plan that appliedacademics and technology be implement-ed in all secondary educational programsand be recommended for full-time adultprograms as well. In addition, that plancalls for developing different facilitativestrategies (e.g., strengthening academic-vocational collaboration, addressing life-long learning concepts and needs, encour-4ng student access to high quality aca-demic and vocational programs), whichcould lead directly to the enhancement ofstudents' academic skills.

Contact Person:

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Vickie Melvin, Associate DirectorDivision of Vocational and Career

EducationOhio Department of Education65 South Front Street, Room 907Columbus, OH 43215

Program Site: Vocational Division,Arizona Department of Education

Key Features: Audit-analysis approach,granting of equivalent credit.

Description: Beginning in 1986, theArizona Department of Education ini-tiated a study (through Lester M.Snyder, Arizona State University) ofhow credit should be given for basicacademic skiLa mastered in alternativeprograms and delivery systems. Thisstudy was partly in response to in-creased graduation requirements,mostly in academic subjects, reducingthe time students can devote to voca-tional education courses. It was feltthat, if the academic skills taught inan academic course and in a vocation-al program are sufficiently similar,equivalent credit could be given,thereby enhancing flexibility anddiversity in student curriculum.

Audit-analysis approach. A detailedBasic/Essential Skills Taxonomy wascompiled from skills lists of 18 statesfc- language arts, math matics, sci-ence, and free enterprise. Academicand vocational source materials wereidentified, coded, and then comparedfor equivalency to the Arizona Essen-tial Skills Lists in each of the subjectareas and to 14 vocational programsor Program Delivery Units (PDUs).

State board procedure. In 1988, theState Board of Education approved aprocedure for granti.:g equivalentcredit toward graduation when theEssential Skills taught within a voca-tional program are equal to or greaterin number than those taught in agist, n academic course. Under thisprocedure, 31 course comparisonshave resulted in the following 16

20

equivalent credit recommendations:

In free enterprise, the MarketingPDU

In language arts, the Administra-tive Support and Marketing PDUs

In science, the Horticulture,Nursing Assistant and PracticalNurse PDUs

In mathematics, PDUs in Admin-istrative Support, AgricultureBusiness Management, BuildingRepair, Building Trades,Clothing/Apparel, Food Services,Graphic Arts, Horticulture,Machinist, and Marketing

Expansion. The Vocational-TechnicalEducation Consortium of States (V-TECS) is currently working to identifyrelated academic skills in industry-validated tasks in various occupationsand then relate them to the ArizonaBasic/Essential Skills Taxonomy.

The Arizc:a Department of Educa-tion is sponsoring a project to cor-relate academic test items in mathe-matics, language arts, and science tothe Taxonomy. This material will beshared with the V-TECS consortium.In Arizona, these test item banks willbe used in assessing student learningand competency gains in basic andadvanced academic skills.

Contact Person:

Dr. Charles Losh, Deputy AssociateSuperintendent

Vocational Program ImprovementArizona Department of Education1535 West Jefferson StreetPhoenix, AZ 85007

Regional Level Program

Program Site: SREB-State VocationalEducation Consortium, SouthernRegional Education Board

Key Features: Coordination of goals,objectives, and program assessment;state-supported pilot site experimen-tation, sharing of findings ana profes-sional development.

Description: The SREB Voc Ed Consor-tium (.1fort encompasses 15 south-eastern states whose representativeshave worked together since 1987under a shared commitment to im-prove the basic competencies of voca-tional completers. The list of strate-gies adopted to bring about theirimprovement is far-reaching, from theimplementation of applied academiccurricula to involvement of the entiresecondary school curriculum and staffin pursuit of a coherent program ofstudies under an individualized educa-tion plan that stresses high expecta-tions. One of the premises, supportedby preliminary test results, is that low-level academic courses, often labeledgeneral, account for little gain in com-petency achievements of students;therefore, attention must be paid tothe students' total educational experi-ence rather than simply the vocationalprogram. Within commonly requiredguidelines, one or more pilot sites perstate (a total of over three dozen) areworking under their own selectedapproaches to learn and share infor-matien about which integration strate-gies are most successful over a 6-yearperiod.

Objectives. One of the major SREI3Consortium achievements has been thesetting of uniform guidelines and stand-ards in spite of, but respecting, thedifferences among the member states.The following strategies comprise theobjectives:

1. Establishing higher basic compe-tency expectations for vocationalcompleters.

2. Increasing the percentage ofvocational completers who takehigher-level communications,mathematics, and science courses.

3. Increasing the amount of empha-sis and instructional time invocational courses devoted toteaching and reinforcing basiccompetencies that underlie theoccupational field of study.

4. Increasing the amount of empha-sis and instructional time devotedto applied learning activities inbasic competency courses.

5. Developing teams of communica-tions, mathematics, science,vocational, and nonvocationalteachers who work together toencourage and provide a broadrange of instructional supportservices to students enrolled invocational courses.

6. Establishing requirements forvocational completers that includea set number of units in a voca-Conal field of study, keyboarding

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, NorthCarolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and since 1988,Louisiana.

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29

and computer literacy coi apeten-cies, related vocational courses,and specific basic competencycourses related to an occupa-tional field of study.

7. Providing remedial studies,Individualized Academic Educa-tion Plans, and coordinatedvocational and nonvoca:.onalinstruction in mathematics andcommunications to low-achievingstudents enrolled in vocationalcourses.

8. Providing staff development forvocational teachers on basiccompetencies and instructionalmethods for teaching and rein-forcing basic competencies.

9. Providing mathematics, science,and English teachers with staffdevelopment on applied instruc-tional methods.

10. Providing school staff devel-opment on improving the learn-ing climate for vocationalcompleters.

11. Awarding up to two total basiccompetency credits in mathe-matics, science, and communi-cations for equal content, time,or competencies through com-pletion of a vocationalconcentration.

12. Aligning curriculum and instruc-tion with the basic competenciesvocational co mpleters areexpected to achieve.

nhancement. Professional develop-ment has been critical. Each of thelast four summers, a major Consor-

22

tium conference has provided assis-tance for integration and sharingopportunities Last year, an outcomeof the conference was the develop-ment of 20 different 4-year programsof vocational and academic study byteams of academic and vocationaleducators. These programs of studywere designed to be coherent andsequential programs to preparestudents for both employment andpostsecondary education. The Con-sortium is also assessing the projectboth qualitatively and quantitatively.An additional feature of the Consor-tium effort is that six pilot sites are,through federal funding, adding indi-vidualized support services to theintegrated vocational-academic pro-gram to test the effectiveness inholding at-risk students in high scho DIthrough graduation.

Selected activities. The following arerepresentative activities recentlyreported by state members to theSREB Consortium Board.

Florida has been helping pilot sitesdevelop cross-curriculum teams.Information from a personnel surveyhas helped teachers recognize thatlittle communication had existedbetween academic and vocationalteachers. Guest speakers from indus-try have shared with teachers theimportance of working together.Thirty teachers in one site volun-teered to work together and to meetevery 2 weeks to develop cross-curriculum lesson plans. Seven teamsof teachers had their schedule rear-ranged so they would have a commonplanning period. Joint academic andvocational teacher teams workedtogether this summer in industry andwill use these and other experiences

30

to prepare curriculum materials forreinforcing academic content invocational classes and appliedlearning in academic classes.

Georgia's approach to integratingacademic content into vocationalcourses focuses on providing voca-tional teachers with instructionalmaterials. Georgia has instructionalmaterials that customize the reinforc-ing of academic competencies to agiven vocational field. VocationalApplied Mathematics Resource Man-uals are available for 23 differentvocational fields. IndividualizedLanguage Arts Resource Manuals areavailable in 10 vocational fields.About one-third of the vocationalclassrooms in Georgia use thesematerials. They are used extensivelyby the two pilot sites.

Oklahoma has emphasized staff devel-opment and support to implement theapplied academic courses successfully,asking teachers who have successfullyimplemented applied courses to teachother teachers. Oklahoma state staffarrange for first-year teachers to joina support network for the purpose ofsharing successful strateg;as in teach-ing academics through an appliedprocess.

In a number of the sites/states, staffare working to implement n 4-yearplanning process with students, enrollvocational students in higher-levelacademic courses (in some cases,replacing low-level courses withrequired applied courses), and replacethe general track with a double pur-pose program of study designed toprepare students for both employmentand further education.

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Contact Person:

31

Dr. Gene Bottoms, DirectorState Vocational Education

ConsortiumSouthern Regional Education Board592 Tenth Street, NWAtlanta, GA 30318-5790

CURRICULAR RESOURCES

Principles of Technology (PT), a jointdevelopment of the Center for Occu-pational Research and Development(CORD) and the Agency for InstructionalTechnology (AIT), is an applied science(physics) course emphasizing mechanical,fluid, electrical, and thermal systemsthrough a secondary-level instructionalpackage including videos, print materials,and laboratories. The estimated studentenrollment is 36,000 at over 1,600 sites.PT has been evaluated by the AmericanAssociation for the Advancement of Sci-ence (AAAS). Their report, published inScience Books and Films, rated the materi-als "good" to "excellent" for accuracy,currency, organization, coherence, compre-hensibility for certain groups of students,and for its treatment of science, technol-ogy, and society interrelationships. Overhalf of the consortium's 48 states andCanadian provinces allow science creditfor the materials when they are taught asa course by a certified science teacher.An increasing number of 4-year postsecon-dary schools now accept PT for lab sci-ence credit toward entrance requirements.The PT materials are now in the processof revision.

The five instructional units of AppliedMathematics developed by CORD arenow in their second year of Pill implemen-tation at over 100 secondary4wel sites ineach of the consortium's 43 states. Theestimated student enrollment is over30,000. The program includes video,

25

print, hands-on laboratories, and practical,world-of-work activities in arithmetic,algebra, geometry, trigonometry, probabil-ity, estimation, and problem solving.CORD is now in the process of develop-ing additional units in Applied Mathe-matics LE, in algebra, geometry, computerapplications, and quality assurance/qualitycontrol, providing a full 2-year sequence.

Applied Communication, funded anddeveloped by a consortium of 48 state andprovincial education agencies in associa-tion with AIT, is a comprehensive curricu-lum designed to help 11th- and 12th-gradestudents develop and refine communica-tion skills for the workplace. The curricu-lum (15 instructional modules) consists ofprint and video lessons that integratereading, writing, listening, speaking, andproblem solving in a workplace context.

The modules can be used together as ayear-long course or alone in any order tobroaden existing communication/languagearts/English or vocational/technicalcourses. It can be integrated into othercourses or offered as an alternative totraditional English courses.

The results of a year-long pilot test of thematerial conducted by the National Cen-ter for Research in Vocational Educationindicated positive effects in attitudestoward English/Language Arts, achieve-ment in problem solving linked to com-munication, and understanding of how

32

English/Language Arts applies to theworkplace.

Development of the first-year materials inApplied Biology/Chemistry (ABC) is

underway by CORD. In preparation forthe field test of the ABC materials, atraining workshop attended by over 100

teachers has been held. Natural Re-sources, the first instructional unit, hasbeen revised to incorporate the findings ofits pilot test in the fall of 1989 and is nowbeing field tested at an estimated 100sites. The remaining six units in the first-year materials are in various stages ofdevelopment.

Another curriculum under development isWorkplace Readiness, focusing on skillsrelating to personal behavior and groupeffectiveness. AIT is working on thiscurriculum through a consortiumarrangement.

For further information, contact MauriceDutton or Piers Bateman at CORD, tele-phone: (800) 231-3015; in Texas or out-side the U.S., (817) 772-8"56, contactBennie Lucroy at AIT, telephone:(800) 457-4509; in Indiana or outside theU.S., call (812) 339-2203.

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REFERENCES

Items with ED numbers may be ordered from the ERIC Document Reproduction Service,3900 Wheeler Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304-6409, (800) 277-3742, (703) 823-0500.

Adelman, Nancy E. The Case for Integrating Academic and Vocational Education.Background Paper for the National Assessment of Vocational Education. Washington,DC: Policy Studies Associates, 1989. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service NJ.ED 315 513).

Agency for Instructional Technology. Applied Communication. Bloomington, IN: AIT,1988.

A! for Instructional Technology and Center for Occupational Research and,velopment. Principles of Technolog y. Waco, TX: AIT and CORD, 1987.

Bottoms, James E. Closing the Gap between Vocational and Academic Education.Background Paper for the National Assessment of Vocational Education. Washington,DC: Policy Studies Associates, 1989. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.ED 315 516).

Center for Occupational Research and Development. Applied Mathematics. Waco, TX:a CORD, 1988.

Crowe, Michael R.; Pritz, Sandra G.; Sechler, Judith A.; and Veach, June P. BASICS:Bridging Vocational and Academic Sidlls. Columbus: The National Center for Researchin Vocational Education, The Ohio State University, 1987. Materials include:

-- Crowe, Michael R., and Pritz, Sandra G. Introducing BASICS (videotape).

-- Crowe, Michael R.; Pritz, Sandra G.; and Veach, Sune P. Implementation Guide forBASICS: Bridging Vocational and Academic Sldlls. (ERIC Document ReproductionService No. ED 288 955).

-- Pritz, Sandra G., and Crowe, Michael R. Instructional Materials Development. (ERICDocument Reproduction Service No. ED 288 958).

-- Pritz, Sandra G., and Crowe, Michael R. Technique for Individualization: TheAcademic Development Plan. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 288964).

27

.9 4

Veach, June P.; Pritz, Sandra G.; and Crowe, Michael R. Supplemental InstructionalResources. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 288 959).

-- Adapted by Pritz, Sandra G., and Crowe, Michael R. Technique for Computer Use:Software Evaluation. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 288 963).

-- Adapted by Pritz, Sandra G., and Crowe, Michael R. Techniques for Joint Effort:The Vocational-Academic Approach. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED288 960).

-- Adapted by Pri:z, Sandra G., and C-owe, Michael R. Techniques for Remediation:Peer Tutoring. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 288 962).

Grubb, W. Norton: Plihal, Jam:, Davis, Gary; Lum, Jeannie; and Morgaine, Carol. 'TheCunning Hand, The Cultured Mind": Models for IntegratLig Vocational and AcademicEducation. Berkeley: National Center for Research in Vocational Education,University of California, forthcoming.

Losh, Charles; Border, Barbara; and Bishop, Diane. Integrating Vocational-TechnicalEducation and Basic Academk Skills: A Status Report. Phoenix: Arizona Departmentof Education, 1988. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 298 269).

Peterson, John M. "Remediation Is No Remedy." Educational Leadership 46, no. 6 (March1989): 24-25. 'ERIC No. El 385 274).

Pratzner, Frank C. 'The Practical Application and Meaningful Integration of Skills."Journal of Industrial Teacher Education 25, no. 2 (Winter 1988): 81-83.

Weber, J. M.; Puleo, N.; Fisch, M.; Kurth, P.; and Schaffner, D. The Dynamic.; of SecondaryVocational Classrooms. Columbus: The National Center for Research in VocationalEducation, The Ohio State University, 1988. (ERIC Document Rproduction ServiceNo. ED 297 090).

28

THE 1989 ERIC INFORMATION ANALYSIS PAPERS

IN 336 $5.25

Learning and Reality: Reflections on Trends inAdult Learning, by Robert A. Fellenz and Gary J.Conti.

The focus of the adult education field is shifting toadult learning. Among the trends Fellenz and Contiidentify are changing conceptions of intelligence;assessment of learning style; types of learning stra-tegies; learning in the social environment; and par-ticipatory research. They conclude that the currenttrends in adult learning research point to a newimage of the adult learner as an empowered le. rner.

IN 337 $7.00

Adults with Learning Disabilities: An Overview forthe Adult Educator, by Jovita M. Ross-Gordon.

Learning disabilities (LD) among adults arc moreprevalent than was once thought. Ross-Gordonstresses that assessment of these adults shouldrecognize their strengths and needs as adults, andshe provides midelines for the selection ofappropriate diagnostic instruments. Recommenda-tions for policy and research emphasize a comore-hensive, holistic approach that aoandons the "deficit"perspective and considers the adult with LD as acritical contributor to the resolution of the problem.

IN 338 $8.75

Adult Literacy Education: Program Evaluation andLearner Assessment, by Susan L. Lytle and MarcieWolfe.

Lytle and Wolfe provide information to shape thedesign of adult literacy evaluation, beginning withconsiderations of adults as learners, concepts of

literacy, and educational contexts. They identifyresources for plarming program evaluations and fourtypes of apr standard;zed tesEng,materials-based csessment, competency-basedassessment, and j cipatory assessment. Lytle andWolfe present 10 t. .tical features of a frameworkfor program evaluation and learner assessment inadult literacy education.

IN 339 $8.75

School-to-Work Transition for At-Risk Youth, bySheila H. Feichtner.

School-to-work transition helps at-risk youthdevelop the skills and attitudes needed to secureand maintain employment and an adult life-style.The transition process must include a wide range ofarticulated services and systematic procedures forprescribing, appropriate individual assistance and fortracking information. Feichtner identifies a numberof program ard service barriers that compound theso.:etal barriers faced by at-risk youth andaddresses major policy concerns and research needs.

IN 340 $5.25

The Role of Vocational Ed-cation in the Develop-ment of Students' Academic Skills, by Sandra G.Pritz.

One response to recent educational refoem move-ments has been tne integration of academic skillsand vocational skills. This paper includes a positionstatement of the National Association of StateDirectors of Vocational Education on vocatioraleducation's role in the acquisition of basic skills.Also included are gtlelines for implementing thepolicies and principles of skills integration invocational education programs.

ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS

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36

STATEDIRECTORS

VaCATIONALTECHNICALEDMATIUN_

OFACERS

PRESIDENT

Dr. Clifton B. BelcherDirector. Division of Vocational Education ServicesNorth Carolina Department of Public Instruction

VICE PRESIDENT

Dr. Darrell ParksDirector of Vocational and Career Educa:ionOhio Department of Education

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Dr. Roy V. Peters, Jr.State DirectorOklahoma DepartmentVocational Technical Education

PAST.PRESIDENT

James A. KadamusAssistant CommissionerOccupational and Continuing EducationNew York Department of Education

NASDVTEC

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. David F. CroninMassachusetis

Dr. Lloyd Newt.akerNew Jersey

Adam SponaugieWest Virginia

William JohnsonGeorgia

Dr. Lola JacksonMichigan

Dr. Raymond E. MorrisonArkansas

Dr. Marge HarouffNebraska

Larry ZikmundSouth Dokata

Barbara BorderAnzona

Kart' n RyaisAlos a

John CruzGuam

William RileyPennsylvania

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Madeleine B. Hemmings

Founded In 1920, the National Association of State Directors of Vocational TechnicalEducation Consortium is 1 ie Washington based organization of some 50 state vocationaleducation agency heads committed to leadership and outstanding performance in vocahonal technical educaticA. The Assoriation has a growing membership of over 200 seniorstate staff -Ind concerned business, labor and other education officials who share thedirectors commitment to coality occupaeional education at the secondary and posisecondary and adult levels.

:S

Mil11i

STATEDIRECTORSVOCATIONAL TECHNICAL EDUCATION

VOCATIONAL TECHNILALEDUCATION:

DEVELOPING ACADEMICSKILLS

A Position Statement of theNational Association of State Dlirctors ofVocational Technical E0acation Consortium

391

1111i1111111111MIN MIMI11110E-131111

A PRISM OFOPPORTUNITY

As the 21st century looms on thehorizon, educational reformpresents many opportunities tobetter prepare the minds of ournation's youth. A myriad ofchallenges face bothacademic and vocational-technical education (VTE) Rapidtechnological change in ahighly competitive worldeconomy demands a skilledwork force that posseses thebasic academic skills necessaryfor lifelong learning. Academicand vocational-technicaleducation cannot remainexclusive entities competing forlimited resources amid finiteschool boundaries. Rather, allstudents must be afforded theopportunity to graduate fromhigh schoo; with marketableoccupational skills as well asthose needed for postsecondaryeducation. An integratedpartnership supporting students'varied learning styles is the mosteffective means of achievingthe academic and vocational-technical competence neededin a global economy.

The Demographic Facet

A growing P.;onomy dependson a growing supply of laborthat is suitably skilled for themodern workplace. The declinein the United States birthratesince 1960 has sharply reducedthe number of wc: 'forceentrants. Moreover, it-creasedpercentages of females,minorities, and immigrants will

4 0

be entering the job market-thevery groups who have benefitedleast from the traditionaleducational system in terms ofbasic skills acquisition.

According to the HudsonInstitute,' many future work-forceentrants will be qualified onlyfor a limited number of low-skill jobs, while relatively few willbe qualified for the largenumber of high-skill jobs. Thisskill gap is likely to exacerbateminority youth unemploymentand to accelerate the growth ofa permanent und,class caughtin a vicious cycle of poverty.However, jobs will be waiting fc,rthose who possess the skillsrequired tor work-placeproductivity.

The Technological Facet

Employers in business andindustry have traditionally actedas advisors concerning thecontent of vocationaltechnicalprograms. Their advice anddemands have substantiallyshifted over the last decadedue to declining U.S.productivity and acceleratedinternational competition. Ineconomic terms, this shift is dueto a loss of our country'scompetitivc- advantage in low-skill, labor-iWensive jobs and aneed to concentrate instead onhigh-technology skillapplications.

As technology continues tochange, workers must adapt toa changing workplace.Employers still need vocational-technical workers with specificoccupational skills especiallyin the service, manufacturing,and information-processingareas. Yet those workers musthave a solid grounding in basicacademic skills to maintainemployment in aneverchanging globaleconomy.2

As vocational-technicaleducation programs strive toupgrade students' basicacademic skills,it is important tobe clear about the nature ofemployers' demands. Employershave little use for well learnedacademic skills that cannot betransferred or applied tomaking decisions and solvingproblems on the job.

Therefore, it is critical forstudents to gain instruction andpractice in using abstractconcepts to efficiently managepractical situations and workcooperatively in groups.Fragrnentation of learning canbe combated by a deliberateeffort to integrate all learninaexperiences. Applied learningof basic academic skills is thekey to such integration.

The Curricular Facet

Recognition is growing that theapplication-oriented setting ofvocational programs canprovide an avenue to basicacademic skills acquisition,enhancement, andtransference. As more is learnedabolit the importance oflearning styles ir. the acquisition

of academic skills, there areimplications for the ways inwhich schools tend to bestructured in favor of studentswith strong auditory and visualskills. If it is confirmed, as hasbeen asserted, that learningstyles of low-achieving studentstend to be weak in the auditoryand visual areas but high in thekinesthetic and tactile areas,3then the hands-on participatorynature of instruction found invocational classrooms will servethem well.

U.S. Secretary of Labor ElizabethDole has noted, "Many youngpeople suffer not only from askills gap-but from a motivationgap as well."4 We contend thatthere is an important linkbetween a skills gap and amotivation gap, namely thatboth result from the perceivedlack of relevance of the skills toyoung people's Ifres. Somesuggestions for remending thissituation are to

m Make school more like asimulated workplace

Integrate learning be-tween school and work

i Institute internships andapprenticeships

All these techniquescharacterize exist tg vocationalprograms, and can beexpanded and improved upon.This is a specific area in whichVTE programs can serve collegepreparatory students who mayknow obstract concepts welland yet be unable to use themin job situations.

4 41.

Academic skills learned via anapplications mode in avocational-technical settingoften becomes moremeaningful to students. If thepurpose for learning a specificskill is made obvious, studentsare likely to be more motivatedto learn. The need for diversityin instructional approachesthroughout schooling points to asignificant role for VTE.

The At-Risk Facet

Students who have repeatedlyfailed to respond to an abstract-concept approach to learningoften suffer from feelings offiilure and low self-esteem. Poorbasic skilio _icquisition bystudents at risk of droppi. outof school is highly correlatedwith poor general academicperformance and repetition ofgrade levels. In turn, thesefactors affect and may worsenan already low self-concept;disinterest in, and alienationfrom, school; hostility andunruliness, or passivity andapathy; frequent absences, andtardiness.6

An interesting comparison wasfound between thecharacteristics of exemplarydrop-out-prevention programsand the characteristics ofvocational-technical classroomsobserved in an extensivenational observation study.6

4 2Mr-

There appears to be acorrelation regarding thestrength of relationships thatboth types of programs are ableto build between theoccupational skills andacademic skills elements. Partof this is undoubtedly groundedin the use of a concreteapplications approach tostimulate learning success.

'William B. Johnson, Workforce 2000: Workand Workers for the 21st Century.Indianapolis: The Hudson Institute, 1987.

'Academic Preparation for the World ofWork. The College Board, 1984, andWorkplace Basics: The Stalls EmployersWant. American Society for Training andDemlopment, 109.

'Helen Hodges, "Opening Doors forStudents 'At Risk," ASCD Update, Vol.30, No. 2 (March 1988), pp. 1-2.

'Elizabeth Dole in address to the NationalAssociation of State Councils on V .:ationalEducation; June 14, 1989.

'Todd F. Finnimore and Sandra G. Pritz. AGuide for Dropout Prevention: Creating anIntegrated Learning Environwent inSecondary Schools% (Columous: The NationalCenter for Research in VocationalEducation, The Ohio State University, 1988).

°James M. Weber, "The Relevance ofVocational Education to DropoutPrevr ttion," Vocational Education Journal,Vol. 63, No. 6 (September 1988), pp. 36-38.

AN INTEGRATEDVISION

The most comprehensiveprograms of vocational andacademic alignment expandthe concept of integrationbeyond curricular concerns in arestructured relationshipbetween academic andvocational education.Movement toward this kind ofstructural change could, if itspromise is borne out over time,result in basic educafionreforms even more pervasivethan those of the last decade.

Research shows that curriculumdevelopment and professionaldevelopment are the keyactivities associated withimplementing an integratedcurriculum. It is preferable tohave both academic andvocational instructors involvedin the innovation from the start.7

The various ways in whichvocational educators arechanging practices andcurricula in response to the callfor more and better basic skillssignals attention tc ihe intensityof work, discussion, and changethat has occurred over the lastfive years. Vocationaleducation leaders at all levelsa proactive stance and activelypursued the challenge todevelop academic skills, butconcurrently seek the supportand cooperation of others in theeducational community and thecommunity at large.

One method of sharingresponsibility between

academic and vocationaleducators is to correlatevocational and academiccurricula. In this effort,vocational and academiceducators identify whereacademic concepts are used invocational courses. A matrix ofoccupational tasks andacademic concepis is thendeveloped and coded atintersection points where aparticular academic concept isneeded to perform a particularoccupational task. Furthei-aspects can be incorporatedinto the matrx, such as timespent in instruction and practiceor the level of learning required.Cross-correlations are beingpiloted and fostered by anumber of states.

The Southern RegionalEducation 3oard (SREB)Consortium of States on Basicand Vocational Skills wascreated to work cooperaiivelyon restructuring strategies toimprove vocational students'basic-skills competencies. TheSREB Consortium developedstruci Hal alternatives that helpintegrate academic educationand occupationcl education.Fourteen participating statesare piloting and evaluatingthose alternatives. By 1993, datawill be available to support thereplication of the mostsuccessful strategies nationwide.

The Center for OccupafionalResearch and Development(CORD) and the Agency for

4 2

Instructional Technology (AIT)have, through the consortiumapproach, developed teachingmaterials in applied physics,biologylchemistry, mathematics,communication, andemployability skills whiledeveloping partnerships thatcrossed state lines. Each statevocational-technical educationagency acknowledged aspecific need for particularmaterials, and commiffed bothmoney and intellect to meet theneeds. Today, these materialsare being used in 47 states andseveral thousand schools.

The Vocational TechnicalConsortium of States (V-TECS) ispresently identifying the relatedacademic skills that a workerneeds to know in order toperform tasks in variousoccupations. This is being doneas part of the task analysisprocess used to identifyinstructional content from anindustry-validated base ofoccupational content. Thesebasic academic skills are thenbeing coded to the V-TECS'ye sion of the Snyder Taxonomyof BasiclEssential Skills.

Vocational and academiceducators need to worktogether to see that studentsacquire basic academic skillsin relation to occupationaltraining, and receive credit forthem. It is also important forstudents to develop these skillsin an environment that providesfor diversity in student learningstyles. Following are twoobjectives needed to meetthese goals:

o Teachers andadministrators must begiven preservice andinservice staffdevelopment opportunities

4 4

covering learning stylesand classroom teachingstrategies to meet learners'diverse needs.

al Joint staff-developmentprograms must be createdfor academic andvocational teachers tohelp them understandeach other's curriculumgoals and ways in whichthey can work together toadvance their students'basic competencies.

Teacher-education institutionsand state and local educationagencies must work together tohelp current teachers upgradetheir academic knowledge andability to use teaching methodsthat integrate academic andvocational studies. Teachereducation must

n Design instructionalstrategies for vocationalcourses that encouragevccational students to usemathematics, writing,reading, and thinking skillsto advance theiracademic knowledge anduse of technical materialsand to further develop'oeir desire for lifelonglearning.

& Assure the academiccompetencies ofvocational teachersentering the professionfrom the work world whomay not have a collegedegree, and preparethem to teach thosecompetencies as theyrelate to occupationalskills

Develop programs to showvocational teachers howacademic concepts are

7

used in the workplace andhow to use real-worldproblems in all theircourses

State certification guidelinesshould require vocationaleducation teachers to master

Both the tschnicalcompetencies in theirvocational discipline andthe academiccompetencies thatunderlie their specialty

Teaching methods thatenable them to connectthe teaching of neededacademic competencieswith related technicalknowledge and skills

Courses in mathematics,communication, andscience that underlie theirvocational teaching field

As the education communitycoalesces to reshape theirapproach to educatingstudents, great strides can bemade. Advances will requirepatience, understanding, andconstant communciatonbetween the education family,parents, students, employers,and the public. As responsibleprofessionals and leaders, VTEcannot let this opportunity grby to reaffirm the publicconfidence that has built oureducation system into thenational resource it is today.

'Nancy E. Aldeman and James E. Bottoms.The Case for Integrating Academic andVocational Education. National Assessmentof Vocational Education, U.S. Departmentof Education, 1989.

8

4 5

MileIPEM711111M111111111

A UNITEDFOCUS

We have stated our belief thatVIE has an important andmultifaceted role to play inhelping students develop basicacademic skills an importantcomponent in their preparationfor lifelong learning andemployment. VTE leaders intendto continue to press toward anintegrated education programthat will greatly contribute tothat goal. However, if theintegration of vocational andacademic education is tocontinue to progress along thepaths established primarilythrough vocational educationinitiatives, much remains to bedone.Federal support is needed inthe following areas:8

1. Federal legislation thatencourages integrativeprograms, and that givesstates incentives to do thesame, should reinforceprogram diversity andallow for relatively longfunding cycles.

2. Federal funding ofresearch anddevelopment regardingthe terms and conditionsunder which integrationprograms producelearning gains should bedesigned to measure theeffects of learning in anapplied context thatsupports strongerevaluation.

3. A commitment by theacademic educationcommunity to workcooperatively on

integration programsneeds to be buttressed byincentives from the federaland state governmentsand from business andindustry.

4. Increased courseworkrequirements by teacher-training institutions need toprepare teachers to teachbasic skills to a diversestudent population.

5. Recognition needs to begiven by mainstreameducation leadersregarding VTE as a part ofthe solution to improvingeducation in general.Vocational and academiceducation arecomplements, notcompetitors.

State support is needed in thefollowing areas:

1 States should directfederal and state funds tothose vocational programsdesigned to give studentsrigorous, coordinatedprograms of vocationaland academic studies ingrades 9-11 To do so, thefederal and stateeducation agencies willneed to redefine avocational r,rogram toinclude vocationalcourses, relatedvocational courses, andthe language arts,mathematics, and sciencecourses necessary forstudents to maximize theirpotential in anoccupational field.

16 9

2. State boards of vocationaleducation should developlong-range plans andestablish comprehensivestate policy structures toinstitutionalize integration.

3. Siates should require theteaching and guidancestaff in junior high andmiddle schools to helpeach student develop, bythe end of the eighthgrade, a plan for a four-year program ofacademic and vocationalstudies to be pursuedduring high school.Students and their parentsmust be made aware ofthe full range of optionsopen to them, and of theavailability of and thepay range for theoccupations that sudentsare considering.

4. States should require localschool systems to providestudents access to high-level mathematics,science, and technical)/riting courses designedto teach academiccontent through anapplied process.

5. States should use highschool graduationrequirements to raise thelevel of performanceexpected of secondaryvocational completers andto give proper recognitionto high school graduateswho have completed therequirements for acombined program ofacademic and vocationalstudies.

Local support is needed in thefollowing areas:

^. All students should beencouraged to enroll and

succeed, in as manyadvanced academicprograms as possible, andteachers should useapplied-learning methodsin all classes.

2. Communications,mathematics, and sciePceprograms for all studentsshould draw on examplesand use activities andproblems faced in theworld of work. Studentswould then see therelevance of their studiesto the world of work andbe prepared to use theirbackground in theworkplace when theyarrive there.

3. High School students mustbe placed in coherentsequences of courses.Vocational students mustbe required to completelogical sequences ofoccupational preparationcourses and thetheoretical and academiccourses necessary tosucceedd and grow in theoccupational cluster.

4. Experiences must becreated for academintechers that will enablethem to understand thatvocational students canlearn, so the teachers willexpect them to learn. Ithas been shown thatwhere schools andteachers established aclimate of encouragementand higher expectationsfor vocational students, thestudents scored high onthe NAEP reading,mathematics, and scienceiests.8

10 4 7

riIMI.1111111111VM111NM 111.11MILL=

A BETTER-PREPARED WORKFORCE

Preparation for work in a globaleconomy must includepreparation for continuedlearning in either a work oreducational setting.9 Theprimary aim of VIE is to meetpeople's work-relatededucational needs. Thoseeducafional needs encompassoccupational skill developmentand the academic skillsneeded to enter and remain inthe world of work.

Basic skills in mathematics,science, and communication(reading, writing, speaking, andlistening) form the foundation forlifelong learning. They alsoprovide the content for high-order thinking skills such ascritical thinking, decisionmaking, and problem solving.Occupational skills depend on,and do not exist apart from,academic foundations.

VTE can reinforce academicskills acqu sitien by

Focusing on theapplication of basicacademic skills as anintegral part of theoccupational educationprogram

Using the applied learningmethod in academiccourses to show studentsthe "real life" value ofknowledge, therebyempowering them totransfer that knowledgeacross tasks

The proposals we support willhelp supply our nafion with abetter-prepared work force toface the challenges andopportunities ahead in thetwenty-first century. VTE hasbeen the leader in effort toinitiate joint approaches tobasic skills integration. Toreinforce and expand thiereffort, the National Associationof State Dire:tors of Vocational-Technical Education Consortiumseeks wider and much closerworking relationships with theacademic educationcommunity on federal, state,and local levels. To furtherdevelop these relationships,major changes must be initiatedin secondary educationmethods and management.

'James E. Bottoms. Closing lhe Gap BetweenVocational and Academic Education.National Assessment of VocationalEducation, U.S. Department of Education,1989.

48 11

12a--

STATE DIRECTORS

OF VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ALABAMA

Dr. Stephen FranksState DirectorVocational Technical Education

ALASKA

Ms. Karen Rya IsState DirectorAdult & Vocational Education

AMERICAN SAMOA

Mr. ValaparaisP leremiaState DirectorVocational Education

ARIZONA

Ms. Barbara BorderState DirectorTechnical Education

ARKANSAS

Dr. Raymond E. MorrisonDirector of VocationalTechnical and Adult Education

CALIFORNIA

Mr. James T. AllisonAssishm SuperintendentVocational Technical Education

COLORADO

Dr. Clay WhitlowVice PresidentEducational ServicesColorado Community College &Occupational Education System

CONNECTICUT

Dr. Theodore SergiAssociate Commissioner/DirectorDivision of Vocational & Adult Education

DELAWARE

Dr. Thomas WelchState DirectorVocational Technical Education

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Ms. Cynthia M. BellState DirectorVocational Technical Education

FLORIDA

Mr. Robert HowellJtoka DirectorVocational Technical Education

GEORGIA

Mr. William P. JohnsonAssociate State Superintendent

GUAM

Mr. John CruzPresident/State DirectorGuam Community College

HAWAII

Dr. Lawrence A. InabaState DirectorVocational Education

IDAHO

Dr. Trudy AndersonState DirectorIdaho Division of Vocational Education

ILLINOIS

Dr. Richard MiguelState DirectorVocational Technical Education

INDIANA

Dr. William ChristopherCommissionerIndiana Commission on VocationalTechnical Education

iOWA

Ms. Phyllis A. HerriageDirectorCareer Education

KANSAS

Mr. Tom MooreState DirectorVocational Technical Education

KENTUCKY

Ms. Audrey T. CarrState Superintendentfor Vocational Education

LOUISIANA

Mr. Raymond BellAssistant State Superintendentfor Vocational Ec jcation

MAINE

Mr. William H. CassidyAssociate CommissionerBureau of Vocational Education

MARSHALL ISLANDS

Mr. Greg SammerState DirectorVocational Technical Education

4 9

MARYLAND

Ms. Katharine OliverAssistant Stote SuperintendentVocohonal Technical Education

MASSACHUSETTS

Dr. David F. CroninAssociate CommissionerDivision of Occupational Education

MICRONESIA

Catalino CanteroAssistont SecretoryDepartment of Human Resources

MICHIGAN

Dr. Lola V. JacksonState DirectorVocational Technical Education

MINNESt.)7,A

Dr. CGic: Johnsonc.hancellorMinnesota Technical College System

MISSISSIPPI

Mr. Elwyn WheatAssociate Stote SuperintendentVocational Technicol Education

MISSOURI

Dr. Frank DrakeAssistant Commissioner & DirectorVocational Education

MONTANA

Ms. Brady J. VardemannDeputy CommissionerVocational Technical Education

NEBRASKA

Dr. Marge HarouffAssistant CommissionerVocational Education

NEVADA

Mr. Bill TrabertDirectorVocahonal Education

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Dr. G. William PorterDirectorVocohonal Technical Education

NEW JERSEY

Dr. Lloyd NewbakerAssistonl CommissionerVocohonal Technical Education

NEW MEXICO

Mr. Albert ZamoraDirectorVocational Technical Education

NEW YORK

Mr. James A. KadamusAssistant CommissionerOccupational & Continuing Education

NORTH CAROLINA

Dr. Clifton B. BelcherDuectorDwision of Vocational Education Services

NORTH DAKOTA

Mr. Carroll E. BurchinalDirectorlExecutive OfficerState Boord of Educatio'

NORTHERN MARIANAS

Ms. Elizabeth RechebeiCommissioner of Education

OHIO

Dr. Darrell L. ParksDirectorVocational & Coreer Educohon

OKIAHOMA

Dr. Roy V. Peters, Jr.State DirectorVocational Technical Education

OREGON

Mr. Monty MultanenAssistont SuperintendentDwision of Vocational Educohon

RFPUBLIC OF PALAU

Martin SokauState Vocational Program CoordinatorBureau of Education

PENNSYLVANIA

Dr. Furman Moody0:.c,.ng State DirectorVocational Education

PUERTO RICO

Mr. Rafael GautierAssistant SecretoryVocohonal Technical Foundation

RHODE ISLAND

Dr. Frank SantoroDeputy Assistant Commissionerfor Education

5 0

SOUTH CAROLINA

Mr. Moody OswaldDirectorOffice of vOcational Educohon

SOUTH DAKOTA

Mr. Lary p. ZikmundStote Director of Vocational TechnicalEducotion

TENNESSEE

Mr. Marvin FlattAssistant CommissionerDivision of Vocational Education

TEXAS

Dr. J. R. Cummings^re,Lity Commissioner of Special Projects

WAN

Mr. Joe 0. LukeState DirectorVocational Education

VERMONT

Mr. Gerald A. AsselinDirectorAdult Vocational and TechnicalEducation

VIRGIN ISLANDS

Dr. Ram D. BansalStote DirectorVocational Education

VIRGINIA

Mr. Jerry HicksState DirectorVocational & Adult Education

WASHINGTON

Mr. Merritt D. LongState DirectorVocational Tecnnical Education

WEST VIRG1N'A

Dr. Adam SponaugleAssistant Stote SuperintendentBureou of Vocational Technicalond Adult Education

WISCONSIN

Mr. Dwight YorkState DirectorVocational Technical Eil.icatii..n

WYOMING

Dr. Gayle R. LainState Dire-torVocational Technical Education

13

National Association of State Directors of Vocational Technical Education Consortium1420 16th Street, NW 0 Washington, DC 0 20036 0 (202) 328-0216 0 Fax (202) 797-3756

51_