LOUISIANA Chairman-Dr. Vernon F. Galliano Ex. Director-Wade H. Davis RECOMMENDATIONS As result of the evaluation of vocational education programs, services and activities carried out in 1970 in Louisiana, the State Advisory Council makes the following recommendations for consideration and implementation by the State Board of Education: 1. As vocational education programs must provide an effective guidance and counseling service, it is recommended that consideration be given to determining ways of providing more vocational guidance services on all levels-elementary, secondary, and postsecondary. 2. Vocational education by the very nature of its philosophy and objectives must be reviewed and evaluated to insure that goals are realistic and objectives are met. It is recommended that more formal evaluations of local vocational education programs be made. 3. Vocational education should serve persons of all ages in all communities of the State. Due to various limiting conditions, some rural areas are not always providing training in all occupational areas, it is recommended that additional approaches or means be studied for the purpose of increasing vocational education opportunities in the rural areas of the State. 4. Valid and current employment and labor market data are essential to effective vocational education program planning. It is recommended that efforts be continued to secure the best possible data on manpower needs and job opportunities in the State which are reliable and comprehensive. No courses will be offered in any secondary vocational school if they require a license until the course has been worked out with the licensing board designated by law to regulate that vocation. 5. The role of vocational educators is one of the most important segments of the total vocational education program. Occupational skills, knowledges, and competencies must be fully understood as well as the needs of business and industry. It is recommended that exchange programs for vocational education personnel be developed when feasible. 6. The providing of vocational education opportunities for adults in both supplementary and preparatory programs comprises an important purpose in vocational education. It is recommended that a review of vocational education programs for adults be made to expand and improve such programs to better meet State Plan objectives. 7. As one area of responsibility, the State-supported area vocational-technical schools serve the needs of persons who have either completed or left high school. It is recommended that programs be developed and course offerings be expanded to provide for persons who cannot successfully enter a vocational education program or who have needs for vocational education programs not presently being offered. 8. Vocational education programs must offer training which parallels as near as possible the actual industrial or business situation. It is recommended that as funds become available instructural equipment of high quality be acquired for vocational education programs where needs and priorities are established. MAINE Chairman-John Donovan RECOMMENDATIONS GENERAL The Evaluation Team recommends that 1. A better public information program be developed especially at the state level to provide parents, students, and prospective employers with information about programs in regional centers and vocationaltechnical institutes. 2. High schools not currently part of a regional technical and vocational center give more attention to vocational offerings which will help serve student needs within a reasonable budget. Cooperative work experience programs can frequently be established: business education programs can often be improved with more attention to the preparation of the general clerical students. Home economics programs can focus somewhat more upon the skills and knowledge which would make graduates employable in some capacity. Post-graduate or evening courses may be provided for graduates who have not reached a level which is fully adequate for initial employment. 3. The State develop an effective method for projecting manpower needs in the state. Such information is vital for the planning of vocational courses. REGIONAL TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL CENTERS The Evaluation Team recommends that 1. Additional regional centers be established as rapidly as resources and other conditions will permit their development on a sound basis. These will provide greater equality of educational opportunity and give youth and adults in the state access to the training and retraining needed to make them productive and self-reliant citizens. 2. There be close cooperation between the school officials, particularly the secondary-school principals, within a given region to facilitate the smoothest possible operation of the center. Scheduling is of primary importance if any students attend the center on a shared-time basis. The center should arrange a schedule so that "block scheduling" by sending schools is possible. At the same time, sending schools must recognize that a center cannot adjust its schedule to several different schools. Block scheduling can normally be done without any significant detriment to the students not attending the center. 3. Before approval is granted for a new center plans for cooperation and participation by all schools in the region be obtained and reviewed. 4. The State Board of Education require, as a condition of approval, that each center employ at least one full-time guidance person, who is knowledgeable about the world of work and who is assigned to work with the vocational director and staff and to devote his time to the needs of present and prospective vocational students. 5. Chapter 307 (Vocational Education) be amended by adding a section requiring a school administrative unit served by a regional technical-vocational center to provide transportation to and from the cented for enrolled secondary-school students. 6. The State Board of Education require periodic reviews of the programs in all regional centers and that continued approval and financial support be contingent upon a reasonable standard of service to the region. 7. Courses at the 13th and 14th level, whether full-time or parttime, be those designed to meet clearly identified needs within the centers' service area, such as the need for some post-graduate training for vocational students not yet fully prepared for employment, or to prepare persons for employment in a local industry. Such courses should not be designed to duplicate those offered at the vocationaltechnical institutes. It should be noted that no state financial support is provided for the instructional cost of such courses but the cost may be recovered through tuition charges to the persons enrolled. 8. A regional center and a vocational-technical institute cooperate when advantageous, and the institute sponsor and conduct a "satellite" course at the center which fills an identified need provided suitable facilities and qualified staff are available. 9. Regional centers continually appraise the needs of all students and that particular attention be directed to the needs of the disadvantaged and potential drop-outs in order to insure that the maximum number of these students can become self-supporting upon leaving school. VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL INSTITUTES The Evaluation Team recommends that 1. The State limit the number of vocational-technical institutes to the five now in operation. The capital investment for such an institution is fairly large and small institutions are not efficient to operate. The state's resources can be used to better advantage to expand the existing institutes. 2. A post-secondary vocational-technical institute not be established at Waterville, but that an appropriate program be instigated as part of the regional center under the administration of the Waterville School Department in accordance with recommendations for courses at the 13th and 14th levels in regional technical and vocational centers. 3. The vocational-technical institutes continually appraise their offerings and that both full-time and part-time courses be designed to meet identified needs of people in the state as designated by the law establishing the institutes. 4. The appropriate authorities in the State Department of Education review the programs offered in the vocational-technical institutes with the objectives of developing consistent policies for admissions to comparable courses. 68-338-71-7 5. Consideration be given to the employment of one person to represent all vocational-technical institutes in the recruitment of high school students. For such a purpose a single brochure with basic information about all the institutes would be useful. (This is not to replace individual catalogues.) 6. The vocational-technical institutes give appropriate recognition to the training received by a student in a high school vocational program with suitable credit and that unnecessary repetition be avoided. 7. The vocational-technical institutes give serious consideration to all possible means of extending the services of the institutes through increased offerings for youth and adults during evenings and vacation periods. |