This two-part paper attempts to establish the facts about, and to debate the merits of, using individual earnings information collected quarterly by states from employers as a source for vocational education performance assessment. The first part of the paper explores three topics: (1) who wants to know about the earnings of vocational education…

This document offers the best available answers to questions frequently asked about vocational education by policymakers in vocational education at the state and local level. It is divided into two sections. The first section contains 15 frequently asked questions about vocational education effects and practices, each of which is followed by a…

In 1990, a study was conducted to determine the value of an Associate in Arts (AA) degree to 2,810 community college graduates from 5 Florida schools 8 years following graduation. By cross-matching the graduates social security numbers with both the State University System Student Data Course File and the Department of Unemployment Compensation…

In spring 1985, employers of former Glendale Community College (GCC) students were surveyed to determine their views about the technical and personal skills preparedness of the former GCC students; their rating of the job outlook in various areas of training; their rating of GCC training; and their recommendations for the college. Study findings,…

A survey of former students of the Wisconsin Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education (VTAE) wood technics programs and employers in woodworking industries was conducted during spring of 1985. General objectives were to determine job classifications, types of businesses, and relative importance of tasks or duties in various woodworking-related…

In January 1988, a follow-up study was conducted of students who had completed a career program at Kansas' Johnson County Community College (JCCC) in 1986-87 to determine their educational and employment status and the relationship of their work to their program of study. Telephone interviews were completed with 337 of the 482 graduates, and an…

In 1988, a series of studies was conducted at Prince George's Community College (PGCC) to assess student outcomes with respect to course pass rates, student retention, the performance of PGCC transfer students at four-year institutions, graduate transfer and employment patterns, employer evaluations of PGCC graduates, scores on licensure and…

Four major components comprised the Organizational Development Research Project at Indiana Vocational Technical College (Ivy Tech). The major component of the research was an evaluation of a model of cost effectiveness/benefit analysis previously developed for postsecondary vocational educators in Indiana. Cost data for all Region 8 Ivy Tech…

A study was conducted at Maryland's Howard Community College (HCC) to examine employers' views of the job readiness and vocational preparation of HCC graduates. The study sample included 55 employers of 1985 HCC graduates who agreed to have their employer contacted. The nursing program had the highest representation in the study sample, which…

A study compared the cost effectiveness of secondary child care and commercial foods occupational home economics programs in Kentucky. Identified as dependent variables in the study were program effectiveness, cost efficiency, and cost effectiveness ratio. Program expenditures, community size, and program age were considered as independent…

San Francisco Works (SFWorks) is a collaborative welfare-to-work project conducted by a coalition of large San Francisco-area employers, the city's Chamber of Commerce, and the United Way of the Bay Area. The project was piloted beginning in March 1998 by contracting with five community-based organizations (CBOs) to provide a comprehensive range…

New studies dispel the fear that high academic standards set up some students to fail or drop out. This research finds that raising academic standards has a positive impact for all students in the following ways: (1) students take more demanding courses, learn more, and score higher on tests; (2) nationwide, dropout rates are falling and high…

This paper describes and critiques a 1989 employer/alumni study conducted by the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK) and four other state postsecondary institutions. The study was designed to: (1) develop a questionnaire to tap opinion about graduates' preparation and a method of administration that could be used by both 2- and 4-year…

Representatives of the business community define workplace literacy according to how well informed are the spokespersons for business, how expansive is their view of the role of literacy, and the extent to which literacy bears on their firms' productivity. These elements affect business people's understanding of what constitutes workplace…

This publication contains 19 one- or two-page profiles of Illinois teachers, educational administrators, and business people who have contributed greatly to the success of their vocational education students. The profiles are written in the third person but many contain first-person accounts, along with testimony about the subjects by employers,…