Vocational Education

The effort by two-year colleges to strengthen their vocational-technical programs has reflected many of the priorities spelled out in the Perkins Act Amendments of 1990. Colleges have moved aggressively to increase their use of performance measures, such as placement rates, program completion rates, and results from state licensing exams, in program assessments. In addition, nearly all the colleges in GAO's sample said that they either offer or are developing tech-prep programs. Other desired changes, however, have been slower to develop. Colleges reported maintaining but not accelerating their efforts to integrate academic and vocational education. However, some often-recommended approaches, such as academic and vocational faculty teaching in teams, while gaining acceptance, are still not a standard part of vocational education programs. The removal of the set-aside requirement in the Perkins amendments has not harmed enrollments of special population students. Furthermore, colleges reported either increasing or maintaining the availability of support services for special population students.

GAO found that: (1) many 2-year colleges have enhanced their vocational education programs to reflect many of the priorities in the Perkins Act amendments; (2) these colleges have moved aggressively to increase their use of performance measures, such as placement rates, program completion rates, and results of licensing exams, in program assessments; (3) nearly all colleges surveyed are developing tech-prep programs; (4) some desired changes in vocational education are developing slowly, such as integrating academic and vocational education; (5) the percentage of special population students enrolled in 2-year colleges and their participation in vocational education programs remained unchanged, despite the removal of the set-aside requirement; and (6) most colleges maintained or increased the availability of support services for special population students.