NAVE Interim Report Released

The long-awaited National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE) report has been issued, and the interim report ?presents a small, but significant part of a comprehensive research agenda being conducted under NAVE.?

Marsha Silverberg, NAVE analyst for secondary education issues was one of the speakers at ACTE?s National Policy Seminar, which was held in Washington, D.C., last March. She told attendees at the seminar about the upcoming report and said that, ?Vocational education is still a very significant part of the way high school students spend their time.?

According to the report, ?Nearly half of all high school students and about one-third of college students are involved in vocational programs as a major part of their studies. Perhaps as many as 40 million adults?one in four?engage in short-term postsecondary occupational training.?

In its study, NAVE found that four key themes emerged:

? Current education, labor market and policy trends are likely to broaden Perkins reauthorization debates.

? Federal vocational policy attempts to achieve multiple goals and objectives.

? Secondary vocational education remains a large component of the high school curriculum, but the full effects of academic reform are not yet evident.

? Postsecondary vocational education serves a diverse set of students, many of whom will not complete the course work needed to fulfill their objectives.

The report concludes that career and technical education is flexible, and its role in American education is continuing to evolve. However, that flexibility and its elective-choice status create challenges such as increased pressure on academic improvement and the role that federal policy plays.

An article in the October 23 issue of Career Tech Update provides additional information (?NAVE Study: CTE essential component of secondary, postsecondary education?), and a copy of the report is available at www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/PES/NAVE. 

With the Death of Sen. Paul Wellstone, Education Loses a Strong Advocate

ACTE and career and technical education lost a good friend when Senator Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) died in a plane crash in October. Wellstone was the recipient of the ACTE Policy Maker of the Year Award, which his wife, Sheila, accepted at the ACTE National Policy Seminar held in Washington, D.C., this past March.

Wellstone, a former teacher, served on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where he fought to expand school funding and established a new teacher recruitment and retention program for skilled math, science and special education teachers for high-need urban and rural areas.

?The U.S. Senate?and the entire country?lost a great leader in Paul Wellstone,? said a statement released by U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige. ?He was a former teacher, athlete and powerful advocate who fought tirelessly for America?s children, especially our disabled and disadvantaged ones. He was unwavering in his views, and served his state and his country well for more than a decade.?

As the senior senator from Minnesota, Wellstone also served on the Senate Agriculture Committee, contributing to the 2002 Farm Bill. He authored the Rural Telework Act to connect Minnesota?s rural communities to high-tech jobs throughout the world.

When Sheila Wellstone, who was also killed in the plane crash that took her husband?s life, accepted the ACTE Policy Maker of the Year Award at the National Policy Seminar, she praised the attendees at the seminar for the work they were doing on Capitol Hill and told them, ?You are in offices not just speaking for yourselves, but you are speaking for voiceless people who do not have the power.?

Senator and Mrs. Wellstone leave behind their own legacy of speaking out on issues of importance in education, agriculture, health care, violence against women and job training. Their voices will be missed in Minnesota and in Washington, D.C.

A Record Number of GED Test Takers

For the first time in the General Education Development (GED) program?s history, the number of adult test takers passed the one million mark. According to the GED Testing Service, in 2001 more than one million adults worldwide took one or more of the five GED tests.

With the 2002 GED Test Series beginning on January 1, 2002, participants in the program had to complete the old test series by December 31, 2001, or start over with the new 2002 series. This was a major factor in the increased number of test takers.

A new report from the American Council on Education (ACE) provides information about the general characteristics and performance of GED candidates in North America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. Among the findings of Who Took the GED? GED 2001 Statistical Report: The completion rate of the five-part test series worldwide increased 31.1 percent over the year 2000, and the U.S. completion rate increased by 31.6 percent. The average age of test takers increased slightly over previous years, and the average number of GED candidates planning to pursue higher education increased by almost 20 percent.

?GED candidates recognize the value of education in today?s society,? says ACE President David Ward. ?Two out of every three candidates who took the GED Tests last year indicated that they planned to pursue further education and training.?

ACE notes, however, that despite the record-breaking numbers, the more than one million people who took the GED Tests to try to earn their high school diplomas represents only about two percent of the adult population without such degrees.

For more information or to order a copy of Who Took the GED? GED 2001 Statistical Report, call 301-632-6758 or visit www.gedtest.org.

Partnership to Increase Employment Among People With Disabilities

In an effort to acquaint businesses with resources and programs they have available to help employers tap into the disability community for qualified workers, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have formed a partnership. The action was taken in October by the two organizations as part of their recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which was proclaimed by President Bush on October 1.

These are some of the programs administered by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the Department of Education, along with a brief description of their functions.

? The Rehabilitation Services Administration funds vocational rehabilitation agencies that help promote employment, integration and independence of people with disabilities.

? The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research conducts research activities in areas such as accessibility, assistive devices and reasonable accommodation.

? The Office of Special Education Programs administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

According to Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Robert H. Pasternack, ?While we have seen some slight improvement in recent years, far too many Americans with disabilities are still without meaningful jobs, not because they are unqualified but because they are often overlooked.?

A resource guide under development by Pasternack?s office and the Center for Workforce Preparation is intended to make employers aware of programs at the Education Department and the Chamber of Commerce that can assist businesses with incorporating people with disabilities into the workforce.

A series of national forums is also being planned. The forums will offer the business community the opportunity to recruit from new sources, to partner and to share successful practices.

For more information about the partnership and other disability-related resources, visit www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS.

Founding President Leaves NCCER

He has been president of the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) since its inception in 1996, but Daniel J. Bennet will resign effective January 15. He leaves NCCER to become president/CEO of Decker College/Construction Careers of America, where he will focus on recruiting, training and placing individuals in construction careers.

?NCCER?s success is due to the efforts of many dedicated individuals...the commitment of our contributors, the determination of our training and assessments sponsors, and the devotion and hard work of NCCER?s exceptional staff,? says Bennet. ?This new endeavor will allow me to continue to work closely with NCCER and its sponsors.?

Don Whyte, who has also been with NCCER since its inception, has been approved by NCCER?s Executive Committee to succeed Bennet as president. Whyte currently serves as vice president of training operations and program development. He has a BA in industrial arts from Virginia Tech and worked in the construction association industry for six years prior to joining NCCER.

For more information about NCCER, which is a member of the ACTE Business-Education Partnership, visit www.nccer.org.

ACICS Dissertation Research Fellowship

The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) has announced its annual competitive fellowship to support dissertation research in the area of private career college education.

The fellowship is provided to support research generally related to areas of interest to those working in the field of career education. This may include?but is not limited to?study of areas such as the validity and reliability of accreditation criteria and practices, development of criteria and practices for assessing effectiveness of distance education courses and programs, instructional development and management practices, emerging technology, or other areas deemed appropriate by ACICS.

The fellowship will be awarded based on the review and evaluation of a brief abstract and description of the dissertation research to be completed.

ACICS will award $8,000 to the research fellow in three separate payments.

The first $1,000 will be awarded following the review and selection of the proposal and communication with the fellowship recipient and the major advisor involved.

Once the fellowship recipient?s doctoral dissertation committee formally approves the research proposal and written evidence of this approval is submitted to ACICS, the fellow will receive a payment of $3,000.

The final payment of $4,000 will be awarded after the fellowship recipient successfully passes the final oral dissertation defense and submits written evidence of such from the institution along with a copy of the dissertation for the unrestricted use of ACICS.

The deadline for the 2003 ACICS Dissertation Research Fellowship is March 14, 2003. For more information, visit www.acics.org.