United States General Accounting Office

GAO Report to Congressional Committees

July 1995 VOCATIONAL

EDUCATION

Changes at High

School Level After

Amendments to

Perkins Act

GAO/HEHS-95-144

GAO United States

General Accounting Office

Washington, D.C. 20548

Health, Education, and

Human Services Division

B-255714 

July 12, 1995

The Honorable Nancy Landon Kassebaum

Chairman

The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy

Ranking Minority Member

Committee on Labor and Human Resources

United States Senate

The Honorable William F. Goodling

Chairman

The Honorable William L. Clay

Ranking Minority Member

Committee on Economic and

 Educational Opportunities

House of Representatives

Several changes affecting the U.S. economy over the past two

decades—the decline in prominence of the manufacturing sector, the

strength of international competition, and the accelerating improvements

in information technology—have heightened the importance of a skilled

labor force. In this context, vocational education remains an especially

important tool for ensuring that entry-level workers are fully prepared for

the labor market.

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984

(P.L. 98-524) provides federal support for vocational education at both the

secondary (high school) and postsecondary levels. In 1990, the Congress

amended the Perkins Act to realign national priorities for vocational

education. In these amendments, the Congress encouraged several types

of vocational education approaches that are designed to provide students

with a better understanding of how schoolwork relates to job

requirements. In addition, the amendments removed a requirement that

57 percent of Perkins funding be set aside for services to students from

special populations—including students with disabilities, economically

disadvantaged students, and students with limited English proficiency.1

The amendments do require that states’ vocational education plans

provide special population students with equal access to vocational

1

The amendments define “special population students” to include three groups of students who may

require special assistance to succeed in a vocational education program—students with disabilities

due to certain physical or mental conditions; students disadvantaged because of economic or

academic disadvantages; and students with limited English proficiency, that is, difficulty speaking,

reading, writing, or understanding English because of the predominance of another language in their

environment.

Page 1 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
B-255714 

education programs and services; in addition, the amendments direct

districts to allocate Perkins funds so as to give priority to sites or

programs that have higher concentrations of special population students.

Nonetheless, some individuals were concerned that removal of the

set-aside requirement would reduce special population students’ access to

vocational education.

In response to a mandate in the amendments, we compared student

participation and program features in high school (secondary level)

vocational education programs in school year 1993-942

 (after enactment of

the amendments) with 1990-91 (before enactment of the amendments). A

companion report will address changes at the postsecondary level.3,4

Specifically, this report addresses the following questions:

• For students from special population groups, what changes have taken

place in (1) participation in vocational education, including participation

in innovative programs; (2) availability of support services; and (3) college

attendance and employment following graduation?

• For vocational education programs, to what extent have schools and

school districts adopted recommended approaches to enhance

quality—such as (1) school-to-work transition activities, (2) integration of

academic and vocational learning, (3) development of competency

standards for students, and (4) increased use of quality indicators for

program assessment?5

We collected information for this study through two surveys. To obtain

information for 1990-91, and again for 1993-94, we mailed questionnaires

to a nationally representative sample of public secondary schools and

their associated central district offices. For the schools and districts that

responded to both surveys, we determined what changes had taken place

(1) among students from special populations and (2) in vocational

education programs. To supplement our survey data, we visited four

school districts. (Details on our scope and methodology are in app. I, and

2

In this report, all hyphenated years are school years.

3

See Vocational Education: 2-Year Colleges Improve Programs, Maintain Access for Special Populations

(GAO/HEHS-95-163).

4

This report updates the preliminary findings of our study, which we reported in 1993. See Vocational

Education: Status in School Year 1990-91 and Early Signs of Change at Secondary Level

(GAO/HRD-93-71, July 13, 1993) and Vocational Education: Status in 2-Year Colleges in 1990-91 and

Early Signs of Change (GAO/HRD-93-89, Aug. 16, 1993).

5

In our previous study, we also examined the concentration of Perkins funds across schools. The data

were insufficient to allow us to address that issue in this report.

Page 2 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
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detailed information about our results is in app. II. Apps. III and IV contain

the aggregate responses to the two surveys.)

Results in Brief The initial concerns about the effects of the Perkins amendments did not

materialize. Removal of the set-aside requirement for students from

special population groups did not inhibit their participation, limit the

availability of services, or affect their postgraduation status. Between 40

and 50 percent of these students participated in vocational education in

1993-94—percentages that remained virtually unchanged from 1990-91.

These students also continued to participate in the full range of vocational

education, including school-to-work activities. Schools continued to offer

all students—including those from special populations—access to support

services at the same or greater levels in 1993-94 than in 1990-91. Student

activities following graduation were also generally unchanged between

1993-94 and 1990-91. In all student groups, we observed no significant

changes in the proportion of students who attended college, went directly

to work, or were unemployed.

There are both signs of progress and room for improvement as secondary

schools and school districts have acted to modernize and enhance their

vocational education programs. Schools have moved aggressively to apply

some approaches, but have been slower to adopt other changes. For

example, the percentage of schools offering tech-prep programs6

increased significantly (from 27 to 45 percent) between 1990-91 and

1993-94, and the percentage of students participating in tech-prep rose

from 9 to 16 percent. However, more traditional school-to-work transition

programs like work-study and apprenticeships have shown no significant

change.7

 Teacher training in integrating vocational and academic

instruction also increased, but the majority of schools in our survey did

not employ several practices (team teaching, for example) that bring

integrated learning concepts into the classroom. School districts also

reported increased use of quality indicators (such as placement data) in

their self-assessment processes, despite the difficulties many of them

encounter in gathering this kind of information.8

 However, the number of

vocational education programs that require graduates to meet competency

6

Tech-prep programs use a coordinated curriculum, typically with 2 years in high school and 2 years in

community college, to prepare students for technical careers.

7

Work-study and apprenticeship programs provide a structured learning experience in a workplace

setting.

8

For example, schools may have difficulty gathering reliable placement information because of

insufficient student response.

Page 3 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
B-255714 

standards has remained virtually unchanged. Moreover, many of the

program features associated with high-quality vocational education still

affect a relatively small percentage of students. For example, although

74 percent of schools offer work-study programs, only about 16 percent of

vocational education students participated in work study in 1993-94. Many

more students will need to be exposed to these approaches before they

become a standard part of vocational education.

Background Vocational education prepares students for an increasingly demanding

labor market through an organized sequence of courses that are directly

related to preparing students for employment in jobs that do not require a

bachelor’s degree.9

 For example, one school district offers high school

students the opportunity to acquire the technical skills needed for careers

in fields like automobile repair, medical assisting, or electronics.

Vocational education programs are funded at the federal, state, and local

levels. Funding provided under the 1984 Perkins Act is the federal

government’s primary form of assistance for vocational education.

Although federal financing accounts for only a small percentage of

expenditures on vocational education, the Perkins Act provided about

$1.4 billion in 1993-94, compared with approximately $1 billion in 1990-91.

In addition to eliminating the set-aside requirement for special

populations, the Perkins Act amendments included several provisions

intended to improve the quality of vocational education. To help ensure

that programs are of sufficient size and scope to be effective, the

amendments set minimum funding thresholds at the secondary school

level. School districts that would have received funding allocations of less

than $15,000 under the original Perkins Act are now generally ineligible for

funds unless they join other districts in a consortium in which the total

funding meets the $15,000 minimum.10

The amendments also encourage several approaches to vocational

education that smooth the transition from school to work. In 1993-94,

Perkins funding included $104 million for tech-prep programs, which link

secondary vocational education programs to postsecondary institutions in

a coordinated program leading to an associate’s degree or certificate. For

example, one school district operates a tech-prep program in allied health

9

This definition of vocational education can be found in the Perkins Act. Researchers and education

experts have used a variety of different definitions for vocational education.

10A similar funding threshold is set at $50,000 for the postsecondary level.

Page 4 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
B-255714 

services that prepares students for a career as a Medical Assistant,

Emergency Medical Technician, or Surgical Technologist.11

The Perkins amendments also encourage schools and districts to integrate

vocational and academic instruction, so that vocational students can

develop a better appreciation of how academic learning is related to job

requirements. In addition, the amendments require recipients (schools and

districts) to evaluate the effectiveness of their vocational education

programs and in particular to evaluate the progress of special population

students. For example, placement data on high school graduates can

indicate whether students have continued their education or obtained

employment in their field.

Removal of Set-Aside

Requirement Does

Not Appear to Have

Hurt Special

Population Students

Despite widespread concern, removal of the set-aside requirement has

apparently had no adverse impact on special population students.

Specifically, neither student participation nor the availability of support

services has declined following the implementation of the Perkins

amendments. Furthermore, employment and educational outcomes for

special population students—relative to vocational education students as

a whole—were unchanged.

Participation in Vocational

Education Was Virtually

Unchanged

We found no significant changes in the rate at which special population

students participated in vocational education. In 1993-94, 42 percent of all

students participated in vocational education, compared with 45 percent

in 1990-91.12 This decline in overall participation was reflected in small,

statistically insignificant13 declines in participation among students with

disabilities (from 48 to 47 percent) and among students who were

disadvantaged (from 53 to 50 percent). (See fig. 1.)

11Tech-prep programs may require that students meet certain competency standards for completion,

but many schools impose competency standards on programs other than tech-prep. For example, one

of the schools we visited required its auto technology students to demonstrate specific skills like

testing engine coolant, disassembling an engine, and replacing an alternator.

12This finding is consistent with results reported by the National Assessment of Vocational Education

(NAVE). Using four different definitions of vocational education, NAVE’s researchers found that

between 1982 and 1992 there was a steady decline in the percentage of high school graduates who

could be considered vocational education students. See NAVE, Final Report to Congress, Vol. II,

Participation in and Quality of Vocational Education (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education,

1994), p. 12.

13Because the figures in this report are estimates derived from a survey, they may differ from the

values that we would have obtained had we been able to get information from all the schools in the

United States. The difference between two estimates—such as the difference between estimated

enrollment in 1990-91 and in 1993-94—is said to be statistically significant if we can be 95 percent sure

that the difference is not merely due to chance or coincidence. If the estimates are close enough that

we cannot be sure the difference is meaningful, the difference is said to be statistically insignificant.

Page 5 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
B-255714 

Figure 1: Percentage of Vocational

Education Students, by Type of

Student, 1990-91 and 1993-94

Percentage of Students

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

All Students Nontargeted

Students

Disadvantaged

Students

Students With

Disabilities

Students With

Limited English

Proficiency

Type of Student

45

42 43

40

53

50 48 47

36

38

1990-91

1993-94

Note: Students from special population groups may be included in more than one category.

Not only did students from special populations continue to participate in

vocational education, but these students could be found in the full range of

vocational education activities, including school-to-work transition

activities. Since the implementation of the amendments, more schools

have offered tech-prep programs; schools have also continued to offer

work-study and apprenticeship opportunities. When comparing students

from special populations with other students, we observed no significant

differences in participation in these activities either before or after the

amendments. For example, in 1993-94, 16.8 percent of disadvantaged

students—and 16 percent of students who did not belong to special

population groups—participated in tech-prep. However, because many

schools were unable to provide this information, our estimates of

participation in these activities are somewhat imprecise. (For more

Page 6 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
B-255714 

information about participation in vocational education programs, see

app. II.)

Availability of Support

Services Increased for All

Students, Including

Students From Special

Populations

From 1990-91 to 1993-94, the percentage of schools that offered support

services to students, including those from special population groups,

generally increased.14 For example, the percentage of schools that offered

transportation services to students with disabilities increased dramatically

(from 59 to 74 percent). These students’ access to teacher aides, tutoring,

and life skills training also rose significantly. For students not in special

population groups, there was a significant increase in the percentage of

schools offering tutoring (from 52 to 66 percent).

In some support areas, special population students were more likely to be

offered additional services than students who did not belong to these

groups (see fig. 2). For example, in 1993-94 students from any of the three

special population groups were significantly more likely to be offered

teacher aides than students who did not come from any of these groups.

However, for many of the remaining support services, the differences

between the various groups of students were small and statistically

insignificant.15 Across all student groups, in 1993-94 schools were most

likely to offer counseling or guidance, tutoring, evaluation or assessment,

life skills training, and special recruitment; over two-thirds of schools

offered these services. Day care was offered less frequently (by less than

one-sixth of schools). (For more detailed information on the percentage of

schools offering support services, see app. II.)

14We asked schools about the availability of 15 distinct support services for students. (See table II.5 for

more information on these services.)

15Fewer schools reported whether they offered services to students with limited English proficiency.

Therefore, estimates of services for these students are less precise.

Page 7 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
B-255714 

Figure 2: Percentage of Schools

Offering Selected Support Services, by

Group, 1993-94

Percentage

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Counseling Tutoring Teacher Aides Transportation Curriculum

Modification

Type of Service

97 95 94 94

66

75 75 78

30

46

65 65

60 62

74

53

45

65

86

65

Nonspecial Population Students

Disadvantaged Students

Students With Disabilities

Students With Limited English Proficiency

Note: Students from special population groups may be included in more than one category.

College Attendance and

Employment Were

Generally Unchanged

Historically, vocational education graduates who have disabilities or are

economically disadvantaged have been less likely to attend college and

more likely to go directly to work than other students.16 This pattern is

evident in both our 1990-91 and 1993-94 surveys. In general, these

differences neither widened nor narrowed over time. For example, the

proportion of disadvantaged vocational students who expected to attend a

4-year college was 14 percent in 1990-91 and 13 percent in 1993-94—a

statistically insignificant change. However, many schools were unable to

16Sixty-three percent of all graduating seniors in our survey expected to attend either a 4- or 2-year

college. This is consistent with Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that indicate about 62 percent of

recent high school graduates enrolled in colleges or universities in the fall of 1992. See Proportion of

1992 High School Graduates Enrolled in College, U.S. Department of Labor, Publication No. 93-153

(Washington, D.C.: June 22, 1993).

Page 8 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
B-255714 

provide placement information, and this low response rate limited our

ability to observe changes in postgraduation status. (For more information

about changes in outcomes for vocational students who are members of

special populations, see app. II.)

Efforts to Improve

Quality Showed

Progress, but

Recommended

Approaches Have Yet

to Reach Many

Classrooms

The Perkins amendments directed recipients to adopt a number of

strategies to enhance the quality of vocational education—most

specifically, tech-prep programs, integrated learning approaches, and the

development of standards by which schools and districts can better

evaluate their vocational programs. The sponsors of the Perkins

amendments believed that these approaches would improve the quality of

vocational education by easing the transition from school to work and by

ensuring that students apply cognitive skills in a vocational education

environment. For similar reasons, vocational education experts have

advised schools and districts to emphasize school-to-work transition

activities. We observed many schools and districts moving aggressively to

implement several of these approaches. However, other recommendations

(such as using academic teachers in vocational classes) have been slower

to gain acceptance. Many of the attributes associated with quality

programs still affect only a small percentage of vocational education

students. Similarly, although districts have increased their use of quality

indicators for self-assessment, many districts have not yet developed

standards to guide these assessments.

Schools and Districts

Increased Use of Quality

Approaches, but Relatively

Few Students Were Served

Schools have moved aggressively to increase several of the approaches to

vocational education associated with quality—such as integrated learning

and tech-prep programs. For example, in 1993-94 35 percent of all schools

reported that to a “great” or “very great” extent they were participating in

teacher training activities designed to integrate academics into vocational

education, compared with 20 percent or less in 1990-91 (see fig. 3). Even

more dramatically, the percentage of schools offering tech-prep programs

increased significantly in just 2 years: in 1990-91 only 27 percent of schools

offered tech-prep, but by 1993-94 that figure had jumped to 45 percent (see

fig. 4).17 For example, when we visited one district in 1990, officials were

planning their tech-prep program. In 1991-92, they formed a tech-prep

17The growth in tech-prep programs masks the fact that tech-prep programs across the country are still

in transition. Because tech-prep programs are still quite new, relatively few students have made the

transition from high school to college. In addition, among many schools there is lack of agreement

about what constitutes tech-prep. Because our survey data are based on schools’ reports and on their

interpretations of what constitutes a tech-prep program, the survey information may not adequately

characterize the enormous variation in the size and strength of tech-prep programs nationwide.

Page 9 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
B-255714 

consortium, including 10 school districts. When we visited again in

1993-94, two more districts had joined the consortium and the first

tech-prep program was under way. The consortium hopes to have 200

tech-prep students entering affiliated postsecondary institutions by

September 1996.

Figure 3: Teacher Training in

Academic and Vocational Education

Integration, 1990-91 and 1993-94

Percentage of Schools

0

10

20

30

40

Learning Styles Teaching Styles Instruction Teacher

Exchange

Teacher Training in Integration Activities

18

35

20

35

18

36

7

14

1990-91

1993-94

Note: Percentages indicate schools reporting that “To a great extent” or “To a very great extent”

they are participating in these teacher training activities designed to integrate academics with

vocational education.

Page 10 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
B-255714 

Figure 4: Percentage of Schools With

Certain School-To-Work Transition

Activities, 1990-91 and 1993-94

Percentage of Schools

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Tech-Prep Work-Study Apprenticeship

27

45

72 74

7 8

1990-91

1993-94

Acceptance of the integrated learning and tech-prep concepts has grown

substantially. However, many more students will need to be exposed to

these approaches before they become a standard part of vocational

education. Less than half of the schools we surveyed employed several

practices, such as team teaching, that bring integrated learning into the

classroom.18 In one school we visited, informal cooperation among

teachers facilitated integration—for example, the teacher of a course in

computer-aided design invited the physics teacher into his classroom to

explain some of the physics elements in computer-aided design. However,

another district we visited was unable to implement the integrated

learning concept to the extent that its administrators would have liked.

These officials told us that teacher credentialing requirements at the state

level prevented vocational teachers from teaching academic subjects, and

contracting arrangements limited teachers’ incentives to participate in

summer training.

18These activities include team teaching, programs in which academic teachers teach their subjects in

vocational classes, and programs in which each course within the vocational education program

concentrates on academics.

Page 11 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
B-255714 

Similarly, despite sizable increases in the number of schools and students

participating in tech-prep programs, only 16 percent of vocational students

in 1993-94 were participating in tech-prep. In addition, other methods for

improving the school-to-work transition—such as work study and

apprenticeships—have not grown significantly since the Perkins

amendments were implemented (see fig. 4). These programs also reach

only a small number of students; only 16 percent of vocational students

participated in work-study programs in 1993-94, although 74 percent of

schools reported that they offer a work-study program.

In addition to integrated learning and school-to-work activities, experts in

vocational education have urged schools to develop certificates of

competency and to require students to meet minimum standards or

competencies to complete the program. These initiatives have been slow

to develop since the Perkins amendments; both the percentage of schools

that reported issuing certificates and the number of programs that

required competencies remained roughly constant between 1990-91 and

1993-94.19

Districts Report Using

More Quality Indicators for

Self-Assessment

School districts reported an increase in the use of various measures in

their self-assessment process. For example, we observed substantial

increases in the proportion of school districts that reported using

graduation rates (from 72 to 83 percent) and placement rates (from 77 to

86 percent) as part of their self-assessments. The schools we visited,

however, reported that it was difficult and time consuming to gather this

type of information. For example, one school district attempted to contact

recent graduates by mail but received only a 25-percent response rate. In

addition, despite this increased use of information for self-assessment,

many schools have yet to develop standards to guide these assessments.

For example, 71 percent of schools used measures of students’ academic

gains as an input into their assessment process. However, only 69 percent

of the schools that used this measure had developed standards that would

allow them to determine if students’ academic progress was satisfactory.

(For more information about school progress in quality, assessment, and

standards development, see app. II.)

19In 1990-91 schools reported an average of 5.11 vocational programs in which such standards or

competencies applied. In 1993-94 the average number of programs for which standards or

competencies applied was 5.35; the difference between the 2 years is statistically insignificant.

Similarly, the difference between the percentage of schools issuing certificates in 1990-91 (25 percent)

and in 1993-94 (33 percent) is statistically insignificant.

Page 12 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
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Agency Comments The Department of Education commented on a draft of this report. The

Department believed that the draft did not make clear that the Perkins

amendments contained a new requirement for local recipients to give

priority in the use of title II funds to the special populations. However, the

law requires only that recipients give priority to sites or programs that

serve higher concentrations of special population students; there is no

legislative requirement that special population students as a group be

given priority over other students.20 We revised the report to more strongly

emphasize that the amendments required such priority.

The Department also believed that it would help to see a comparison of

the extent to which the special populations are participating in

educational improvements and services compared with the general

student population. These comparisons are in table II.4 for programs and

in table II.5 for support services. Department officials also made technical

comments, which we discussed with them, and we made clarifications to

the report as appropriate. The Department’s comments appear in full in

appendix V.

We did our work between November 1993 and May 1995 in accordance

with generally accepted government auditing standards.

Please call me on (202) 512-7014 if you or your staffs have any questions.

GAO contacts and staff acknowledgments for this report are listed in

appendix VI.

Linda G. Morra

Director, Education and

 Employment Issues

20The law specifies that 75 percent of the within state allocations shall be available for basic programs

under Part C of title II. The general authority for the use of funds in Part C, section 235, requires that

recipients give priority in assistance to sites or programs that serve the highest concentrations of the

special populations.

Page 13 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Contents

Letter 1

Appendix I 

Scope and

Methodology

16

Appendix II 

Supplementary Tables

21

Participation in Vocational-Technical Programs 21

Availability of Support Services 25

Student Placement Outcomes 26

Schools’ Efforts to Improve Vocational Education Programs 27

Appendix III 

Aggregated Responses

to Survey of Public

Secondary Schools

33

Appendix IV 

Aggregated Responses

to Survey of School

Districts

56

Appendix V 

Comments From the

Department of

Education

67

Appendix VI 

GAO Contacts and

Staff

Acknowledgments

69

Tables Table I.1: Universe, Samples, and Responses of Secondary

Schools

18

Page 14 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Contents

Table II.1: Estimated Number of Students per School, by Student

Group, 1990-91 and 1993-94

22

Table II.2: Estimated Number of Vocational-Technical Education

Students per School, by Student Group, 1990-91 and 1993-94

23

Table II.3: Estimated Students Participating in

Vocational-Technical Education, by Student Group, 1990-91 and

1993-94

24

Table II.4: Mean Percentage of Vocational Students in Each

School That Are Participating in Specific School-to-Work

Activities, by Student Group, 1990-91 and 1993-94

25

Table II.5: Schools Offering Support Services, by Group and Type

of Service, 1990-91 and 1993-94

26

Table II.6: Postgraduation Status of Vocational Education

Students, by Student Group

27

Table II.7: Schools Reporting That They Conducted Integrated

Learning Activities in One or More Vocational Education

Programs, by Subject Matter, 1990-91 and 1993-94

28

Table II.8: Schools Reporting Changes in the Contributions of the

Local Community in 1993-94 Compared With 1990-91, by Type of

Contribution

29

Table II.9: Indicators Used by Districts We Surveyed to Assess

Vocational Programs, 1990-91 and 1993-94

30

Table II.10: Views of the Districts We Surveyed on the Perkins

Amendments’ Effect on Their Ability to Produce Quality

Programs

31

Figures Figure 1: Percentage of Vocational Education Students, by Type

of Student, 1990-91 and 1993-94

6

Figure 2: Percentage of Schools Offering Selected Support

Services, by Group, 1993-94

8

Figure 3: Teacher Training in Academic and Vocational

Education Integration, 1990-91 and 1993-94

10

Figure 4: Percentage of Schools With Certain School-to-Work

Transition Activities, 1990-91 and 1993-94

11

Figure I.1: Comparisons Used in GAO’s Analysis 19

Abbreviations

NAVE National Assessment of Vocational Education

Page 15 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix I 

Scope and Methodology

The Congress mandated that we conduct a 3-year study, using

representative samples, to determine the effects of the amendments to the

Perkins Act on access to and participation in vocational education for

students who are disadvantaged, have disabilities, or have limited

proficiency in English. The act specified that Perkins funds were to be

used to improve vocational education programs and that the state was to

provide assurance that members of special populations would have

continued access to these programs. Consequently, we compared the

status of special population students and vocational education programs

before the amendments with their status after the amendments.

Specifically, we measured the extent to which changes have occurred

• for students, in participation in vocational education, including

participation in innovative programs; availability of special services; and

college attendance and employment following graduation;

• for vocational education programs, in schools’ and districts’ use of formal

coordination of high school and college courses; integration of academic

and vocational learning; and development of competency standards for

students.

Average Differences

Across Schools Were Used

to Measure Changes

To address these objectives, we used panel data21 from two surveys

administered to a nationally representative, stratified, randomly selected

set of schools and their associated districts. The eight strata represent the

major groups of secondary schools.22 After we adjusted the sample to

remove inappropriate schools (for example, schools with no grades higher

than 9), our sample included 1,938 schools in the first (or baseline) survey,

and 1,844 schools in the second (or follow-up) survey. One thousand two

hundred thirty-three schools responded to both surveys (for a 67-percent

overall response rate). The item response rate varied with each item.

The data from the two surveys were pooled—that is, we created a file

consisting of those schools that had answered both questionnaires. For

our analysis, we made direct comparisons of the reported status (such as

the percentage of students who were in vocational education or the

number of tech-prep programs) using data only when the school had

21A panel is a fixed, cross-section sample of subjects that is measured more than once and permits

direct comparisons of the subjects over two or more time periods. The data covered the status of

students and programs for the school year 1990-91, before the amendments went into effect, and the

school year 1993-94, after the amendments.

22These strata include comprehensive urban, comprehensive suburban, comprehensive rural,

vocational urban, vocational suburban, and vocational rural schools, as well as schools for the

disabled and alternative schools.

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Scope and Methodology

answered the specific item in both surveys. The findings were then

averaged across all schools that had responded to that item. The

advantage of this approach is that small changes in the variables of

interest are more easily identified than if separate studies were made using

two or more independent samples.23 In addition, by comparing the data for

just those schools that responded, we are able to report the average

responses without concern that the averages are contaminated by changes

in the composition of the respondents.

The major disadvantage of the panel approach is that when nonresponse

occurs, the data are no longer representative of national averages. The

requirement that a school must have answered both surveys gives us a

smaller response rate than had we used the mean values from both

surveys independently.24 What we are reporting on are the estimated

population means for those schools that would have answered both

surveys, and the specific item in each survey, had they been given the

chance. As a result, we cannot say that the responses represent all schools

in the population from which the samples were drawn.

Weights Were Used for the

School but Not the District

Data

Each observation from the school surveys was weighted (1) to adjust for

the probability of being selected in the strata from which the sample was

drawn and (2) to account for the pooled response rate from both surveys.

Item response varied according to item, but the data were not weighted for

item response. Because we used data only when the school responded to

an item in both the baseline and follow-up surveys, the number responding

may vary for each separate comparison. District data were not weighted,

as it was not possible to adequately account for the probability of being

selected from a pooled sample. The universe from which the samples were

drawn, the sample sizes, and the number responding to the secondary

school surveys are reported in table I.1.

23See Gilbert A. Churchill, Marketing Research Methodological Foundations, 5th ed., (Chicago: Dryden

Press, 1991), p. 152, and William H. Green, Econometric Analysis, 2nd ed., (New York: Macmillan

Press, 1993), pp. 464-470.

24Incomplete data from a sample survey (nonresponse) are assumed to be biased (nonrepresentative)

unless there is strong evidence that this is not true. Statistical functions, such as means, variances, and

covariances, are likely to be biased and have distributions affected by nonresponse. Therefore, the use

of a pooled sample is another type of nonrepresentativeness of the population parameters.

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Scope and Methodology

Table I.1: Universe, Samples, and Responses of Secondary Schools

Universe size Sample size Number responding

Type/ location of school

Baseline

adjusted

Follow-up

adjusted

Baseline

adjusted

Follow-up

adjusted

Baseline

survey

Follow-up

survey

Both

surveys

Comprehensive urban 2,135 2,061 346 334 325 283 259

Comprehensive suburban 2,826 2,796 284 281 244 229 204

Comprehensive

rural 10,617 10,427 336 330 277 242 208

Vocational urban 246 239 177 172 168 150 131

Vocational suburban 184 171 144 134 135 106 94

Vocational rural 526 519 237 234 226 190 172

School for disabled 591 491 130 108 83 52 42

Alternative 942 846 284 255 180 140 123

Total 18,067 17,550 1,938 1,848 1,638 1,392 1,233

Several Comparisons Were

Made

As part of our analysis of the survey data, we compared schools’ responses

for different types of students and over time (see fig. I.1):

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Scope and Methodology

Figure I.1: Comparisons Used in

GAO’s Analysis

School Year 1990-91 vs. School Year 1993-94

Special Population Students vs. All Students in

the School

Special Population Students vs. Nonspecial

Population Students

Vocational Education Program Students vs. All

Students in the School

• School year comparisons. We compared data from each school for 1990-91

with the same data item in 1993-94. These values were then averaged

across schools that responded to the item. School year comparisons were

made throughout and directly address whether or not changes have

occurred over time.

• Special population and all students. For some analyses, we compared the

mean values for the special population students with the mean values for

all students, including the special populations. This comparison permits

determination of whether mean values for the special populations differ

from those for all students. For example, we compared the percentage of

vocational education students in the overall student body with the

percentage of vocational education students from among the special

populations to get information on the overall participation rate in

vocational education.

• Special population and nonspecial population students. For some

analyses, we compared the special populations with students who were

not part of the special populations. This comparison permits assessment

of whether special population students are participating in services and

programs in proportion to their enrollment in vocational education and at

levels comparable to the nonspecial population students.

• Vocational students and all students. For some analyses, it is useful to

know how vocational students compare with all students in the school.

For example, we used this comparison to determine the general direction

of average school attendance. We found that although the average number

of vocational students was rising, the average number of all students was

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Scope and Methodology

rising faster. This puts the increase in vocational students in proper

perspective.

Site Visits Supplemented

Survey Data

To supplement the information obtained from our follow-up survey, during

1993-94 we visited four school districts in Oakland, Michigan; San

Francisco, California; Delaware County, Pennsylvania; and New Castle

County, Delaware. During these visits, we interviewed school and district

officials to obtain information on vocational education programs, services

to special populations, and assessment and improvement efforts.

Page 20 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix II 

Supplementary Tables

This appendix contains supplementary tables and more detailed

information about changes in student participation, the availability of

support services, student placement outcomes, and vocational education

programs between 1990-91 and 1993-94. The data presented in the

following sections compare changes in student and program

characteristics only for those schools that responded to both surveys (that

is, for 1990-91 and 1993-94). Thus, the numbers and percentages cited

differ somewhat from those in our 1993 interim report, which reported on

all schools that responded to our first survey.

Participation in

Vocational-Technical

Programs

Overall Secondary School

Enrollment

For the schools we surveyed, the average number of students per high

school increased by about 6 percent between 1990-91 and 1993-94 (from

603 to 640 students per school). For the average school, the percentage

increases were greatest for students from special population groups;

however, the number of these students was often small. The proportion of

students who were not part of special population groups remained

constant at about 65 percent, while some of the special population groups

grew. This may be accounted for, in part, by more students being defined

as belonging to special populations. In addition, our definition permitted

students to be classified in more than one special population category.

(See table II.1.)

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Table II.1: Estimated Number of

Students Per School, by Student

Group, 1990-91 and 1993-94 No. of students

(percentage of student

body)

Category 1990-91 1993-94

Percentage

change

Total 603 640 6.1

Nonspecial population 397

(65.4%)

417

(65.8%) 5.0

Disabled 43

(9.0)

53

(10.1) 23.3

Disadvantaged 158

(30.3)

189

(31.6) 19.6

Limited English proficiency 23

(2.5)

33

(3.1) 43.5

Notes: The changes from 1990-91 to 1993-94 in the percentage of students were not statistically

significant at the 0.05 level.

The sum of the percentages in each school year exceeds 100 because students may be included

in more than one special population category. Similarly, the sum of the number of students in

each population group will exceed the total number of students.

The percentages of the student body represent the average percentages reported by the schools

responding to both surveys; they are not, for example, the average number of disabled students

divided by the average number of total students.

Vocational-Technical

Enrollment

Vocational-technical enrollment also increased, but more slowly than

overall enrollment. On average, there were 330 vocational students per

school in 1990-91, and this number did not increase significantly. Again,

the increase for students in special population groups was larger than for

other students, but for many schools there were few students in some of

these categories. (See table II.2.)

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Table II.2: Estimated Number of

Vocational-Technical Education

Students Per School, by Student

Group, 1990-91 and 1993-94

No. of students

(percentage of student

body)

Category 1990-91 1993-94

Percentage

change

Total 330 336 1.8

Nonspecial population 186

(59.5%)

190

(58.1%) 2.2

Disabled 28

(10.0)

32

(11.8) 14.3

Disadvantaged 108

(31.9)

120

(35.6) 11.1

Limited English proficiency 11

(2.0)

13

(2.7) 18.2

Notes: The changes from 1990-91 to 1993-94 in the percentages of students were not statistically

significant at the 0.05 level.

The sum of the percentages in each school year exceeds 100 because students may be included

in more than one special population category. Similarly, the sum of the number of students in

each population group exceeds the total number of students.

The percentages of the student body represent the average percentages reported by the schools

responding to both surveys; they are not, for example, the average number of disabled students

divided by the average number of total students.

Because average per-school vocational-technical enrollment grew only

1.8 percent over this period (compared with 6.1 percent growth in the

overall student population), the percentage of students participating in

vocational-technical education declined relative to overall enrollments.

Across all groups, except for those with limited English proficiency, a

smaller percentage of students participated in vocational education.

Although the rate of decline for students in special population groups was

less than for other students, the changes were not statistically significant

for any group. (See table II.3.)

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Table II.3: Estimated Students

Participating in Vocational-Technical

Education, by Student Group, 1990-91

and 1993-94

Numbers in percent

Category 1990-91 1993-94

Percentage

change

Total 45.3 41.7 –7.9

Nonspecial population 42.6 39.7 –6.8

Disabled 48.2 47.0 –2.5

Disadvantaged 52.6 49.8 –5.3

Limited English proficiency 35.6 38.3 7.6

Note: The changes from 1990-91 to 1993-94 in the percentages of students were not statistically

significant at the 0.05 level.

Access to School-To-Work

Activities

As shown in figure 4 (see p.11), the percentage of schools reporting that

they have tech-prep programs increased dramatically (from 27 to

45 percent) between 1990-91 and 1993-94, while the percentage of schools

reporting the use of work-study and apprenticeship programs remained

about the same (at roughly 75 and 7 percent, respectively). Participation in

such programs by students from special population groups over the 3-year

period generally mirrored changes (or the lack of change) that occurred at

the school level. There were no statistically significant differences in

participation among student groups. However, because many schools

were unable to report this information, our participation estimates are

somewhat less precise. (See table II.4.)

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Table II.4: Mean Percentage of

Vocational Students in Each School

That Are Participating in Specific

School-To-Work Activities, by Student

Group, 1990-91 and 1993-94

1990-91 1993-94

Tech-Prep

All students 8.9 15.6

Nonspecial population 9.2 16.0

Disabled 6.3 13.0

Disadvantaged 9.5 16.8

Limited English proficiency 11.0 12.8

Work-Study

All students 16.5 16.4

Nonspecial population 15.9 16.1

Disabled 15.8 17.4

Disadvantaged 18.2 15.3

Limited English proficiency 16.1 16.6

Apprenticeship

All students 0.6 0.4

Nonspecial population 0.5 0.3

Disabled 0.1 0.3

Disadvantaged 0.8 0.2

Limited English proficiency 1.8 0.2

Note: The changes from 1990-91 to 1993-94 in the percentages of students were not statistically

significant at the 0.05 level.

Availability of Support

Services

In both 1990-91 and 1993-94, schools offered a wide variety of services to

their vocational-technical education students. Generally, the percentage of

schools offering each service remained about the same or increased over

the 3-year period for both special population students and students who

did not belong to these groups.

Most schools offered general services which were available to special

population students about as often as to other students. For example,

about 90 percent of schools offered counseling/guidance to all student

groups in 1990-91, increasing to about 95 percent in 1993-94. In addition,

schools often provided more specialized support services at higher rates to

special population students than to other students. For example, about

54 percent of schools in 1993-94 reported offering special or modified

equipment to students with disabilities; only about 18 percent of schools

offered this service to students who were not members of special

populations. (See table II.5.)

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Table II.5: Schools Offering Support Services, by Group and Type of Service, 1990-91 and 1993-94

Nonspecial population Disabled Disadvantaged

Limited English

proficiency

Numbers in percent

1990-91 1993-94 1990-91 1993-94 1990-91 1993-94 1990-91 1993-94

Teacher aide 27.6 29.7 49.9 64.5a 43.8 45.6 54.8 65.3

Interpreter service 5.2 11.0 16.2 21.1 7.9 10.5 45.6 54.4

Reader service 3.7 5.4 11.5 19.4 3.8 5.3 8.7 3.4

Counseling/guidance 93.1 96.8 88.5 94.4 90.6 94.9 90.1 93.9

Tutoring 51.5 66.1a 62.0 75.2a 59.3 74.9a 63.2 78.2

Day care 8.8 12.0 10.5 13.8 12.8 16.2 16.0 17.7

Curriculum modification 40.8 45.3 70.7 87.7a 58.8 65.3 59.1 65.0

Exposure to paid jobs 71.1 73.4 67.5 73.0 70.5 70.2 72.7 76.3

Exposure to unpaid or

subsidized jobs

42.0 49.9 49.5 61.9 47.1 52.4 50.1 56.5

Life skills training 65.5 73.1 75.0 87.1a 72.9 76.6 71.0 78.0

Evaluation/

assessment

73.7 83.4a 84.1 90.6 81.6 86.5 80.5 87.9

Special recruitment 63.0 69.6 69.3 75.3 66.8 70.7 71.2 73.2

Transportation services 50.6 60.0 59.2 73.6a 53.8 61.8 46.3 52.6

Special or modified

equipment

17.5 15.2 48.1 53.5 26.3 27.9 27.2 22.6

Waiver of tuition/fees 15.7 17.5 18.9 21.4 25.5 30.3 23.8 22.2

aThe change from 1990-91 to 1993-94 was statistically significant at the 0.05 level.

Student Placement

Outcomes

We asked the schools we surveyed to estimate the postgraduation status

of the most recent senior class for which they had employment or

education information. Because many of the schools we surveyed did not

gather placement information at this level of detail, our estimates are less

precise. We observed no significant differences in employment or

education outcomes for special population students before and after the

Perkins amendments.25 (See table II.6.)

25There was one exception to this pattern: a very small, but statistically significant, increase in the

number of students with limited English proficiency who joined the military.

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Table II.6: Postgraduation Status of

Vocational Education Students, by

Student Group

Numbers in percent

All

students

Nonspecial

populations Disadvantaged Disabled

Limited

English

proficiency

Outcomes reported in baseline survey

Attending

4-year college 24.1 29.2 14.3 14.5 33.5

Attending 

2-year college 27.5 28.9 29.9 30.9 36.2

Working 31.0 26.4 36.5 37.6 19.8

In military 5.5 4.3 6.1 2.1 0.2

Unemployed 5.1 5.1 5.6 9.5 2.1

Unknown 7.0 6.1 7.6 5.6 8.2

Outcomes reported in follow-up survey

Attending

4-year college 22.4 26.7 13.2 11.1 20.0

Attending 

2-year college 28.2 30.6 26.8 22.1 36.8

Working 29.4 28.0 33.6 46.3 25.8

In military 7.0 5.8 6.0 3.0 3.4a

Unemployed 5.8 3.7 8.8 9.4 4.6

Unknown 7.4 5.3 11.6 8.2 9.2

Notes: Data represent the most recently graduated senior class for which information was

available.

Percentages may not add up to 100 because of rounding.

aThe change from 1990-91 to 1993-94 was statistically significant at the 0.05 level.

Schools’ Efforts to

Improve Vocational

Education Programs

We found signs that many of the schools we surveyed were making

considerable efforts to improve the quality of their vocational education

programs, although many of these efforts have yet to reach the majority of

students. More schools are focusing on integrating academic and

vocational instruction, creating or strengthening linkages to the business

community, and gathering and using more information for self-assessment.

Integrating Vocational and

Academic Instruction

As shown in figure 3 (see p.10), we observed an increase in the percentage

of schools that reported participating to a “great” or “very great” extent in

teacher training activities to integrate vocational and academic learning.

Although schools appear to be moving toward integrating academic and

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Supplementary Tables

vocational learning, many of the schools we surveyed had not yet applied

integrated learning to one or more vocational programs. For example, less

than 30 percent of the schools reported using team teaching in

mathematics, English, or science. (See table II.7.)

Table II.7: Schools Reporting That

They Conducted Integrated Learning

Activities in One or More Vocational

Education Programs, by Subject

Matter, 1990-91 and 1993-94

Math English Science

Numbers in percent

1990-91 1993-94 1990-91 1993-94 1990-91 1993-94

Team teaching (where

academic and

vocational education

teachers work together) 11.7 26.2a 12.5 28.1a 10.1 26.1a

Programs in which

academic teacher does

academic teaching in

vocational education

class 9.3 19.7a 9.7 17.2 6.8 15.5a

Programs in which

vocational education

teacher does academic

teaching in vocational

education class 54.1 62.0 52.6 61.1 48.1 51.8

Programs in which

each course within

vocational program

concentrates on

academics 24.0 40.2a 23.4 39.8a 21.3 35.0a

aThe change from 1990-91 to 1993-94 was statistically significant at the 0.05 level.

Strengthening Ties to

Business and Community

We also found that the schools we surveyed were trying to improve their

ties to the local community. Compared with 1990-91, in 1993-94 schools

reported greater contributions from the local community in a number of

areas. For example, 21 percent of schools reported that more industry

people teach in the school, 19 percent reported that more teachers work in

local industries for professional development, and 31 percent reported

that more outside organizations provide mentor programs or job

shadowing. (See table II.8.)

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Table II.8: Schools Reporting Changes

in the Contributions of the Local

Community in 1993-94 Compared With

1990-91, by Type of Contribution

Numbers in percent

Type of contribution by

business or

organization

“Much More”

or “Somewhat

More”

“About As

Much”

“Somewhat

Less” or

“Much Less”

“Don’t

Know”

Teachers work in local

industry for professional

development 18.9 54.8 3.6 22.8

Industry people teach in

the school 21.0 54.3 2.8 21.9

Helps to develop or

modify curriculum 36.1 46.9 2.6 14.4

Consults with school

about skills needed by

students in workplace 50.0 36.1 2.5 11.5

Donates money to

vocational education

program 15.1 54.5 5.2 25.3

Donates material,

supplies, or equipment to

vocational education

program 25.1 48.4 6.9 19.5

Makes facilities available

to students (other than

through co-ops) 20.7 53.1 2.7 23.5

Provides positions for

work-study, co-ops, or

apprenticeships 33.2 51.1 2.7 13.0

Helps evaluate students

for competency

attainment 24.7 53.7 1.3 20.2

Helps develop

competency standards 32.2 47.7 2.0 18.1

Provides mentor

programs or job

shadowing 30.9 46.5 2.8 19.8

Schools Move to Use

Additional Data in Quality

Assessment

By amending the Perkins Act to require states and school districts to

continuously assess the performance of vocational-technical education

programs, the Congress sent a clear message that it places importance on

accountability and outcomes. However, the ability to evaluate program

improvement is heavily dependent on the availability of data. Of the

districts we surveyed, more are taking steps to use various indicators to

assess their vocational-technical education programs in 1993-94 than in

1990-91. For example, the percentage of districts that used occupational

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competency standards in their program assessments increased from

68 percent to 85 percent. (See table II.9.)

Table II.9: Indicators Used by Districts

We Surveyed to Assess Vocational

Programs, 1990-91 and 1993-94

Percentage of districts

that used indicator

Possible quality indicator 1990-91 1993-94

Number of students in vocational education programs 91.2 94.2

Number of “high technology” programs 59.9 68.3

Number of students participating in “high technology”

programs 59.3 67.1

Use of occupational competency standards 68.2 84.8

Use of certificates of competency 49.2 62.4

Graduation rates 72.3 83.2

Placement rates (additional education, training, employment,

or military service) 77.1 86.3

Program completion rates 82.1 91.4

Qualifications of vocational teachers 82.2 88.5

Career counseling or assistance 80.8 86.2

Linkage with postsecondary vocational education programs 66.8 85.1

Linkage with business or labor 78.7 85.7

Integration of academics with vocational curriculum 55.6 87.8

Coherent sequence of courses leading to an occupational skill 77.8 91.3

Location of program (e.g., local high school, area vocational

school, community college) 62.5 58.0

Use of modern equipment/facilities 88.3 93.0

Participation in programs and services designed to eliminate

sex bias and stereotyping in vocational education 85.4 90.4

Many District Officials

Believed That Perkins

Amendments Have Had

Positive Impact

Many of the districts we surveyed believed that the Perkins amendments

have had a positive impact on their ability to improve their vocational

education programs and services. Others believed that the Perkins

amendments made little difference one way or another; but few reported

the amendments adversely affected their ability to improve programs and

services. Table II.10 provides specific information on districts’ views.

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Table II.10: Views of the Districts We

Surveyed on the Perkins Amendments’

Effect on Their Ability to Produce

Quality Programs

“Greatly

Increased”

or

“Increased”

“Neither

Increased

nor

Decreased”

“Decreased”

or “Greatly

Decreased”

“Don’t

Know”

Your district’s ability to

purchase state-of-the-art

equipment 52.6 30.7 14.8 2.0

Your district’s ability to spend

Perkins funds where needed

most 54.7 19.1 23.8 2.3

Your district’s ability to plan

vocational programs and use

Perkins funds 52.9 31.3 13.6 2.3

Equity with which Perkins

funding is allocated among

districts 31.1 37.1 15.9 15.9

Amount of record keeping

required by state to meet

Perkins requirements 67.3 21.3 4.0 7.4

Extent of services your district

offered to vocational-technical

students in special populations 66.6 27.6 4.2 1.5

Extent of services your district

offered to vocational-technical

students in general 52.5 36.6 9.1 1.8

Access special population

students have to

vocational-technical programs 56.4 40.7 1.4 1.4

Tutoring and remediation for

vocational-technical students

in general 43.7 50.9 2.7 2.7

Quality of vocational-technical

programs 67.3 26.4 4.3 2.0

Your district’s program

improvement efforts 70.6 23.2 4.5 1.6

Technical education

standards that students must

achieve 50.3 45.3 1.2 3.2

Academic education

standards that students must

achieve 51.0 45.3 0.7 3.1

Use of applied curricula in

vocational-technical courses 68.5 28.5 0.9 2.1

Use of integration of

academic and

vocational-technical courses 71.9 25.3 0.8 2.0

(continued)

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“Greatly

Increased”

or

“Increased”

“Neither

Increased

nor

Decreased”

“Decreased”

or “Greatly

Decreased”

“Don’t

Know”

Application of measures and

standards to evaluate the

effectiveness of programs 59.9 36.8 0.6 2.7

Development of tech-prep

programs 67.9 29.1 0.7 2.3

Professional development

opportunities for instructors

and administrators 63.4 32.2 2.5 1.8

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Aggregated Responses to Survey of Public

Secondary Schools

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Appendix III 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of Public

Secondary Schools

Page 52 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix III 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of Public

Secondary Schools

Page 53 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix III 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of Public

Secondary Schools

Page 54 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix III 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of Public

Secondary Schools

Page 55 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix IV 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of School

Districts

Page 56 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix IV 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of School

Districts

Page 57 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix IV 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of School

Districts

Page 58 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix IV 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of School

Districts

Page 59 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix IV 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of School

Districts

Page 60 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix IV 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of School

Districts

Page 61 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix IV 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of School

Districts

Page 62 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix IV 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of School

Districts

Page 63 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix IV 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of School

Districts

Page 64 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix IV 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of School

Districts

Page 65 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix IV 

Aggregated Responses to Survey of School

Districts

Page 66 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix V 

Comments From the Department of

Education

See p. 13 and p. 2.

Page 67 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix V 

Comments From the Department of

Education

See p. 13 and pp. 25-26.

Page 68 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
Appendix VI 

GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments

GAO Contacts Henry Felder, Assistant Director, (202) 512-7005

Sarah L. Glavin, Project Manager, (202) 512-7180

Staff

Acknowledgments

Elsie Picyk, Senior Computer Science Analyst, was responsible for

computer programming and data analysis. Thomas Hubbs, Senior

Evaluator, provided direction to the project at its earlier stages. Thomas

Hungerford, Senior Economist, commented on drafts and assisted with the

data analysis. Laurel Rabin, Communications Analyst, provided editing and

writing assistance.

(104762) Page 69 GAO/HEHS-95-144 High School Vocational Education
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