The enrollment pattern of vocational students at the postsecondary level is quite different, and the assessment needs of postsecondary vocational educators are thus different as well. In the late 1980s, postsecondary vocational enrollment increased at the same pace as enrollment in general. Thirty-five percent of all undergraduate students were enrolled in postsecondary vocational education. Students in vocational courses vary in age, work experience, and career aspiration. More important, postsecondary vocational students have varying motives for enrolling in vocational education courses.
Some students enroll in a course to advance their career or begin retraining for a new career.
This creates a need for assessments that provide information on how to improve learning and instruction, as is the case at the secondary level. Other students enroll in a sequence of courses in order to enter a particular career or to be certified for a particular job. In this case, vocational educators need to be able to certify that students have mastered relevant skills. In addition, accountability requirements apply to students who complete sequences of vocational courses, and staff must have assessment data to evaluate the success of these programs. Since 1917, the U.S. economy and workplace have broadened and diversified, as have the goals for vocational education.