• Introduction
• Occupational Programs Examined in the Surveys
• Use of Skill Competencies
• Industry Input in Skill Competency Development
• Credentialing: Skill Certificates and Industry-Related Credentials
• References

This report presents part of the data collected from two National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys conducted in spring 1999: "Survey on Vocational Programs in Secondary Schools" and "Survey on Occupational Programs in Postsecondary Education Institutions." Requested by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), these surveys provide national estimates on occupational program activities at public secondary schools and less-than-4-year postsecondary institutions.

The surveys were conducted in response to increasing national concern over the gap between existing workforce skills and expanding workplace demands. That concern was triggered by the "workforce crisis" described in America's Choice: High Skills or Low Wages? (Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce 1990). It was also spurred by the recognition that with changing technology and work organizations, schools need to do more to equip students with the more sophisticated and higher level skills that today's workplace requires (Grubb 1995). These concerns have set in motion a growing demand for clearer and higher standards in occupational education, and increased industry input in the development of those standards (Lankard 1995).

The push for standards and accountability in occupational education has also been intensified by several policy initiatives over the past decade. The 1990 Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act created a requirement that states establish systems of standards and measures to assess vocational education programs. The 1990 Perkins Act also authorized federal support for projects to create skill standards for a wide variety of occupations and industries. The National Skills Standards Board (NSSB), authorized in 1994 by the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, is building on these projects and on other efforts to establish skill standards. Its purpose is to stimulate the development of a voluntary national system of skill standards by creating a framework of career clusters within which skill standards can be developed. To achieve this goal, NSSB supports partnerships of business, trade, education, community, and other organizations to develop skill standards. It also endorses skill standards systems developed by industry-labor-education partnerships.

Building on earlier efforts to promote standards and accountability in vocational education, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 expands requirements for states to develop performance accountability systems, including state-level measures of student skill attainment. Starting in program year 2000 (July 1999-June 2000), each state must establish and meet annual levels of performance for four "core indicators" specified in the law. State performance on the indicators must be measured and reported annually.

Increased accountability is also sought at the federal level. The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) requires federal departments and agencies to prepare annual performance plans that establish specific goals for each year, starting with fiscal year (FY) 1999 (October 1998-September 1999) (Groszyk 1995). To meet its GPRA reporting requirements, OVAE must submit an annual report comparing the status of occupational programs with the goals identified in its annual performance plan. One performance indicator in OVAE's plan for FY 99 specifies that "by fall 2000, there will be an increasing proportion of vocational programs with skill competencies and related assessments, and with industry-recognized skill certificates in secondary and postsecondary institutions" (OVAE 1998). The summary tables in this report present statistics relevant to this OVAE performance indicator.

This report focuses on three specific indicators of occupational program activities:

• the use of skill competency lists in occupational programs,
• the extent of industry involvement in developing or adopting the competency lists, and
• the credentialing of skill proficiencies.

The secondary survey began by asking whether the schools offered vocational programs¹ that prepared students for any of 28 selected occupations within six broad occupation areas (business and marketing occupations, technical occupations, mechanical occupations, building trades, health/life sciences occupations, and service occupations). The postsecondary survey asked whether the institutions offered occupational programs in 32 similar occupations in the same six occupation areas.

Overall, a majority (66 percent) of public secondary schools offered one or more occupational programs that prepared students for the selected occupations: 35 percent of the schools offered 1 to 5 programs, 18 percent offered 6 to 10 programs, and another 13 percent offered more than 10 programs. However, about one-third (34 percent) of the schools did not offer any programs that prepare students for these occupations.² On average, vocational schools offered more occupational programs than did comprehensive schools; for example, 44 percent of vocational schools compared with 9 percent of comprehensive schools offered more than 10 programs for the listed occupations.

A large majority of less-than-4-year postsecondary institutions (90 percent) offered one or more programs for the selected occupations. About half of the institutions offered 1 to 5 programs, another 11 percent offered 6 to 10 programs, and an additional 27 percent offered more than 10 programs. Two-year institutions offered considerably more programs than less-than-2-year institutions; for example, 43 percent of 2-year institutions compared with 5 percent of less-than-2-year institutions offered more than 10 programs that prepared students for the occupations.

The large differences between 2-year and less-than-2-year institutions in the number of programs offered may skew the results for analyses based on "all of their programs" or "at least half of their programs"; that is, since less-than-2-year institutions offer fewer programs, it is easier to meet the criteria for "all of their programs" or "at least half of their programs." For this reason, comparisons between 2-year and less-than-2-year institutions will be discussed in relation to whether institutions meet the various criteria for "at least one of their programs."

To provide a description of the use of skill competencies in occupational programs, respondents in both surveys were asked whether skill competency lists had been developed or adopted for programs that prepare students for each occupation considered in the surveys. In both surveys, skill competencies were defined as follows:

A skill competency is a concept, skill, or attitude that is essential to an occupation; the level of attainment or performance of a skill competency is a skill standard. In this survey, we use the term "skill competencies" to refer to both skill competencies and skill standards.

Table A.. Percent of public secondary schools indicating they had developed or adopted skill competency lists for occupational programs that prepare students for selected occupations, by school type and extent of industry input: 1999

Most secondary schools with one or more of the relevant occupational programs had developed or adopted skill competency lists for their programs.

• About three-fourths (77 percent) of the schools had developed or adopted skill competency lists for all of their programs, 91 percent had competencies for at least half their programs, and 94 percent had them for at least one program (table A).
• A large majority of the schools had developed or adopted skill competencies for programs offered in each of the six occupation areas. For example, 85 percent had competencies for all of their programs in business and marketing occupations, and 89 percent had competencies for at least one program in this occupation area.
• Vocational schools were somewhat more likely than comprehensive schools to develop or adopt skill competencies for at least one program offered (99 vs. 93 percent; table A). However, differences between vocational and comprehensive schools were not significant when all their programs or at least half of their programs were considered.

As with secondary schools, a large proportion of 2-year and less-than-2-year postsecondary institutions with one or more of the relevant occupational programs reported that skill competency lists had been developed or adopted for their programs.

• Seventy-seven percent of the institutions had developed or adopted skill competencies for all of the programs offered, 89 percent for at least half the programs offered, and 93 percent for at least one program (table B).
• A large majority of the institutions had skill competency lists for programs within each of the six occupation areas. For example, 75 percent had competencies for all of the programs offered for business and marketing occupations, and 82 percent had competencies for at least one program in this occupation area.
• There were no significant differences between 2-year and less-than-2-year institutions in the use of skill competencies for at least one program offered by the institution (92 compared with 96 percent; table B). As pointed out earlier, large differences between 2-year and less-than-2-year institutions in the use of skill competencies for all of their programs or at least half of their programs are likely to be confounded by differences in the number of programs offered.

The surveys also focused on the role of industry in the development or adoption of skill competencies. Industry involvement is critical to ensure that students are learning the skills currently required by industry, particularly in fast-changing industries such as information technology, health, and manufacturing. Thus, schools and postsecond-ary institutions were asked to indicate the extent of industry input in skill competency development. that is, whether the skill competency lists were developed exclusively by individual course instructors, exclusively by group(s) of educators, primarily by educators with industry input, with about equal educator and industry input, or primar-ily/exclusively by industry. These variables were used to construct three measures of industry input: at least some industry input, at least equal input, and primary or exclusive industry input .

Among secondary schools that offered one or more occupational programs for occupations covered in the study, a substantial proportion had at least some industry input in developing skill competency lists for their occupational programs. Relatively fewer schools indicated that industry had input at least equal to that of educators. There were too few schools reporting primary or exclusive industry input to show the data in tables.⁴

• About half (52 percent) of the schools had at least some industry input in skill competency development for all the programs offered, 70 percent had this level of industry input for at least half their programs, and 77 percent for at least one program (table A).
• Compared with the proportion of schools reporting at least some industry input in skill competency development, relatively few schools indicated that industry input was at least equal to that of educators. Seventeen percent of the schools had at least equal industry input in skill competency development for all occupational programs offered, 25 percent for at least half their programs, and 35 percent for at least one program (table A).
• Overall, the likelihood of industry involvement in skill competency development was greater for vocational than comprehensive schools; for instance, vocational schools were more likely than comprehensive schools to report at least some industry input in skill competency development for at least one program offered (93 vs. 74 percent; table A). This difference was consistent for programs that prepared students for each occupation area except health occupations and service occupations.
• Considering at least equal industry input in skill competency development, vocational schools were more likely than comprehensive schools to report this level of industry involvement in at least one program offered by the school (50 vs. 32 percent; table A). However, this difference was consistent only for programs that prepared students for building trades (39 vs. 22 percent).

As with secondary schools, a majority of 2-year and less-than-2-year postsecondary institutions with one or more relevant occupational programs reported at least someindustry input in developing or adopting skill competency lists for their programs. Relatively fewer institutions reported at least equal industry input, and the institutions with primary or exclusive industry input in skill competency development were too few to be reported.⁵

• About two-thirds (63 percent) of the postsecondary institutions had at least some industry input in skill competency development for all programs offered, 77 percent reported this level of industry involvement for at least half their programs, and 83 percent for at least one program (table B).
• Compared with the percentage of institutions reporting some industry input, fewer institutions offered programs for which industry involvement in skill competency development was at least equal to that of educators. Twenty-six percent reported equal industry involvement for all occupational programs offered, 34 percent for at least half the programs, and 47 percent for at least one program (table B).
• Two-year institutions were somewhat more likely than less-than-2-year institutions to report at least someindustry input in skill competency development for at least one program offered (88 vs. 78 percent; table B). However, this difference did not hold when equal industry input was considered.

The secondary school survey asked whether occupational programs for each occupation prepared students to earn skill certificates. Because credentialing procedures are different at the postsecondary level, postsecondary institutions were asked whether occupational programs prepared students to earn various credentials, including institution-based credentials (associate's degrees or institutional certificates/diplomas) and industry-related credentials (company certificates; industry/trade certificates or diplomas; or state registrations, licenses, or certificates). Because of the focus of this report, only industry-related credentials are examined at the postsecondary level.

Of the secondary schools that offered one or more relevant occupational programs, about half reported that at least one of their programs prepared students to earn skill certificates.

• About one-third (31 percent) of the secondary schools reported that all their occupational programs prepared students to earn skill certificates, 43 percent provided this type of student credentialing for at least half of the programs offered, and 55 percent did so for at least one program.
• Vocational schools were more likely than comprehensive schools to offer programs that prepared students to earn skill certificates. For example, 52 percent of vocational schools compared with 27 percent of comprehensive schools reported that all of their programs prepared students to earn skill certificates. Similar differences were observed when programs for each occupation area were examined.

Most of the 2-year and less-than-2-year postsecondary institutions offering one or more occupational programs reported that students in at least one program could work toward industry-related credentials.

• About half (53 percent) of the institutions reported that students in all the programs offered could work toward industry-related credentials. In addition, 76 percent indicated that at least half of their programs prepared students for industry-related credentials, and 87 percent had at least one program that prepared students for those credentials.
• Overall, 2-year institutions did not differ significantly from less-than-2-year institutions in offering at least one program in which students could work toward industry-related credentials. However, for each occupation area (with the exception of service occupations), 2-year institutions were less likely than less-than-2-year institutions to report that students could work toward industry-related credentials for at least one program.

³ Although there are some existing national standards (e.g., the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence [ASE] automobile standards), the NSSB skill standards do not yet exist.

⁴ For example, the proportion of schools with programs for which industry had primary or exclusive input in skill competency development was less than 5 percent for the programs that prepared students for 23 of the 28 occupations considered in the study.

⁵ For example, the proportion of institutions with programs for which industry had primary or exclusive input in skill competency development was less than 10 percent for the programs that prepared students for 25 of the 32 occupations considered in the study.

Groszyk, W. (1995, November). Implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. Paper presented at a meeting of performance measurement experts convened by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Grubb, W.N. (1995). School Reform and the . New Vocationalism. : What It Is, What It Could Be. A paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco.

Lankard, B. (1995). Business/Industry Standards and Vocational Program Accountability (ERIC Digest 157). Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education. (ERIC ED383857).

Office of Vocational and Adult Education. (1998). Annual Performance Plan, 1998. 1999. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: Author.