An Historical Policy Analysis of the Carl D. Perkins Legislation: Examining the History, Creation, Implementation and Reauthorization of the Law
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AN HISTORICAL POLICY ANALYSIS OF THE CARL D. PERKINS LEGISLATION: EXAMINING THE HISTORY, CREATION, IMPLEMENTATION AND REAUTHORIZATION OF THE LAW BY AIMEE MICHELLE LAFOLLETTE DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Policy Studies in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2011 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Associate Professor Yoon Pak, Chair Professor James D. Anderson Professor Debra Bragg Associate Professor Christopher Span ABSTRACT This dissertation explores the historical development of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984, with the incorporation of ―special populations‖ as a provision in the law from 1963. From 1917 through 1963, vocational funding primarily supported teacher training, research, program improvement, and expansion of vocational programs, in 1963 acknowledging the social climate of the time Congress included provisions to support services for disadvantaged students. In 1984, Congress established prescriptive provisions attaching funds to serve and address the needs of underserved students described as special populations. Vocational education‘s focus expanded from 1963 -1984 to included provisions to create programs eliminating sexual bias and stereotyping. This dissertation traces the foundations by which Congress was led to focus on access to vocational education programs and prescribe funding to serve handicapped, single parents, displaced homemakers, economically disadvantaged, academically disadvantaged, students with limited English proficiency, and gender equity. ii To my children James and Jacob iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I believe Malcolm Gladwell, author of Tipping Point, said it best when he stated that, ―…the people we surround ourselves with have a profound effect on who we are.‖ Personal success can never be attributed to a single individual. It is a conscious effort of many. Thus, I would be remiss if I did not thank the following people for their support and counsel over the past years. Dr. Yoon Pak, it has been a long journey and I cannot thank you enough for providing me with continued guidance, direction and encouragement. Your continued leadership targeted my focus, and allowed my research to evolve. I have grown through this process and without you this would not have been possible. Dr. James Anderson, Dr. Debra Bragg, and Dr. Christopher Span thank you for serving on my committee and for your continued guidance and support through this process. Heather Snipes and Debra Gough thank you for your assistance and advice in navigating the processes. Thank you to my family, for always believing in me. Thank you to my friends for listening to me as I made my way on this journey; and to my colleagues for their support and encouragement and for helping me see every day the possibilities of our educational system. A special thank you to my husband, Michael, who has endured this long process with me - never allowing me to lose sight of the goal, and always offering love and support. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: Introduction to Vocational Education ......................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER TWO: The Evolution of Vocational Education Legislation ...................................................................21 CHAPTER THREE: The Players and Organization which Supported Vocational Education ..................................46 CHAPTER FOUR: The 7th District of Kentucky and Representative Perkins ........................................................67 CHAPTER FIVE: The Origins of “Special Populations” within Perkins ................................................................88 CHAPTER SIX: Conclusion - The Evolution from Vocational Education to Career and Technical Education .......................................................................................................................................120 BIBLIOGRAPHY .........................................................................................................................163 APPENDIX A Educational Attainment of 25 years or older from 1940-2000 ................................................180 APPENDIX B Illinois Core Indicator Definitions .............................................................................................. 181 APPENDIX C Core Indicator Crosswalks ..........................................................................................................185 APPENDIX D Graph reflecting Distribution of 1984 Federal Funding ......................................................... 187 v APPENDIX E Graph Illustrating the Distribution of Funds among Special Populations .............................188 APPENDIX F Chart Reflecting the Female Enrollment in Occupationally Specific Vocational Programs ..........................................................................189 APPENDIX G Appropriations for Vocational Education ..................................................................................190 APPENDIX H Charles Prosser’s Sixteen Theorems ...........................................................................................191 APPENDIX I WEEA Funding Table .................................................................................................................192 APPENDIX J Vocational Programs Designated as Nontraditional for Women 1972 ...................................193 APPENDIX K Vocational Education Timeline from 1963 – 1984 ....................................................................194 APPENDIX L Vocational Education Timeline from 1917-1984 ........................................................................195 APPENDIX M ...............................................................................................................................196 APPENIDX N ...............................................................................................................................197 APPENIDX O ...............................................................................................................................198 APPENDIX P Dissertation Sample Questions ....................................................................................................199 vi CHAPTER ONE: Introduction to Vocational Education In 2006, Congress acknowledged a shift in language which occurred over the past decade reflecting the intent, direction, and language of vocational education. Vocational education at its inception referred to Agriculture, Home Economics, and Industrial Arts. However, as America pushed through the Industrial revolution and entered the age of laptop computers, global networks, social networks, and smart phones, the American educational system was expected to keep pace. A primary area in education where this modernization is taking place is within Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, or vocational education. CTE today references all of the programs taught at secondary or postsecondary institution which are not the foundational academic courses. For example, mathematics, English, science, and history are referred to by many educators as the core academics; however, business education, computer- aided drafting, architectural design, and forensic pathology are all classified as CTE or what had been previously referred to as vocational education. The notion that the expanding global economy necessitates educational reform has been the recent mantra in American education. Throughout American history, the government has responded to the social and economic needs of its citizenship through creation, modification, and reauthorization of educational legislation. The United States in the twentieth century was no different. In 1917, Congress enacted the Smith-Hughes Act as a means of supporting national defense towards the end of the First World War. In 1958, Congress responded to the hysteria caused by the Russian satellite Sputnik with the creation of the National Defense Education Act. And in 1984, Congress responded to the focus on education created by A Nation at Risk, and the transformations that had been - 1 - implemented through law regarding access and equity in education, with the creation of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. The Carl D. Perkins legislation is the primary funding source for vocational education in the United States. The origins of this funding can easily be traced back to the Smith Hughes Act of 1917; however from 1963 through 1984 the purpose of the funding was expanded and changed the focus of vocational education. In 1984, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 included provisions which financially supported the following under-represented student groups categorized as ―special populations:‖ handicapped, single parents, displaced homemakers, economically-disadvantaged students (including foster children), academically disadvantaged, English-language learners, and gender equity; which would later be titled students pursuing nontraditional occupations nontraditional for their gender, defined in the Law as students pursuing training in occupations where their gender compromise twenty-five percent or less of that occupation.1 This dissertation thus explores the historical development of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984, with the incorporation of ―special populations‖ as a provision in the law from 1963. From 1917 through 1963, vocational funding supported teacher training,