Vocational Job Preparatory Student Placement and Follow Up in Florida. A Study of the Effectiveness of Policies and Procedures Used for Vocational Job Preparatory Student Placement and Follow Up in Florida's Public Schools [microform]

A study examined the effectiveness of policies and procedures used for vocational job preparatory student placement and followup in Florida's public schools. During the study, researchers (1) conducted interviews with approximately 40 persons having statewide knowledge of or involvement in some phase of vocational education placement and followup in Florida, (2) surveyed local level personnel involved in these same endeavors, and (3) mailed questionnaires to representatives of area school districts and community colleges. Based on data collected from all of these sources, the researchers concluded that primary use of vocational student followup results was to comply with state and national requirements. Serious and widespread doubts exist at both the state and local levels concerning the validity of vocational student followup data. Most respondents agreed that local labor market conditions should be considered when interpreting the results of vocational student followup studies. Unless state and local agencies are willing to commit additional resources to student placement and followup efforts, significant improvement in overall services in these areas is doubtful. The state should explore the feasibility of using unemployment insurance data to assist in collecting placement and followup information. (Appended to this report are the survey instrument as well as lists of the types of placement and followup assistance that respondents would like to receive and their suggestions for improving the existing system.) (MN)