By Ben Feller, AP Education Writer | July 20, 2006
WASHINGTON --House and Senate negotiators reached a deal Thursday
to renew the vocational education law through 2012, extending a
program the White House wants to end.
The compromise bill would update the Perkins Act, which provides
grants for community colleges and high schools to offer occupational
courses. At $1.3 billion a year, federal money is a small part of
total vocational spending, but many schools say they depend on it.
In a 10-minute conference Thursday, lawmakers agreed on a bill that
melds the House and Senate versions passed early last year. It is
expected to be approved by both chambers soon.
The dominant theme is rigor and results. The demand for better high
schools grows with each new report on flagging test scores, alarming
dropout rates and ill-prepared graduates.
The bill requires states to run career programs that will give students
a broad base of academic skills, not just technical ones. In exchange
for money, states and school districts must produce more evidence
that students are making progress and landing good jobs.
The program is a favorite of lawmakers, who keep rejecting the Bush
administration's attempts to scrap it. No high school effort gets
more federal aid than vocational education.
"Participation in these programs can mean the difference between
a job with no possibility of advancement and a successful career,"
said Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.
The White House calls the program ineffective.
President Bush wants to shift the money into a new effort of expanded
high school testing and help for struggling learners. States could
still spend the money on career courses if they wanted. But Congress
has never seriously considered the changes that Bush has proposed.
"We're proud of our commitment to this program," said
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.
An estimated 15 million high school and college students take vocational
courses.
Career education is a vast field, with options such as architectural
drawing, landscape design and computer programming. Traditional
trades such as carpentry and car repair have long grown more sophisticated,
along with technology.
The legislation would require states to come up with model sequences
of courses from high school through college. The goal is to give
students a clear path of training for work.
The bill changes the title from vocational education to "career
and technical education" -- a nod to teachers who say "voc-ed"
conjures images of classes from earlier decades.
Agreeing on a name was one of several smaller matters that kept
a deal in limbo.
House and Senate negotiators also had to work out differences over
state administrative money, mergers of vocational programs, and
the best ways to hold schools accountable.
