Association between identified Perkins IV performance data and selected characteristics of Ohio joint vocational school districts

Date of Award

2013

Degree Name

Ph.D. in Educational Leadership

Department

Department of Educational Leadership

Advisor/Chair

Advisor: Theodore J. Kowalski

Abstract

This study's defined population was all 49 Ohio JVS districts. One purpose was to develop institution profiles for three predictor variables (concentrator enrollment, per pupil expenditures, and the percentage of students involved in Tech Prep programs) and two criterion variables (percent of students meeting benchmarks for technical skill attainment and post-program placement). Descriptive statistics were calculated for a 3-year period. The other two purposes were to determine levels of association between each predictor variable and each criterion variable, and to determine if the predictor variables (as a set) accounted for a statistically significant amount of variability in each of the criterion variables. Data were obtained and analyzed for the entire study population. The range of institutional pass rates for technical skill attainment was over two and one-half times the range for institutional post-program placements. Five of the six associations between predictor variables and criterion variables were found to be in the low-positive category; one association (per-pupil expenditures and post-program placement rate) was found to be in the moderate-positive category. The set of predictor variables accounted for 11.4% of the variability in technical skill attainment data, a level that was not statistically significant. The set of predictor variables accounted for 18.5% of the variation in post-program placements, a level that was statistically significant. Conclusions were restricted by three conditions: (a) the absence of a national database on Perkins IV accountability standards; (b) variability in assessments used to determine technical skill attainment and the number of concentrator students tested in Ohio; (c) limited research on institutional performance in relation to Perkins IV. Recommendations are made for state policy and additional research.

Keywords

United States. Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Implement Act of 2006, Vocational education Evaluation, Vocational education Ohio Statistics, Vocational education Law and legislation United States, Prediction of occupational success, Education; education finance; education policy; educational evaluation; vocational education; career technical education; vocational education; Perkins IV; Ohio JVS districts; performance

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2013, author

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