Curriculum innovations, such as Tech Prep, provide practitioners an avenue to change expectations, attitudes, teaching styles, and organizational structure. However, the benefits of educational innovations are not fully realized until those practitioners, such as administrators, academic teachers, vocational teachers, and guidance counselors, adopt and implement change in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to determine the concerns of Tech Prep practitioners at the secondary level in the state of Virginia as measured by the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM). The population for this study was 322 individuals consisting of administrators, academic teachers, vocational teachers and guidance counselors involved in implementation of Tech Prep programs for two years or longer. Based on the findings of this study the following conclusions are presented. Based on the theory of the CBAM and the mean scores of the Stages of Concern, indications are these practitioners are becoming experienced users of the Tech Prep concept. The two highest SoC mean scores for the four groups were either Collaboration or Consequence Stage. It was concluded that staff development should relate to strategies necessary to increase student outcomes and cooperation and coordination of others. Practitioners involved with Tech Prep have passed the self-concerns (Awareness, Informational, and Personal Stages) and task-concerns (Management). The Stages of Concern for all groups evolved around impact-concerns (Consequence, Collaboration, and Refocusing Stages). It was concluded that the level of involvement by administrators, academic teachers, and vocational teachers during implementation of Tech Prep is related to the Stages of Concern. There was not a significant relationship between the Stages of Concern and level of involvement for counselors. Selected recommendations drawn from the findings and conclusions are: • Attention should continue to focus on concerns, attitudes and expectations of practitioners as they proceed with the continuation of Tech Prep in Virginia. • This study should be replicated with larger sample sizes and questionnaires submitted at the beginning of the innovation adoption and at designated periods after the implementation process. Such longitudinal studies may determine linkage between time, staff development activities, integration of vocational and academic studies, and the SoC of practitioners. • Focus by teacher educators, the Virginia Department of Education staff, vocational-technical and academic personnel, should concentrate on collaborative techniques and student competencies. It is recommended that policy be developed to include extensive professional development and increased dialogue among practitioners as they implement Tech Prep programs. / Ed. D.

M.S.

M.S.

This study described the state policy-making process as it was affected by the impact of the 1976 Federal Vocational Amendments. The roles of the state level actors were investigated in order to explain the process by which policy was developed. The impact on the local division was analyzed in terms of importance, action taken, and impact as these related to the issues of Sex Stereotyping, Local Advisory Council, Vocational Guidance, and the Assurances on Administrative and Fiscal Matters. The data were first viewed in aggregation and then as perceived by type of respondent, as well as by size, type, and geographical region of the school division. The major findings of the study were: 1. That the policy-making process at the state level was a complex array of assignments, committees, state officers, and staff. 2. The State Plan and Accountability Report Committee was the most influential actor in the policy process with the State Advisory Council placing second in importance. 3. In terms of prior action before the 1976 Vocational Amendments, little had taken place at the local level. 4. In terms of impact, the 1976 Vocational Amendments had only a moderately low to moderate effect on school organizations as reported by Superintendents and Vocational Directors. 5. As reported by respondents, school division size, type, and geographic region, only the issue of Sex Stereotyping produced an adjudged difference in impact. 6. Partial correlations across the relationships of importance to impact, importance to action taken, and action taken to impact revealed moderate to low relationships. 7. The conclusions of this investigation were, at the state level, that the development of the Five-Year Plan for Vocational Education was carried out with very few changes from the draft that was formulated by the State Plan and Accountability Report Committee and that the State Plan and Accountability Report Committee played a unique and important role in the policy process. At the lowest level, the 1976 Vocational Amendments required the local divisions to focus attention and resources on the selected issues. Although the Amendments required the school divisions to take action, only a moderate effect had been reported by the localities on their school division organization. At the local level, the 1976 Vocational Amendments required the local divisions to focus attention and resources on the selected issues. Although the Amendments required the school divisions to take action, only a moderate effect had been reported by the localities on their school division organization. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of CETA and vocational education administrators as to the importance of procedures for the implementation and operation of jointly delivered CETA/vocational education programs in Virginia. In order to accomplish this goal, the answers to the following research questions were sought: (1) Can consensus be obtained among CETA and vocational education administrators as to what procedures are necessary for the implementation and operation of jointly delivered programs? (2) Are there differences in the perceptions of the two groups of administrators as to the importance of procedures for the implementation and operation of jointly delivered programs in Virginia? (3) To what extent do the panel members agree on the sequencing of these procedures? (4) Are there differences in the tenacity of CETA administrators and vocational education administrators as demonstrated by their willingness to conform to the group's opinions? This study was conducted utilizing a modified Delphi technique and a panel of 28 experts. Panel members were divided equally between CETA and vocational education administrators and included representation from all geographic regions of Virginia. In each of the three Delphi probes, the panel members were asked to rate the importance of each of the items on the tentative list of procedures. Additional procedures were suggested by panel members in Probe I. The second and third probes included indications of the modal responses of the total group and each individual's responses on the previous probe. In Probe III each panel member was also asked to sequence the procedures. The data collected in these three probes provided a sequential list of 33 procedures for the implementation and operation of jointly delivered CETA/vocational education programs in Virginia. On the basis of the findings of this study, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Consensus on the procedures for the implementation and operation of jointly delivered CETA/vocational education programs in Virginia was obtained among the CETA and vocational education administrators participating in this study. 2. All procedures rated in this study are important to the implementation and operation of jointly delivered CETA/vocational education programs in Virginia. 3. Those procedures that pertained to developing communication links and program proposals are among the most important because they were rated as of "high importance" or "of extremely high importance" by 86 percent or more of the panel. 4. Those procedures pertaining to program evaluation by the operator and the prime sponsor were also very important. 5. Some localities have an administrative pattern that does not allow some of these procedures to be executed in the indicated manner. 6. Even in the final probe, there were some very low ratings of follow-up procedures. These low ratings may be attributable to the emphasis in the procedural statement on the completion of follow-up by vocational education administrators. 7. Any differences between the two groups of administrators in their perceptions of the importance of procedures are inconsequential. 8. Although the Kendall's W was significant and indicated moderately high agreement on the sequencing of procedures, some procedures are sequenced illogically. 9. The computed tenacity ratings indicate that each group of administrators was very tenacious. The high extent of agreement in the initial probe and the increase in agreement in subsequent probes would suggest the opposite, or that each group holds the same strong opinions. / Ed. D.

In this study eighty farmers were interviewed. As far as the writer was able to determine, this number represented over fifty per cent of the farmers who received one-half or more of their income from the farm as cash or family food. If the number interviewed may be considered to constitute a valid study, several conclusions are formulated. / Master of Science

M.S.

M.S.

no abstract provided by author / Master of Science

Master of Science