The purpose of this study was to propose and field test a cost-benefit analysis model to determine the profitability of secondary vocational education programs. The model consisted of costs, process, and benefits components. Instructional personnel, building, equipment, materials and supplies, administration, travel, services, utilities, and maintenance were the major components of the costs. Process implied the actual conduct of the program. Increased earnings from graduates' employment, earnings from cooperative placement, provision of services, and noneconomic benefits obtained by the graduates were the components of the benefits.
Costs and benefits data for field testing the model were obtained from four programs from the four vocational service areas of trade and industrial, occupational home economics, business education, and marketing and distributive education selected from both a comprehensive high school and an area vocational education center in the Roanoke County School Division, Virginia. All graduates of 1983/84 of the four programs were surveyed to gather data on them. A 73.9% return was obtained from the survey. The difference between the graduates' current earnings and earnings determined by using the Federal minimum wage for the same number of work hours by employed graduates was considered as an income benefit.
Actual differences between discounted benefits and the gross costs were used to determine the profitability of programs. The following conclusions were drawn from the findings of this study:
1. The trade and industrial, business education, and marketing and distributive education programs were economically profitable.
2. The occupational home economics program was not economically profitable.
3. Graduates in each program have obtained several noneconomic benefits.
4. The proposed cost-benefit analysis model was determined useable and transportable to other vocational education settings.
Based on the findings and conclusions of this study, the following recommendations were drawn:
1. That local vocational administrative units use the concept of cost-benefit analysis as an evaluation technique for secondary vocational education programs.
2. That a research study be conducted to determine what other costs and benefits should be considered in the model.
3. That a research study be conducted to determine the economic value of noneconomic benefits.
4. That a longitudinal cost-benefit analysis is needed to determine economic earning and type of jobs held by graduates after graduation.
5. That a study be conducted using cost-benefit analysis with an appropriate comparison group to vocational graduates.
6. That an annual cost-benefit analysis of vocational programs be conducted for each school system to make comparative judgement of their programs.
7. That post-secondary vocational programs explore the possibility of using cost-benefit analysis for evaluating programs. / Ed. D.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/76461 |
| Date | January 1985 |
| Creators | Navaratnam, K. K. |
| Contributors | Vocational and Technical Education, Hillison, John H., Asche, F. Marion, Johnson, James F., Parson, Stephen R., Price, William Jr., Oliver, James D. |
| Publisher | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation, Text |
| Format | xvi, 150 leaves, application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Relation | OCLC# 13041522 |
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