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Mackenzie Barber

Professor Huizar

UWRT 1102

22 February 2017

Annotated Bibliography

Topic: Vocational education in traditional high schools

Lines of inquiry: Financial strain on vocational education, dropout rates, creating a better

learning atmosphere

Evers, R. B. "The Positive Force of Vocational Education." Journal of Learning Disabilities 29.1

(1996): 69-78. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.

This article talks about the importance of vocational programs in high school. These

programs are very beneficial to students with learning disabilities, they tend to have a

harder time focusing on core subjects that they dont take an interest in. Vocational

courses lower the dropout rate of these students as well as helps them transition into a

career after they graduate. Studies show that students with mild disabilities who have

access to vocational training during high school show higher success in the job market,

thus leading to a better quality of life.

Reading this article gave me more insight on my topic. My topic being the importance of

vocational programs in a traditional high school setting. I didnt think to look into the

effects these programs can have on students who are deemed unfit and incapable of going
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to college. Some students with mild disabilities are able to attend a university, but those

who cant are left without a pathway and struggle when it comes to transitioning into the

real world. Giving these students practice in real world trades creates a job pathway they

can continue after graduation.

After reviewing the ideas of this article, I hope to include the information I was able to

gather in Evers article. She has evidence backing every claim she has made and I want to

incorporate that into my final paper. She goes further than the topic originally says, she

began to talk about the cuts that have been made to vocational programs, which is where

I found my original exigency in my topic.

Jerrim, John. "The Unrealistic Educational Expectations of High School Pupils: Is America

Exceptional? "The Sociological Quarterly 55.1 (2013): 196-231. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.

This article discusses the unrealistic goals students want to achieve. They have a

disconnect from reality, thinking that they will be able to complete a bachelors degree

even if they are low-achieving students. Being unrealistic creates disappoint when getting

grades back, leading to increased dropped out rates. Not introducing these students to

vocational tracks forces them to choose an inappropriate educational pathway in college.

In relation to my topic, this article discusses the type of students who need to have these

options available to them. Educators look at the potential and motivation of their students

to determine if they will be successful in a university setting. Some students are low-
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achieving and have gotten by all four years of high school with little to no effort. These

same students try to do that while in college, leaving them with bad grades.

This information supports the different ideas I have gathered from other articles. The

low-achieving students can almost be classified with students with learning disabilities.

Some students are low-achieving because of their learning disabilities. This article also

draws in the importance of reducing the dropout rate. This article will help me pull all my

ideas together into a single final paper.

Karnes, Ray. "Chapter VIII: Technical Education." Review of Educational Research. N.p., n.d.

Web. 23 Feb. 2017.

Karnes discussing how technical programs are needed because the lack of

semiprofessionals going into fields that have a vast number of job openings. These jobs

are almost guaranteed if given the proper training and education. However, students

arent given the option to get this training. A problem occurs when constructing courses

and curriculum.

This article shows the need for vocational programs, they are needed to fill a void in the

real-world workplace. Some low- achieving students would go for a guaranteed job if

given the option rather than hoping for the best in college. Giving students that option

will catch students attention who dont want higher education which most jobs require a

form of.
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Creating programs that allow high schoolers to become certified in a trade is a great

opportunity for students who do not wish to go through anymore schooling. Giving

students a chance to gain the experience in high school for free helps low income families

who may not be able to afford training any other way. Giving these students something

they want to work towards will lower the dropout rate.

Pannoni, Alexandra. "Vocational High School Programs an Option for Teens." U.S. News. N.p.,

20 Oct. 2014. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.

Pannoni writes about a purely vocational technical high school. It is public school, but

several elements are considered when admitting new students. While there is a higher

demand for these programs, the avalible teachers are declining. Taking vocational classes

for a career you desire gives you an advantage after graduation.

This article was short and to the point about the need for these programs. This article

specifically is about a school made for vocational education. It tells the numbers of

applicants for the schools and how many actually are able to accept. The lack of spots

means that they are forced to turn some students away.

Reading this article reminds me of the original pathway I was going to take for this

assignment. I was going to focus on purely vocational schools, but then decided to

incorporate the programs into traditional high school settings because that is how I can

relate to the research more. This article helps me by proving that all students arent able

to access these programs due to the lack of qualified faculty.

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Roessler, R. T., R. J. Loyd, and D. E. Brolin. "Implementing Life-Centered Career Education:

Contextual Barriers and Implementation Recommendations." Intervention in School and

Clinic 25.4 (1990): 523-533. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.

This article begins with explaining the reasoning behind career education. They saw

increased dropout rates because students didnt see the relevance of what they were being

taught to their future career. Over time the idea of career education has gained

momentum and is being seen as a more acceptable way of educating. This article,

however, goes into detail of the power these programs have with students with special

needs. Allowing kids with disabilities to be trained in a career pathway will increase their

quality of life after graduation.

I didnt realize the amount of research there is supporting students with special needs and

learning disabilities within this topic. It makes my topic slightly broader than what I had

originally intended. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of these

programs as well as the final effects they have on the students who take part.

If I need to make my topic narrower this is where I would turn to. I would invest my

research entirely into the effects vocational programs have on students with special needs

and learning disabilities. The number of articles on that topic alone creates a comfortable

amount of research to go through.

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Stern, David, Charles Dayton, Il-Woo Paik, and Alan Weisberg. "Benefits and Costs of Dropout

Prevention in a High School Program Combining Academic and Vocational Education:

Third-Year Results from Replications of the California Peninsula

Academies." Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 11.4 (1989): 405-416. Web. 22

Feb. 2017.

This article introduces the financial aspect of vocational programs. It calculates the cost

of dropouts, and combining academic and vocational classes to create a desirable result of

fewer dropouts. Creating a combination of necessary classes along with these vocational

programs keeps grades up, resulting in less students dropping out due to failing grades.

This article includes data that supports the claims and compares a group of pure

academics to a group of students with a combination of classes.

I did not consider the financial portion of this topic, but it is an important element. The

funding for schools is already limited, but providing additional classes can but a strain on

the flexibility of spending. However, this article aims to lower the dropout rate by

introducing classes that interest students. Dropout rates are included in the exigency

because if there is a way to keep students in school I believe we should make it happen.

The evidence in this article will be very beneficial when writing my paper. Having

numbers backing the claim helps for a better understanding. Education is important and

dropout rates should be seriously evaluated to find the best possible solutions to improve
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them. The additional cost of vocational classes is nothing when it means keeping students

in school and getting them to graduation, while also creating a career pathway for them.

Quinton, Sophie. "Could Vocational Education Be the Answer to Failing High Schools?" The

Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 15 Apr. 2015. Web. 25 Feb. 2017.

This article discusses the need for blue collar workers. There is high demand for many

positions who are seeking a skilled worker. The skills that could be picked up in a

vocational classroom. Quinton also writes how the recession sparked new interest in the

vocational programs because of the high unemployment rate and the vast number of

skilled jobs going unfilled.

From my other research, I have learned some about the need for skilled workers. I did not

realize how large of a problem it has come to be. These jobs are perfect for students who

have the skills who dont want higher education, or for students who need a stable job

while they do seek higher education.

Quintons writing will help back the other research I have found that have similar claims.

Having a secondary article reinforces the ideas of the first one. This strong demand for

vocational programs to create skilled workers needs to be heard. The need for these

programs is important and needs to become an option for students across the nation.
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Wyman, Nicholas. "Why We Desperately Need To Bring Back Vocational Training In

Schools." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 07 Oct. 2016. Web. 25 Feb. 2017.

Wyman writes about how the use of vocational classes has changed over time. Schools

used to teach students mainly vocational courses along with useful academic courses of,

reading, writing, and arithmetic. However, around the 1950s education changed, college

bound students were placed in traditional academic courses, while those who are not

predicted to attend a college would take shop classes. In modern day students who

choose a career path in high school tend to continue to higher education.

Having this research shows the judgment that is placed on students who do decide on a

career path in high school. Many see these students as incapable of doing college level

work and getting a professional job. This hinders the students who are afraid of being

seen as less than.

Ability tracking is something I did not consider in my topic. Educators track the abilities

of their students to see if they will thrive in a college setting. This can be helpful in some

situations, but I do not think this is a necessary precaution. Educators should not be the

one to decide if a student is able to seek higher education.