Inventory of the California State Council on Vocational Education Records

Archives Staff and Chris Deutsch

California State Archives

1020 "O" Street

Sacramento, California 95814

Phone: (916) 653-2246

Fax: (916) 653-7363

Email: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov

URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/

Inventory of the California State Council on Vocational Education Records

Collection number: R368

California State Archives

Office of the Secretary of State

Sacramento, California

Processed by:: Archives Staff and Chris Deutsch
Date Completed:: February 2010
Encoded by:: Michelle Wallen

Descriptive Summary

Title: Council on Vocational Education records

Dates: 1969-1996

Collection number: R368

Creator: Council on Vocational Education

Collection Size: 5 cubic feet

Repository: California State Archives

Sacramento, California

Abstract: The record group consists of 5 cubic feet of textual records from the Council on Vocational Education, 1967 to 1996. The record group is organized into the following series: Agendas, Correspondence, Council Files, Minutes, and Reports. This collection will interest researchers concerned with vocational and technical education and job training.

Physical location: California State Archives

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Administrative Information

Restrictions

While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.

Publication Rights

For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Council on Vocational Education Records, R368.[series number], [box and folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Acquisition Information

The California State Archives acquired the Council on Vocational Education Records according to state law.

Agency History

The Council on Vocational Education became a state agency in 1969 with AB1820 (Chapter 1555, Statutes of 1969). Several previous attempts to bring California into accordance with the Vocational Education Amendments of 1968 (Public Law 90-576), an amendment to the Vocational Education Act of 1963, were either vetoed or died in a legislative committee. These previous attempts included AB23 (1968 Session), AB1268 (1968 Session), and AB42 (1969 Session). The council existed to maintain the statewide vocational education program and because the United States Congress required states to coordinate their efforts as a requirement to receiving federal funds. The council published reports analyzing the status of statewide vocational education and evaluating the California's efforts in administering funds and coordinating the local programs. The council's primary purpose was to facilitate the creation of a highly educated and technically proficient work force.

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act (Public Law 98-524) of 1984 required that the council produce biennial reports evaluating the status of statewide vocational education. The state responded with AB257 (Chapter 164, Statutes of 1985). This law enacted new requirements, which allowed the council to comply with federal law while expanding the council's scope to include public commentary and a more active role managing vocational education through producing reports measuring the effectiveness of individual programs. The council consisted of thirteen members as of 1985 and the governor appointed each member. The council met and coordinated with the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges in managing statewide vocational education. Initiating and maintaining connections between secondary and post-secondary educators proved constantly important. High school programs under the council's purview included the Future Farmers of America, Future Business Leaders of America, the Regional Occupational Program, and Future Homemakers of America. In 1996, funds from the Perkins Act no longer went to the council. According to the state budget, the council ended in March 1997.

Scope and Content

The record group consists of 5 cubic feet of textual records from the Council on Vocational Education, 1967 to 1996. The record group is organized into the following series: Agendas, Correspondence, Council Files, Minutes, and Reports.

This collection will interest researchers concerned with vocational and technical education and job training. The materials document the coordination of statewide vocational education, including such programs as the high school Regional Occupation Program as well as various local vocational education programs in high schools and colleges. The council constantly grappled with coordinating local school districts, colleges, universities, and state law. Funding proved to be a major source of tension as the council worked to ensure that the various vocational education programs received an equitable amount of funds. The Legislature tasked the council with ensuring that funds would go to the local programs and that local agencies spent the monies properly.

During the period covered by the record group, the council continually sought a strategy to combat high school administrators' declining interest in vocational education throughout the state. The council frequently warned against undervaluing such education. Another task for the council was to provide minorities, women, single parents, and poor students with equal access to job training programs. The agendas and minutes series provide a continuous source of discussion of such topics as funding, local program evaluations, legislation, and administrative details. The reports, correspondence, and council files were more limited but highlight important issues confronting the council, such as Proposition 13 and periods of reduced funding for vocational education. According to a former council president in 1996, the council focused on assisting "in the down-sizing of our government," but the council remained committed to maintaining an "autonomous body that advises and recommends and provides oversight for statewide vocational education."

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

California State Council on Vocational Education

Vocational education

Occupational training

ID R368.001, Box 1-2, Folders 1-47

Series 1 Agendas 1986-1996

Physical Description: 84 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by meeting date.

Scope and Content Note

This series contains agendas from the council's general meetings and executive meetings. The agendas include the minutes of previous meetings, reports, possible position outlines, and informational and action items. The agenda items typically included the status of the annual and biennial reports, the status of the local education programs, important legislation, and discussion on managing the budget. The council frequently discussed coordinating various statewide job training programs administered by the State Job Training Coordinating Council, the Employment Development Department, and the California Cooperative Occupational Information System. Another frequent issue for the council was private sector outreach. This entailed coordinating other state agencies in contacting businesses, corporations, and industry associations to help identify promising job fields. After 1994, Governor Pete Wilson put increasing pressure on the council to reduce its budget with the goal of possibly turning over some the council's functions to private businesses. This culminated in 1996 when the council ceased receiving federal funds. The agendas also document the council's struggle to secure additional funding sources.

ID R368.002, Box 3, Folders 1-12

Series 2 Correspondence Files 1978-1996

Physical Description: 12 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

Scope and Content Note

The majority of the records in this series are correspondence with various organizations concerned with vocational education. In addition to the correspondence, various memoranda, agendas, and meeting minutes make up this series. Some important files include Board of Governors Meeting Agendas, Auditor General, and the United States Department of Education. In some instances the folders are identified by the correspondent, for example the Auditor General and the United States Department of Education. However, other folders are identified by the general subject matter of the correspondence, for example annual reports, audits, and press releases. One folder contains the monthly faxes issued to unlisted recipients. The faxes focus on a variety of contemporary issues including changes to vocational education state government personal, important pending legislation, and budget issues.

ID R368.003, Box 3, Folders 13-34

Series 3 Council Files 1969-1994

Physical Description: 22 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

Scope and Content Note

This series is composed of administrative files that contain records relating to the council's administration, technical training issues, and funding problems. The records consist of memoranda, reports, letters, and testimony transcripts. Prominent topics include History, Contracts, Review of the Master Plan for Higher Education Testimony, and US Department of Education Audit. The files in this series typically reflect on the council's history and the plight of vocational and technical education in the state as well as the nation.

ID R368.004, Box 3-4, Folders 35-22

Series 4 Minutes 1969-1993

Physical Description: 24 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by meeting date.

Scope and Content Note

The Minutes series contains the monthly meeting minutes of the council and the executive committee. During their meetings the council discussed their legislative agenda, administrative details, reports, and funding issues. The minutes also cover specific issues addressed at each meeting. In 1977, Proposition 13 was one of the issues facing the council. The proposition caused the council to reexamine the previous funding mechanism for most local vocational education programs. The council also discussed the use of job training to reduce poverty. Much of what appears in the agendas series also appears in the minutes series. However, the agendas include more substantial information and documentation about each meeting, whereas the minutes offer only a brief synopsis of each meeting. Also, the minutes begin in 1969 whereas the agenda series starts in 1985.

ID R368.005, Box 4-5, Folders 23-34

Series 5 Reports 1985-1993

Physical Description: 41 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

Scope and Content Note

The Report series contains background files compiled and used by the council to prepare various reports relating to the council's functions. The council produced and gathered many reports on various aspects of vocational education. The Carl D. Perkins Act required the council to submit Biennial Reports to the Governor. Within the series are biennial reports from 1989, 1991, and 1993. The reports focus on coordinating local programs and measuring their effectiveness at teaching various job skills. It is unknown if these were the only biennial reports produced by the council.

A Biennial Southeast ROP report from 1986 is included in this series but does not appear to be connected to the other biennial reports. This report was an in-depth measurement of the southeastern region of the ROP. The report gathered information from individual students and measured how well they did in the program. The Economic Development Committee Report, 1992, included background files for a report not in the series. The file does include a report from the Council on California Competitiveness from 1992 titled "California's Jobs and Future" that castigated the education system as a failure of "one of history's great social experiments." The Planning Process Committee Report, 1992, was another prominent report file that contained background documents on a committee's development of a policy paper to "establish the overall direction for the states' efforts in vocational and employment training," with long- and short- term planning. Vision: California 2000 was a 1988 report not authored by the council that predicted the direction of California's economy and recommended steps to ensure that workers maintained their competitive advantage over workers in other areas.