The Vocational-Technical Education Consortium (V-TECHS) was formed to help develop vocational-technical materials in the use of performance objectives and criterion-referenced test items which have been validated against actual job performance. (BP)

Competency-based teacher education (CBTE) is discussed in terms of definition, concepts to be found in programs, how to get at the pedagogical and technical competencies, and the problems and promises of CBTE. (BP)

The author affirms his position that vocational agriculture teacher educators cannot be all things to all people and should concentrate on teaching vocational agriculture for employment in agriculture-related jobs that do not require a 4-year college degree, rather than stressing general baccalaureate programs. He centers his remarks on the need…

A survey of Mississippi secondary school guidance counselors indicated that the counselors needed and wanted more career information about agricultural education but did not recognize vocational agriculture teachers as good sources, although they believed that students overlook agriculture because they are not aware of the opportunities. The…

Describes a study conducted to develop a system for the technical component of a competency-based teacher program in agricultural education. The findings of the study revealed that there were differences between the technical competency needs of beginning teachers and that of beginning workers. (MF)

The follow-up study of 1971's high school graduates asked how many made on-the-job and off-the-job use of the items of content normally taught in the vocational agriculture curriculum in the State of Virginia. (MW)

Discusses the characteristics that make land-grant universities best suited for training vocational agricultural teachers. Emphasizes the resources available at land-grant universities, the advantages of the one-institution training concept, and the ineffectiveness of non-land-grant universities in reducing the vocational agriculture teacher…

Discusses the characteristics of non-land-grant universities that make them suited to share in the responsibility for training vocational agriculture teachers. Focuses on the role of agricultural education staff members; technical agricultural subject matter instructors and courses; facilities, equipment, and farm management practice; and the…

This study was conducted to determine if an operational performance evaluation was valid and feasible for an area of small engine instruction. Four classes were evaluated using both a pencil-and-paper test and an operational performance test. One of the findings was that a positive relationship exists between student scores on the two tests. (LRA)

A 40-item questionnaire was mailed to 200 high school graduates of vocational agriculture programs to determine the benefits students receive from supervised occupational experience programs. The highest ranked benefits were (1) "encouraged the keeping of records," (2) "promoted the acceptance of responsibility," and (3) "developed pride in…

The study surveyed 433 students and 126 educators to determine if high school students were willing to travel away from their home schools to take vocational courses. Seventy-two percent of the non-traveling students indicated that they would if the course work were related to their needs. (LRA)

Former vocational agriculture teachers, principals, and the vocational agriculture teachers who replaced the departing teachers were surveyed to determine the extent to which former teachers were being candid in citing reasons for leaving the profession. All three groups ranked long hours, inadequate salary, and different occupational goals in…

A study compared the effects of two different noise intensities on the cognitive performance of students. Findings indicated that at the higher noise intensity in the learning environment, performance on the reading comprehension task decreased. (LRA)