There is no shortage of spirited debate over state education policy.
MCAS, charter schools and merit pay for teachers all make headlines. But the commonwealth's regional vocational-technical high schools don't spark much debate, because most everyone agrees they are a Massachusetts success story.
MCAS scores for the 26 voc-techs have jumped 40 percent since 2001, and 6 of the 10 most improved high schools on the 2008 MCAS are, in fact, vocational schools. Statewide, vocational schools' graduation and MCAS pass rates both top state averages, and dropouts are less than half as frequent as in other public high schools. Locally, 66 percent of the students at North Shore Vocational Technical School scored either advanced or proficient in math, and 70 percent reached that level in English. The Middleton school has made all Adequate Yearly Progress goals since 2000.
There are a number of reasons for this success. Research shows that the same skill level is required for entry-level career success as for college entrance. Today, trade manuals are written at up to a Grade 14 reading level. Math plays a large role in occupations like carpentry and automobile technology, and science expertise is needed for everything from metal fabrication to the agricultural fields.
In response to these findings, voc-techs upgraded their academic programs. The upgrades were undertaken soon after passage of the commonwealth's landmark 1993 Education Reform Act, which put high standards in place for all public school students. In 2006, Assabet Valley Regional Vocational-Technical School Superintendent Eugene Carlo, who had initially been an opponent, declared, "MCAS was the best thing that ever happened to us."
Today, all voc-tech teachers hold an academic license in their field of instruction and a number of the schools offer Advanced Placement courses.
Vocational-technical schools also have the autonomy to be responsive to student needs. Each school has its own superintendent, school committee and control over budget. Within parameters set by state academic and vocational-technical education curriculum frameworks, the schools are able to tailor their programs to local needs.
Many of the new shop ideas come from employers. Each program of study within a school has a committee of industry professionals who advise teachers on which skills will be most marketable for their students.
Employer investment is another testament to the quality of voc-tech graduates. Ford Motor Co. donated more than $1 million worth of diagnostic equipment to Assabet Valley. Companies like Intel and local hospitals regularly donate state-of-the-art equipment to the schools.
But the best evidence of their success comes from parents. Voc-techs are schools of choice, and the numbers indicate that parents and students like what they see. More than 27,000 Massachusetts students attend voc-techs and over 2,800 are on waiting lists. Enrollment is up 15 percent during the last decade, even as the commonwealth's overall public school enrollment declined.
Almost one-quarter of statewide voc-tech students are on individualized education plans, well above the statewide average of 17 percent. Part of the reason voc-techs boast higher MCAS pass rates than other public schools is because of their success educating these special needs students. More than 80 percent of voc-techs' special education students graduate, compared to about 63 percent at other public schools in Massachusetts.
Accountability is critical to the success of public education. Nineteen of the Commonwealth's 26 voc-techs and regional agricultural schools were audited by the now-defunct Office of Educational Quality and Accountability. Fourteen were judged to be performing adequately, but five were put on watch. By 2005, all five had been re-audited and removed from the watch list. One former voc-tech superintendent noted that school leaders used the audits to drive improvement.
Voc-techs' use of individualized intervention and remediation could be a model for turning around low-performing schools. Their success educating under-served populations suggests that urban areas might consider opening charter vocational-technical schools. And the same integration of academics and vocational education could be a model for the development of visual and performing arts schools.
Vocational-technical schools' combination of autonomy, choice, close relationships with employers and the successful integration of academic and vocational education is a proven recipe for success. It's also one that should be supported, and replicated in schools across Massachusetts.
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Alison L. Fraser, of Marlborough, is the principal of Practical Policy and the author of "Vocational-Technical Education in Massachusetts," a white paper published by the Pioneer Institute.
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