Date of Graduation

1985

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

The study analyzed the relationship between 1981 West Virginia secondary vocational students' scores on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills at the ninth grade level and their subsequent successful job placement. Data were collected and analyzed by means of electronic data processing from data tapes on vocational graduate placement and scores on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills obtained from the West Virginia Department of Education. Sufficient observations were obtained for all vocational fields except technical education. The results for technical education students were noted as statistically unreliable for the study. TTESTS and F' tests were applied to determine the relationship of the total sample of vocational graduates and for graduates of each of the seven fields of vocational education, i.e., agriculture, distributive, health, home economics occupational, office occupations, technical, and trade and industrial education to scores on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills including sub tests on language, reading, and math. The mean CTBS scores of two groups of graduates, those employed in the occupation for which trained and those unemployed seeking work, were compared for analysis of variance. The findings rejected the null hypothesis that there was not a significant relationship of higher student mean scores on the CTBS and subsequent successful job placement. In all comparisons, except one in 88, higher mean CTBS scores were positively related to successful job placement. Highest significance occurred (.0001) utilizing total CTBS scores and total vocational graduates with math showing the highest positive relationship of the sub tests. Strongest positive indicators occurred among the vocational fields of distributive education, office and trade, and industrial education and moderately strong for agriculture graduates. Health, home economics and technical education, although showing a positive relationship in all but one comparison out of 33, were outside the confidence limits (.05) set for the study. Based on the results of the study, it was recommended that vocational administrators and counselors utilize CTBS scores as one admission criterion for vocational programs where applicable. Also, the results illustrate the need for basic skills education for success in vocational education.

Download

Share

COinS