Learning from the Beginning

After a decade of decline, the 1990s have seen a resurgence of vocational education enrollments. Of 39 states surveyed in recent research, 70 percent reported an increase since 1990. Nevertheless, secondary vocational education continues to suffer from a negative image among students, parents, educators, and policymakers. This Myths and Realities examines some popular beliefs about secondary vocational education, along with some related beliefs about the labor market and about college degrees-and some facts that may or may not support those popular beliefs.

“Voc Ed Is for Dummies and Misfits!”
Perhaps the most enduring belief about vocational education is that it’s only for the noncollege bound, the potential dropouts, or other students with special needs. And this belief is not confined to students and their parents; it is often shared by other educators and policymakers perhaps explaining why postsecondary vocational-technical education scholarship money sometimes goes untappe. But do the facts bear it out?
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How Many Students Are Both Disabled and Bilingual?
Based on 1980 Census and Immigration and Naturalization Services records, it is estimated that there are 79 million school-age language minority children in the United States. This bilingual population is distributed throughout the United States with heavier concentrations in the southwest and northeast. The highest concentration is in the large urban areas.

Considering the overall population with limited English proficiency (LEP) in the United States, a critical question for bilingual special educators is how many of these students also have disabilities. According to the U.S. Office of Special Education, an estimated 948,000 children may both be linguistically different and have disabilities–a substantial population who could benefit from bilingual special education services.
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