Smith-Hughes Act relatively little has been done to settle such issues by careful research.

Evaluative research is facilitated by the availability of a considerable number of cases from which comparisons may be drawn. The Federal Government is in a peculiarly effective position for the conduct of such research, for it can undertake investigations of the evaluative type for which a State or local agency would lack sufficient cases for conclusive results.

It would seem that the maintenance of a research program could well be one of the chief means used by the Federal Government for stimulating and promoting the development of vocational education. It would be a mistake, however, for the Federal officials to assume that all research designed to improve vocational education should be conducted directly by the Federal agency. The Smith-Hughes Act definitely provides for cooperation with other agencies of the Federal Government in the conduct of research related to vocational education. It would seem that the Office of Education should take advantage of the opportunities for utilizing capable personnel for research work by making grants of funds for particular research projects to some of the other departments and agencies of the Federal Government. Many opportunities for effective research arise in the State offices, in the teacher-training institutions, and in the local school systems. These State and local agencies frequently also have personnel competent for the conduct of excellent research. It would be highly advisable to make definite provisions for Federal cooperation with such State and local agencies in research related to the vocational program. There are two methods by which this cooperation might be financed.

The first method would be by direct grants of funds for research from Federal sources to the States or local communities. Such modification as may be necessary in the statutes might be made, so that a part of the grant for vocational education to each State could at the option of the State be set aside for research. The States and local

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communities could then be encouraged to set up staffs for the conduct of investigations related to vocational education.

The second method, and the one that seems the more desirable, involves making funds available for the subsidizing of research in State and local agencies on a project basis. Under this plan a State department of education, a teachertraining institution, or a local school system could propose to the Federal agency a piece of research which it would like to undertake. The proposal would indicate the nature of the investigation, the reasons for thinking that it is important to the program of vocational education, the personnel available for carrying it on, the estimated length of time that would be required for its completion, and the budget that would be necessary to finance the project. The Federal agency could consider the proposal from the point of view of its suitability in all these matters. If the Federal agency was satisfied that the project afforded an opportunity for an important contribution by research methods, a definite grant for the particular research project could then be made to the State, or the institution, or the local school system. The Federal Office could maintain a consultative relationship to the project throughout its entire progress. Precedent already exists for this type of Federal cooperation in research in the program at present maintained through the agricultural experiment stations.

The development of the research program on a project basis would avoid a tendency that might arise, in the alternative plan of outright continued grants, for the States to set up separate and permanent research organizations which at some time might not have important problems to investigate or might not be staffed with a personnel entirely competent for research in vocational education. Under the project arrangement, the subsidy would not be provided unless all the conditions necessary for an effective piece of research were met.

The research divisions that have already been established in State departments of education and in many local school systems have shown a marked tendency to go over into the field of administration and to take on executive duties rather

than to remain purely research agencies. If Federal subsidies are given to research on a project basis, the tendency to turn the Federal funds into the support of an administrative unit in the State or local offices could be prevented. The teacher-training institutions would seem to be especially promising locations for the development of these research activities. The Federal Office might well be active in suggesting the lines along which research is needed.

An important element of any research and developmental program is the publication of results. In fact, it seems unwise to authorize the initiation of research unless there are funds available for the publication of the results. The provision of funds for such publication is an eminently appropriate function for the Federal Government. The publishing facilities of the Federal Government should continue to be available, not only for research actually conducted through the use of Federal funds, but also for research related to vocational education that has been conducted under other auspices and for which no other agency of publication is available. Suitable appropriations should be provided for such publications.

Advisory Functions

The Federal Office of Education is generally recognized as having the important function of providing advisory services to State and local authorities engaged in conducting educational programs. The transfer of the administration of vocational education to the Office of Education clearly affords the opportunity to develop and extend the advisory services in this field and to integrate such services in vocational education with those in other phases of the school system.

Leadership in educational thought is peculiarly within the province of the Federal Government, and much can be done by this means, without control, to accomplish the objectives which the Government has in view. The central office is in a position to survey broadly the needs of the country, to obtain knowledge of superior procedures, and to point to areas in which adjustments seem advisable. Leadership, to be effective, must arise from a general recognition of the

competence and expertness of the professional staff maintained by the Federal agency.

The advisory services of the Federal Office should be available only when welcomed by State and local authorities. In no case should such services be forced on communities or States that do not desire them. The services should be available not only in connection with the federally reimbursed program, but also for matters pertaining to all types of vocational preparation.

Stability in Federal Policies

If a program of education is to be conducted effectively on the basis of a cooperative arrangement between the Federal Government and the States, it is desirable that the Federal Government determine a considerable time in advance of their actual application its policies with respect to such matters as the amounts of funds to be supplied, the purposes for which funds are to be used, and the conditions that must be met by the States. In most cases the States must act upon the program through their legislatures, which typically meet for some 60 or 90 days at 2-year intervals. Thus the necessary legal arrangements in the States may require a relatively long period to mature after the determination of Federal policies. Local school budgets must be prepared and taxes levied and collected before the local elements of the program can be put into operation.

Furthermore, a sound educational program cannot be constructed hastily. Much thought must be given to planning on both the State and local levels. If an expansion is contemplated, teachers for staffing the program must be recruited and trained, a process that requires a period of years. Plant space and equipment must be provided in the local schools, and these arrangements cannot be made overnight. If the change is in the direction of reducing the program, it must also be made somewhat gradually; otherwise there is a sudden dislocation of personnel, reduced utilization of plant and equipment, and general lowering of efficiency and morale.

The primary need for stability in Federal policy is with respect to the amount of financial support to be provided. Sudden changes in the amounts of appropriations, whether increases or decreases, are likely to disturb the effective operation of the particular program in States and local communities. The George-Deen Act is particularly at fault in this respect, as it authorizes the appropriation of an amount that in a single year more than doubles the support for vocational education from Federal sources. The evidence obtained in the preparation of this study is that few of the States could possibly have prepared to spend these increases wisely on the relatively short notice that was given by the Federal Government. It would have been a much sounder policy to have made gradual increases in the amounts of funds, the maximum not being reached until a period of four or five years had elapsed.

Stability in the amount of financial support is difficult to provide, in a manner suitable for a cooperative program, when the amounts to be made available from Federal sources are based on annual appropriations. The policy of making no continuing appropriations may be entirely satisfactory for activities which are supported completely from Federal funds, but it is likely to be disturbing to programs that are carried on in cooperation with the States, and in which the States and local communities must make some provision for financial support to supplement the grants from the Federal Government. The States must make their plans considerably in advance, and the plans cannot be satisfactorily developed unless the amount to be available from the Federal sources is definitely known. Furthermore, it should not be necessary for those in charge of a cooperative program to expend their efforts every year lobbying for the annual appropriation. The need for such appropriations should be determined for a considerable period in advance.