The recruitment and retention of African American students in vocational teacher education

Abstract

The research on the recruitment and retention of African American students into vocational teacher education indicated that there was a need for institutions of higher education to take a more serious look at these efforts. This admonition was due to the continuous decline of African Americans in the teaching force, as well as a decline in minority student enrollments in vocational teacher education (Pratzner, 1987).

Statistics also indicated that by the year 2000, the number of minority students in public schools will make up approximately 40% of school enrollments, while the number of minority teachers is expected to decline to less than 5% of the teaching force (Graham, 1987; Holmes, 1989). This lack of representation of minorities in the teaching force will have a negative impact on the success of all children in the nation'S public schools (Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy, 1986).