Office of Vocational and Adult Education

The Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) is a subdivision of the United States Department of Education

United States Department of Education

The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...

. OVAE falls under the supervision of the Undersecretary, who oversees policies, programs and activities related to vocational

Vocational education

Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...

and adult education

Adult education

Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...

, postsecondary education, college aid and the President's financial reforms for the Pell Grant

Pell Grant

A Pell Grant is money the federal government provides for students who need it to pay for college. Federal Pell Grants are limited to students with financial need, who have not earned their first bachelor's degree or who are not enrolled in certain post-baccalaureate programs, through participating...

program.

OVAE's director has the rank of Assistant Secretary

Assistant Secretary

Assistant Secretary is a grade in the British Civil Service, now more commonly styled Divisional Manager or Deputy Director. In the grading scheme they are denoted Grade 5....

and serves as the principal adviser to the Secretary of Education on matters related to high school, career technical and adult education and lifelong learning

Lifelong learning

Lifelong learning is the continuous building of skills and knowledge throughout the life of an individual. It occurs through experiences encountered in the course of a lifetime...

as well as community college

Community college

A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...

s, workforce and economic development. He also represents the Department at national and international meetings related to vocational and adult education. The Office administers, coordinates, and recommends policy for improving quality and excellence of programs related to the Office's focus areas.

OVAE's programs fall into four general areas:

Adult education and literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...

, represented within OVAE by the Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL)
Rural education, represented by the Center for Rural Education
Career and technical education
Community colleges

In its early years the Office was also involved in correctional education and civics

Civics

Civics is the study of rights and duties of citizenship. In other words, it is the study of government with attention to the role of citizens ― as opposed to external factors ― in the operation and oversight of government....

.

OVAE is responsible for a variety of annual reports to Congress, the President, and the public, and currently publishes the OVAE Fact Sheet series which highlights the Office's activities in support of the No Child Left Behind Act

No Child Left Behind Act

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...

of 2001. OVAE also undertakes statistical research in areas relating to its focus areas; for example, the 2002 National Assessment of Vocational Education and the Adult Education Facts at a Glance.

Sources

OVAE home page at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.