AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Gordon Gwynne Galbraith for the Ed. M. in Agricultural Education

Abstract approved (Maj professor) The attention focused on vocational education in the past year has brought about renewed interest to make vocational training a truly meaningful part of a community's educational program. The first step in preparation for the improvement and expansion of vocational programs is the need of evaluating our existing programs. The purpose of this study is to provide both a basis for evalua-tion and criteria for future planning of the agrittiltural education program in Hood River County. A total of 303 male graduates from two Hood River County High Schools during a ten year period w a s selected for a mailed questionnaire interview. The graduates consisted of all 165 gradu-ates with two years or more of Vocational Agriculture at Wy'east High School. In addition, 138 randomly selected graduates were included from both high schools who did not have Vocational Agri-culture. Comparisons of the agricultural graduates against the Signature redacted for privacy. non-agricultural graduates are made from the information received. The data sought was: occupational information on types of employment, income, location of employment, and job satisfaction. In addition, the type and amount of post high school training, and the value of high school courses was analyzed. Conclusions based on the findings of the study were: The present program of Vocational Agriculture at Wy'east High School is serving 80 percent of the county's graduates who enter an agricultural occupation. Fifty-five percent of the Wy'east agricultural graduates are employed in the field of agriculture. Over 31 percent of the male graduates of Hood River County have not entered any civilian form of post high school educa-tion. Nearly 18 percent of all Hood River County male graduates enter the occupational fields of forestry and lumbering. Almost one fourth of the Vocational Agricultural graduates are so employed. Vocational Agriculture is meaningful to agricultural gradu-ates in non-agricultural occupations. Almost one fourth of the agri-cultural graduates attested to this