Guidelines for Establishing Post-Secondary Distributive Education Programs. CDTE Professional Bull. -14

A 39-item opinion questionnaire concerning the development of post-secondary distributive education mid-management programs was mailed to 50 employers who serve on program advisory committees, 143 program instructors, six distributive education state supervisors, and 10 distributive education teacher educators from the six states having the largest number of such programs. It was concluded from the 70 percent returns that there was a majority agreement within and among the groups as to the desirable characteristics for the organization and operation of a post-secondary distributive education program. Some guidelines based upon an analysis of the data were: (1) Services of the distributive education state supervision should be sought and an advisory committee should be developed, (2) The program should be located near a center of economic activity, (3) The program should award the associate degree, (4) Cooperative work experience as a phase of the program is highly desirable, (5) Each curriculum should serve a specific area of employment, (6) The instructor-coordinator should have occupational experience related to the specific program as well as professional and subject content courses, and (7) The program should participate in the post-secondary division of the Distributive Education Clubs of America. (MM)