The Vocational Education Act of 1963 was the perhaps the most important development during this time period. Curricula in all programs were undergoing revision and updates that led to much change. The Act allowed vocational schools to be built, and construction funds were distributed for these projects. Many Ohio area vocational schools (known today as career centers) were built in the mid to late 1960’s with these funds. This growth in facilities and programs led to a corresponding higher demand for vocational education teachers during this time frame. During this time, The Ohio State University was recognized as one of five universities in the state by the Ohio Department of Education for the preparation of vocational educators (Johnston, 1970).
Home economics underwent yet another change due to the Vocational Education Act of 1963 and the subsequent revisions later in the decade. There was now an emphasis on training students to be prepared to earn wages as well as homemaking skills. This led to an expansion in the Home Economics teacher education curriculum at Ohio State to meet the needs of the new certification requirements for teachers (Johnston, 1970). The Vocational Education Act Amendments posed some challenges and problems for home economics. In 1973, the 11th Lake Placid Conference was held to examine the definitions of home economics. This conference helped to produce the second version of New Directions, and this helped to more clearly define home economics and the educational goals of educators in home economics at the university level (Bailey & Davis, 1982).
In agricultural education, in response to new teacher certification standards that went into effect in January, 1972, the agricultural education program developed standards to include the preparation of prospective teachers in ten specific agricultural taxonomies: Agricultural Production, Animal Production and Management (Animal Care), Farm Management, Agricultural Industrial Equipment and Service, Agricultural Products Processing, Horticulture, Agricultural Resources Conservation, Agricultural Environmental Management, Forestry, and Agricultural Business, Supply and Service. The certification program began in 1972, and required that teachers earn 24 credit hours over three summers and two school years (Wolf, 1969). This program was the forerunner of the present-day Career and Technical Education “Route B” licensure program at Ohio State.