Resources from the 2011 National Career Clusters Institute are posted online. A wide range of breakout choices were offered to Institute attendees. Even if you were unable to attend the National Career Clusters Institute, you may be able to identify a topic or area of interest and tap into the wealth of knowledge shared.
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2011 National Career Clusters Institute Resources Available
July 8th, 20112011 National Career Clusters Institute a Success
June 24th, 2011The 2011 National Career Clusters Institute has wrapped up another successful year in Atlanta, GA. Attendees chose from a plethora of exciting breakout sessions and were engaged in three powerful general sessions:
Opening General Session: Connecting the Pieces: Career Clusters, Career Technical Education (CTE), and the Common Core with panelists Jan Bray of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), David Barnes of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), Jill Cook of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), and Peter Smagorinsky, Professor of English Education, the University of Georgia.
Middle General Session: Roadtrip Nation Co-founders Mike Marriner and Brian McAllister shared their story of how their simple grassroots idea of learning about careers has become a nationwide movement, sparking a documentary series on public television, books and curriculum, all focused on helping people define their own roads in life.
Closing General Session: USA TODAY Director of Education Resource Development Jan Brown shared how technological innovations are shaping the way our society communicates today in her presentation Thinking Outside the Box, Way Out!
Information on these sessions and more will be posted soon. Resources from the breakout sessions are being uploaded to the www.careertech.org website as they roll in.
NASDCTEc unveils new www.careertech.org
June 24th, 2011NASDCTEc unveiled this week its new Web site, which will serve as resource for all advocates of CTE – from administrators, to educators, to partners. The new Web site combines NASDCTEc member resources, Career Clusters™ and many resources to help those who want to learn about and support CTE. At www.careertech.org, you can:
• Access CTE brand assets
• Generate reports and analysis
• Order Career Clusters™ and CTE materials online
• Subscribe to the NASDCTEc blog
• Obtain research, white papers and CTE backgrounders
To get to the really good stuff, you must use your Member Login!
Many of the robust reports, functionality and resources on the new Web site are available only to NASDCTEc members. Additionally, discounts on events—as well as access to the new CTE logo (both national and state versions) will be available only through the Member Login portal.
In order to access these member benefits, you will need to use the Member Login feature. Here’s how it works:
1. Go to www.careertech.org
2. Click on the green “Members” box in the upper right of the home page
3. When the Member Login page appears:
• Enter your Username (your first initial and full last name, all one word, all lower case)
• Enter Password: cte123
• Click “Log In”
4. Select “Member Resources” on the following screen and click on “Continue”
5. Select from the variety of options and resources available on the right-hand menu—and start exploring!
Learn more about the exclusive members-only webinar
Who: NASDCTEc Members
What: Webinar for Members-Only New Website Orientation
When: Wednesday, June 29, 3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Eastern
Why: NASDCTEc launches a robust website that will help members stay informed, engaged and mobilized to advocate for CTE.
NASDCTEc recently unveiled its brand new website. Not only does this site have a new look that reflects the look of our CTE: Learning That Works for America brand, it offers a range of completely new features and resources. The site is rich with members-only searchable databases, products limited to our members, and up-to-date news feeds to keep members informed about the policy world. This site will be a powerful new tool in which members will communicate and obtain valuable information and resources so they can serve as strong advocates for CTE and the organization. We highly encourage everyone to participate.
Register for this members-only webinar
The Spring Meeting Career Clusters Update Shared by Dean Folkers, NASDCTEc Deputy Director Included Nationwide Effort to Revise the Career Cluster Knowledge & Skill Statements to Align with the Common Core
April 29th, 2011
Dean opened the session by informing attendees to register for the upcoming 9th National Career Clusters Institute, which will be June 20-22, 2011 in Atlanta, GA. With the theme “A world of career options – one simple framework” the Institute will have many exciting, timely and relevant breakouts, speakers and will provide opportunities for attendees to share promising practices and learn what’s new regarding Career Cluster Implementation across the nation. Dean also shared an inside peek at the new careertech.org website revision, along with new products available to promote and enhance instruction at the local level.
Dean shared a key vital project underway, the revision of the Career Cluster knowledge and skills statements, including the steps of the process which will eventually provide a common basis for assessment across all programs of study that will link to the common core, which, once completed, can be utilized nationwide. He presented a call for subject matter experts, vital in the movement of this effort. If you would like to learn more, please contact Dean Folkers at dfolkers@careertech.org.
Spring Meeting Session Highlights: Linked Learning and CTE, A Strategy to Scale up CTE’s Impact
April 29th, 2011Session: Linked Learning and CTE: A Strategy to Scale up CTE’s Impact
Speakers Gary Hoachlander, President, ConnectEd and Ace Parsi, Policy and Advocacy Assistant, Alliance for Excellent Education shared insights and strategies in the session Linked Learning and CTE: A Strategy to Scale up CTE’s Impact. In Hoachlander’s presentation, he spoke about the need for schools to provide a new approach to educating students – providing programs that link strong academics with real world experience. Linked learning prepares students for college and career, not just one or the other. The guiding principles of Linked Learning also include a pathway that leads students to the full range of postsecondary options, with the goal of improved student achievement. Hoachlander shared that Linked Learning is as much about building district infrastructure as it is building strong programs. Stressing that CTE needs to be part of the larger high school experience – promoted as part of a larger STEM/high school improvement strategy, Hoachlander noted that programs of study must include academic courses, not just CTE cluster/sequence coursework, with academics taught differently. Additionally, Linked Learning should be a central feature of ESEA.
Ace Parsi, of the Alliance for Excellent Education, asked the group to consider “what are successful, high quality programs?” Urging them to think beyond silos, Parsi shared that the “labor market is now different and more advanced skills are needed to compete in today’s marketplace. “ Regarding partnerships, Parsi said that these should exist in forms that reach beyond just teachers and schools, that partnerships with school districts, businesses should also be fostered. He noted that the fact that learners have different needs should be understood, with the outcome that a systemic approach needs to be structured that leads to success for all students; Linked Learning is a strategy for transforming high schools and engaging CTE systematically in that effort. Parsi gave a status update on the progress of the Linked Learning Pathways Affording College and Career Success Act (111th), House Bill Number: H.R. 6174, noting that many elements in this bill are also in Perkins IV, and it is in process. Parsi described a health careers academy, where a medical science class showed a direct connection to what is learned in an internship setting is also learned in class. When asked “does it cost more to implement Linked Learning”, Parsi noted that California used their existing resources – but differently applied them. Examples of resource allocation
Additional resources:
Spring Meeting: Data Systems and CTE
April 29th, 2011At the NASDCTEc/OVAE Joint Spring Leadership Meeting last Monday, State Directors heard more about the place of Career Technical Education (CTE) in the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) Grant Program. An expert from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) stated that though state leaders may opt to include CTE as part of a state’s data system, the grants do not require inclusion of CTE data.
The purpose of the grants is to meet several long term goals including examining whether graduates have the knowledge and skills to succeed in further education and the workforce. Though CTE data is not a requirement within the SLDS grants, states and CTE programs would benefit mutually by reporting CTE data on this goal.
The SLDS grants are three to five year awards of $1.5 to $19.7 million per state. Since FY 2006, a total of $515 million in grants has been awarded to 41 states and the District of Columbia. The program has evolved from requiring only K-12 elements to involving pre-kindergarten, postsecondary education, workforce education, and the student-teacher link in addition to the K-12 components.
Some issues identified through the SLDS Grant Program include:
- FERPA and its implications for data access for organizations
- State procurement issues slowing grant implementation
- New role of state education agencies as facilitating organizations
- Impact of the economy at the state level
Successful strategies include:
- State-managed, locally-operated design
- Not viewing the SLDS as “just an IT project” but as an opportunity for integration
- Communicating up and out
- Knowing “who’s in charge”
To access the PowerPoint presentation from this session, please visit the 2011 Spring Meeting Resources webpage.
Spring Meeting: Duncan Pushes for Higher CTE Student Outcomes
April 29th, 2011Though he sees Career Technical Education (CTE) as “a tremendous force for good,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan believes that many CTE programs are not delivering the necessary student outcomes.
At the NASDCTEc/OVAE Joint Leadership Meeting last week, Duncan told State Directors and other attendees that many CTE programs are not rigorous enough, and that they need to focus more on preparing CTE students for high-skill, high-wage, high-demand jobs.
The Secretary also emphasized that postsecondary completion is the bottom line; CTE programs must prepare students to earn postsecondary credentials or industry-recognized certifications. This is not surprising as the country strives to meet President Obama’s goal to have the highest number of college graduates in the world by 2020.
Besides achieving high postsecondary or certificate completion rates, Duncan proposed that quality CTE programs must demonstrate increased graduation rates and decreased dropout rates.
Duncan stated that programs or schools exhibiting high statistics in these areas should be replicated, while CTE programs not yielding results should be phased out. While he promotes taking successful CTE programs to scale, the Secretary separately noted that programs should be locally-driven and “the opposite of cookie-cutter.”
Sharing best practices in CTE is critical at this time. CTE programs that are not yielding high-achieving students must look to the examples of more successful programs and revamp.
Despite Duncan’s message, State Directors continue to cite encouraging statistics and compelling examples showing the success of CTE in preparing college- and career-ready students.
Opening General Session of the Joint NASDCTEc/OVAE Spring Leadership Meeting Held April 18-20, 2011
April 28th, 2011The National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) and The Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) partnered for the 2011 Spring Leadership meeting in Washington, DC, from April 18-20, 2011. The meeting highlighted a new branding for CTE and the future direction for our work: “Career Technical Education: Learning that Works for America.”
Dr. Phil Berkenbile
The meeting was opened with a welcome by NASDCTEc President Dr. Phil Berkenbile, State Director of Oklahoma, who set the tone for the meeting and positively remarked on the numbers of attendees present, thanking them for their participation and support of career technical education (CTE).
He then introduced Dr. Brenda Dann-Messier, Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education. Reflecting on two of OVAE’s CTE initiatives: to provide assistance to states to improve program quality, implementation, and accountability; and to establish national initiatives that help states implement rigorous career and technical education programs, Dr. Dann-Messier emphasized that among the strategies for improving CTE, top initiatives included a focus on rigorous programs of study, an enhanced accountability system, and a more detailed implementation plan for programs of study.
Dr. Brenda Dann-Messier
Citing that the fiscal 2011 bill negotiated by the President and Congress reflects tough choices that need to be made, Dann-Messier challenged the group by saying that CTE programs need to be strengthened. This comment would be further echoed by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on April 19, when he also addressed the group, saying “CTE programs need to strengthen their rigor and relevance – and deliver better outcomes for students.” Duncan’s Speech
Dr. Pat Ainsworth
NASDCTEc Vice President Dr. Pat Ainsworth, State Director of California, asked for the roll call of the states, a newly-revived past tradition, which enabled each state called to have a representative stand and announce those from their state in attendance. Pat was pleased to report an exceedingly high turnout of states in attendance, and welcomed several new members to the assembly.
Dr. Berkenbile continued the meeting with sponsor acknowledgements and recognition, rounding out the session with highlights of the meeting’s agenda.
More blogs on the meeting sessions and activities will be posted within the next several days – stay tuned!
Job Opportunities, Living Wage Harder to Secure for Individuals Who do not go to College
April 1st, 2011The U.S. Labor Department reported that employers added about 190,000 jobs in March, which overall is good news for the nation. However, those who have not secured postsecondary education will have a more difficult time securing a job that will provide them with a living wage, according to a recent New York Times article.
The article focuses primarily on the levels of income people must earn to sustain a living above the poverty line, however it does underscore the growing importance of preparing students for college and career — a primary objective of CTE.
“Given the needs of a more cognitive and more versatile labor force,” said Cliff Waldman, an economist at the Manufacturers Alliance, a trade group, said in the article. “I’m afraid that those that don’t have the education are going to be part of a structural unemployment story.”
Individuals who only have earned a high school degree have are not doing well during these early stages of the nation’s economic recovery. Between 2008 and February, the gap in unemployment rates more than doubled between individuals who only earned a high school diploma and those with at least a four-year college degree.
US Innovative Education Forum Accepting Applications
March 16th, 2011The annual US Innovative Education Forum (IEF), hosted by Microsoft, honors innovative teachers and schools. The forum provides teachers and schools the opportunity to showcase how technology furthers education transformation by being appropriately incorporated into curricula, pedagogy, and classrooms. The work of schools and teachers engaged in CTE often is at the vanguard of innovation and are eligible to apply.
The application process does not limit to a single application per school. There are opportunities for different innovative teachers, projects, or teams. Kelly Green, Academic Program Manager with US Partners in Learning, indicated, “IEF is a great way to promote the activities the students are engaged in . . . and if selected, this is a great way to showcase the school or district.”
More information about the application and process, including a video of past winners and is available at http://www.microsoft.com/education/uspil/USIEF/default.mspx.