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This Week in CTE

December 1st, 2017

TWEET OF THE WEEK

CTE FRIDAY FACT

76% of Americans say middle or high school is the right time to start exploring career options, compared to just 7% who say college is the right time. CTE helps learners find their passion and prepare for the future before investing in their postsecondary education.

ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

A new article on Education Week, explores the ways in which learners gain critical skills such as communication, critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork they need to be successful in a global economy. Read about how CTE and project based learning can be used as a potential strategy to help learners in gaining these skills.

WEBINAR OF THE WEEK

Join a webinar on December 13 from 1 – 2:15 p.m. ET to learn how state leaders can align labor market efforts with the education pipeline to provide students with the academic, technical, and employability skills they need to be successful in the workplace. Aligning the education-to-workforce pipeline can help increase cost-efficiency, promote coherence, and produce better outcomes for students and workers. This webinar will highlight three forthcoming CCRS Center resources, Developing a College- and Career-Ready Workforce: An Analysis of ESSA, Perkins, and WIOA.

Katie Fitzgerald, Senior Communications Associate 

Posted in Advance CTE Announcements, Advance CTE Resources, Meetings and Events, Publications, Research, Resources, Webinars | Comments Off on This Week in CTE

This Week in CTE

September 22nd, 2017

WEBINAR OF THE WEEK

Safe Students, Safe Workers: Construction Safety Programs in Post-Secondary Career Technical Education Webinar: Learn what post-secondary Career Technical Education programs (CTE) in construction are doing and how to support development of students’ skills for safe work in the classroom and on the job. What administrative systems, instructor support, curriculum content and teaching activities are needed? Presenters will share concrete examples and results from site visits, interviews, and a national survey of instructors and administrators in construction CTE programs in 2-year colleges, as well as action steps and resources for administrators and instructors of CTE programs from a new guide.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WEEK 

Submit a proposal to the 2018 Linked Learning Convention. The Convention brings together more than 900 leaders from education, workforce, research, policy, and nonprofits for strategic conversations and meaningful professional learning aimed at ensuring all students are well prepared for college, career, and life.

TOOL OF THE WEEK 

CNA recently released its interactive labor market analysis tool, which is intended to help CTE stakeholders identify high-wage, high-demand careers and associated education and/or training requirements. The tool was created using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ national job projections until 2024.

Katie Fitzgerald, Senior Communications Associate

Posted in Advance CTE Announcements, Advance CTE Resources, Meetings and Events, News, Publications, Research, Resources | Comments Off on This Week in CTE

How to Sell CTE to Parents & Students: States Share Lessons Learned

August 15th, 2017

In the spring, Advance CTE conducted focus groups and a national survey with parents and students to explore their attitudes towards Career Technical Education (CTE). Detailed in the recent report,  “The Value and Promise of Career Technical Education: Results from a National Survey of Parents and Students,”  Advance CTE found that students involved in CTE, and their parents, are extremely satisfied with their education experience – from the quality of their courses to the opportunity for work-based learning. Additionally, those not involved in CTE want more of these same opportunities, which we know CTE can provide.

Four states piloted the messages developed through the research in a series of onsite and online events with the goal of increasing enrollment into CTE programs of study. On September 7, join us from 3 – 4 p.m. ET for a webinar to hear how two states, Maryland and New Jersey, developed their recruitment strategies and activities, utilized the messages and research, and empowered educators, employers, administrators and even students to carry out the messages to middle and high school students and their parents.
Speakers: 
  • Marquita Friday, Program Manager, Maryland State Department of Education
  • Lori Howard, Communications Officer, Office of Career Readiness, New Jersey Department of Education
  • Katie Fitzgerald, Senior Associate, Communications, Advance CTE
Space is limited to be sure to register now! 
Katie Fitzgerald, Senior Associate, Communications 

Posted in Advance CTE Announcements, Advance CTE Resources, Meetings and Events, Research, Resources, Webinars | Comments Off on How to Sell CTE to Parents & Students: States Share Lessons Learned

Computer Skills No Longer Optional

April 21st, 2017

This post is written by the Certiport, a Diamond Level sponsor of the 2017 Advance CTE Spring Meeting.

It’s easy to think of the millennial generation, those born roughly between 1982 and 2002, as tech-savvy digital natives — and in many ways they are. Immersed in consumer technology since birth, today’s youth has mastered the art of the swipe, the selfie and social media. So it may come as a surprise that millennials often lack essential digital skills needed to succeed in the workplace — be it a conventional office setting, an auto mechanic’s shop, or in a tractor on a farm.

Technology: Ubiquitous in Every Industry

Digital technology has extended its reach into every field imaginable — and it isn’t limited to white collar careers. Ninety-six percent of working Americans use new communications technologies as part of their daily life, while 62 percent use the internet as an integral part of their jobs.1 Nearly all industries today require at least some on-the-job interaction with a digital device, including sectors the general public often doesn’t consider technology dependent.

Succeeding in the Modern Workplace

Basic digital literacy skills are requisite in virtually every industry everywhere you go, but students often enter the workforce without them. This is why performance-based digital literacy certifications — such as Certiport’s IC3 Digital Literacy Certification — are critical for both employers and students.

“A certificate provides an excellent opportunity for kids to reach a goal. There’s a lot of discipline in obtaining a certificate, and a lot of structure in certificate programs. These elements help students become successful at whatever they pursue beyond high school.”
–Dan Ramirez, National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3)

Learn More

We invite you to read more about the need for globally-recognized, third-party validated digital literacy skills in the issue brief that will be included in your Advance CTE Spring Meeting conference bag.

Certiport offers performance- and knowledge-based certification exams, as well as courseware and practice materials for the following programs:

  • Microsoft Office Specialist
  • Microsoft Technology Associate
  • Adobe Certified Associate
  • Autodesk Certified User
  • QuickBooks Certified User
  • IC3 Digital Literacy Certification
  • IC3 Spark
  • Entrepreneurship and Small Business NEW
  • ToonBoom Certified Associate NEW

Please join us Tuesday evening for drinks and discussion at our hospitality suite (Room 825 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel) from 5 to 7 PM. Click here to RSVP.

We look forward to visiting with you at the Spring Meeting.

Eldon Lechtenberg, Vice President, Sales-Americas
Mike Maddock, VP, Microsoft Volume Licensing Business – Americas
Lori Monson, Senior Director, NOAM Sales
Brent Clark, Director, Strategic Accounts – NOAM

 

 

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The Keys to Credential Quality

April 3rd, 2017

This post is written by NOCTI, a Gold Level sponsor of the 2017 Advance CTE Spring Meeting. 

NOCTI has served the CTE community as a non-profit entity for over 50 years.  Our services and processes have continued to evolve over these five decades and we have learned a few key things about quality during this evolution process—particularly about quality factors associated with standards and credential development. Recent estimates indicate there are over 4,000 industry credentials and roughly 2,000 licenses available for possible utilization in CTE programs. Even if these totals only numbered in the thousands, it would be difficult to determine what credentials should be used for students. In order to help understand the terminology, we wanted to provide some standard definitions which are key components of initiatives in which we are heavily engaged.

NOCTI is currently involved with the Credential Engine (formerly the Credentialing Transparency Initiative sponsored by Lumina and JP Morgan), GEMEnA (an interagency working group that is focused on changing the US Census to collect credentialing information), The Association of Test Publishers, and the Digital Badge Alliance,  all of which have connections to the world of credentials.

  • Certificate: A credential that designates requisite mastery of the knowledge and skills of an occupation, profession, or academic program.
  • Certification: A time-limited, renewable non-degree credential awarded by an authoritative body to an individual or organization for demonstrating the designated knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform a specific job.
  • Credential: A verification of qualification or competency issued to an individual by a third party with the relevant authority or jurisdiction to issue such verification.
  • License: A credential awarded by a government agency that constitutes legal authority to do a specific job and/or utilize a specific item, system or infrastructure; typically fee based and time-limited with opportunities for periodic renewal.
  • Open Digital Badge: A digital verification designed to be displayed as verification of accomplishment, activity, achievement, skill, interest, association, or identity and containing verifiable claims in accordance with accepted specifications.
  • Quality Assurance: A document assuring that an organization, program, or awarded credential meets prescribed requirements of accrediting bodies, typically ISO 17.024 (e.g., ICAC).

Many states are engaged in processes related to credential approval and assembling state-approved lists of both credentials and credential providers.  Career and technical educators speak the language of education and industry by nature of the occupation, but in most cases, these individuals are educators first.  Educators must be mindful of quality indicators and find ways to ask more questions of credential providers, rather than those that only relate to the utilization of a particular credential in a specific sector. Here are five key questions to consider asking of credential providers to assist in determining quality.

Five Key Questions:

  1. Is there curricular alignment to the credential being selected? Typically, technical curriculum is part of a program of study and is based on accepted national standards so ensuring the selected credential accurately measures the curricular content is an important linkage.
  2. Is there a publicly available technical manual? The technical manual includes things like the structure and size of the validation population, the qualifications of the content experts, and the revision dates. Information presented in a technical manual is critical to the quality of the assessment upon which the credential is based.
  3. Is the provider accredited under accepted standards? ISO 17.024 is the international standard for providers that deliver credentials and certificates. Making sure a credential provider is aware of these standards and verifying the credential provider was evaluated by a third party to validate their adherence to the standards is an essential step.
  4. Is learner outcome data provided to assist with instructional improvement? Feedback data provided at the standard and competency levels is extremely helpful to educators in making curricular and instructional improvements.
  5. Does the provider offer “value adds”? Asking questions about available administration accommodations, report options that include integrated academics, college credit, and digital badge opportunities are important value adds for students.

 

NOCTI’s response to each of these questions is a resounding “yes!”  Can your other credential providers answer the same?  Taking a moment to ask these simple questions can help ensure that you are using a reliable and valid quality credential for your students.  Interested in knowing more about what NOCTI can do for your state?  Seek us out at the upcoming Advance CTE spring meeting where we are pleased to be a GOLD sponsor!  You can also reach us at nocti@nocti.org if you have more specific questions about how we can assist your state with a customized solution.

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Highlights from ACTE’s National Policy Seminar

March 20th, 2017

I’m Kathryn Zekus and I’m the new Senior Associate for Federal Policy. I’ll be leading Advance CTE’s government relations efforts, including advancing our federal legislative priorities, engaging Advance CTE’s members in advocacy efforts, and maintaining and growing meaningful partnerships with relevant stakeholders.

Given the renewed energy around reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins), I’m especially excited to jump into this work and had great opportunities to do so this past week at the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) National Policy Seminar (NPS) in Washington, D.C. Some major highlights from NPS were Josh Kraushaar’s keynote address, which pushed the audience to think about political capital, the state of the party politics in the U.S., and what may be in store in 2018, noting that Democrats only need 24 additional House seats to be in the majority and that this is a more likely outcome than big gains in the Senate, from his perspective as Political Editor at the National Journal.

Additionally, Kim R.  Ford, Acting Assistant Secretary in the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education, encouraged the audience to maintain its commitment to Career Technical Education (CTE), noting that now is the time to lift up the positive outcomes associated with CTE. She also called on the audience to transform the language used to describe the opportunities CTE provides by emphasizing how it positions students for success in life.

Lastly, Sarah Raikes, 2017 ACTE Teacher of the Year, shared what advocacy for CTE means to her and urged her colleagues to jump into advocacy efforts wholeheartedly. Her succinct message and inspiring personal story was an excellent example of effective advocacy and a great conclusion to the day.

The next day, NPS organized opportunities for ACTE’s membership to meet with their members of Congress to advocate for CTE. The day ended with a reception sponsored by the Senate CTE Caucus, Project Lead the Way and ACTE where attendees heard from Senators Todd Young (R-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) about their bipartisan commitment to CTE. In addition to hearing from these CTE champions, students from all over the country showcased their innovative CTE projects, inventions and ideas. The student presentations were incredibly impressive and many focused on solving real-world problems. For example, one student designed a device for the inside of an athlete’s helmet to cool him/her down during physical activity! Hearing from students’ about their educational experiences brought CTE to life for all who attended the reception.

The last day of NPS focused on the teacher education pipeline, and included panel discussions that touched on the nuances of the issue, the variety of state and local contexts that impact it and tangible solutions that the audience could implement to support the recruitment and retention of CTE educators. In addition, our very own Kate Kreamer discussed the findings from our recently released report, The State of Career Technical Education: Increasing Access to Industry Experts in High Schools. All in all, NPS was a great start to my first week at Advance CTE and a valuable learning experience – I’m already looking forward to my next CTE meeting, the 2017 Advance CTE Spring Meeting!

Kathryn Zekus, Senior Associate, Federal Policy

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2017 School Counselor of the Year will Keynote Advance CTE Spring Meeting

February 2nd, 2017

We’re proud to announce the keynote speaker for this year’s meeting: Terri Tchorzynski, the 2017 School Counselor of the Year!

Tchorzynski is a school counselor at the Calhoun Area Career Center in BattleCreek, Michigan, where she and her fellow counselors use the power of data to identify interventions and support students’ social-emotional health, college and career readiness preparation, and academics. Tchorzynski’s remarks will focus on the importance of school counselors and bring some insights into counseling CTE students.

The School Counselor of the Year program is presented by the American School Counselor Association, and finalists are chosen based on creative school counseling innovations, effective programs, leadership skills and contributions to student advancement.

Or hear from one of her former students – now a graduate of the Culinary Institute of Michigan – in her own words.

Katie Fitzgerald, Senior Associate, Communications 

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This Week in CTE

October 21st, 2016

TWEET OF THE WEEK

ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

Harvard Political Review published an article making the case for Career Technical Education as an important option for students who want a pathway to a successful career:  “Students often leave CTE programs with certifications that allow them to immediately enter the workforce. Surprisingly, some see this as CTE’s greatest failing. Yes, welders might make up to $140,000 dollars a year, but how can the government support “condemning” students to blue-collar labor? The reasoning of many against CTE programs seems misguided at best.”

WEBINAR OF THE WEEK

Join us for a webinar on November 10 taking a deep dive into the application process for the 2017 Excellence in Action award. You will hear from past award recipients and a member of the selection committee on what makes an award-winning program, providing insight into how to create a successful application.

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

National Skills Coalition released a report on the importance of providing supports to low-income people for postsecondary education and training, citing Arkansas’ Career Pathways Initiative as a model program.

Katie Fitzgerald, Senior Associate, Communications 

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Advance CTE Fall Meeting Registration Closes Friday

September 27th, 2016

Don’t miss your opportunity to network with your peers and experts at this year’s Advance CTE Fall Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland! Join us October 17-19 to take on some of today’s most important CTE issues through informative breakout sessions, facilitated small-group discussions and expert-led panels.

Session HighlightBaltimore

Work with your peers and take a deep dive into how states have tackled the following topics during collaboration roundtables:

  • Developing a Statewide Vision and Fostering Ownership
  • Targeting Stakeholder Messaging
  • Ensuring Quality and Equity in Rural Regions
  • Analyzing Data to Tell the Story of CTE in Your State
  • Aligning Secondary and Postsecondary Systems to Improve Student Success
  • Fostering Meaningful State-Local Partnerships

Also, don’t miss this opportunity to cruise Baltimore’s Inner Harbor during the Advance CTE Fall Meeting! On Tuesday, October 18, this fun and relaxing event will include drinks, dinner, music, and the beautiful sights from the harbor. This dinner cruise was a favorite from several years ago, and we are excited to bring it back for this year’s meeting.kuder_logo

To join us, be sure to let us know you’re coming to this event when you register for the meeting.

This event is made possible thanks to sponsorship and partnership with Kuder, Inc.

Registration Closes Friday so Register Today!

Katie Fitzgerald, Communications Associate 

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This Week in CTE: Let Us Know How You Get Industry Experts in the Classroom

August 26th, 2016

TWEET OF THE WEEK

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

Kansas released a new tool to help users find high-demand, high-wage occupations in their communities, along with what education and training it takes to work in those occupations.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WEEK

Winners of the Reach Higher Career App Challenge were announced by First Lady Michelle Obama this week. The challenge, which called on students, educators and the public to develop mobile applications that helped middle and high school students navigate career pathways was won by ThinkZone Games, who will receive $100,000.

REPORT OF THE WEEK

We released a new brief this week as part of our Connecting the Classroom to Careers series exploring work-based learning. The latest installment highlights examples from three states that demonstrate either a systems-level or student-level approach to measuring work-based learning activities.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

One of the five principles of Advance CTE’s Shared Vision for CTE is that all learning should be facilitated by knowledgeable experts. Within that principle is a call to action to build and support a pool of experts to supplement learning, including bringing experts in as full-time, part-time or adjunct instructors through alternative and dual certification, along with other strategies.

To advance this principle, we are surveying state and local leaders across the country to understand how they are approaching this issue. In particular, we are hoping to discover what local innovations are happening in this area. The information from this report will be analyzed and released in a report later this year.

Katie Fitzgerald, Communications Associate

Posted in Advance CTE Announcements, Advance CTE Fall Meeting, Advance CTE Resources, Meetings and Events, News, Resources | Comments Off on This Week in CTE: Let Us Know How You Get Industry Experts in the Classroom

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