Posts Tagged ‘excellence in action’

Legislative Update: Bipartisan Spotlight on CTE This Week

Friday, February 10th, 2023

This week the President delivered the annual State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress, while the House held its first hearing of the new 118th Congress. Elsewhere Career Technical Education (CTE) champions in the House introduced a resolution designating February as CTE Month while lawmakers reintroduced legislation that would greatly expand postsecondary CTE opportunities for learners across the country. 

President Biden Delivers State of the Union 

On Tuesday, February 7, President Joe Biden delivered the annual State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. The speech focused on the President and Congress’ accomplishments over the last two years, including significant investments in advanced manufacturing, the nation’s infrastructure, and other domestic priorities, while also reiterating a need to “finish the job” in the 118th Congress—a recurrent theme that the President returned to throughout the evening. Ahead of the address to the joint session of Congress, First Lady Jill Biden’s guests included Kate Foley– a 10th grade computer-integrated manufacturing student who the First Lady had met last year during a visit she and other Administration officials made to CTE programs in Rolling Meadows High School. In addition, Rep. Glusenkamp Perez (D-WA) brought Cory Toppa, a construction, engineering design, and manufacturing teacher at Kalama High School and the director of CTE for the Kalama school district as her guest during the speech. 

During the speech, the President touched on a wide range of issues, including universal preschool for three- and four-year olds, raising teacher salaries, and calling on Congress to provide greater resources for digital connectivity. However, the President consistently highlighted the centrality of education and workforce development as part of America’s ability to compete within the wider global economy. Notably, the President touched on Career Technical Education (CTE) saying, in part, “Let’s finish the job, and connect students to career opportunities starting in high school, provide access to two years of community college, the best career training in America, in addition to being a pathway to a four-year degree. Let’s offer every American a path to a good career, whether they go to college or not.” 

Reinforcing the Biden Administration’s sincere and growing interest in CTE, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited high school career academies in Omaha, Nebraska the following day to discuss students’ experiences in these programs. Advance CTE was proud to honor this program as an Excellence in Action awardee in 2015, highlighting the program’s exemplary performance which was on full display as part of the Secretary’s visit this week. As shared by the U.S. Department of Education (USED), the visit was also intended to reinforce Secretary Cardona’s recent speech outlining his Department’s priorities for the coming year, which include a focus on strengthening CTE pathways for students. A full transcript of the President’s State of the Union Address can be accessed here

House Education Committee Hosts First Hearing

The newly renamed House Education and the Workforce Committee, Chaired by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) held its first hearing this week titled, “American Education in Crisis.” Witnesses included Virginia Gentles, Director of the Education Freedom Center at the Independent Women’s Forum, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Scott Pulsipher, the President of Western Governors University, and Monty Sullivan, the President of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. The wide-ranging hearing was intended to highlight aspects of the committee’s likely agenda over the next year ranging from K-12 and postsecondary education to workforce development. During the hearing several CTE topics were discussed at length, including the need to greatly expand postsecondary CTE opportunities by enacting legislation that would expand federal Pell grant eligibility for high-quality, shorter-term CTE programs. 

Hearing witnesses, along with an array of committee members on both sides of the aisle, also voiced support for these much needed reforms to the nation’s postsecondary education system. “The single most important step Congress can take in helping address our nation’s skill shortage is to immediately authorize the use of Pell Grants for workforce programs. . . [I] strongly urge Congress to come to consensus on legislation that, when passed, will enable a significant increase in the number of students across the country who will have a new opportunity in how they improve their skills”  Monty Sullivan shared as part of his testimony. 

Beyond short-term Pell reform, the hearing also touched on the need to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Higher Education Act (HEA), most notably by more tightly aligning these federal investments in future legislative updates. In particular, witnesses spoke about the importance of wrap-around services and developing integrated systems of education and workforce development that more effectively ensured learner and worker success. Witnesses also voiced strong support for expanding work-based learning opportunities, particularly  apprenticeship programs and called for a broadening of federal support for multiple postsecondary pathways that lead to opportunity. An archived webcast of the more than three hour hearing can be found here.  

House Lawmakers Reintroduce the JOBS Act

Late last week, a group of bipartisan lawmakers including Reps. Bill Johnson (R-OH), Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-DE), Michael Turner (R-OH), and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), reintroduced the Jumpstarting our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act (H.R. 793)– legislation that would expand federal Pell grant funding eligibility to high-quality, shorter-term CTE programs that meet certain criteria. The bill is the House companion to legislation also reintroduced in the Senate last week, which is currently supported by just under half of the upper chamber. Advance CTE is proud to support this legislation and encourages members to reach out to their Representatives to encourage them to co-sponsor the legislation this Congress. More on the reintroduction can be found here

House CTE Caucus Introduces CTE Month Resolution 

On Wednesday, February 8th, House CTE Caucus Co-chairs Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) introduced a resolution recognizing and designating February as National CTE Month (H. Res. 110). The resolution was co-sponsored by a broad bipartisan coalition of 71 Representatives– a new high watermark of support for the annual resolution. Advance CTE and the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) were joined by more than 50 other organizations who also supported the introduction of the resolution this week. 

“We are proud to support the 2023 Career Technical Education (CTE) Month resolution as a celebration and recognition of the impact CTE has for learners as they explore and find their career passions, secure meaningful credentials of value aligned to in-demand careers and provide employers with a highly skilled workforce that is responsive to rapidly evolving industry needs,” said Advance CTE Executive Director Kimberly Green. More on the introduction can be found here

Senate HELP Organizes

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee– the entity with responsibility over CTE policymaking in the Senate– met for the first time this week to formally organize and adopt rules for the Congress. New HELP Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) emphasized his desire to focus on a wide range of healthcare issues, including a focus on the workforce shortages within the sector. Chair Sanders noted that “We desperately need plumbers and carpenters and electricians and yet we don’t have the training capabilities of doing that.” He highlighted apprenticeships as a potential strategy to address these needs and emphasized that he hoped to work together with Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and his colleagues on these issues in the coming Congress. 

During remarks,  Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) emphasized his desire to reauthorize WIOA and HEA, while also identifying reducing the costs of postsecondary education as being another potential area of bipartisan consensus he hoped to pursue over the next two years. The brief organizational meeting also featured high-level remarks from other committee members who highlighted their priorities for the coming Congress. As part of the meeting HELP members adopted rules for the committee unanimously, as well as a budget, before adjourning. An archived webcast of the meeting can be found here

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor 

By Jodi Langellotti in Public Policy
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Excellence in Action Award Recipients Announced!

Thursday, May 26th, 2016

On Tuesday we announced the 11 Excellence in Action award recipients that  demonstrate  innovative and high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE). The awardees were chosen by a national selection committee based on their proven ability to prepare students for education and career success, demanding coursework, high-quality work-based learning experiences, and sustained partnerships with education, business and community leaders.Iowa

Award winners include:

Cesar“CTE should prepare all students for success in both postsecondary education and careers, and these programs of study do exactly that,” said Kimberly Green, Advance CTE Executive Director. “The eleven award winners were chosen, in part, due to their dedication to ensuring access to and supporting success for all students. We hope these programs of study serve as a model for leaders across the country by demonstrating what high-quality CTE looks like and can offer to students and communities.”

Scott Nail representing Upper Valley Career Center, a 2015 award recipient said, “What an amazing honor for UVCC to be chosen. This award has allowed UVCC to share best practices with federal policymakers and the White House administration, a testament to how CTE is being reshaped to help prepare students for high-demand, high-wage jobs.”

Award recipients were honored at the 2016 Advance CTE Spring Meeting at a luncheon where 40 administrators, educators and students traveled across the country to be recognized.

Katie Fitzgerald, Communications Associate 

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Apply Today for the 2016 Excellence in Action Award!

Monday, October 26th, 2015

We are delighted to announce the opening of the 2016 Excellence in Action award! This award recognizes 2016ExcellenceinActionappinnovative programs of study from across the country that successfully implement the Career Clusters-based program of study and have a meaningful impact on student achievement and success.

Receiving the Excellence in Action award means your program of study will be showcased on a national level through conferences, webinars, in a monthly newsletter to members of Congress, in the media, on our website and in our blog. It’s a chance to show the rest of the country how your program of study prepares students for successful and meaningful careers through high-quality CTE. If you want to see examples of some stellar programs of study, take a look at the 2014 and 2015 winners, some of which were featured at the White House.

We encourage you to join our informational webinar on November 10 from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. ET to learn from past award winners and a member of the selection committee on what makes not only a successful program of study, but also and award-winning application.

For additional questions please email awards@careertech.org.

Katie Fitzgerald, Communications Associate

By admin in Advance CTE Announcements, News
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Celebrating Excellence for Manufacturing Day

Friday, October 2nd, 2015

In honor of Manufacturing Day, we’d like to highlight one of our 2015 Excellence in Action award winners in Microsoft Word - Letter of Reference - Excellence in Action.docthe Manufacturing Career Cluster. The Welding Technology Program at Butte-Glenn Community College (BGCC) in Oroville, California is an exemplary program of study relying on rigorous program performance standards and national curriculum standards along with quality employer partnerships to produce entry-level technicians prepared to work in the industry.

BGCC has developed articulation agreements with 20 high schools in the state, and offers opportunities for high school students to complete college courses through concurrent enrollment. In 2013-2014 almost 80 students earned postsecondary credits through these agreements, creating a true pathway to postsecondary success.

Once students enter postsecondary education, they have the opportunity to earn a variety of certifications and have access to work hands on with industry leaders. For example, PG&E and the college developed the PG&E Power Pathway for welding, providing curriculum, instructor training and scholarships for welding students. “I have found Butte College’s program to be exemplary and a model for others. Frankly, I consider them to be one of the best welding programs in our state,” said Kerry Shatell, Sr. Welding Engineer at PG&E. “The graduates are considered to be more highly qualified and able to perform journeyman level work sooner than other graduates in the marketplace.”

This sentiment rings true with data showing that 92 percent of students earned a pass rate for a certification, and all students entered the workforce or military upon completion of the program.

Read more about BGCC’s Welding program of study here, and join us in celebrating Manufacturing Day! We will be on Twitter sharing exciting news, events and resources throughout the day.

 Katie Fitzgerald, Communications Associate 

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EMS Program Models Secondary and Postsecondary Partnerships

Friday, September 11th, 2015

Walter’s State Community College’s (WSCC) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program in Morristown, Full page photoTennessee is a model of partnerships between a postsecondary institution and 23 surrounding high schools. Students being the program of study as early as ninth grade where they can earn up to four college credits and have the opportunity to transfer seamlessly into WSCC to become a certified emergency medical technician or paramedic.

The EMS program of study truly spans secondary and postsecondary education and has yielded some incredible results. Of the 28 secondary students participating in the program, all graduated high school and nearly all earned articulated credit and/or a postsecondary credential and enrolled in postsecondary education. For those completing the postsecondary component, they enjoyed a very impressive post-program placement rate from WSCC of 96 percent.

WSCC will be featured during a session at the Association for Career and Technical Education’s annual CareerTech VISION conference in New Orleans, LA in November. Don’t miss the chance to hear from this best practice program and register for the conference today. You can also learn more about WSCC’s EMS program here.

Katie Fitzgerald, Communications Associate 

By admin in Advance CTE Resources
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Nine CTE Programs of Study Receive the Excellence in Action Award

Thursday, April 16th, 2015

Last week we recognized our 2015 “Excellence in Action” award winners, representing the best Career Technical Education (CTE) has to offer. These programs of study were selected based on their uniquely inventive and effective approaches to award-blogstimulating student learning, offering extensive work-based learning experiences, maintaining strong partnerships with industry and community organizations, and preparing students for postsecondary and career success. Nine award winners from across the country were honored during a luncheon and reception at the NASDCTEc 2015 Spring Meeting in Washington, D.C.

The winners are:

blog-2In addition to the award ceremony, winners will invited to present their programs of study to meeting attendees. “These Excellence in Action award winners exemplify everything that high-quality CTE programs can and should be,” said Kimberly Green, Executive Director of NASDCTEc. “These programs have students graduating at above average rates, are aligned with employer and industry needs and certification standards, and build meaningful partnerships, all to prepare students to succeed in their careers.”

Two-page profiles of each winner, detailing their unique strengths and opportunities are available here.

Katie Fitzgerald, Communications Associate 

By admin in Advance CTE Spring Meeting, News
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Achieving Excellence in the New School Year: Union County Academy for Performing Arts

Thursday, October 2nd, 2014

This summer was one of progress and change at the Union County Academy for Performing Arts (APA), with program administrator Scott Rubin moving on to East Hanover School District and supervisor Kelly Douglas-Jackson taking over in his place. In spite of turnover at the top of this innovative program, Ms. Douglas-Jackson reported that APA has only gotten stronger from last year, when it earned our Excellence in Action award for the Arts, A/V Technology and Communications Career Cluster®.

Deepening its partnership with Kean University, which sees APA students spend their entire senior year attending college courses while earning full credit toward their high school diploma, APA students amassed over 1,500 credit hours at Kean with 3.4 collective GPA. APA was also ranked as one of the top high schools in America by Newsweek.

APA also has set a course for expansion, inviting more industry professionals to the school to teach master classes and will add a Technical Theatre program including, scenic design, lighting design, sound design, and costume design. The new major will coincide with another bump in enrollment putting the program at its highest enrollment in its six-year history.

Continuing with their tradition of extremely high postsecondary placement, APA recorded a 100 percent graduation rate and a 100% postsecondary placement rate in the 2013-2014 school year. Check out all the details of APA’s Excellence in Action award here. Also, keep an eye on the Learning that Works Blog for the opening of Excellence in Action application period this fall!

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Achieving Excellence in the New School Year – Rebel Construction at Tolsia High

Friday, August 29th, 2014

As the new school year commences, our Excellence in Action award winners are hard at work, improving upon the great work that earned them our annual commendation in their respective Career Cluster®.

Tolsia High School’s Rebel Construction — part of West Virginia’s innovative Simulated Workplace initiative — is already actively building on last year’s success. The beginning of this school year saw visits from U.S. Department of Labor officials, as well as administrators from Workforce West Virginia curious to see Rebel Construction in action. (Story here.)

Wrapping the 2013-2014 school year as the most profitable of the Simulated Workplace program pilot in the state, Tolsia’s success has enhanced its already stellar reputation among West Virginia CTE programs. An early adopter of the initiative, Tolsia has set the standard for expansion schools joining in 2014-2015.

“I have spoken with representatives from several other schools seeking information on how we do things,” said CTE teacher and program lead Hugh Roberts. “Many instructors and administrators are apprehensive about getting started, but once they get into it, they find Simulated Workplace isn’t so different from what we already do in any successful program. After the first year of the pilot, my advice is to embrace students becoming partners in the operation of a CTE program. It is a huge step in changing from a teacher centered environment to a student centered learning environment and may be the most daunting for incoming programs. Students taking an active leadership role learn what it is like for their choices to have impact. It’s a new and beneficial kind of learning.”

That new learning appears to be paying dividends in student performance. One Tolsia carpentry student won the SkillsUSA West Virginia Carpentry State Championship, an honor that won him a coveted apprenticeship through Carpenters Local 302 out of nearby Huntington, WV. An archetype for a career pathway, that student’s experience is one component of broader collaboration through Tolsia carpentry/Rebel Construction, West Virginia Carpenters and SkillsUSA.

He is not the only student who has had success as a result of the program, however. Mr. Roberts acknowledges a pointed change in his relationship with students after graduation.

“In the past, I would only hear from students occasionally after graduation. Last year’s graduates developed a line communication with me through text and email through the call in process to report absences.” As a result, he says, he’s been able to actively help students as they move onto the next step in life, whether that means looking for a job or pursuing more schooling.

Nor were we the only ones to recognize Tolsia’s success last year. As a result of its success in the Simulated Workplace program, the West Virginia State Board of Education is recognizing Mr. Roberts and Rebel Construction as a standout program, and there’s plenty more upcoming for the Architecture and Construction Career Cluster award winners.

“It seems like I have never stopped in recent weeks!” Mr. Roberts said.

Evan Williamson, Communications Associate

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Achieving Excellence in the New School Year – Computer Information Technology at TCAT-Shelbyville

Wednesday, August 20th, 2014

As the new school year commences, our Excellence in Action award winners are hard at work, improving upon the great work that earned them our annual commendation in their respective Career Cluster®.

Our Information Technology Career Cluster winner, the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Computer Information Technology (CIT) program has been working hard over the summer to expand its outreach efforts, stretch its curriculum across Career Clusters and reach more students.

While CIT already provides an impressive six diplomas, eight certificates and nine industry-recognized certifications, it plans to add the high-demand Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) certification, multi-leveled server certification and a more comprehensive wireless program to align their offerings to industry needs.

CIT has also seen its alumni paying it forward to the latest generation of graduates in the form of advising and mentorship. CIT regularly brings graduates back to counsel current students in the scope of the IT field today, and received feedback over the summer from recent graduates who have stayed in the region receiving strong mentorship from more senior CIT alumni who are now their colleagues and supervisors.

Click here for our Excellence in Action profile on CIT, and click here for more information on CIT from TCAT-Shelbyville.

Evan Williamson, Communications Associate

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