Posts Tagged ‘Standards’

Middle Grades CTE: Standards, Curriculum & Assessment

Tuesday, May 12th, 2020

There is widespread agreement that high school is too late to begin to expose learners to careers and the foundational skills needed to access and succeed in careers, but there remains a lack of consensus about what CTE and career readiness should entail at the middle grades level.

Advance CTE, with support from ACTE, convened a Shared Solutions Workgroup of national, state and local leaders to identify the core components of a meaningful middle grades CTE experience. This collaboration resulted in Broadening the Path: Design Principles for Middle Grades CTE and a companion blog series exploring each of the core programmatic elements of middle grades CTE defined in the paper. In this first entry in the blog series, we will examine the core programmatic element of standards, curriculum and assessment.

As the backbone of a robust middle school CTE experience, middle grades CTE curriculum should ensure that students are exposed to careers across all 16 Career Clusters®, supplemented by opportunities to dig deeper into career areas of interest. Curriculum and assessments should be based on clear, consistent standards that integrate academic, employability and, where appropriate, foundational technical skills and align to other relevant standards across the education continuum.

A number of states have developed, or are in the process of developing, standards for middle grades CTE and career development. Idaho has taken a rigorous approach to this work, partnering with Education Northwest to gather input from stakeholders through a statewide survey, regional focus groups and research on middle grades standards in other states. This process has led to a set of standards organized around three questions—“Who am I?” (self-evaluation), “What’s out there for me?” (career exploration) and “How do I get there?” (future planning). Ten schools will pilot the standards and associated materials in the 2020-21 school year.

In addition to standards development, states have created curriculum, lesson plans and assessments to help bring CTE and career exploration into the middle grades. For instance, Nebraska has developed a Career Development Model and Toolkit that includes a library of lesson plans for PK-12 learners that can be filtered by each of the state’s career readiness standards. The Technical Assistance Center of New York has developed rubrics to support CTE teachers in assessing life/career competencies in the middle grades. Teachers can create their own customized rubrics.

On the local level, Peoria Unified School District in Arizona has built a two-year curriculum for seventh- and eighth-grade students called Technology, Life & Careers (TLC). The TLC curriculum includes classroom- and lab-based instruction across multiple CTE subject areas as well as career assessments and interest inventories, work-based learning experiences and career and technical student organizations. The program culminates with students taking a deep dive into their career areas of interest and beginning their state-mandated Education and Career Action Plans.

As you reflect on this element of middle grades CTE in your state, district or school, consider such questions as:

For additional resources relevant to middle grades CTE standards, curriculum and assessment, check out the Middle Grades CTE Repository, another deliverable of this Shared Solutions Workgroup.

By Kate Blosveren Kreamer in Middle Grades CTE
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New Teaching Standards for CTE Released

Wednesday, March 4th, 2015

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards released revised standards for teachers in Career and Technical Education (CTE). The standards were developed by educators, board-certified teachers and researchers organized around eight pathways including:

The new standards are up-to-date with evolving content in each of the pathways, as well as encourage teachers to adapt their teaching according to the needs and abilities of their students. Additionally, they also allow teachers without a bachelor’s degree obtain CTE certification unless their state requirements state otherwise. Learn more about the new standards here.

Katie Fitzgerald, Communications Associate

By admin in News, Resources
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Why Is Workplace Safety Training Important?

Friday, September 19th, 2014

According to the CDC, there were approximately 18.1 million young people entering the workforce under the age of 24 in 2013—but this does not mean that these young workers are necessarily prepared and able to handle risks and hazards that can occur in a work environment.[i] Not being knowledgeable of hazards related to a specific job or knowing how to assess and correct a problem can lead to devastating injuries or even death for a worker.

Safety training can make workers more conscious of hazards and risks such as falls, vehicle accidents, overexertion injuries, and workplace violence. Unfortunately, workplace safety has the potential to be unintentionally overlooked which can leave workers and others on the job site unprotected. Every nine minutes, a U.S. teen is injured on the job.[ii] By preparing students for their first entry-level jobs and future career opportunities with safety and health training, young workers will be more capable protecting themselves and others.

The Department of LabCareerSafe Logo Orange Blueor reports that nearly 600,000 workers miss work each year because of muscoskeletal disorders related to work injuries alone; the collective cost to employers, insurance companies, and the government is estimated at $50 billion each year.[iii]

Workplace injuries not only affect the company, but can also lead to devastating consequences for a worker. Being injured while at work can lead to lost wages, large medical bills that may not be completely covered by workers’ compensation, and even disabilities that result in long-term unemployment. In addition to learning how to identify safety and health hazards, workplace safety training, especially OSHA training, provides workers with information regarding their rights in the workplace. First and foremost, workers are entitled to working conditions that are safe and do not pose a risk of serious harm or injury.

Successful occupational health and safety programs require the collaborating efforts and participation of employers and employees. Understanding and implementing safety and health standards related to the work environment is not only the responsibility of an employer but also an employee’s. Promoting health and safety as well as implementing training in the classroom can lead to young workers actively identifying, accessing, and correcting hazards in the classroom and at work. Incorporating a health and safety training program or OSHA safety training in the classroom is a way to lower risks to young workers and begin to prepare future business leaders and workers on practicing safe methods in the workplace. Online OSHA training, like the courses offered by CareerSafe Online, is an easy and affordable way to implement workplace safety training in any career and technical education (CTE) classroom. Because 80% or more of young workers are still in high school when they begin their first job, it gives educators an opportunity to prepare their students for employment as well as apprenticeships and internships related to their studies.[iv]

The more education and training workers receive, the more likely it is that there will be a reduction in injuries and the repercussions of those injuries. Young workers who have received OSHA safety training and possess an industry recognized credential are enhancing their resumes, becoming more employable, and may receive pay increase from employers. Employers want to hire individuals who not only understand the work involved in a position, but are also aware of the risks associated with daily tasks.

Students are our future. Let’s make safety a priority and enroll them in safety training today.

[i] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014) Young Worker Safety and Health.

[ii] Department of Labor, YouthRules. (2012) Are You a Teen Worker?

[iii] Jeffress, Charles N. (2000) BEACON Biodynamics and Ergonomics Symposium. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, United States Department of Labor.

[iv] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013) Health and Safety of Young Workers.

 

This blog post was written by CareerSafe Online, a participant and gold level sponsor at the 2014 NASDCTEc Fall Meeting

By admin in Advance CTE Fall Meeting
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The Common Career Technical Core, Programs of Study & Industry-Based Standards

Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

Yesterday, NASDCTEc released a new paper - The Common Career Technical Core, Programs of Study & Industry-Based Standards – during a webinar. Leveraging the methodology used to compare over 45 states’ CTE standards to the Common Career Technical Core (CCTC) last year for The State of Career Technical Education: An Analysis of State CTE Standards, this new paper examines how a set of 18 industry-based standards match up to the CCTC, with deep implications for state and local development of standards-based programs of study.

Critically, as we state in the paper, “The intent of this analysis is not to judge any industry-based standards…rather the intent is provide actionable information to state and local CTE leaders as think through how they use industry-based standards within the context of a program of study.”

What Did We Find?

For one, the industry-based standards, on average, were not particularly well aligned with the CCTC. However, this was largely as expected based on scope and design of the CCTC compared to most industry-based standards. The CCTC are benchmark standards that identify what a student should know and be able to do after completing a program of study. As “benchmark standards,” the CCTC are intentionally broad; as “end of program of study standards,” the CCTC cover the full range of knowledge and skills to be imparted over a sequence of courses, from the broadest career exploration to the more occupationally-specific skills. Alternatively, most industry-based standards focus squarely on those occupationally-specific skills, leading to a disconnect between them and the CCTC.

We also found that the majority of industry-based standards did not, on average, address the 12 Career Ready Practices, which are the cross-cutting skills and dispositions necessary for any individual in the workplace. Perhaps the most surprising finding was that less than half of the industry-based standards fully aligned to such Practices as “communicate clearly, effectively and with reason” and “work productively in teams while using cultural/global competence,” which are so highly demanded in today’s economy.

However, the analysis showed that many of the industry-based standards reviewed did align well with the Career Pathway-level standards, which are the most specific standards within the CCTC. Additionally, industry-based standards developed by consortia, such as the National Council for Agriculture Education and the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council, were much  more likely to address both the Career Cluster and Career Pathway-level standards.

What Are the Implications?

The bottom line is that industry-based standards play an important role in preparing students for careers, but that they cannot alone make up a program of study as they often fail to address the broader career exploration skills, as well as those key cross-cutting or “employability” skills that have utility in any career. As state leaders and other stakeholders develop, review and/or approve programs of study, they must:

Read the full report here, watch the webinar recording or download the webinar PPT.

Kate Blosveren, Associate Executive Director, NASDCTEc

By Kate Blosveren Kreamer in Advance CTE Resources, Publications, Research, Webinars
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Upcoming Webinar: The Common Career Technical Core, Programs of Study & Industry-Based Standards

Tuesday, July 8th, 2014

In 2012, NASDCTEc released the Common Career Technical Core, a set of standards developed by states, that lay out what a student should know and be able to do upon completion of a program of study. Since the Common Career Technical Core (CCTC) were released, a common question asked is how do the CCTC relate to industry-based standards?

Join NASDCTEc on a webinar on July 29, 2014 at 3:00 pm ET to discuss our new report, The Common Career Technical Core, Programs of Study & Industry-Based Standards, which analyzed a range of industry-based standards to help clarify how they might fit into a program of study undergirded by the CCTC, the methodology used, and its implications for the field.

Register here!

Kate Blosveren, Associate Executive Director

By Kate Blosveren Kreamer in Meetings and Events, Webinars
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November 19 Webinar on the State of Career Technical Education: An Analysis of State CTE Standards – Register NOW

Friday, November 15th, 2013

If you haven’t yet registered – this is a reminder to register now for an upcoming NASDCTEc webinar on The State of Career Technical Education: An Analysis of State CTE Standards.

Join the National Association of State Directors for Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) and field experts as they share the major findings from their recently released national report comparing each state’s Career Technical Education (CTE) standards and the major policy levers and structures that support the adoption and implementation of CTE standards at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. The State of Career Technical Education: An Analysis of State CTE Standards is the first-ever report to analyze all state CTE standards using a common benchmark, the Common Career Technical Core, setting a new baseline for understanding CTE across the country. 

Speakers and panelists include Kimberly Green, NASDCTEc Executive Director; Marie Barry, State Director of the Office of Career and Technical Education, New Jersey Department of Education and Past President of NASDCTEc/NCTEF; Douglas R. Major, Superintendent & CEO, Meridian Technology Center, Stillwater, OK and President of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE); and Timothy Lawrence, Executive Director, SkillsUSA. The webinar moderator is Kate Blosveren, Associate Executive Director, NASDCTEc.

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

By admin in Webinars
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Reminder to Register Now for Upcoming NASDCTEc Webinar Broadcast on November 19 – The State of Career Technical Education: An Analysis of State CTE Standards

Friday, November 8th, 2013

This is a reminder to register now for an upcoming NASDCTEc webinar on The State of Career Technical Education: An Analysis of State CTE Standards.

Join the National Association of State Directors for Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) and field experts as they share the major findings from their recently released national report comparing each state’s Career Technical Education (CTE) standards and the major policy levers and structures that support the adoption and implementation of CTE standards at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. The State of Career Technical Education: An Analysis of State CTE Standards is the first-ever report to analyze all state CTE standards using a common benchmark, the Common Career Technical Core, setting a new baseline for understanding CTE across the country. 

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

By admin in Webinars
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Announcing Upcoming NASDCTEc Webinar Broadcast on November 19 – The State of Career Technical Education: An Analysis of State CTE Standards

Friday, November 1st, 2013

Register now for an upcoming NASDCTEc webinar on The State of Career Technical Education: An Analysis of State CTE Standards.

Join the National Association of State Directors for Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) and field experts as they share the major findings from their recently released national report comparing each state’s Career Technical Education (CTE) standards and the major policy levers and structures that support the adoption and implementation of CTE standards at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. The State of Career Technical Education: An Analysis of State CTE Standards is the first-ever report to analyze all state CTE standards using a common benchmark, the Common Career Technical Core, setting a new baseline for understanding CTE across the country. 

When: November 19, 2013

Time: 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. Eastern

Link to register: https://cisco.webex.com/cisco/onstage/g.php?d=200739377&t=a

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

By admin in Webinars
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State CTE Policy Update: Two More States Adopt Next Generation Science Standards

Wednesday, September 25th, 2013

State MapThis month, two additional states, California and Delaware, joined Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Rhode Island and Vermont in adopting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).  In both cases, the state boards of education voted to adopt the NGSS, which were released in Spring 2013.

Both California and Delaware were among the group of 26 Lead Partner States, playing a significant role throughout the development of the standards. Now, both states are turning their attention to the  implementation of the new standards, no simple feat as the NGSS are, purposefully, organized differently than traditional science standards, with a greater emphasis on cross-cutting concepts that reach across all science disciplines. Delaware is planning to develop a multi-year implementation strategy soon and the California State Board of Education will take up an initial implementation challenge, middle school course requirements, this Fall.

For more on the NGSS and their development and design, see www.nextgenscience.org

Kate Blosveren, Associate Executive Director

By Kate Blosveren Kreamer in Public Policy
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State CTE Policy Update: Five States Adopt the Next Generation Science Standards

Monday, July 1st, 2013

Last week, Maryland and Vermont joined Kansas, Kentucky and Rhode Island as the first five states to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

The NGSS were released in Spring 2013 after a 3-plus year development effort. The effort began when the National Research Council, the research arm of the National Academies of Sciences, developed The Framework for K-12 Science Education (released  in July 2011), which identified the key content all K-12 students need to learn in science based on research and input from scientists, science educators, and science education standards and policy experts.

The Framework was the guiding document for the NGSS and set the content and much of the organization of the NGSS, including the intersection of content (core ideas), scientific and engineering  practice, and cross-cutting concepts. For more on the NGSS and their development and design, see www.nextgenscience.org

The NGSS have a clear  relationship with and impact on Career Technical Education (CTE), including, but not limited to, a renewed opportunity to integrate traditional science courses with CTE courses in engineering, health sciences, and agriculture. Our State CTE Policy Updates will monitor progress on state adoption and new resources relevant to the CTE field in the coming months.

Kate Blosveren, Associate Executive Director

By Kate Blosveren Kreamer in Public Policy, Uncategorized
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