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Archive for May, 2013

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Career Clusters® Institute Blog Series: LPSCS and GPA Resources from the Texas Education Agency and the University of North Texas

Thursday, May 9th, 2013

This blog series provides readers with insight on the valuable content that is being shared at the National Career Clusters Institute. Guest bloggers are among teachers, faculty, researchers, and other experts that will present at the national gathering in Fort Worth, TX in June. Today’s guest blogger is Amber O’Casey, the Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security (LPSCS) and Government and Public Administration (GPA) Career Cluster Specialist at the University of North Texas.

logoTEA

 

LPSCS and GPA Resources from the Texas Education Agency and the University of North Texas

Would you like to save time and money? Are you looking for lesson ideas, project-based activities, or professional development? Are you an LPSCS or GPA educator? Then join us as we discuss the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Educational Excellence grant resources and instructional materials provided on the University of North Texas (UNT) Career and Technical Education (CTE) website.

Here are some of the materials that we will discuss:

All of the session attendees will leave with an understanding of the GPA and LPSCS resources and hardcopies of a GPA lesson, an LPSCS lesson, and a quick guide to our lesson plan template.

Amber’s breakout session, “LPSCS and GPA Resources from the Texas Education Agency and the University of North Texas” is Tuesday, June 11, 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

More about the National Career Clusters® Institute

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

By admin in Career Clusters®

Community Colleges in the Spotlight

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

This week, the National Center for Education and the Economy released a new report at a day-long event in Washington, DC. The report – “What Does It Mean to Be College and Work Ready?” –  explores the first-year expectations for students across nine different disciplines (Accounting, Automotive Technology, Biotech/Electrical Technology, Business, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Information Technology/Computer Programming, Nursing, and General Studies) in mathematics and English Language Arts, and finds that there is a misalignment between what students learn in high school and what they need to know for success in their first year at community college.

Specifically in mathematics, the report finds that the first-year expectations are rarely above the Algebra I bar and largely focus on mathematics taught in middle school. The report identifies some key content areas that are typically untaught in high school, namely schematics, geometric visualization, and complex applications of measurement. One recommendation is to refocus K-12 mathematics instruction so students can gain a deeper conceptual understanding of the foundational knowledge and skills in elementary and middle school mathematics rather than rushing them to, and through, advanced course-taking in high school.

In English, the report finds that while the texts assigned in the first-year of community college programs are at the 11th and 12th grade level, the assignments and tests demand little from students by way of reading comprehension or writing – or, in other words, there is high text complexity but low test rigor. The Common Core State Standards’ focus on discipline-specific literacy, reading informational texts, and writing from evidence should help shore up students’ abilities in these areas, but community colleges will need to adjust their instruction in kind.

Over the course of six panel discussions, a number of topics were explored, but two themes came up time and again, the first being the tradeoff between community colleges shifting their mission away from providing open access to all students to the accountability-driven goal of retaining students. The question was raised, but largely unanswered, of whether this shift has led community colleges to lower their expectations and standards for incoming students to ensure more stay enrolled and complete. On the other hand, remediation has long been an issue among community colleges and hasn’t dramatically improved since institutions have begun to focus on completion.

The other major theme discussed was the need for more curricular pathways for students in high school, particularly in mathematics. While the report recommends that Algebra II no longer be required for all students, most of the panelists agreed that Algebra II still had value to students, but that there need to be more contextualized learning opportunities for students, based on their learning styles and post-high school interests.

What struck me about the event is that Career Technical Education (CTE) has long been tackling the challenges and opportunities raised in the report and event including building partnerships between K-12 and community college and between community colleges and employers, and offering contextualized learning pathways to students. While CTE was barely mentioned (explicitly) over the course of the day – and is not mentioned at all in the report – it is a major component of any strategy to address students’ readiness for college and careers.

Click here to read the report and watch video from the release event.

Kate Blosveren, Associate Executive Director

By Kate Blosveren Kreamer in Meetings and Events, Public Policy, Research
Tags: ,

Career Clusters® Institute Blog Series: CTE is Global

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

This blog series provides readers with insight on the valuable content that is being shared at the Career Clusters ® Institute. Guest bloggers are among teachers, faculty, researchers and other experts that will present at the national gathering in Fort Worth, TX in June. Today’s guest blogger is Heather Singmaster, the Senior Program Associate of the Asia Society.

CTE is Global

The local is global. You hear it all the time. But what about the global dimensions of CTE? Some are obvious, like agriculture: someone recently said to me, if you don’t know the global dimensions of agriculture, you will never succeed in the field. In Mathis, TX, the high school CTE coordinator is installing cameras on the garden area and in the animal pens to share practices with students in other parts of the country and world to expose his students to international agriculture.  Print

In hospitality and tourism, if your students speak Chinese, they are practically guaranteed a job: the number of Chinese tourists visiting the United States is expected to double from the record-setting number of 1.1 million in 2011 and companies are scrambling to cater to them. [LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/business/global/american-brands-seek-favor-with-wealthy-chinese-tourists.html?_r=3&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1367589978-qVrs/H/mutYbNDlh2nRR0w]

Then there are the less obvious clusters. Manufacturing? Well, talk to Schaefer Ventilation, a small Minnesota based firm. They are seeing success exporting to the Middle East and adding local jobs in the process. And another Minnesota company, Datacard, which prints ID cards, needs employees who speak a second language or know how to work with customers and salespeople in markets like China and Brazil. [LINK: http://www.startribune.com/business/147376655.html?refer=y]

Architecture? Law? Engineering? Students studying all of these areas at Phelps Architecture, Construction, and Engineering high school in Washington, DC are getting ahead of the curve by studying Chinese and traveling to China during the summer months. Lyric Carter, a pre-law student said of her trip to China, “This event was a life transforming experience; not only was I able to enhance my Chinese language skills, I was also able to learn first hand about a country for which my country has and will have an important relationship…I’ve been more open and willing to try new things and participate in activities that take me out of my ‘comfort zone.’ Most important, this trip has taught me more about myself as a person.” [Access link: http://www.dc-cgel.org/sites/default/files/u15/Carter-State-Board-Testimony-12-15-10.pdf]

And global doesn’t just mean working with people in other countries. What about the growing diversity here in the United States? Healthcare workers deal with this on a daily basis.  There is job growth in marketing to Hispanics/Latinos—the largest minority group in the U.S. and the fastest growing population according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Says Gonzalo Perez, owner of research firm Motivo Insights, understanding this growing market will require workers to “be comfortable with the complexity of today’s young Latinos. They have this contextual identity, and they’re not all the same….”

I could go on, but you get the picture – no matter what clusters are offered in your programs, teachers and students need a global focus – it is a key to the economic reality of an interconnected, global world. 

Heather’s breakout session is titled: Preparing a Globally Competent Workforce – Resources and Strategies; presentation date is Wednesday June 12. Her co-presenter is Jennifer Manise, the Executive Director of the Longview Foundation.

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

By admin in Career Clusters®

Please Welcome New Indiana State Director Dr. Peggy Wild

Monday, May 6th, 2013

NASDCTEc welcomes Dr. Peggy Wild, CFCS, State Director of Career & Technical Education and Assistant Director of College & Career Readiness Curriculum for STEM & CTE in Indiana, after serving as Interim in these same positions.  Until this appointment, Dr. Wild was the State Program Leader for Family & Consumer Sciences (F&CS).  She has served as the project director for Indiana’s College & Career Pathways Development & Implementation Project and liaison to Indiana’s consortium for alternate licensure of CTE teachers.  Participation in leader roles in Indiana’s esteemed CTE community provides Peggy with many opportunities to collaborate with state agencies, education entities and professional associations for the advancement of CTE.Wild 2013 at IN FCCLA

Prior to joining the Indiana Department of Education, Peggy was national marketing manager for CTE at Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, Director of Education & Publications at the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS), State Supervisor for F&CS at the New Hampshire Department of Education, and Assistant Professor and F&CS Teacher Education Coordinator at the University of Arizona.  Her early career consisted of classroom teaching in F&CS, language arts, and elementary special education and management positions in the hospitality industry.

Dr. Wild’s professional activities include serving as national president for AAFCS, F&CS Education Association (FCSEA) and the National Association for State Administrators of F&CS.  She participated on the management team to develop national standards for F&CS and coordinated the last review and revision of those standards.  She has presented at multiple national and state conferences on topics such as pathway assessments and industry recognized certifications, work based learning, integrating common core standards in CTE curriculum, best practices in F&CS, increasing dual credit opportunities, and alternate routes to CTE teacher licensure.

Peggy earned bachelor’s degrees in F&CS and elementary education, a master’s degree in F&CS Education, and a PhD in curriculum, instruction and assessment from the University of Arizona. She holds the national CFCS (Certified in Family & Consumer Sciences) credential.  She was awarded the Honorary Doctorate by Purdue University’s College of Education and Consumer and Family Sciences for outstanding service and leadership in F&CS innovation and improvement.  Other honors include AAFCS’s Distinguished Service and National Leader awards, ACTE’s Award of Merit and Region Three Outstanding Teacher Educator, FCSEA’s Outstanding Educator and FCCLA’s Distinguished Service Award.  

Peggy says that service to CTE and F&CS has brought rich rewards and she looks forward to active participation in NASDCTEc’s organization and activities.

We extend a warm welcome to Dr. Wild. She can be reached at [email protected].

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

By admin in Advance CTE State Director

Legislative Update: Global Economy Act; Workforce Data Quality Campaign; CAREER Act

Monday, May 6th, 2013

STEM Education for the Global Economy Act

Last week, Senator Merkley (D-OR) announced details for his STEM Education for the Global Economy Act. The bill would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and would help improve instruction in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects by:

Many of the provisions in the bill link to our vision for CTE, especially in regard to our aim to ensure that the United States leads in global competitiveness. The bill would direct more money towards STEM, strives to prepare more students to be career ready, and increases professional development opportunities for teachers.

Inaugural Workforce Data Quality Campaign Meeting

Last week, NASDCTEc took part in the inaugural meeting of the Workforce Data Quality Campaign (WDQC).  NASDCTEc is an inaugural partner in the WDQC, in addition to the Association for Career and Technical Education, the Center for Law and Social Policy, the Data Quality Campaign, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, the National Skills Coalition, and the New America Foundation. The WDQC promotes inclusive, aligned and market-relevant education and workforce data systems supported by state and federal policies. Some of the issues being examined by the WDQC include:

This exciting initiative will shape the future of CTE data and accountability, and regular updates on progress will be shared with members. The aims of the WDQC initiative link very closely with our vision, through our support of federal policies that make the collection of nationally comparable, valid and reliable data possible and efficient; and our support of aligning data requirements and accountability measures among federal education and workforce preparation programs.

CAREER Act

Senators Bennet (D-CO) and Portman (R-OH) last week reintroduced the Career Through Responsive, Efficient, and Effective Retraining (CAREER) Act S.804. According to the bill summary, S. 804 aims to make federal job training programs more responsive to the needs of employers, more efficient with taxpayer dollars, and more effective in connecting the unemployed with highly paid jobs by:

1.      Reorganizing the Federal Government’s training programs to make them more efficient, by working with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to produce a report detailing how to decrease the number of federal job training programs without decreasing services or accessibility, using a 2011 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report as a template.The GAO report lists Perkins as one of the funds that could be consolidated.

2.      Giving community colleges, CTE institutions, and other key educators priority access for funding that equips workers with the credentials that are in demand by industry.

3.      Introducing accountability to job training through a pay-for-performance pilot program.

4.      Providing states and local stakeholders with access to the data they need to track the impact of their programs.

The bill would amend the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). A reauthorized version of WIA was recently passed in the House, and the Senate is currently working on their proposal to reauthorize the Act. As such, it is not clear how the CAREER Act will fit into this reauthorization process. Watch for more updates on the NASDCTEc blog as the CAREER Act progresses to Committee and more details are available.

David Beckett, Advocacy Manager

By admin in Uncategorized
Tags: ,

PARCC Releases New Assessment Blueprints and Test Specifications

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), one of two consortia creating K-12 assessments that align to the Common Core State Standards, released this week assessment blueprints and test specification documents for their English/language arts and mathematics assessments.

These resources will share insight with educators on how PARCC assessments will reflect and measure the Common Core standards. This understanding would ideally help educators support quality implementation of the standards through teaching and classroom-based assessments.

The consortium is currently trying out exam questions in several states on mathematics (modeling and reasoning) and English/language arts (prose-constructed responses). Next spring, PARCC will carry out a large-scale field test that will include a stratified sampling of schools and students from all 22 participating states.

Read more about progress made by the second assessment consortium, Smarter Balanced, on our blog.

PARCC also recently released a draft accommodations manual that is open for public comment until May 13, 2013. In addition, public comments on PARCC’s draft performance level descriptors can be submitted until May 8, 2013.

Kara Herbertson, Research and Policy Manager

By admin in News, Resources
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Reminder to Register for Upcoming NASDCTEc Webinar on Career Academies: An Investment in Students, the Workforce and the Economy

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

You can still register for the webinar on Career Academies: An Investment in Students, the Workforce and the Economy.

Career academies are a proven way of delivering high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE). Through small learning communities, college-preparatory curriculum, and strong partnerships with local employers, career academies offer work-based learning opportunities and rigorous pathways to postsecondary education and careers. Research strongly supports the efficacy of career academies in increasing the academic success, attendance levels and future earning potential of participating students.

Join us for a webinar that features state and local leaders who will discuss why career academies are a successful delivery mechanism for CTE, and what they are doing in this exciting field.

The webinar will be held on Thursday, May 9th at 3 p.m. ET. Speakers include:

Rod Duckworth, Chancellor, Division of Career and Adult Education, Florida Department of Education

Sabrina Arney, Teacher, Aspirations in Medical Sciences Academy, Long Beach, California

David Beckett, Advocacy Manager, NASDCTEc

Register  NOW

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

By admin in Webinars
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Career Clusters® Institute Blog Series – Partner Series: Partnerships in a Career Pathways System

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

This blog series provides readers with insight on the valuable content that is being shared at the Career Clusters ® Institute. Guest bloggers are among teachers, faculty, researchers and other experts that will present at the national gathering in Fort Worth, TX in June.

Today we are sharing the final installment of the Institute Pre Sessions. Attendees can register for a Pre Session and attend the Sunday or Monday before the Institute begins. There is a nominal fee to attend these sessions and registration can be made in addition to general registration online. There are several topics to choose from.Print

Highlighted Pre Session: Partner Series: Partnerships in a Career Pathways System  

The Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) and the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) recently collaborated on the development of the book, The Career Pathways Effect: Linking Education and Economic Prosperity. CORD and NASDCTEc have developed a series of professional development workshops based on the major themes of the book to support practitioners in the implementation or improvement of career pathways. The preconference “Partnerships in a Career Pathways System” is from the Partner Series Workshops. A career pathways system requires multiple partnerships within a community. This workshop is designed to help you develop or improve your partnerships. Workshop topics include:

Participants identify strategies and processes to improve their partnerships. Different stakeholders from your local partnerships are encouraged to attend this workshop together but it is not a requirement. Participants will also receive a copy of The Career Pathways Effect: Linking Education and Economic Prosperity book as a participant.

Fee: $200

Date and Time: Monday, June 10 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Already registered? You can add a Pre Session even if you’ve already registered. If you have questions, please send them to [email protected] and we will be happy to add a Pre Session to your registration.

The National Career Clusters® Institute is June 9-12 at the Omni Fort Worth, 1300 Houston Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102

More information about the National Career Clusters® Institute

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

 

By admin in Career Clusters®

Career Clusters® Institute Blog Series: Become a Career Advising Idol

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

This blog series provides readers with insight on the valuable content that is being shared at the Career Clusters ® Institute. Guest bloggers are among teachers, faculty, researchers and other experts that will present at the national gathering in Fort Worth, TX in June.

Today we are sharing an Institute Pre Session. Attendees can register for a Pre Session and attend the Sunday or Monday before the Institute begins. There is a nominal fee to attend these sessions and registration can be made in addition to general registration online. There are several topics to choose from.Print

Highlighted Pre Session: Become a Career Advising Idol  

Make colleagues idolize your commitment to excellence and clients worship the guidance you give, simply by engaging in professional development that focuses on career advising. No matter your occupation or intended level of understanding career guidance, Kuder, Inc. will help you quickly grow with flexible online training.

By attending this session, you’ll learn about Kuder’s new Career Advisor Training program that offers three course options to fit the schedules of busy professionals. The program covers the 12 core competencies of career development, which are also used by the National Career Development Association (NCDA) and Kuder® Career Development Facilitator Training™ curriculum, in a fast-paced, condensed format requiring an investment of only 10, 30, or 40 course hours. This signature training program lays the foundation for supporting and guiding students and adults in making informed career decisions throughout their lifetimes.KuderAnniv

Fee: This is a seminar; there are no fees to attend.

When: June 9, 2013

Time: June 9, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Already registered? You can add a Pre Session even if you’ve already registered. If you have questions, please send them to [email protected] and we will be happy to add a Pre Session to your registration.

The National Career Clusters® Institute is June 9-12 at the Omni Fort Worth, 1300 Houston Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102

More information about the National Career Clusters® Institute

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

By admin in Career Clusters®

Career Clusters® Institute Blog Series: Lessons Learned in Seven States

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

This blog series provides readers with insight on the valuable content that is being shared at the Career Clusters ® Institute. Guest bloggers are among teachers, faculty, researchers and other experts that will present at the national gathering in Fort Worth, TX in June.

Today we are sharing an Institute Pre Session. Attendees can register for a Pre Session and attend the Sunday or Monday before the Institute begins. There is a nominal fee to attend these sessions and registration can be made in addition to general registration online. There are several topics to choose from.Print

Highlighted Pre Session: Lessons Learned in Seven States  

Recent state-wide evaluations were completed of school counseling programs in six states. Results showed that when more fully implemented programs and practices were in place, student results showed significantly higher achievement on NCLB and Perkins accountability measures. School guidance and counseling programs do make a difference! This pre session will focus on evaluation results completed by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Additionally, New Jersey implemented a pilot program for implementing Personalized Student Learning Plans (PSLPs) in 2009, and has learned many valuable lessons from participating schools. A PSLP is defined as a formalized plan and process that involves students setting learning goals based on personal, academic and career interests, beginning in the middle school grades and continuing throughout high school with the close support of adult mentors that include teachers, counselors and parents. New Jersey’s Personalized Student Learning Plan Pilot Program has focused on exploring meaningful, creative and flexible ways to personalize the learning environment for students in a variety of settings. Come learn about the successes and challenges in implementation of PSLP from the experiences of participating pilot schools and the results of an evaluation study completed by Rutgers University.

Presenters:

Ms. Marie Barry, Director, Office of Career and Technical Education, New Jersey Department of Education
Ms. Donna Hoffman, Nebraska Department of Education, School Guidance and Counseling Programs

Date: Sunday, June 9, 2013
Time: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Fee: $100

For more information, please Donna Hoffman at [email protected]

Already registered? You can add a Pre Session even if you’ve already registered. If you have questions, please send them to [email protected] and we will be happy to add a Pre Session to your registration.

The National Career Clusters® Institute is June 9-12 at the Omni Fort Worth, 1300 Houston Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102

More information about the National Career Clusters® Institute

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

By admin in Career Clusters®

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