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Middle Grades CTE: Policy

June 30th, 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 Career Technical Education (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 last entry in the blog series, we will examine effective middle grades CTE policy.

Policy actions often play a critical role in expanding access to high-quality middle grades CTE opportunities. Through effective policy actions, state CTE leaders can remove barriers that may prevent learners from accessing middle grades CTE opportunities, ensure there is adequate funding to support middle grades CTE, and create environments to incubate and scale middle grade CTE opportunities.

In 2014, H.B. 487 was enacted into law in Ohio, requiring schools to provide CTE courses in seventh and eighth grades by the 2015-16 school year. As a result, Ohio became one of the only states that requires the availability of CTE courses to middle school students at scale. Districts that do not want to offer middle school CTE must submit a public waiver to the Ohio Department of Education. Since the passage of the law, Ohio has seen a dramatic increase in access to CTE programs, with 21,551 students participating in middle grades CTE in 2015 and more than 73,728 students participating in middle grades CTE in 2017.

Similarly, In 2017, the Maine Legislature passed L.D. 1576, which updated the state’s definition of CTE to include language about middle school, effectively allowing middle school students in grades six through eight to participate in CTE. To expand access to middle grades CTE, the Maine Department of Education developed a Middle School CTE Pilot program, which allows institutions to apply for grants to pilot CTE opportunities that provide hands-on and interactive activities to middle grades students, as further described in an earlier entry in this blog series. 

Numerous states plan to leverage the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), which allows states to use Perkins funding to support CTE as early as the fifth grade, to expand access to CTE opportunities for middle grades students. For instance, Massachusetts is awarding Perkins V reserve funds to eligible agencies to better integrate career planning from the middle school through the high school levels. In its Perkins V state plan, Florida provides guidance to include aligned middle grades CTE programs within programs of study and allow middle grades students to take high school-level CTE courses early. 

As state leaders reflect on effective middle grades CTE policy, they may consider the following questions:

  • What policy actions could be leveraged to remove barriers preventing learners from participating in high-quality middle grades CTE opportunities?
  • How does the state define CTE? Does the definition prohibit learners from participating in middle grades CTE?
  • What changes to teacher licensing laws, if any, need to be made to mitigate middle grades CTE teacher shortages?
  • What funding is needed to incubate and scale middle grades CTE opportunities? How can funds from Perkins V and other sources be braided to support middle grades CTE?
  • How can policy actions be leveraged to align middle grade CTE programs to high school CTE programs?
  • How can policy actions be leveraged to advance equity in middle grades CTE?

For additional resources relevant to CTE educators in the middle grades, check out the Middle Grades CTE Repository, another deliverable of this Shared Solutions Workgroup. To learn more about policy actions state leaders can take to advance middle grades CTE, read Expanding Middle School CTE to Promote Lifelong Learner Success. 

Brianna McCain, Policy Associate

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Middle Grades CTE: Data and Measurement

June 23rd, 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 seventh entry in the blog series, we will examine the core programmatic element of data and measurement.

As states and districts are working to expand their middle grades CTE programs, it is critical that they are able to measure the effectiveness of those programs to ensure continuous program improvement process and that resources invested are having the desired impact on student achievement. Yet, there are few policies and mechanisms in place to date to collect meaningful middle grades CTE data. As more attention and resources are focused on middle grades CTE, state and local leaders should dedicate time and attention to identifying effective strategies for measuring whether students have achieved established standards, gained skills and other key outcomes as a result of middle grades CTE courses and activities.

As part of its teacher evaluation system – DPAS II – Delaware requires all teachers to bi-annually develop goals for instruction based on the state’s framework for teaching. The state has created specific guidance and tools for middle grades CTE teachers on how they can establish clear, measurable goals that are aligned with their schools’ focus and priorities and CTE performance data. The system intentionally is linked to the state’s high school college- and career-ready accountability framework, and requires middle grades teachers to focus on goals around Perkins indicators and employability skills. Middle grades CTE teachers must also identify which populations of students will be impacted, which standards and skills will be taught and attained, and how they will assess student growth. The state provides the framework, but teachers work directly with their building administrators to identify and finalize those goals that will support their own professional growth, as well as the growth of their students.

As a way of monitoring and collecting critical information on instruction and skills development, Utah requires each local education agency to submit an End of Year Summary. This reporting mechanism requires local districts to describe how the College and Career Awareness requirement was delivered, how it was integrated with other subjects, what teachers were involved, how the required workplace skills were addressed and demonstrated by students, which Career Technical Student Organizations were explored and how, what work-based learning experiences were offered, and how teachers and counselors collaborated to advance middle grades students’ college and career awareness. Starting in 2021, districts will be required to upload artifacts to provide more evidence.

In terms of reporting and accountability, North Dakota includes participation data for both grades 9-12 and grades 6-8, disaggregated by the 16 Career Clusters, on its annual CTE fact sheet.  And, Georgia is one of the few states that includes some indicator of career readiness in its statewide accountability system, with the percentage of students earning a passing score in a career exploratory course at middle school level as one of the “beyond the core” readiness indicators for middle schools.

Key reflection questions for state and local leaders as they build or evaluate this element of middle grades CTE programs include:

  • How can data on the full range of students participating in CTE-related activities be collected?
  • Are the assessments used in middle grades CTE aligned with educational standards, and are they age appropriate?
  • How might data already being collected within the broader educational system be used to evaluate middle grades CTE programs?
  • What is the role of employers in measuring outcomes of middle grades CTE programs?
  • What new data need to be collected, and how can the burden of new data collection be reduced?
  • What are the priority indicators of success for middle grades programs?

For additional resources relevant to CTE educators in the middle grades, check out the Middle Grades CTE Repository, another deliverable of this Shared Solutions Workgroup.

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Middle Grades CTE: Teachers and Leaders

June 16th, 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 sixth entry in the blog series, we will examine the core programmatic element of teachers and leaders.

Delivering quality CTE experiences in the middle grades is contingent upon a cadre of educators with the necessary content knowledge and pedagogical skills. Educators working with middle grades students need specific, relevant content knowledge about career pathways as well as skills for working with middle grades students. While there are often shortages of CTE teachers at all levels of education—a situation that will likely be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic—creativity and flexibility related to licensing and scheduling can help address this need. Professional development and other supports are critical not only for educators and administrators, but also for counselors, advisers and other career development professionals who provide career advisement to middle grades students.

States have implemented a variety of requirements and supports to facilitate quality instruction in middle grades CTE. In Ohio, middle grades students have access to both career exploratory courses and, in eighth grade, courses that are the equivalent of high school CTE introductory courses. For these high-school-equivalent courses, instructors must hold the appropriate subject-area-specific CTE teaching credential, but for other middle school CTE courses, only a standard teacher license is required. This allows the state to access a broader pool of teachers and alleviates some concerns about teacher shortages. To ensure that they possess the skills and knowledge to effectively teach middle school CTE courses, these teachers must complete online modules that cover the pedagogy of a CTE class and CTE standards.

To integrate grade 6-12 education and career planning more holistically across the education system, Georgia has developed a Teachers-As-Advisors Framework. The framework is linked to the National Career Development Guidelines and includes goals organized by grade level and by three domains: career management; academic achievement, educational attainment and lifelong learning; and life skills. For instance, career management goals for grade 6 address understanding decision-making processes, locating career information sources and trends, and identifying key 21st-century employability skills. The framework enables teachers and other professionals in the school system to support students in their career development.

In Arizona, AZ GEAR UP has partnered with the AZ College Access Network to provide online training focused on postsecondary access and career planning. Module 4: College and Career Advising in the Middle Grades addresses the skills and knowledge required to counsel middle grade students for college and careers, including career exploration, planning and transition, and the value of postsecondary education. Middle school teachers, administrators and counselors are encouraged to participate in this module, which is offered by AZ GEAR UP for free.

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

  • Are there currently enough qualified and certified educators to deliver quality CTE content to all middle grades students?
  • Do teachers and administrators have access to meaningful professional development tailored to the individualized needs of students?
  • Do teachers and administrators have access to meaningful professional development around experiential and hands-on learning?
  • How can all teachers and staff in the school be involved in delivering quality middle grades career development experiences?
  • How can new educators be recruited or resources used creatively to build capacity?
  • Do teachers and administrators have a full understanding of the principles and goals of middle grades CTE?

For additional resources relevant to CTE educators in the middle grades, check out the Middle Grades CTE Repository, another deliverable of this Shared Solutions Workgroup.

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Middle Grades CTE: Career and Technical Student Organizations

June 9th, 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 fifth entry in the blog series, we will examine the core programmatic element of experiential learning, which includes career and technical student organizations (CTSOs).

CTSOs benefit middle grades students by engaging them in learning about themselves, their community and potential careers. These co-curricular organizations provide learners with opportunities to learn about and demonstrate technical and leadership skills, participate in hands-on activities through competitive events and support their schools and communities through service activities.

State and districts around the country are harnessing CTSOs to help middle school students explore careers and their occupational identities. North Carolina, which already offers widespread CTSO opportunities in the middle grades, is revising its approach to middle grades CTE. CTSOs will be one of four key components in a new middle grades CTE framework, which will be supported by 15-hour modules for CTE instructors that address career exploration, essential employability skills, basic concepts and nomenclature, and the integration of CTSO activities within programs. In addition, the state has hired a staff person to focus on middle grades CTE. North Carolina further prioritizes CTSOs in a number of ways, including a section of the Perkins V comprehensive local needs assessment dedicated to evaluating CTSO access and quality at both middle and high school levels.

South Carolina is growing its CTSO participation in middle school. SC HOSA has a middle grades division and an annual middle school conference, including competitive events in medical terminology, health education and health career display. So far, only a handful of middle schools are competing, but these middle schools chapters are engaged and active. For instance, the York Middle School HOSA chapter began in 2016. In addition to competitive events, this chapter has volunteered at a long-term care center, participated in a mock HOSA Bowl with high school peers and connected with HOSA alumni.

Colorado FCCLA opened up opportunities to middle school students in 2011, and Kelly Gauck of Holmes Middle School jumped at the chance to incorporate FCCLA into the family and consumer sciences program. After what she describes as a huge learning curve, all three competitors from the school who attended national competitions in 2013 won gold medals. The chapter has also been very active in its community, making blankets for a local children’s hospital, holding food drives and donating games, toys, food, toiletries and more to those in need. Gauck has been recognized for her work with the national FCCLA Spirit of Advising Award.

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

  • Are CTSOs available to all middle grades students?
  • Are there efforts to identify and eliminate barriers to access, participation and success in CTSOs for marginalized or special populations of students?
  • Are there clear standards for CTSOs, either from a national organization and/or from state criteria for recognition?
  • Are educators provided with the time, resources and supports necessary to implement quality CTSO experiences?
  • How are middle grades CTSO experiences connected to high school CTSO opportunities?
  • How are employers involved in CTSOs through competitive events, mentoring or other activities?
  • How are students and their families provided adequate information on CTSO opportunities?
  • How are CTSO opportunities evaluated or monitored to ensure student growth?

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

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Middle Grades CTE: Work-based Learning

June 2nd, 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 fourth entry in the blog series, we will examine the core programmatic element of experiential learning, which includes work-based learning (WBL).

To reach students at their developmental level, middle grades CTE must be based in experiential experiences that engage students and get them excited to learn about careers. One common approach is offering early experiences on the WBL continuum (e.g., career fairs, guest speakers and job shadowing). These WBL experiences provide students with opportunities to engage directly with employers and gain skills and knowledge about careers and about themselves, as they seek to develop an occupational identity.

A number of states, districts and schools have demonstrated a commitment to delivering WBL in the middle grades. West Virginia is piloting middle school empowerment academies at several middle schools in the state. These academies are experimenting with flexible, innovative models for career exploration, project-based learning and workplace environments in the middle grades. For instance, at Peterstown Middle School, students have organized a lunch for local business leaders, met with employers in various craft industries and created promotional materials for the local Chamber of Commerce. At Westwood Middle School, students have conducted phone interviews with police officers and others who serve in the community, visited the local news station and welcomed a radio station to broadcast from the school. These academies also serve as incubators for the Simulated Workplace model that is expanding across the state. Through Simulated Workplace, students transform their classrooms into business to create an authentic workplace environment; industry partners assist in development and act as company inspectors.

In Utah, middle school students must take the College and Career Awareness course, which requires a minimum of six WBL experiences across multiple career fields, including career fairs, field studies, guest speakers and job shadows. These experiences emphasize career awareness and exploration, help students understand how what they’re learning applies to careers, and teach and reinforce positive work habits. Work-based learning coordinators in each district can help facilitate these experiences.

On the local level, Denver Public Schools CareerConnect provides opportunities for K-8 learners to begin exploring their interests and passions, and how these connect to the world of work. One option, Spark Industry Introduction, enables students in grades 6-8 to visit workplaces, where they meet industry professionals and engage in hands-on projects. Spark aspires to motivate students to pursue high-demand, high-wage careers they may never have considered before.

INSPIRE Sheboygan County, a nonprofit education-industry collaborative in Wisconsin, is one example of a local provider that has pivoted to offering virtual WBL — in this case, virtual job shadows for middle and high school students — during the pandemic. Almost 1,000 viewers participated in the first set of virtual job shadows offered in April.

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

  • Is WBL available to all middle grades students?
  • Are there efforts to identify and eliminate barriers to access, participation and success for marginalized or special populations of students?
  • Are there clear standards for WBL that are available both during and outside of school?
  • Are educators provided with the time, resources and supports necessary to implement quality WBL experiences?
  • Is there a clear continuum of WBL experiences that begins in the middle grades (or earlier) and builds in intensity as students progress through their education?
  • Is there clear guidance around the role of employers in the design and delivery of WBL at the middle grades level?
  • How are students and their families provided adequate information on opportunities for WBL?
  • How are WBL opportunities evaluated or monitored to ensure student growth?

For additional resources relevant to WBL in the middle grades, check out the Middle Grades CTE Repository, another deliverable of this Shared Solutions Workgroup.

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Middle Grades CTE: Career Advisement

May 26th, 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 third entry in the blog series, we will examine promising state and local practices to support career advisement for middle grade learners.

Career advisement is an integral part of any middle grades CTE program and one that will require states and districts to ensure there is capacity – in terms of time, resources, knowledge and tools – among both teachers and counselors to support each and every learner. Yet, according to research from Advance CTE, career advisement strategies remain somewhat limited at the middle grades level, with 51 percent of states funding or providing professional development, 47 percent developing and adopting statewide career advising and development standards, and 31 percent of states funding full-time or part-time positions focused on career advising and development for the middle grades. However, some states and local districts have picked up the mantle to support career advisement for all middle grades students.

Starting as a pilot in high-need, hard-to-reach communities in 2010, the Arkansas College and Career Coach program has gained legislative support over the years and been expanded to reach tens of thousands of students across the state. Through the program, coaches provide support for 7th-12th grade students as they plan and prepare for life after high school. Coaches are each stationed at a partnering institution of higher education, an education service cooperative, or a non-profit organization, and are responsible for providing services and supports to students.

Wisconsin’s Academic and Career Planning (ACP) process goes beyond requiring students to simply complete an individualized learning plan (ILP) but rather helps schools and school counselors leverage the ILPs to start conversations with students about their future career possibilities. ACP begins with helping students in grade 6 explore their interests and strengths and then guides them through career exploration and planning, with regular check-ins throughout middle and high school to recalculate plans as needed. The ACP integrates CTE coursework, work-based learning and credentials. Districts have been given flexibility in how they implement ACP, but DPI provides regular guidance and training, as well as numerous support materials.

North Carolina supports career development coordinators (CDC) across the state. Randolph County Schools has a full-time CDC at each high school who also serves that high school’s feeder middle schools. CDCs function as the point person for career development across institutions and collaborate with school counselors, teachers, dropout prevention specialists and career coaches provided by the local community college. The Randolph County CDCs support middle school CTE courses and course selection, work-based learning experiences, career exploration events, career and academic planning, and a career exploration and management course for ninth graders.

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

  • Is career advisement provided to all students? Is it designed to provide individualized supports to students?
  • Do middle grades CTE programs attend to students’ aptitudes, interests and preferences, or do they overly focus on just one of those dimensions?
  • Are career advisement activities aligned to age-appropriate standards?
  • Are career advisement activities sequenced from early education into the middle grades and then into high school as part of a broader continuum?
  • Do counseling professionals get the supports, training and tools necessary to deliver effective career advisement at the middle grades level?  
  • Are all students guided in the development of an individualized career/academic plan for the future by knowledgeable adults?  
  • What role do employers play in supporting career development and advisement activities?  
  • Are career advisement activities prioritized within instructional time?  
  • How are families appropriately involved in student career planning activities?

For additional resources relevant to career advisement in the middle grades, check out the Middle Grades CTE Repository, another deliverable of this Shared Solutions Workgroup.

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Middle Grades CTE: Course/Activity Structure and Scheduling

May 19th, 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 second entry in the blog series, we will examine the core programmatic element of course/activity structure and scheduling.

Inclusivity and flexibility are at the core of state and local decision-making about middle grades CTE structure and scheduling. Whether middle grades CTE is integrated across the curriculum or offered through individual courses or course units, specific and regular time should be dedicated to CTE in the middle grades so that all learners can benefit. In particular, careful attention must be paid to ensure that learners who need additional academic supports are not kept from experiencing CTE due to scheduling constraints. Decisions about middle grades CTE delivery may affect master schedules, the availability and qualifications of educators, and even graduation requirements.

States and local districts are implementing a variety of delivery options for middle grades CTE. Utah’s one-credit College and Career Awareness course is required for all students in grade 7 or 8 and uses project-based learning to help students explore high school, postsecondary and career options; investigate programs of study relevant to the Utah labor market; and develop workplace skills.

Delaware also uses a course model to deliver middle grades CTE, but courses are developed on the local level. Local education agencies complete an application that identifies course skill standards and curriculum as well as end-of-course assessments, affiliated career and technical student organizations, teacher qualifications and aligned CTE programs of study at the high school level.

In response to 2017 legislation expanding CTE into the middle grades, Maine is in the process of developing standards for middle school CTE and awarding grant funding to pilot a range of middle grades CTE delivery models. These pilot projects are developed in partnership among career and technical centers, CTE regions and area middle schools. The aim is to provide multiple, standards-based avenues and opportunities for middle grade students to explore CTE.

Many pilot sites are trying out a variety of CTE experiences and exposures. For instance, Lewiston Regional Technical Center is piloting week-long exploration camps, multi-week summer camps and guidance sessions. This work is supported by two dedicated staff members, a CTE exploration instructor and a CTE exploration coordinator/counselor. Mid-Maine Technical Center is matching middle school students with high school mentors to work together on applied learning projects, among other activities, while one of Biddeford Regional Center of Technology’s projects connects middle school students with local employers in the manufacturing sector through guest speakers and industry tours. Oxford Hills Technical School operates the Viking Voyages program, through which area middle school students take part in week-long, project-based learning experiences during the school year with the technical school, secondary students and community members.

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

  • Are CTE courses or experiences structured in such a way that all students have access — or do students have to make choices between CTE and other experiences?
  • Are there efforts to identify and eliminate barriers to participation and success in CTE courses or experiences for marginalized or special populations of students?
  • Is enough time and space dedicated to middle grades CTE experiences to enable experiential or hands-on learning both within and outside the school day?
  • Is enough time dedicated to middle grades CTE experiences to provide the necessary depth and breadth of content and deliver on student outcomes?
  • How are experiences/courses sequenced from early education into the middle grades and then into high school as part of a broader continuum?
  • Is information about course options and scheduling choices communicated clearly to students and their families?

For additional resources relevant to middle grades CTE course/activity structure and scheduling, check out the Middle Grades CTE Repository, another deliverable of this Shared Solutions Workgroup.

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Middle Grades CTE: Standards, Curriculum & Assessment

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:

  • Do middle grades CTE standards apply to all students or only to students who enroll in specific courses?
  • Do the standards and related curriculum balance breadth of career exploration with depth of knowledge?
  • How are middle grades CTE standards aligned with standards for career development across the K-12 system?
  • What role do employers play in developing or validating middle grades standards and providing input on specific curriculum or assessments?

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.

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New Middle Grades CTE State Resource Repository

May 5th, 2020

In late March, Advance CTE, in partnership with the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), released Broadening the Path: Design Principles for Middle Grades CTE, which laid out a theory of action for advancing high-quality middle grades Career Technical Education (CTE) policies and programs. With the promotion of middle grades CTE in the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), it is an ideal time for state and local leaders to consider how to best support and expand CTE in middle school.

Today, Advance CTE has released an extensive repository of state-level resources that state and local leaders can leverage as they begin to develop and expand CTE into the middle grades. The repository includes links to resources from all 50 states and Washington, DC, including state middle grades CTE standards, career development guidance and tools, work-based learning and Career Technical Student Organization supports, licensure requirements, state policies and more.

Starting next week, Advance CTE and ACTE will be releasing a series of blogs to lift up promising state and local practices across the core programmatic elements of middle grades CTE.  The first blog will focus on middle grades CTE standards, curriculum and assessment.

Broadening the Path: Design Principles for Middle Grades CTE and the new repository were created with the support of the Middle Grades CTE Shared Solutions Workgroup, comprised of national, state and local leaders, convened by Advance CTE with support from ACTE and generously funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Kate Kreamer, Deputy Executive Director

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Broadening the Path: Design Principles for Middle Grades CTE

March 26th, 2020

There is widespread agreement that high school is simply too late to begin to expose learners to the variety of high-skill, high-wage and in-demand careers available to them and the foundational skills they will need to be able to access and succeed in those careers. Yet there remains a lack of consensus — or even basic understanding — about what Career Technical Education (CTE) and career readiness more broadly should entail at the middle grades level.

And, with The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) emphasizing career exploration and career development activities in the middle grades and allowing funds to be spent on students as young as fifth grade, the need to understand what high-quality middle grades CTE is – and isn’t – is more important than ever before.

Today, Advance CTE and Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) released Broadening the Path: Design Principles for Middle Grades CTE to support state and local leaders as they work to develop or strengthen middle grades CTE policies, programs and practices. Critically, this resource provides a theory of action for state and local leaders looking to design a new middle grades CTE program or policy or to reflect on and improve upon what is already in place.

Specifically, this paper lays out:

  • Outcomes for student learning that identify what students should gain through participation in middle grades CTE.
  • Ten design principles that must undergird any middle grades CTE program or policy. The principles should serve as a resource to ensure that middle grades CTE is comprehensive and fully meets each learner’s needs.
  • The core programmatic elements of a middle grades CTE program or policy through which the design principles are applied, with relevant questions for consideration to identify strategies or steps for addressing gaps in the implementation of the 10 design principles.

Broadening the Path also includes a design principles self-assessment for state and local leaders to evaluate their current policies and programs.

This resource was created with the support of the Middle Grades CTE Shared Solutions Workgroup, comprised of national, state and local leaders, convened by Advance CTE with support from ACTE and generously funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

For those interested in leading state examples of middle grades CTE policies and programs, check out Advance CTE’s 2018 report, Expanding Middle School CTE to Promote Lifelong Learner Success.

 

Kate Kreamer, Deputy Executive Director

Posted in Advance CTE Resources, Middle Grades CTE, Resources, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Broadening the Path: Design Principles for Middle Grades CTE

 

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