Resources « Advance CTE Blog

High School Graduates Reassessing Postsecondary Plans During COVID-19, Prioritizing Real-World Skills and Alternate Career Pathways

November 2nd, 2021

Postsecondary enrollment has seen dramatic declines during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, particularly for learners with low incomes and learners of color. A report recently published by the Strada Education Network sheds light on the experiences of high school graduates who have delayed their postsecondary education plans in 2020 and 2021. The report builds on survey data of 1,000 recent graduates previously covered by Advance CTE, as well as 17 in-depth interviews with learners. Strada finds that while these high school graduates remain committed to continuing their education, pandemic-related disruptions have caused them to reassess their initial plans and explore alternate pathways to career success.

Learners across the board have experienced heightened uncertainty about college affordability and traditional career pathways as the labor market destabilized as a result of the coronavirus. Some learners said they were hesitant to enroll in coursework that would likely be conducted online, and concerns about taking care of family members amidst the health risks associated with the pandemic were also prevalent reasons for delaying enrollment, particularly among Black and Latinx learners. The report highlights three major priorities of high school graduates when considering when and how to re-engage with higher education:

Personalizing college and career guidance. This includes learner-focused academic and career counseling services, peer models, and opportunities for open-minded exploration of diverse pathways. One-on-one attention from counselors centered on meeting learners’ unique needs and validating their goals and experiences is a crucial form of support. Learners also expressed a desire to hear and learn from the perspectives of alumni and industry professionals who have taken diverse college and career pathways.
Removing financial barriers. Financial concerns became even more pressing as the pandemic introduced more uncertainties for learners’ futures. A lack of funding to pay for college was a major factor in decisions to delay enrollment, and many survey respondents were no longer certain that a college degree would meet their needs. Learners increasingly fear accumulating student loan debt, and many found it difficult to navigate the application process for scholarships that might help to cover the costs. Streamlined and accessible financial aid is key to addressing these barriers.
Connecting college and career, and making academics relevant to real-world interests. Learners want to be prepared for a shifting and unpredictable workforce, and flexibility and career relevance in educational programs are critical concerns. Many recognize that a degree does not necessarily guarantee career success and hope to build work-ready skills through immersive hands-on and work-based learning experiences such as apprenticeships. Others hope that additional credentials and certifications will give them an advantage in the labor market.

These priority areas shed light on effective supports that state Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders and educational institutions can implement to promote the success of aspiring postsecondary learners disrupted by the pandemic. Financial assistance, mentoring relationships and personalized advising supports are especially powerful tools for closing the opportunity gaps that hinder the success of learners with low incomes, learners of color and first-generation college students. Despite the uncertainties of today’s labor market, recent high school graduates still believe that postsecondary educational opportunities are essential for both personal and professional development, as well as preparing for and transitioning to meaningful careers. Recognizing the future-focused resilience of these recent graduates and addressing their central areas of concern are important first steps for re-engagement in postsecondary education and career pathways.

Allie Pearce, Graduate Fellow

Tags: apprenticeship, career advising, career pathways, career readiness, carer guidance, College Affordability, COVID-19, Postsecondary Education, work-based learning
Posted in Research, Resources | Comments Off on High School Graduates Reassessing Postsecondary Plans During COVID-19, Prioritizing Real-World Skills and Alternate Career Pathways

Making the Case for a Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core

October 26th, 2021

Submitted by CORD, 2021 Fall Meeting Sponsor

The nature of work is evolving right before our eyes. Technological advancements are transforming existing industries and creating new ones at an unprecedented pace. The World Economic Forum predicts significant disruption in the jobs landscape over the next four years. As many as 85 million current job roles may be displaced while more than 97 million new roles could emerge. Many of those roles will be enhanced by technologies that can collaborate with humans to enrich lives and workplaces in what the National Science Foundation (NSF) describes as the “future of work at the human-technology frontier.” Our challenge as state Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders is ensuring future technicians acquire the expanding skill sets necessary for success in a rapidly changing environment.

Through the NSF-Advanced Technological Education (ATE) supported initiative, Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work, staff at the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) led a series of research activities designed to identify the knowledge and skills that will be essential for future STEM technicians. This work has resulted in the Framework for a Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core (The Framework), a set of recommendations for technician education that incorporate knowledge and skills such as Advanced Digital Literacy, Data Knowledge and Analysis, and Business Knowledge and Processes into technician preparation programs. These core content areas are essential to future success in STEM fields because they transcend narrow job specialization and enable technicians to adapt to a complex employment environment. Topics within these areas have been prioritized by educators and industry leaders.

The Framework offers practical recommendations for implementation, with regional customization, by any community college technical program. Steps toward adoption of the Framework include:

Empowering technician educators to integrate multiple disciplines into existing programs and develop new programs that support emerging disciplines and occupations;
Convening stakeholders across sectors to collaborate with educators on talent development approaches that make sense locally, yet prepare learners for the global economy; and
Discussing with employers the effects of automation and artificial intelligence on their workforce and how you can support their reskilling efforts.

Download the Framework today and discover ways you can advocate for adoption of the Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core in your state.

Tags: CORD, CTE Fall Meeting, Digital Literacy, STEM
Posted in Advance CTE Fall Meeting, Resources | Comments Off on Making the Case for a Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core

What Happened to the Men?

October 22nd, 2021

Submitted by Brett Pawlowski, NC3T, 2021 Fall Meeting Sponsor

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal that floored me – so much that I had to read it a second time. And, I still haven’t figured out how to react, or how big the impact on our society is going to be.

The article, published September 6, is titled “A Generation of American Men Give Up on College: ‘I Just Feel Lost’.” From the article:

Men are abandoning higher education in such numbers that they
now trail female college students by record levels.

At the close of the 2020-21 academic year, women made up 59.5% of college students,
an all-time high, and men 40.5%, according to enrollment data
from the National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit research group.
U.S. colleges and universities had 1.5 million fewer students compared with five years ago,
and men accounted for 71% of the decline.

The percentage of women undergrads is at an all-time high – not because more women are going to a two-or four-year college – but because the number of men doing so has fallen off a cliff.

Why would that be?

Men in interviews around the U.S. said they quit school or didn’t enroll because they didn’t see enough value in a college degree for all the effort and expense required to earn one. Many said they wanted to make money after high school.

Another explanation:

“Many young men are hobbled by a lack of guidance, a strain of anti-intellectualism, and a growing belief that college degrees don’t pay off,” said Ed Grocholski, a Senior Vice President at Junior Achievement USA, which works with about five million learners every year to teach about career paths, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

I don’t know the real reasons, and I certainly don’t know the solutions. But what I do know is that historically, those with higher levels of education have had significantly better financial and life outcomes. There’s every reason to believe that’s still the case going forward. And, the fact that this topic sees so little conversation is alarming. If we don’t address these issues, and we allow so many young men to fall through the cracks, we’re in for a very tough time as a nation.

We join with Advance CTE members in promoting the value of career-connected learning as an essential strategy for engaging and preparing young men and women for their futures. NC3T stands ready to help state Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders with coaching, professional development and technical assistance around pathways development and the creation of a profile of a graduate. NC3T also helps to manage work-based learning with its Seamless WBL platform, and it supports career exploration across schools with the new CareerSmart Schools tool. Visit us at NC3T.com for more.

Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, NC3T, postsecondary, work-based learning
Posted in Advance CTE Fall Meeting, Resources | Comments Off on What Happened to the Men?

CTE: Learning that Works

October 18th, 2021

Submitted by Denise Hobbs, Oracle Academy, 2021 Fall Meeting Sponsor

In my role, I have the opportunity to speak with education leaders at all levels―learning, sharing ideas, celebrating successes and understanding their challenges. I never miss the chance to highlight why I believe that Career Technical Education (CTE) is so important.

CTE ignites imagination through clear learning pathways. CTE learning pathways lead learners to college and career success. Many of these pathways include industry certifications and apprenticeship/internships, and all start with career exploration within that pathway and igniting learners’ imaginations. Oracle Academy is Oracle’s global, philanthropic, award-winning educational program, which operates with the goal of advancing computing education to increase knowledge, innovation, skills development, and diversity in technology fields. Oracle Academy partners with institutions to create computing education pathways, train teachers, cultivate critical thinking, and bring creative, academic computing technology curriculum into classrooms. Oracle’s leadership in emerging technologies and cloud technologies spurs Oracle Academy’s innovation-focused curriculum, resources and events so that each learner has a holistic view of careers in technology.

CTE is for ALL learners. As we know, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act is critical to ensuring that quality and sustainable CTE programs meet the changing needs of learners and employers. CTE offers unique opportunities for career discovery and skills development aligned to learning pathways. Oracle Academy supports diversity in technology and actively works to increase the participation of all students in computing, including women and other under-represented groups. With Oracle Academy, all learners have equal opportunity to attain hands-on experience with the latest technologies, helping them gain industry-relevant knowledge and skills in topics including cloud technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science and more.

Free resources help educators and their students teach and learn computing. Oracle Academy understands and values educators as partners who are empowered to facilitate innovative student learning in and outside the classroom. We offer educators and their students FREE resources to teach and learn computing, including curriculum, software, and certifications.

Learn more at academy.oracle.com.

Denise Hobbs
Senior Director, Oracle Academy North America
[email protected]

Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, Oracle Academy, Perkins
Posted in Advance CTE Fall Meeting, Resources | Comments Off on CTE: Learning that Works

Building a Legacy Based on Ethics: The Future of CTE

October 11th, 2021

Submitted by MBA Research & Curriculum Center, 2021 Fall Meeting Sponsor

As educators, can we influence the world 10,000 years from now?

The Long Now Foundation is in the process of building a 10,000-year clock. The idea is to help us think beyond our immediate future, and to imagine life and our potential impact beyond that of our generation, or our children’s generation, or even our children’s children’s generation. In education, and in Career Technical Education (CTE) specifically, adopting this mindset will help us make choices that last “beyond the ages” and continue to shape our world far into the future.

10,000 years ago dates back to the Middle Stone Age, or Mesolithic Period, when nomadic hunter/gatherers roamed the land and lived drastically different lives from our own. Life as we know it today resulted from the events of thousands of years in the past. The seeds of our reality were planted millennia ago, when agriculture was just being introduced—and our lives are a product of their germination.

So, the big question now is this: How will we look back at ourselves 10,000 years from now? I hope we look back with appreciation at the choices we make today.

CTE students now have so much to learn—the world is changing so quickly. It’s hard to think about the “long now” versus just “now.” We will never really know if we can make a 10,000-year impact. But just in case—just on the off chance that we can make a difference—why not infuse ethics education into our classrooms now in hopes of leaving a legacy based on ethical decision making (in business and in life) for generations to come?

MBA Research is working with the Daniels Fund in Denver, Colorado, to bring ethics education into classrooms in middle school, high school and community college. We have developed numerous resources for use in classrooms in CTE and beyond. The materials range from individual instructional modules to semester-long courses on ethics.

We also have videos highlighting the Daniels Fund Ethical Principles, an Ethics Boot Camp with immersive, interactive ethics-based learning activities. The boot camp also includes a free, certification-based assessment for use after ethics-based learning in the classroom utilizing our materials. The best part? All of these resources and materials are FREE to download and use in the classroom or for Career Technical Student Organization (CTSO)-based activities.

Can we make an impact 10,000 years in the future? We don’t know—but it’s absolutely worth a try.

Visit MBAResearch.org/Ethics to learn more about integrating our ethics materials into your classroom and to access the free resources available for students in your state.

Tags: CTE teachers, CTSO, Fall Meeting
Posted in Advance CTE Fall Meeting, Resources, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Building a Legacy Based on Ethics: The Future of CTE

CTE Without Limits Summer Lunch and Learn #5 Recap: Rethinking Challenges as Opportunities to Build CTE Without Borders

September 8th, 2021

Advance CTE wrapped up its five-part summer lunch and learn series delving into each of the five principles of Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits). Each session features a panel of leading voices from organizations across learning and work followed by interactive group discussions on the information shared and next steps.

The fifth principle of CTE Without Limits aims to advance policies and actions that enable mobility and access to high-quality education experiences for each learner, with a particular focus on interstate compacts and investment in research and development to advance quality and equity in virtual learning. The August 31 panel featured Stephen Pruitt, President of Southern Regional Education Board (SREB); Dale Winkler, Vice President of Student Improvement for SREB; and Christina Sedney, Director of Policy Initiatives and State Authorization, Policy Analysis and Research for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE).

Both organizations named CTE Without Limits as a valuable opportunity to apply a CTE lens to decades of work with states to remove geographic and policy barriers to expand education opportunities for each learner in their respective regions.

Key Themes

Establish shared goals with individual value – Sedney and Pruitt acknowledged that expanding the borders of CTE delivery both within and beyond state borders is complex and involves the input and commitment of many stakeholders. Sedney offered several tangible tips to build effective interstate stakeholder collaboratives, including establishing shared goals early in the process with an extra step – communicating the value of the goals to each stakeholder to encourage long-term commitment. Winkler reinforced the value of shared goals as a means to change how this work is approached from a limited, barrier-based mindset to a transformative, goals-centered mindset.

Leverage challenges as inter- and intrastate opportunities – In the breakout session, Pruitt pointed to the potential of this principle to address some of the most pressing issues facing the field, including instructor shortages and program access for rural learners. He provided the example of an instructor living in a border town that with effective interstate agreements could split teaching time between multiple states. Sedney named the recent influx of federal investment in broadband access as a “real moment of opportunity” to allow populations historically marginalized from accessing more flexible and virtual program delivery in both urban and rural areas to be able to do so.

Keep quality and equity at the forefront – Pruitt and Winkler elevated the importance of robust professional support for instructors to ensure that the current “crisis delivery model” of many virtual CTE offerings can transition to meaningful, high-quality programming for each learner. They also called out the need for further data analysis and research on outcomes from virtual learning to determine optimal curriculum structure and engagement models as well as to measure the impact of models on program completion and credential attainment. Disaggregation of this data is pivotal to learning the full story of these outcomes.

Resources to Get Started

SREB and WICHE provide multiple resources that apply lessons learned from decades of practice building effective interstate connections and systems. Additional resources from other partners aligned with Principle 4 can be explored in Advance CTE’s vision partner initiative repository.

SREB has a variety of resources aligned to Principle 5, including a listing of CTE-focused virtual labs and activities, as well as webinars and reports exploring the opportunities and challenges of open educational resources (OER).

WICHE leads multiple regional initiatives that can be considered as models for the state level across multiple vision principles, including the Interstate Passport for postsecondary transfer and a Multistate Longitudinal Data Exchange piloted in six states.

Recordings of all previous Lunch and Learn sessions and additional vision implementation resources can be found on Advance CTE’s vision page.

Continue your journey of deeper learning and evaluation of CTE Without Limits at Advance CTE’s virtual Fall Meeting October 27-28, 2021. The theme is “Meeting CTE’s Moment”, with plenary and breakout sessions highlighting top-of-mind areas for implementation and featuring current state practices aligned with vision principles. Visit the Fall Meeting page to view the full meeting agenda and register today to secure early bird registration savings of $50.

Stacy Whitehouse, Senior Associate Communications and State Engagement

Tags: CTE Without Limits, SREB, WICHE
Posted in Advance CTE Resources, CTE Without Limits, Resources, Webinars | Comments Off on CTE Without Limits Summer Lunch and Learn #5 Recap: Rethinking Challenges as Opportunities to Build CTE Without Borders

Brave Dialogues to Advance CTE Without Limits

September 1st, 2021

Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits), calls on leaders in Career Technical Education (CTE) to identify and dismantle the institutional and systemic barriers that limit access, opportunity and outcomes for learners, particularly those who have been historically marginalized and excluded from high-quality CTE programs. While the field has come a long way from the days of tracking learners into terminal vocational programs that denied their full potential, CTE still has work to do to ensure each learner feels welcome in, is supported by, and has the means to succeed in the career preparation ecosystem.

State CTE leaders have made commitments to advancing equity in CTE, most notably in their Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) plans. However, there is often a disconnect between these commitments and the data which show persistent opportunity gaps for learners with special population status, learners from low-income families and learners of color. In order to understand this disconnect, state CTE leaders and CTE practitioners must engage in brave dialogues about the systemic and structural challenges facing learners who have been historically marginalized and excluded in order to take bold steps in developing effective policies, programs and practices rooted in equity.

Brave Dialogues: A Guide to Discussing Racial Equity in Career Technical Education is a resource designed to support state CTE leaders and practitioners in these efforts. Structured around a framework towards critical self-reflection, this guide asks participants to reflect on how they are positioned within organizations that have historically marginalized learners and consider ways they can actively dismantle the systems and structures that still persist today. As part of critical self-reflection, leaders critically examine the role of school programs, departments, hiring practices, enrichment courses and other school structures. In CTE, that may include examining entrance requirements for certain programs of study or whether all learners have equitable access to all programs of study offered by a school or district.

The primary audience for this guide is state CTE leaders who are encouraged to use this as a resource with their staff and local practitioners including teachers, faculty, counselors, career advisors, principals, deans, instructional staff, work-based learning coordinators, learner support staff, etc. This guide can be used in various contexts including professional development; diversity, equity and inclusion training; exploration of opportunity gaps; data-driven decisionmaking and funding initiatives; and the Perkins V comprehensive local needs assessment.

Participants in brave dialogues explore important concepts such as identity awareness, implicit bias, privilege, equity vs equality, structural racism, and how to approach policy and practice with an equity-minded lens. This guide recognizes that there is often great discomfort in discussing race, particularly racial inequities. Ultimately, the goal is for users of this guide to become better equipped and motivated to advance anti-racist CTE policies and practices. Anti-racist policies and practices are not race neutral; rather, they are crafted in recognition that historically, CTE — and education more broadly — has systematically perpetuated inequities among certain learner populations. Thus, anti-racist policies and practices are designed to actively dismantle those systems and create an environment where all learners have the resources and opportunities needed to thrive.

Advance CTE hopes this guide can support state CTE leaders in furthering their commitment to advancing equity in CTE. Through brave dialogues, CTE leaders can truly create a career preparation equity system without limits that is fully flexible and responsive to the diverse needs of each learner.

For more resources on access and equity in CTE, please visit the Learning that Works Resource Center.

Brian Robinson, Policy Associate

Tags: CTE Without Limits, Learning that Works Resource Center, Making Good on the Promise
Posted in Advance CTE Resources, CTE Without Limits, Resources, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Brave Dialogues to Advance CTE Without Limits

Highlighting Equity in State Policy

August 25th, 2021

State leaders, particularly state legislators, have a unique role to play in ensuring equitable access to high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE). As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, access and technology gaps have been laid bare, revealing inequities in opportunities for marginalized learner populations. While policies addressing access and equity concerns remained a high priority for legislators in years past, 2021 has been no different; this year to date, almost 30 pieces of state legislation have passed in 17 states addressing this issue. Enacted policies focus on elevating learner voice, examining historically inequitable systems and removing barriers to entry, or providing financial support for historically underrepresented populations. The following policies represent a small sample of equity-focused policies already passed in 2021:

Colorado SB119 affirms the value of increasing access to industry-recognized credentials for high school students, especially in the wake of COVID-19. The law also requires districts to communicate specific information about work-based learning opportunities and industry-recognized credentials to students and families, and requires the state Department of Education to submit an annual report and communicate similar data to districts.

Louisiana SB148 creates the M.J. Foster Promise Program, which provides financial assistance up to $3200/year to a low-income learner enrolling in a two-year or shorter postsecondary program in a high-demand, high-wage occupational field aligned with Louisiana’s workforce priorities and leading toward an industry-recognized credential.

Oregon SB623 directs the State Workforce and Talent Development Board to establish a Committee for Continuous Improvement to conduct an assessment of the Oregon workforce development system. The assessment must incorporate input from historically marginalized groups and other stakeholders and focus on identifying barriers, improving experiences and access to programs, and improving alignment between agencies and nonprofit organizations to ensure individuals impacted most by COVID-19 are prioritized and served.

Virginia HB1820 expands allowable work activities for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients to include participation in educational activities that lead to a postsecondary credential from an accredited higher education institution or other postsecondary school. The credential could include a program resulting in a degree or accredited industry-recognized credential, certification or license.
Washington SB5194 recognizes the disparate impacts faced by “first-generation college-attending students, students with disabilities, and underrepresented minority students” when applying for or remaining in postsecondary programs, specifically at community and technical colleges. The law announces legislative findings of a need to expand investment in community and technical colleges to guarantee equitable access and requires that all community and technical colleges must submit biennial plans to achieve racial diversity, equity, and inclusion starting July 30, 2022.

Advance CTE’s 2021 Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits) commits to “All dimensions of equity, including educational, racial, socioeconomic, gender and geographic, and meeting the unique needs of each individual learner,” and promotes many of the same actions connected to these legislative outcomes, including elevating learner voice, supporting equity audits and realigning systems to increase access and funding for marginalized learners. Visit our CTE Without Limits landing page for our call to action and the Learning that Works Resource Center for more access and equity resources.

Dan Hinderliter, Policy Associate

Tags: Colorado, CTE Without Limits, Equity, Louisiana, Oregon, state policy, Virginia, washington
Posted in Advance CTE Resources, Resources | Comments Off on Highlighting Equity in State Policy

This Week in CTE

July 10th, 2021

Developed with input from nearly 200 national, state and local education and workforce development leaders and supported by over 40 national organizations, Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education lays out five inter-connected and equally critical principles.

Only through shared commitment and shared ownership among leaders and practitioners at all levels can we realize the possibility and aspiration of a new career preparation ecosystem that provides each learner with limitless opportunity. The This Week in CTE blog series will highlight state and local examples where CTE Without Limits has been made actionable. If you would like to share how your CTE program creates limitless opportunities for each learner in this blog series, please email Brittany Cannady, [email protected].

This Week in CTE: July 5-9, 2021

Each learner engages in a cohesive, flexible and responsive career preparation ecosystem

Virginia CTE recently started a video campaign titled, Career Success Stars. This video campaign highlights the shared ownership of the career preparation ecosystem in Virginia among learners and families, educators, and business and industry partners. Each video showcases learner success in careers of their choice and is proof of high-quality career pathways that lead to in-demand careers as a result of stakeholder engagement across the state.

The full lineup of videos can be viewed on Virginia CTE’s webpage.

Each learner feels welcome in, is supported by and has the means to succeed in the career preparation ecosystem

A recent Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Central webinar explored current research and district-level strategies to address equitable access, participation and success in CTE programs. Guest speakers on the webinar represented two school districts in South Dakota: Rapid City Area Schools and Huron School District. The third guest speaker represented Portland Public Schools in Oregon. Each speaker shared insights into strategies they’ve been using to enhance and improve CTE programs in their districts. The recording can be viewed here.

Each learner skillfully navigates their own career journey

CTE Without Limits supporter Data Quality Campaign published a blog this week aligned to principle 3 and the data learners need to successfully navigate their career journey.

One former school counselor shares their perspective on the scope of data that should be shared with each learner in order for them to make informed college and career decisions.

Read the full blog here.

More resources on CTE data quality can be found in the Learning that Works Resource Center.

Each learner’s skills are counted, valued, and portable

A local partnership is bringing new skills training opportunities to Tennessee. McNairy County Schools and GE Appliances (GEA) have joined together to launch the Skills Training Alliance for Youth (STAY) initiative that will provide new work-based learning opportunities for learners. GEA will hire for part-time work, train and coach ten learners per year. Through the STAY initiative, GEA also commits to an investment in industry credentials. Learn more here.

More resources on systems alignment can be found in the Learning that Works Resource Center.

Each learner can access CTE without borders

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE): Interstate Passport® is the only nationwide network of institutionally accredited, nonprofit, public and private two- and four-year institutions dedicated to the block transfer of lower-division general education attainment based on multi-state faculty-developed learning outcomes and proficiency criteria instead of on specific courses and credits. Students of member institutions experience a seamless, efficient and economical transfer process.

Learn more in the new CTE Without Limits partner initiative repository. The repository can be found here under implementation resources.

Brittany Cannady, Senior Associate Digital Media

Tags: CTE Without Limits, Oregon, South Dakota, systems alignment, tennessee, Virginia
Posted in CTE Without Limits, Resources | Comments Off on This Week in CTE

Vision Commitments ‘Vlog’ Episode 1: Prioritizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in CTE Without Limits

June 30th, 2021

This summer, Advance CTE is pleased to partner with experts from supporting organizations of Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education to conduct video panels to delve into four of the five foundational commitments that connect the vision principles.

Our first blog panel covered dimensions of equity, discussing where the field of CTE stands today in successfully achieving equity in program design and learner support; what additional resources and areas of focus are needed to advance equity; and innovative initiatives being conducted by each organization to facilitate progress.

Much of the discussion centered around intentionality around actions to address equity, messaging about CTE in ways that meet the needs of learners, and the need for organizations to move beyond creating tools to creating consistent space to build community towards courageous action and continuous improvement. Several quotes from our panelists stood out during this conversation:

“This work is really hard, and we need a space and community so we can empower one another, offer compassion and accountability so that we can have the stamina to engage in this work for a very long time. These conditions were not created overnight.”
– Silvia Ramos, Senior Director of Programs, National Association for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE)

“Messaging should be clear and that there’s no longer a dichotomy between CTE programming and rigorous academic education programs…educators and CTE leaders at all levels need to demonstrate and communicate how CTE pathways open opportunities for all students.”
– Erica Cuevas, Associate Director, JFF

“For the most part educators get [culturally responsive education], they understand this need for global competence, but they just don’t know how to teach it….our professional development tools help teacher understand the need and how to integrate it in a way that meets their standards but isn’t a huge lift for a more open, respectful classroom.”
– Heather Singmaster, Director of Career Technical Education and Global Cities Education Network, Asia Society

Thank you to Advance CTE’s Brian Robinson for serving as a facilitator and to each panelist for their valuable insights.

Visit Advance CTE’s vision page to read the full vision, access vision communication and implementation resources, and view recordings of our summer Lunch and Learn webinar series focused on the five vision principles.

For more resources and tools on equity and access in CTE, visit the Learning that Works Resource Center.