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HEA in Practice: UVM’s TRIO Upward Bound Program

January 4th, 2019

The Higher Education Act (HEA) authorizes the Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO), with the purpose of supporting learners at the secondary level in achieving a postsecondary education. TRIO encompasses six programs targeted for low-income learners, first generation college students and learners with disabilities to excel from middle school through postsecondary enrollment. One program included in TRIO is Upward Bound, which supports low-income and first generation high school students through high school graduation, college enrollment and college completion. In the fall of 2018, the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance published a report that reviewed 200 Upward Bound programs across the country and came to the conclusion that such programs increase the number of colleges students applied to and led students to apply to more selective institutions.

Upward Bound has over 950 programs across the country. In Vermont, the University of Vermont’s (UVM) TRIO Upward Bound program (UVM Upward Bound) has found success. Through UVM Upward Bound, the university coordinates with Burlington High School and Winooski High School to support students in grades nine through twelve in progressing through secondary and postsecondary education. The program includes 63 students and works with the school counselors and teachers of both high schools to provide services such as college and career preparation. Additionally, the six-week summer program (held at the UVM campus) gives high school seniors the chance to plan for the college application process and write their application essays. The summer program also brings students to visit colleges outside of the state.

Recently, UVM Upward Bound was given a supplemental grant from the U.S. Department of Education to improve Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) opportunities for applicable students. In the summer of 2017, UVM joined 50 Upward Bound colleges in putting in place a three year STEM program called Teaching through Technology (T3). This new grant will further support STEM for Upward Bound students by allowing new technology to be acquired as well as hiring additional instructors.

Across Vermont, public colleges are coordinating with secondary schools through TRIO to support all learners in a pathway from secondary to postsecondary achievement.

Meredith Hills, Policy Associate

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High School Senior, Brian Elvidge, Shares How CTE and SkillsUSA Helped Him Get Back in the Game

January 3rd, 2019

For any athlete an injury can throw off more than just your season. For Brian Elvidge, a senior at Durango High School in Colorado, injuring his knee as a sophomore brought his athletic season to a halt. He had to have surgery and his vision for the future was dimming daily including his overall interest in school. He did the minimum required to remain eligible to stay on the football team.

Elvidge’s friend and co-president of the Durango High School SkillsUSA chapter suggested he join SkillsUSA, a national nonprofit student organization that serves students enrolled in Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) like SkillsUSA provide learners with the ability to hone their knowledge and technical skills and demonstrate them through regional, state and even national competitions. He decided to join.

“SkillsUSA got me out of a rough time and gave me hope,” said Elvidge when asked about his experience after joining his high school chapter. Durango high school is one of 13,000 school chapters in all fifty states and four U.S. territories.

Over the next two years, Elvidge also enrolled in CTE courses starting with welding. He enjoys working with his hands and believes CTE coursework could be used in the future not only as preparation for his future career but in his life.

His junior year, he decided to try another CTE course — carpentry. He was aware that there was a woodshop on campus and thought he should utilize the opportunity to gain hands on learning in carpentry, electric and plumbing right on campus. Before enrolling, he did his own research by asking his peers about the course, and finding that they spoke highly of the instructor, Shaun Smith, who also serves as the SkillsUSA advisor.

Smith has over twenty years of teaching experience and received the additional training necessary to lead a new pre-apprenticeship program. This program incorporates the Home Builders Institute PACT curriculum. One hand on experience includes constructing a life sized and livable “Mini Home.” Throughout the build, learners gain employability and real-world skills, through a meaningful work-based learning opportunity that mirrors what they would be doing in the workplace. Elvidge, along with his classmates, can graduate high school with the Home Builders Institute (HBI) Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate. To date, he has already earned the home builder association basic knowledge and safety certificate.

After his knee healed, he returned to the football field. However, he didn’t stop his participation in SkillsUSA and at his first regional competition; he placed third in a carpentry competition.

Elvidge continued to challenge himself and applied to become the SkillsUSA state officer. “It gave me something to work for and I learned about being a leader,” said Elvidge.

Now in his senior year, he is a leader on and off the football field. “I know what I want to do with my life now and I can prepare for my future,” Elvidge shared. He understands that the skills and certificates he earns now can always be used toward his future in whichever path he decides to follow.

Nicole Howard, Communications Associate

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Incorporating Youth Apprenticeships in Career Technical Education Pathways

December 19th, 2018

This blog was originally published as part of the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship Blog Series

By integrating classroom instruction and hands-on learning, both youth apprenticeships and Career Technical Education (CTE) can enhance a learner’s educational experience and better prepare them for future career success. Putting Learner Success First: A Shared Vision for the Future of CTE underscores the significance of coordinating high-quality youth apprenticeships and CTE, empowering learners through work-based learning and strong systems alignment anchored in learner success. Rather than isolating CTE as a separate educational strategy, an integrated approach to education and training can ensure that all learners have opportunities to succeed in a career of their choosing.

Advance CTE recently expanded our commitment to youth apprenticeship programs by joining the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship Initiative (PAYA). CTE can and should have a clear role in helping to achieve all five of the PAYA principles for high quality youth apprenticeships. In particular, the “Career-Oriented” PAYA principle that “learning is structured around knowledge, skills, and competencies that lead to careers with family-supporting wages” is supported by bringing together apprenticeship and CTE programs.

High-quality youth apprenticeships share the same core elements as CTE programs of study. For example, Advance CTE’s Policy Benchmark Tool identifies rigorous course standards and progressive, sequenced courses; secondary and postsecondary alignment and early postsecondary offerings; industry involvement; labor market demand; and high-quality instruction and experiential learning as necessary for a program to be considered high quality – all of which are reflected across the PAYA principles.

What This Looks Like in Practice

The Tech Ready Apprentices for Careers in Kentucky (TRACK) program showcases the opportunities that become available to students when instructional alignment and programmatic articulation are coordinated between CTE and youth apprenticeships. TRACK is a statewide program, overseen by the Kentucky Labor Cabinet and Department of Education’s Office of Career and Technical Education, that supports secondary students participating in registered youth apprenticeships. Employers and educators work together through TRACK to create youth pre-apprenticeships that match registered apprenticeships, as well as select a four-course CTE sequence and a coordinated industry certification.

TRACK first launched with a manufacturing pilot in thirteen high schools during the 2013 – 2014 school year. Since then the program has been scaled to include other schools and additional skilled trades. The program utilizes Kentucky’s existing CTE infrastructure to create a pipeline for students that begins in high school and culminates in an industry-recognized credential, paid work experience and, in many cases, advanced standing within a full Registered Apprenticeship.

Another example is the Apprenticeship Maryland Program (AMP), created as a new CTE program of study through a partnership with the Maryland State Department of Education and Department of Labor and Licensing Regulation. AMP students are able to participate in paid work based learning, enroll in applicable academic courses and spend time with a mentor from a relevant industry. One of the intentions of AMP is for students to understand the direct connection between their educational experience and the state’s workforce demands. Participants benefit from the chance to “earn and learn” with local businesses, while also getting credit toward high school graduation and earning a credential- underscoring the importance of combining academics and workforce skills.

Over the past two years, AMP was rolled out on a trial basis in two county public school systems. These pilot programs were so successful that AMP is now scaled in additional districts across the state. To create strong AMP sites, the state works with local businesses in addition to the local school system in order to provide students with a directly applicable learning experience.

For more examples of best practices, as well as common challenges, in linking CTE and apprenticeships, check out a report from Advance CTE in partnership with JFF, Vivayic and RTI International on Opportunities for Connecting Secondary CTE Students and Apprenticeships. This report was developed through a contract with the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, at the U.S. Department of Education.

Meredith Hills, Policy Associate

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This Week in CTE

December 14th, 2018

TWEET OF THE WEEK

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WEEK

Trump Administration Releases Strategy to Bolster STEM Education in the U.S.

On December 4, the Committee on STEM Education of the National Science and Technology Council released Charting a Course for Success: America’s Strategy for STEM Education. This report that outlines the Trump administration’s five-year strategy to increase access to high-quality Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and to ensure the United States is a global leader in STEM literacy, innovation and employment. Read more legislative updates on our blog here.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

What is Dual Enrollment?

Watch this video for a brief overview of what makes a high-quality dual enrollment program. You will learn how participation in these programs has grown over time and the present challenge to close access gaps.

Watch the video here. https://youtu.be/-3bXnkHeddg

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

What Happens to Students Who Take Community College “Dual Enrollment” Courses in High School?

In the fall of 2010, the 15 percent of learners enrolled in community college were high school dual enrollment learners. In a new report, the Community College Research Center-Teachers College, at Columbia University in New York, examines who enrolls in community college dual enrollment courses and what happens to them after high school. The research findings are based on longitudinal data of more than 200,000 high school learners who first took a community college course in fall 2010 for six years, through to the summer of 2016.

Findings:

  • Nearly two thirds of community college dual enrollment learners nationally were from low- or middle-income families;
  • Nearly half of former community college dual enrollment learners first attended a community college immediately after high school, and 84 percent of those learners re-enrolled at the college where they had taken dual enrollment courses;  
  • Forty-one percent of former dual enrollment learners went to a four-year college after high school; and  
  • Forty-six percent earned a college credential within five years. Among former dual enrollment learners who started at a four-year college after high school, 64 percent completed a college credential within five years.
    • In terms of equity, there were states with achievement gaps between lower and higher income dual enrollment learners who entered a four-year college after high school. Twenty-three states had gaps of 10 or more percentage points.

Read the full report here: https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/what-happens-community-college-dual-enrollment-students.pdf

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Trump Administration Releases Strategy to Bolster STEM Education in the US

December 10th, 2018

On December 4, the Committee on STEM Education of the National Science and Technology Council released Charting a Course for Success: America’s Strategy for STEM Education, a report that outlines the Trump administration’s five-year strategy to increase access to high-quality Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and to ensure the United States is a global leader in STEM literacy, innovation and employment. The strategy is rooted in three goals: build strong foundations for STEM literacy; increase diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM; and prepare the STEM workforce for the future.

To achieve these goals, the strategy is broken into four pathways that respectively focus on:

  • Building and strengthening relationships between education institutions, employers and their communities;
  • Making STEM learning more meaningful for students by engaging students in transdisciplinary activities and real-world problems;
  • Advancing computational literacy as a critical skill; and
  • Committing to evidence-based practices and decision-making in STEM programs.

The pathways described in the strategy share common items with STEM4: The Power of Collaboration for Change, a resource by Advance CTE, the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics, the Council of State Science Supervisors, and the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association that outlines principles and corresponding recommendations to drive and implement outstanding STEM education research and practices.

Notably, both resources recognize the importance of increasing access to and equity in STEM preparedness and the importance of real-world scenarios to preparing learners for lifelong career success. Career Technical Education (CTE) can play a pivotal role in promoting strong STEM education programs and workforce by exposing learners of all ages to real-world experiences through work-based and experiential learning and by fostering a STEM talent pipeline. High-quality CTE programs of study are informed by labor market data and developed with industry input to ensure that learners are developing the skills, such as computational literacy, to meet employer needs.

As the United States continues to fall short in preparing learners for education and careers in STEM, state leaders should consider how CTE can serve as mechanism to meet the goals outlined in the Trump administration’s five-year strategy.

Brianna McCain, Policy Associate

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Advance CTE Recommendations for HEA Reauthorization

December 6th, 2018

The turnover to the 116th Congress provides a renewed opportunity for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). There is agreement across both parties that higher education is a priority area, which could lead to a bipartisan approach to advance HEA reauthorization. In fact, since 1980, HEA has only been reauthorized when control across the House of Representatives, Senate and White House is shared between parties.

Advance CTE offers recommendations for the reauthorization of HEA under the following topics:

  • Higher Education is Workforce Development;
  • Eliminate Barriers to Financial Aid Program Access;
  • Streamline Data Collection and Ensure Cross-systems Alignment;
  • Increase Flexibility for Innovative Educational Models; and
  • Develop and Nurture the CTE Teacher Workforce

As the new Congress considers reauthorization, the major challenges facing the economy, most notably the skills shortage, must be central to these debates. Our higher education system must be more responsive to the evolving demands of an ever more competitive global economy. Too many employers report a shortage of qualified workers, while university and college graduates burdened with tremendous debt are unable to find work related to their fields of study. This calls for a major realignment of our nation’s higher education policies.

The upcoming reauthorization process will provide Congress a critically important opportunity to achieve this vision for investing in America’s workforce by ensuring affordable and accessible postsecondary opportunities for every learner.

Meredith Hills, Policy Associate

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This Week in CTE

November 30th, 2018

TWEET OF THE WEEK

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WEEK

The U.S. Department of Education has approved plans for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for all states and territories. They have also released guidance for new state leaders who want to amend their state ESSA plans. According to the guidance, states will need to submit an update with redlined language and a cover letter summarizing any changes. New plans will need to be submitted by March 1, 2019 to be considered.

With plans approved, reports are being published with a focus on how equity is being addressed in these state plans including the progress being made towards implementation. Read our blog to learn more about those reports.

To make sure you get the latest news and resources about federal policy that affects Career Technical Education (CTE), sign up for our Legislative Updates!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

The Every Student Succeeds Act: What is in it? What does it mean for equity?

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, originally passed in 1965, was reauthorized by Congress in December 2015 and renamed the Every Student Succeeds Act Watch this video to get a brief overview of the meaningful levers that education leaders, parents, members of the business and civil rights communities, and advocates can use to advance education equity.

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

Seizing the Moment: A District Guide to Advance Equity Through ESSA

The Aspen Institute Education & Society Program, Chiefs for Change, EducationCounsel, and Education First partnered to create Seizing the Moment: A District Guide to Advance Equity Through ESSA. This package of tools identifies potential barriers to equity and opportunities to utilize federal funds to strengthen local equity priorities. The purpose is to provide ways ESSA can be used to break down silos between traditional federal programs and local initiatives to advance equity in education. This framework provides an accompanying brief for each of the following: equity priorities:

  1. Leveraging School Improvement to Advance Equity
  2. Ensuring Equitable Funding
  3. Increasing Access to Effective Teachers and Leaders
  4. Supporting English Learners
  5. Increasing Access to Advanced Coursework
  6. Addressing Disproportionate Discipline Practices
  7. Integrating Social, Emotional, and Academic Development
  8. Improving Access to High-Quality Instructional Materials

Learn more about this tool here.

Nicole Howard, Communications Associate

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Global Competencies, CTE & STEM

November 28th, 2018

When students enter the job market, they will need to know the global dimensions of their career pathway and how to work with people from different backgrounds – including here in our increasingly diverse country. Recognizing the incredible opportunities and necessities of linking Career Technical Education (CTE) and global competencies is why Advance CTE partnered with Asia Society, Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and Longview Foundation to release Preparing a Globally Competent Workforce Through High-Quality Career and Technical Education back in 2015. 

Since the release of this report, this partnership has continued, leading to the development of the Global CTE Toolkit, which houses many curricular and instructional tools for embedding global competencies into CTE teaching and learning.

This work is now extending to focus squarely on STEM, with Advance CTE, the Global Education at Asia Society and ACTE partnering to create new online professional development modules that support CTE educators in integrating STEM content into their classrooms while teaching global skills via active, project-based learning. These 10 new modules – entitled Career Readiness in a Global Economy: STEM and CTE – will help educators understand how to make global connections to local issues; create high-quality global STEM projects; assess global workforce readiness skills; connect with classrooms abroad to complete collaborative projects; and teach students to be project managers so they are more successful in completing their projects.

These new modules, together with sample curriculum and other tools and resources are now being piloted and we are looking for state and local leaders and practitioners to join in and give your feedback. For each 15-minute module you give feedback on, you will be entered into a drawing for one of two $100 Amazon gift cards. All materials are free of charge due to generous support from the Project Management Institute Educational Foundation (PMIEF).

If you are interested in piloting these new materials, please visit CTE Learn, create a free log-in, and click on the Career Readiness in a Global Economy: STEM and CTE, button to get started. Also, feel free to share the link and information with others in your states and communities.

Contact Heather Singmaster at [email protected] with any questions. All surveys must be completed by February 15, 2019 to be entered into the drawing.

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Happy National Apprenticeship Week!

November 16th, 2018

TWEET OF THE WEEK: 

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WEEK

2018 Election Update: U.S. House of Representatives Flips to Democratic Majority, and Republicans Retain Senate Majority

Career readiness was a pillar for many candidates’ education platforms in the 2018 midterm election. A number of changes in leadership are on the horizon as the U.S. House of Representatives Flips to Democratic Majority. Two of the four Senate Career Technical Education Caucus Co-Chairs, Sen. Kaine (D-VA) and Sen. Baldwin (D-WI), were up for reelection and both won their races. In Saginaw County, Michigan voters approved a new tax to invest in Career Technical Education (CTE). Read our blog to learn more.

To make sure you get the latest news and resources about federal policy that affects CTE, sign up for our Legislative Updates!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Are you curious about what a registered apprenticeship entails? Learn the basics with these quick animation videos. In less than five minutes viewers will understand what a registered apprenticeship is,   an understanding of employers expectations and the benefits of completing an apprenticeship program. Employers will come away with an understanding of the benefits of investing in creating a program to meet their talent needs.

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

Definition and Principles for Exampanding Quality Apprenticeship in the U.S.

The Apprenticeship Forward Collaborative is a network of national organizations committed to expanding American apprenticeship through research, public engagement and on-the-ground innovation. The Collaborative released a new resource, Definition and Principles for Expanding Quality Apprenticeship in the U.S. This new resource includes a  definition for quality apprenticeship and a set of shared principles to guide future expansion efforts by the administration and Congress.  Learn more here.

Nicole Howard, Communications Associate

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Advance CTE Celebrates National Apprenticeship Week

November 15th, 2018

Across the country there is renewed interest in growing apprenticeship programs for youth and adult learners. By integrating classroom instruction and hands-on learning, apprenticeships can serve as a meaningful part of a Career Technical Education (CTE) program of study,  enhance the educational experience and better prepare learners for future career success. In June 2017, Advance CTE, in partnership with JFF, Vivayic and RTI International was contracted by the U.S. Department of Education to explore ways in which secondary CTE students could be better connected to apprenticeship programs. As a result, Advance CTE published  a report that profiled eight secondary apprenticeship programs to identify strategies to connect CTE with apprenticeship programs. The report highlights major takeaways as well as recommendations for program design, effectiveness, student-parent engagement and communications, financing, equity and access.

Last month, we expanded our commitment to youth apprenticeship programs by joining the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship Initiative (PAYA), along with CareerWise Colorado, Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeships, Education Strategy Group, JFF, the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, the National Governors Association and New America. Over the next four years, PAYA will support efforts in states and cities to expand access to high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for high school age youth. PAYA will convene experts and partners, support a community of practitioners, publish research and provide grants and direct assistance to promising youth apprenticeship programs in cities and states across the U.S. We join our PAYA partners in thanking the funders of this initiative – Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Ballmer Group, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Joyce Foundation, JP Morgan Chase & Co. and the Siemens Foundation.

Earlier this week the Apprenticeship Forward Collaborative released their Definitions and Principles for Expanding Quality Apprenticeships in the U.S. that Advance CTE signed on to and supports. These guiding principles for quality apprenticeships include:

  1. Strong business demand for apprentices;
  2. Advancement of the livelihood of U.S. workers;
  3. Partnerships between local businesses, the workforce and education systems, human services organizations, labor and labor-management partnerships and other community-based organizations;
  4. Accessibility for new and incumbent workers that supports the success of a diverse pipeline of apprentices;
  5. Alignment with K-12 and postsecondary educational opportunities to support lifelong learning and skill attainment;
  6. Robust data systems to continuously improve outcomes for business and workers; and
  7. Building on innovative state and local practice.

At a roundtable discussion hosted by the Apprenticeship Forward Collaborative, Advance CTE’s Deputy Executive Director Kate Blosveren Kreamer emphasized that our economy supports the continued skill attainment that apprenticeships provide.

We are excited to continue learning about – and advocating for -impactful apprenticeship opportunities!

Meredith Hills, Policy Associate

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