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Two Weeks Left to Apply for the 2019 Excellence in Action Award

November 9th, 2018

Think you have one of the most innovative Career Technical Education (CTE) programs of study across the 16 Career Clusters®? Don’t miss your chance to apply for Advance CTE’s annual Excellence in Action award. Applications are open to secondary and postsecondary schools/institutions. Apply by November 21, 2018 here.

Need tips on filling out the application? Watch our recent webinar and hear from a 2018 award winner. If you want to see examples of some stellar programs of study, take a look at all of the 2018 winners here.

Still wondering why your program should apply? Here are four reasons:

  1. Showcase your program on the national stage! The success of your learners, partners, faculty and instructors will be highlighted in articles and blogs throughout the year.

  2. Recognition at the Advance CTE Spring Meeting in Washington, D.C. Representatives from winning programs will receive travel and lodging to honor your program at an awards ceremony in front of State CTE Directors, state leaders, national partners and the media.

  3. Celebrate your program in your own community with a physical and digital banner.

  4. Demonstrate what high-quality CTE programs of study look like at the national, state and local levels.

Nicole Howard, Communications Associate

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Excellence in Action Spotlighting: William J. Pete Knight High School, Digital Design and Engineering Academy

November 8th, 2018

Today is National Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Day or STEM. Day, recognized annually on November 8th.

According to the PEW Research Center, employment in STEM occupations have grown 79 percent since 1990, from 9.7 million to 17.3 million, many of which are high-wage careers. PEW reports that those with some college education, working full-time earn $54,745 while a similarly educated non-STEM employee earns 26 percent less. Watch videos of employees in STEM Careers speak about their experience in the industry here.

STEM is also one of the 16 Career Clusters® in the National Career Clusters® Framework. Learners can begin cultivating a path towards a STEM career in Career Technical Education (CTE) programs of study. This year, the Digital Design and Engineering Academy at William J. Pete Knight High School in Lancaster, California received the National Excellence in Action award in the STEM Career Cluster.

This high-quality program of study launched in 2010 to provide learners with rigorous and integrated academic and technical coursework, in addition to the full continuum of work-based learning experiences.  Learners can earn college credit for both engineering and general education/core academic courses through articulation agreements and Advanced Placement. The engineering program of study benefits from partnerships with industry leaders such as Northrop Grumman, Edwards Air Force Base, the Air Force Research Laboratory, Lockheed Martin and even NASA. Internships offered by these leading employers often lead to employment opportunities upon graduation.

In addition to internships, learners gain valuable experiences by using real-world skills to help communities. Learners took the lead in developing a partnership with Grid Alternatives, a non-profit organization that brings reliable energy to communities that are not on the electrical grid through solar power technology. The Academy students assisted a school in Nicaragua with no access to power.

In a recent report, Understanding the Equity Challenge in Career Technical Education, Advance CTE shared the historical gender inequities in CTE. To ensure all learners have access to STEM education and careers, the engineering academy has hired female instructors and created events focused on young women in STEM. As a result, the 2016-17 class had a 16-percentage point increase in female enrollment.

Learners recently traveled to Australia and competed in the 2018 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) challenge. This competition highlights how drones can be used to help people in health related situations. The teams from Knight High School won first and second place in the Airborne Delivery Challenge, which tests learner’s application of drone technology to drop an EpiPen to a simulated “lost hiker.” They also won the Best Rookie Team award.

To learn more about this program of study read their profile here.

 

 

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This Week in CTE

November 2nd, 2018

TWEET OF THE WEEK

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WEEK

U.S. Departments of Education and Labor Award STEM, Apprenticeship Grants

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement awarded over $100 million in grants in the last month through the Education Innovation and Research grant program. Eleven of the 18 awards focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in some way. Read our blog to learn more http://blog.careertech.org/?p=14802.

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

CTE: Pathways to College and Careers

Employers, learners, and teachers share how CTE helps students apply what they learn in the classroom to solve real-world problems through project-based learning. Learners and instructors explain how CTE increases engagement and gives them a leg up on finding their career interests. In the Advance CTE Value and Promise of Career Technical Education national survey, 91 percent of parents and learners in CTE believe their child is getting a leg up on their career compared to only 44 percent of prospective parents. Max Pence, Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, talks about how the introductions to business and industry in high school helped him visualize his future college major and create a plan for a career in accounting.

Watch the video to learn more.

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

New Skills for Youth Phase Two Evaluation

New Skills for Youth (NSFY) is supporting career pathways development in 10 states to prepare young people for high-skill, high-demand careers. With funding from JPMorgan Chase, the states’ NSFY work builds on a prior six-month planning and initial implementation phase and pathways and career readiness initiatives and activities predating NSFY. This report documents state activities and progress within the first 18 months of implementation of Phase Two, during which states refined plans, solidified the engagement and responsibilities of participating agencies and stakeholders, and initiated pathways development in accordance with the initiative’s objectives. Although it is premature to assess the long-term impact of this work, this report highlights key achievements to date and notes emerging cross-state themes. Read the full report here. 

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What the 2020 Decennial Census Means for Education Funding

October 25th, 2018

Every 10 years the U.S. Census Bureau collects data from the residents of the United States through the national census. The census is pivotal to understanding the composition of the country, but it also plays a large role in federal funding levels of major programs. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that education programs are some of the biggest to use census data to determine funding. For example, the Pell Grant program utilizes census data and was allotted $29.8 billion dollars in 2015.

Additionally, the annual American Community Survey (ACS) relies on census data and plays a significant role in distributing funding to education programs. Census data, and correlated data from the ACS, decide how much funding should be allocated to different areas of education research, as well as how much money is needed for a variety of education programs. It is estimated that at least $47 billion in federal education funding is affected by census and ACS results.

According to the Leadership Conference Education Fund, Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality and Economic Security and Opportunity Initiative, data from the census and ACS impacts education research and programs in ways such as:

  • How much federal funding was directed toward Career Technical Education (CTE) programs through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins IV);
  • States rely on ACS data to finalize funding for local adult education programs;
  • The census and ACS provide data on educational attainment related to labor market demand; and
  • ACS data gives insight into inequities in higher education enrollment.

Because the census is the only nation-wide survey that attempts to collect comprehensive data on each resident, preparation for the 2020 Census has been focused on how to reach every individual and increase response rates. For the first time, the 2020 Census will have the option to fill out and submit entirely online. In addition, the Integrated Partnership and Communications division pays special attention to populations that are typically under-represented in the census.

Meredith Hills, Policy Associate

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This Week in CTE

October 19th, 2018

TWEET OF THE WEEK

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WEEK

Advance CTE Excellence in Action Award Applications are Open!

Advance CTE’s annual Excellence in Action award recognizes and honors superior Career Technical Education (CTE) programs of study from across the nation. Selected programs of study will exemplify excellence in the implementation of the Career ClustersⓇ, show a true progression from secondary to postsecondary education, provide meaningful work-based learning opportunities and have a substantial and evidence-based impact on student achievement and success.

Do you think you have one of the best CTE programs of study in the nation? Apply for the 2019 Excellence in Action award to showcase the amazing work of learners, instructors and faculty at the national level. Be sure to submit the application before the deadline of November 21, 2018 at 5 p.m. ET.

Want to learn more? Register for Insights into the 2019 Excellence in Action Award Webinar taking place on  November 1 from 2 – 3 p.m. ET!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Tom Vander Ark of Getting Smart Explores World of Work at Cajon Valley Union School District

Watch this video to get a glimpse into how the Cajon Valley Union School District is sharing the World of Work with learners from elementary to middle school. The Cajon Valley Union School District offers 54 career exploration experiences for learners between kindergarten and eighth grade. The district is connecting industry to education through technology such as work-based learning resources and video chats with industry professionals. The district is working to help learners identify their strengths and interests and encourage the community to open their doors to create meaningful partnerships with the schools.

Read the full article to learn more.

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

Three Educational Pathways to Good Jobs: High School, Middle Skills, and Bachelor’s Degree

A recent report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce titled, Three Educational Pathways to Good Jobs: High School, Middle Skills, and Bachelor’s Degree explores the pathways to ‘good jobs’ defined as as one that pays at least $35,000 for workers 25-44 and at least $45,000 for workers 45-64.  The research finds that in 1991, there were 15 million good careers requiring a high school diploma, 12 million good middle-skills jobs, and 18 million good careers requiring a bachelor’s degree. By 2016, careers requiring only a high school diploma decreased to 13 million good jobs, middle-skills careers  grew to 16 million, and those careers requiring a bachelor’s degree doubled to 36 million. Other key findings include:

  • Twenty percent of workers with good jobs have no more education than a high school diploma and on-the-job training;
  • More than 20 million new good jobs were created in skilled-services industries while the net number of good jobs in blue-collar industries slightly declined;
  • Skilled-services industries accounted for 77 percent of good job growth for workers with middle skills; and
  • Blue-collar industries added 800,000 good jobs on the middle-skills pathway and 500,000 good jobs for workers with  bachelor’s degree or higher.

Learn more by reading the full report here: https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/3pathways/

Nicole Howard, Communications Associate

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CTE and Workforce Systems Alignment: Lessons Learned from States

October 16th, 2018

Aligning systems is one of five key principles of the shared vision, Putting Learner Success First. System alignment can ensure a shared vision and commitment to seamless college and career pathways for every learner; by maximizing resources, reducing inefficiencies and holding systems accountable, every learner can have the supports they need to find success.

The recent enactment of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins IV), presents new opportunities to align Career Technical Education (CTE) and state workforce systems to strengthen and expand opportunities for learners. States have taken different approaches to align CTE and the workforce systems, from submitting Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) combined state plans with Perkins IV as a partner program to establishing strong connections between CTE and the workforce systems via strategic partnerships and plans. As states think about improving the effectiveness of this connection, it’s critical to reflect on and learn from states’ efforts to enhance CTE and workforce system alignment.

To inform this post, Advance CTE interviewed several State CTE Directors to learn about how they align CTE and workforce systems in their respective states. Below are key takeaways from those conversations and highlights of a few state examples.

Approaches to Promoting CTE and Workforce Systems Alignment
While states take different approaches to aligning CTE and workforce systems depending on their needs, some common approaches to aligning CTE and workforce systems emerged.

  • Local advisory boards: Many states leverage local employer advisory boards to inform CTE programs. For instance, Pennsylvania has a state mandate that requires all secondary schools and Perkins recipients to engage local workforce development boards to inform their programming.
  • Shared goals: Other states establish shared strategic targets and goals across the education and workforce systems. In Washington, the Workforce Training and Education Board is responsible for the administration of Perkins and WIOA, which allows the state to easily set goals for Perkins and WIOA that align. Even though Washington does not have a WIOA combined state plan with Perkins IV as a partner program, its state workforce plan has included CTE in its strategy for more than thirty years and state law requires WIOA and Perkins plans to align. As a result, Washington makes it a point to establish Perkins performance goals that align with WIOA goals.
  • Strategic Initiatives: States also align CTE and workforce systems through strategic initiatives. In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Works initiative aligns resources, education, training and job opportunities to promote workforce development in the state. Through this initiative, Oklahoma examines education, workforce and economic data to ensure that programs of study align with labor market data. Ensuring that CTE programs of study have labor market relevance is a key strategy for aligning CTE and workforce systems.

Systems Alignment Sustainability
Trend data from Advance CTE surveys since 2005 suggests that coordination between CTE and other state initiatives is more common when there is an external forcing event, such as state or federal legislation that triggers a statewide planning process. As states expand upon or strengthen their work to align CTE and workforce systems, they must consider how they will sustain systems alignment even when these statewide planning processes conclude.

Some states, such as West Virginia, established CTE and workforce systems alignment sustainability through building partnership infrastructure. West Virginia has a WIOA combined state plan with Perkins IV as a partner program, which helps to promote collaboration between the CTE and workforce systems. Representatives from the West Virginia Division of Technical, Adult and Institutional Education (WV-CTE) serve on the WIOA State Board and helped to develop the state goals articulated in the WIOA combined state plan. Representatives attend a quarterly WIOA group that meets to ensure that the state is making progress on the goals articulated in its WIOA plan.

Additionally, WV-CTE has a Governor’s Economic Initiative office within it that ensures CTE programs of study are aligned to industry needs and developed collaboratively between business, industry and education. West Virginia is able to sustain its CTE and workforce systems alignment through establishing statewide goals via the WIOA combined state plan, clearly defining roles through committees and establishing routine accountability checks.

Conclusion
CTE and workforce systems alignment is necessary to ensure that learners are on a path to securing in-demand, high-wage careers. While the state examples in this resource showcase the importance of elevating partnerships and collaboration to achieve alignment, CTE and workforce systems alignment can take many different forms. A state’s approach to CTE and workforce systems alignment should be guided by its state vision, goals and infrastructure.

Brianna McCain, Policy Associate

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Free College: Looking Ahead

October 15th, 2018

Advance CTE wrote a series of blog posts profiling the policies and practices of free college in the United States. This post will explore the future landscape of community college. Check out previous blogs on the history of free college, Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars Program and challenges and limitations to free college programs.

As of September 2018, there are over 350 local and state college promise programs across the country. Though the source of funding for free college varies , the goal of increasing access despite the growing cost of college is the commonality. So far, the 2018 election cycle has seen a number of candidates include some form of free college in their platform. Overall, ten Democratic gubernatorial candidates are promoting free college in their campaign. For example, Maryland gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous is advocating for free community college and debt free four-year college, Arizona gubernatorial candidate David Garcia is supporting a proposal to make four-year public colleges free and Connecticut gubernatorial Ned Lamont is proposing making the first two years free at any state public college.

At the federal level, various members of Congress have introduced legislation that promotes free college. Perhaps most well known is Senator Bernie Sanders’ (VT-I) “College for All,” proposed in the spring of 2017, that promotes measures such as making all public colleges free for learners with a household income of up to $125,000 and having all community colleges be tuition free. In the spring of 2018 Senator Brian Schatz (HI-D) introduced the “Debt Free College Act” that proposes measures to make college debt free with a focus on the total fees associated with college (such as textbooks, food and housing) instead of only tuition.

The Institute for Higher Education explored the concept of free college, and came up with five ways to fix current programs and build “equity-driven federal and state free-college programs:”

  1. Invest first and foremost in low-income students;
  2. Fund non-tuition expenses for low-income students;
  3. Include four-year colleges in free college programs;
  4. Support existing state need-based grant programs; and
  5. Avoid restrictive or punitive participation requirements, such as post-college residency requirements

 

Additionally, the Education Trust evaluated free college programs through an equity lens, and developed equity driven guidelines to rate and improve current state tuition-free college programs or proposals. They built an eight-step evaluation to use when assessing free college program quality:

  1. Whether the programs cover living expenses;
  2. Whether they cover fees;
  3. Whether they cover the total cost of tuition for at least four years of college;
  4. Whether they include bachelor’s-degree programs;
  5. Whether adult students are eligible;
  6. Whether repayment of aid is required under certain circumstances;
  7. Whether there are GPA requirements; and
  8. Whether there are additional requirements to maintain eligibility

 

Although there is a growing national focus on free college, and even more state-level attention on this issue, a uniform agreement on what this should look like is lacking. There is no general consensus on what free college should look like and the scope of what “free” would truly mean. However, the overarching common goal of making college affordable and accessible will keep the conversation around free college moving forward.

Meredith Hills, Policy Associate

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This Week in CTE

October 12th, 2018

TWEET OF THE WEEK

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WEEK

A new initiative is launching this month in Washington, D.C. The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) is a multi-year, collaborative initiative that will support the success of efforts in states and cities to expand access to high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for learners in high school. One area of focus for this work will be improving public understanding and awareness of high-quality American youth apprenticeship. To learn more visit their website here.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Worcester Technical High School learners and instructors were featured on CBS This Morning’s education series – Schools Matters. The video takes you into the spaces where learners are gaining real-world, hands-on experiences. The school offers 22 Career Technical Education (CTE) programs of study that prepare learners for postsecondary education and the workforce. Worcester Technical High School’s success is evident in the numbers. It has a 99.1 percent graduation rate compared to the national average of 84 percent. Eighty six percent of graduates go on to pursue a college education. See how learners in this school are using their real-world experiences to give back to the community and prepare for their future.

Watch the video here.

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

Report: STEM4: The Power of Collaboration for Change

Equity gaps in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) preparedness and access persist among underserved populations. According to the research noted in STEM4: The Power of Collaboration for Change, predominantly minority high schools are less likely to offer math and science classes, especially at advanced levels This report from Advance CTE, the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics, the Council of State Science Supervisors, and the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association offers recommendations to increase access to and equity in STEM preparedness. Learn more here.

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Free College: Limitations and Challenges

October 10th, 2018

Advance CTE is writing a series of blog posts profiling the policies and practices of free college in the United States. This post will explore some of the challenges inherent in free college programs. Check out previous blogs on the history of free college and Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars Program, and look back next week for a blog on the future of free college.

Free college programs have become a popular idea to combat the rising cost of higher education and increase postsecondary attainment for all. However, a variety of different types of initiatives are branded as “free college,” when in reality that term can be misleading for what is actually provided. For example, state-led free college programs are typically “last dollar in.” This means that first grant aid, such as Pell grants, is given to learners and the state will pay for the remaining tuition. Although this is a significant contribution, this “last dollar” practice means that students are using only grant money for tuition instead of putting it towards additional costs of college such as housing, food, textbooks and any other fees. Most of the states that offer free college programs do so through this approach. Additionally, these free college initiatives are often directed toward students who recently graduated high school leaving non-traditional students with large financial barriers.

Free college is really addressed at the state level, instead of the federal level, which means there are inherent limitations. There are considerable constraints on the amount of money states are able to put toward free college programs. In order to keep the state costs low, limits are put on who is eligible and how exactly the money can be applied to the college. For example, states may only open free college programs to recent high school graduates and allow the money to be applied to community colleges, certain areas of study or include the stipulation that participants have to live and work in that state for a number of years.

Overall, state funding to higher education is shrinking. When states are forced to cut portions of their budget, higher education is typically one of the first areas to feel the impact. What’s more, Most of the state tuition-free programs are discretionary, so the allocated amount can change every year.  

Although the free college movement can improve access, because of the many limitations to what free college can actually mean, access is limited for low-income students. The Education Trust’s, “A Promise Fulfilled,” looked at 15 current and 16 proposed state free college programs, and found that unless they are specifically designed to address the needs of low-income students, they do not benefit these learners.

It is clear that although the notion of free college is a positive one, in practice such programs do not always increase opportunities for higher education for everyone. These programs do have potential for more equitable access to postsecondary education if they are created with intentionality. However, if the cost of college continues to go up, increased and equitable postsecondary attainment will persistently be a challenge.

Meredith Hills, Policy Associate

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Excellence in Action Spotlighting: Granite Technical Institute, Utah Aerospace Pathways Program

October 5th, 2018

Today is Manufacturing Day® a celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. This day, recognized annually on the first Friday in October, features events around the world to provide a behind-the-scenes look at a growing industry. Find an event near you here.

It’s a day that gives communities and learners the opportunity to explore what a career in the manufacturing field really looks like. Why is this important? According to a report by Deloitte Consulting LLP and the Manufacturing Institute, 80 percent of manufacturers have a moderate or serious shortage of qualified applicants for skilled and highly skilled production positions. This translates to nearly two million unfilled jobs over the next decade. Career Technical Education (CTE) programs of student in this area can help to close that gap by preparing the workforce of the future with the industry required skills to fill those positions.

Manufacturing is also one of the 16 Career Clusters® in the National Career Clusters® Framework. Superior implementation of a Career Cluster in a program of study is one area needed to qualify for Advance CTE’s annual Excellence in Action award. The award honors high-quality CTE programs of study from across the nation. This year, the Utah Aerospace Pathways program of study at the Granite Technical Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah received the award in the Manufacturing Career Cluster.

This program of study was established in 2015, in response to industry demand for skilled employees in aerospace careers. In that same year, the Utah aerospace industry accounted for 944 companies.The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, five local aerospace industry partners and secondary and postsecondary institutions, worked closely to develop the robust program to address this growing need for a skilled workforce. It is one of the four Utah Talent Ready Initiative programs, which aims to fill 40,000 new high-skill, high-wage jobs in Utah over the next four years.

“The Utah Aerospace Pathway program aligns industry and education to fill critical workforce needs in our state while ensuring continued success in the aerospace industry,” said Gov. Gary R. Herbert. “Career and Technical Education serve an important role in training our workforce in Utah. We appreciate Granite School District and their innovative partnership to make this program available for students in their district.”

In May, 55 learners graduated from the program of study with certificates in aerospace manufacturing. To receive this certificate all learners must have completed rigorous coursework and a 48-hour externship in the industry. This certificate is unique in that it guarantees an interview with any of the participating partner companies including Boeing, Albany International, Hexcel, Janicki Industries and Orbital ATK.

In addition to earning a certificate, learners have options to continue their postsecondary education through an articulation agreement between the high school and Salt Lake Community College and Weber State University.

Learn more by watching this video and reading a two-pager about the program: 

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