Posts Tagged ‘Access and Equity’

Enhancing CTE Program Access and Credential Access in Arizona

Friday, September 27th, 2024

In this blog, Policy Associate Velie Sando highlights policies enacted by Arizona in 2024 that facilitate access to Career Technical Education (CTE) for adult learners and foster care youth, and that expand industry-recognized credentials for learners who complete apprenticeship programs.

Arizona’s CTE landscape saw multiple legislative developments in 2024, with several key policies enacted to enhance opportunities for learners and strengthen workforce development initiatives.

These policy changes align with Arizona’s broader goals for CTE, which include engaging learners in relevant experiences leading to purposeful and economically viable careers. The state’s commitment to CTE is evident in its extensive program offerings, ranging from Accounting and AgriScience to Welding Technologies. With 14 Career and Technical Education Districts formed throughout the state and 101 school districts participating, Arizona has created a robust infrastructure for delivering quality CTE programs.

One of the changes came with the passage of H.B. 2906, which expanded the capabilities of Career Technical Education Districts (CTEDs) across the state. This legislation empowered CTEDs to construct, maintain, and provide housing facilities for those in foster care or classified as unaccompanied youth. This move recognizes the barriers faced by such learners and aims to provide them with stable living environments conducive to their educational goals.

H.B. 2090 introduced a streamlined process for recognizing completed apprenticeship programs. Individuals who successfully finish a U.S. Department of Labor-approved or Arizona Department of Economic Security-approved apprenticeship program in construction trades can now file their certificates of completion directly. This change not only simplifies the documentation process but also ensures that apprentices’ achievements are properly recognized and recorded, potentially enhancing their employment prospects.

The year also saw modifications to the evaluation of adult education programs through S.B. 1113. This bill amended existing legislation on performance measures for adult education and workforce development programs. Notably, it prohibited the Arizona Department of Education from assigning letter grades to adult education and workforce development program schools established on or before July 1, 2024. This change reflects an innovative approach to assessing these programs, acknowledging their unique nature and the diverse needs of adult learners.

As Arizona continues to evolve its CTE landscape, these policies demonstrate a commitment to addressing the needs of diverse learner populations, streamlining professional recognition processes, and refining evaluation methods for adult education. These changes are likely to contribute to the state’s efforts in reaching its Achieve 60AZ goal of having 60% of Arizona adults hold a degree, high-demand workforce certification, or other high-value credential by 2030.

For more policies enacted in 2024, check out Advance CTE and ACTE’s Mid-Year in Review Webinar

Velie Sando, policy associate

By Layla Alagic in Public Policy
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Opportunity Gap Analysis State Catch-Ups: Iowa

Thursday, September 12th, 2024

Since the fall of 2021, Advance CTE’s Opportunity Gap Analysis (OGA) workshop has provided training, resources, and support to help state leaders identify and address gaps in access to high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE). While high-quality CTE programs of study across the country are providing opportunities for learners to follow their passion, achieve career goals, and ensure future economic success, the reality is that not all learners have access to these programs. In this blog series, Senior Policy Associate Jessi Maddox interviews previous participants of the OGA workshop to share the impact and the lessons learned from implementing the training in their state.

The reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) on July 31, 2018, elevated the importance of equal access to CTE programs and connected experiences for all learners and has challenged states and local recipients to prioritize this work to address identified gaps. Over the past three years, Advance CTE has led in-depth gap analysis training with 39 state teams. These teams have further disseminated the gap analysis process within their state CTE systems, resulting in changes in policies and practices that bring identifying and addressing gaps to the forefront of their CTE programs. 

With the launch of the newest cohort of the Opportunity Gap Analysis workshop this past May (2024), we wanted to connect with prior participants and ask about the impact the gap analysis training has had on equal access to CTE programs within their state. This month we are spotlighting the Bureau of Community Colleges and Postsecondary Readiness with the Iowa Department of Education and the work their team has done since the culmination of their cohort in Fall 2022. 

Iowa’s participation in the workshop has increased collaboration of CTE professionals at the state and local level, created more connected data systems within the state, and facilitated a data-oriented approach to closing access gaps in their CTE programs. 

Tell us about yourself and your CTE background.

The Iowa Department of Education CTE Education Program Consultants collaborate in the areas of access, equity, accountability, monitoring, and compliance to administer Perkins V at the secondary and postsecondary levels. CTE consultants, coordinators, and administrators (both internal and external stakeholders) have varying levels of experience in CTE program administration across all levels of CTE, such as secondary, postsecondary, state-level management, and local-level management.

When did your state participate in the Opportunity Gap Analysis Workshop?

In June 2022 with a team that consisted of the State CTE Director, Methods of Administration (MOA) Coordinator, data personnel, and an education consultant.

What in-state training(s) has your team facilitated using the Opportunity Gap Workshop model and/or related resources?

The state team has led six trainings (virtual and face-to-face) targeting local-level CTE faculty and administrators over the last two years. These training sessions have focused on serving students with disabilities in CTE to understand the number of local programs where a student population may be under- or over-represented.

Describe how your team’s participation in the Opportunity Gap Analysis training impacted CTE in general within your state.

The training allowed stakeholders to focus on a particular subset of students to identify access barriers to CTE programming. Utilizing a collaborative approach with multiple state agencies serving students with disabilities (SWD), we developed a process of identifying enrollment, participation, and completion patterns for SWD with the construction of data dashboards focusing on students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The dashboards are a work in progress with the goal to include all special population subgroups. This tool has proved invaluable for school districts to develop inclusive and targeted improvement plans.

Describe how the Opportunity Gap Analysis training specifically led to changes in your state’s data policies and procedures.

At the district level, input from stakeholders including CTE teachers, administrators, and counselors regarding the low number of CTE concentrators provided insight into procedures, policies, or practice that needed change in order to address systemic barriers preventing full engagement for students. 

The data dashboards and the accompanying training resources allowed for increased collaboration with internal Department data staff and with outside agencies. For example, to better track the educational and training experiences of youth experiencing homelessness and youth in foster care, the Department entered into data-sharing agreements with other state agencies that also serve these students. This will allow for better outreach and connections with community-based organizations and workforce development to reach disconnected youth at the secondary level as well as older students and young adults aging out of the foster system. 

In addition to setting up long-term data-sharing agreements, CTE data consultants and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services also took short-term steps to better serve learners in foster care through one-time data pulls that match foster care records with community college enrollment records.

 

 

Please describe any steps that have been taken to improve access for CTE learners after going through the CTE opportunity gap analysis process:

Perkins applications for fiscal year 2025 reflect the use of OGA training resources in the development of recipients’ bi-annual Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA)  plans/priorities in serving special population students in CTE. These applications reflect specific language and recommendations from the training in several areas. 

A sampling of activities mentioned in District applications included

 1) data-driven decision making; 

2) incorporating CTE engagement in the development of IEPs; 

3) career counseling and support services; 

4) increasing Career Technical Student Organization (CTSO) and work-based learning opportunities; 

5) outreach and recruitment; and 

6) supporting inclusive learning environments in CTE classrooms. 

What lessons learned, or outcomes, from your workshop and facilitation experiences would you most like to share with states considering participating in an Opportunity Gap Analysis cohort?

Collaboration is key in addressing inequities in CTE. Our experience from the state level is that it is necessary to work across divisions internally and to streamline quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis processes across agencies and educational levels. This will assist in the evaluation of existing procedures and practices in CTE program delivery to facilitate a change-oriented approach in the program improvement process in our efforts to better serve all students in CTE. 

Bring the Opportunity Gap Analysis to Your State 

If your organization is interested in learning more about what it takes to conduct a gap analysis in your state, or other opportunities to engage with Advance CTE’s suite of resources addressing methods to close access gaps, fill out the Technical Assistance Interest Form for personalized options that can help both staff and learners succeed.

Join us at Advance CTE’s upcoming Fall Meeting in Phoenix, AZ on October 21-23, 2024. During this three-day convening, there will be specific sessions dedicated to OGA and upcoming enhanced versions of the original workshop. These new iterations of the workshop will focus on state-requested program areas like work-based learning, apprenticeship, and credentials of value. We hope to see you in the Grand Canyon state! 

By Layla Alagic in Achieving Equitable and Inclusive CTE
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Congress Set to Return Next Week | Legislative Update

Friday, September 6th, 2024

This week, Congress remained on recess as lawmakers look to finalize funding legislation this month. Elsewhere, Advance CTE submitted formal comments on newly proposed rules for distance education while U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona continued a back-to-school bus tour throughout the nation.

Lawmakers Returning for Busy Work Period

Both chambers of Congress remained on recess this week and are expected to return for a new work period early next week. With only a few weeks until the formal start of the 2025 federal fiscal year (FY25), the need to address federal funding for the coming year is expected to be a key priority on Capitol Hill this month. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is widely expected to introduce legislation that would extend current FY24 funding levels through the early part of 2025—at the start of a new Congress and Presidential Administration. However, the package is likely to contain other controversial provisions opposed by Congressional Democrats and the Biden Administration who favor a shorter-term extension of federal funding through mid-December. This week, the Biden administration also released a set of funding requests for inclusion in any temporary extension of federal funding, known as a continuing resolution (CR), which is likely to be negotiated by Congress this month. Among these funding requests, known as anomalies, the Biden administration is asking Congress for additional funding for the U.S. Department of Education, particularly for the agency’s Federal Student Aid office— the entity responsible for federal student loan servicing as well as the continued rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. 

As these efforts and more continue to unfold, Advance CTE will continue to advocate for a strengthened investment in Career Technical Education (CTE) via the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act’s (Perkins V) state grant program.

Advance CTE Responds to Distance Education Rulemaking

Late last month, Advance CTE and the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) formally commented on a recent U.S. Department of Education rulemaking regarding the federal definition for distance education and several other issues related to postsecondary education more broadly. The definition of distance education was last updated in 2020 amid the pandemic, and important improvements were made to the concept of remote learning, including allowing for asynchronous instruction. This allowed postsecondary institutions, including area technical centers (ATCs), to continue to innovate while flexibly supporting the needs of learners. ED’s proposed change would considerably narrow this existing definition, largely disallowing asynchronous instruction, which will limit access to opportunities at these institutions for many learners. Advance CTE and ACTE are calling on ED to reverse course and retain these important flexibilities in the federal regulatory definition of distance education moving forward.

Secretary Cardona Begins Back to School Bus Tour

This week, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona kicked off his agency’s 2024 “Back to School” bus tour– an effort intended to showcase how schools are leveraging federal education investments and supporting student achievement. The road trip continued this week with stops in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania to highlight how school communities are using the Biden-Harris administration’s investment in public education to support learners. Events along the route are intended to emphasize the importance of expanding access to local community colleges, highlight the Department’s teacher recruitment and retention programs, and uplift the Department’s role in supporting youth mental health through school communities.

Rob Young, Communications & Advocacy Associate

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor 

By Rob Young in Public Policy
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Welcome Ada Ejiogu to Advance CTE!

Friday, September 6th, 2024

My name is Ada Ejiogu, and I am delighted to be joining Advance CTE as the senior director of operations. I will be leading the organization’s operations and financial strategies, ensuring they are efficient, effective, and grounded in principles of equity, inclusion, and compliance. 

Over the past two decades I have worked in various roles in several organizations focused on global health and international development. I am committed to impacting lives positively and empowering people to maximize their potential. While most of my previous work has focused on international development, most of my functional experience has focused on developing clear strategies, efficient operations, and effective project management. I believe that the rich and extensive experiences I bring will be beneficial to Advance CTE, its members, and its work.  

Prior to joining Advance CTE, I was a director of operations at the Population Council, leading a large complex global research project consortium, and had overseen large portfolios of funding and research activities ensuring timely completion on budget. When I worked with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, I led unique partnership development and management to build innovative partnerships and creative collaborations. At Columbia University’s ICAP, I managed the largest award with USG funding, designed and implemented project activities and operational systems, set up and expanded project offices, hired and trained staff, engaged with donors and partners, managed risk, and monitored compliance. Before that, I had worked at the Ford Foundation, managing a large portfolio with grantees across West Africa.  

I am very passionate about education and providing access to opportunities for people to thrive and excel in their chosen careers. My mother was an educationist, and my parents instilled the importance of education and continuous learning. I took it to heart by getting a law degree, then a master’s in business administration, and subsequently, I returned to school to get a master’s in public administration and a master’s in public health from Columbia University, New York. While I was at Columbia University, as a graduate student leader, I initiated and led the implementation of the first two annual African Economic Forum bringing world leaders and experts to speak at Columbia University on how to improve various sectors including public health, education, and business. This annual forum has been successfully held at Columbia University for almost two decades now and continues to allow for effective education, access to career opportunities, and collaboration with leadership on important subjects.    

I live in the DMV area and I love to travel and volunteer. I volunteered in building community leadership programs that helped professionals and learners from various walks of life acquire different skills that enable them to thrive in their career of choice. I also volunteered with Toastmasters International and successfully led a division of almost 40 clubs to excel in providing opportunities for learners to build communication and leadership skills. 

Ada Ejiogu, senior director of operations

By Layla Alagic in Our Staff
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Welcome Rob Young to Advance CTE!

Friday, August 9th, 2024

I am thrilled to join the Advance CTE team as a communications & advocacy associate. As part of the Communications Team, I will wear many hats, but my work will primarily be federal policy-focused. As part of this work, I will continue and support our weekly Legislative Updates and monthly member-only federal policy events, track federal legislation, and support resource development to connect our members to federal resources related to CTE. 

Originally from the Washington DC metro area, I completed my undergraduate studies in western Pennsylvania at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies education through the teacher preparation program. After graduation, I taught 7th grade modern U.S. History post-Civil War and 8th grade civics and economics at a middle school in northern Virginia. In my first year of teaching, I covered a unit on public policy development and its impacts with my 8th graders, facilitating class discussions about school funding, infrastructure, and how the many levels of government contribute to our lives. This unit ignited my interest in learning more about policy, and I began looking into graduate programs, with the coronavirus pandemic accelerating my return to school. 

I enrolled in the University of Washington’s Evans School of Policy & Governance in the fall of 2021, seeking a deeper understanding of public systems and policies contributing to inequity in our nation’s public education. I loved the Pacific Northwest, spending my time camping, hiking, and exploring a new-to-me region of the country. Seattle became my home – particularly enjoying the summertime – and I learned much about the city through a position in the Seattle City Council President’s office. My work in this role led to advocacy for more school funding for school social workers and counselors and building a coalition with City leaders to maintain community college access and uplift certification programs in emerging technology on those campuses.

After graduation, I made the most of my summer in Seattle, backpacking in the Enchantments and Mt. Rainier National Park and taking a big road trip with my family around the Olympic Peninsula. At the end of the summer, I headed east, back to family and friends in the DC area, and began an earnest job search to join the education policy and advocacy community. After a year of substitute teaching, working at farmer’s markets, and networking, I am so excited to join Advance CTE to advocate for equitable investment of resources into learning communities with the long-term outcomes of learners in mind. 

Located in Washington DC, I spend time with family, check out new restaurants or museums, and play the drums outside of work. A lifelong DC sports fan, I am a big professional basketball fan – go Wizards! – and love to play basketball and volleyball in my free time.

Rob Young, communications & advocacy associate

By Layla Alagic in Our Staff
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Empowering Futures: Delaware Learners Thrive in Career Technical Education Programs

Tuesday, August 6th, 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, Career Technical Education (CTE) programs stand out as beacons of opportunity, providing learners with practical skills, real-world experiences, and a sense of belonging. Recently, Policy Associate Velie Sando had the privilege of speaking with three remarkable learners from Delaware who are blazing trails in their respective CTE programs. Their stories not only showcase the transformative power of CTE but also highlight the inclusive and supportive environments these programs can foster.

Finding Voice and Advocacy in Educators Rising

Leilani Carrera, a fourth-year learner and state president of the Educators Rising Career Technical Education Student Organization (CTSO), embodies the resilience and determination that CTE programs can instill. Despite facing homelessness twice during her high school career, Leilani found the courage to speak up about her challenges. “To belong, you kinda have to put yourself out there. You need to be at the table, and put a little bit of yourself on the table,” she reflects. 

Leilani’s experience underscores the importance of creating supportive environments in CTE programs. Her advisors and educators responded with empathy and practical support, arranging transportation, providing necessities, and ensuring she could participate fully in her program activities. “My advisors were super helpful with me. They made sure that I could get to school, they waited for me, they made sure that I had professional clothing so I could compete, and they arranged time slots for me after school so I could prepare,” she explains. This level of support not only helped Leilani overcome personal obstacles but also empowered her to become an advocate for other learners facing similar challenges.

Bridging Passions in Agriculture and Business

Jennae Overton’s journey through both the Natural Resources and Business CTE programs illustrates how CTE can cater to diverse interests and skills. Drawn to both National FFA (formerly known as Future Farmers of America) and Business Professionals of America (BPA) in middle school, Jennae found a way to pursue both passions in high school through her CTE programs. “Being able to translate learning into real-life situations is super helpful, which is why CTE is so important,” Jennae explains. Her experience highlights the hands-on nature of CTE programs, where classroom learning is immediately applied in practical settings. This approach not only enhances understanding but also makes learning more engaging and relevant.

Jennae’s story also touches on the importance of flexibility in CTE programs. While her CTE programs aligned with her interests and she learned from teachers who were experts in the field, Jennae shares that this is not an experience that all of her peers have. “It can be scary being in a pathway where everybody knows what they want to do and you don’t, so being able to rely on your teachers and for them to say ‘this doesn’t have to be for the rest of your life’ is really beneficial because that makes it feel more comfortable,” she shares. Jennae emphasizes the importance of clear communication about the flexibility of CTE programs, highlighting that learners need to understand how CTE can support various future career choices when deciding which program to pursue.

Breaking Barriers in Teacher Education

Helen Ramos, a first-generation Hispanic learner in the Redesign Teacher Academy and member of the Educators Rising CTSO, brings attention to the evolving landscape of representation in education. Her experience highlights the progress made in diversifying the teaching workforce while also pointing out areas for improvement. Helen notes that while her English proficiency sometimes led to assumptions about her understanding, she also became a valuable resource in helping English Language Learners (ELLs) in her program. “My friends would get papers that were translated and the teacher would tell us to help them and I would volunteer,” she shares. Helen’s journey underscores the need for CTE programs to be mindful of language barriers and cultural differences. 

Helen shared an insight about the name of her CTE program, “Teacher Academy,” highlighting that it may potentially limit participation to learners interested in pursuing teaching as a career when in fact the program equips learners with essential skills that are applicable to various professions beyond education. “People used to think that our program is just for future teachers but we would tell them that it’s also for people who want to build on learning to communicate”, she shares.  Helen raises an important point about marketing CTE programs and opportunities, emphasizing the need for clear communication about the broad applicability of skills learned in these programs.

The Unifying Power of CTE

While each learner’s story is unique, several common threads emerge that highlight the strengths of CTE programs:

  1. Supportive Environments: All three learners emphasized the crucial role of supportive teachers and advisors in their success.
  2. Hands-on Learning: The practical, applied nature of CTE programs was consistently cited as a major benefit, helping learners connect classroom concepts to real-world situations.
  3. Skill Development Beyond the Classroom: From public speaking to advocacy, learners gained valuable life skills that extend far beyond their chosen career paths.
  4. Inclusivity and Representation: While challenges remain, CTE programs are making strides in creating inclusive environments where learners from all backgrounds can thrive.

 

As these Delaware learners demonstrate, CTE programs are more than just career preparation – they are launchpads for personal growth, advocacy, and community building. By continuing to support and expand access to high-quality CTE programs, we can ensure that more learners have the opportunity to discover their passions, develop crucial skills, and build the confidence to succeed in any path they choose.

For more information about leveraging learner voice and designing a learner-centered CTE program, visit the following pages on the Advance CTE website:

Learn more about intensive technical assistance opportunities to get help developing learner-centered CTE programs by completing the Technical Assistance Interest and Request Form

Velie Sando, Policy Associate

By Layla Alagic in Public Policy
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Designing Equitable Futures: Expert Insights for Advancing Equity in CTE

Friday, May 31st, 2024

With support from the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V), Career Technical Education (CTE) policies and programs have increasingly focused on supporting the needs of underrepresented learners, pushing educators and policymakers to expand their focus beyond federal mandates to cultivate inclusive, dynamic, and diverse learning environments tailored to the needs of every student.

At Advance CTE’s 2024 Spring Meeting, we brought this conversation to the forefront with an expert panel including Dr. Brittani Williams, Director of Advocacy Policy and Research at Generation Hope, Joshua Rysanek, College, Career and Community Pathways Program Coordinator at the LANL Foundation, and Dr. Wil Del Pilar, Senior Vice President at The Education Trust. From navigating equity work in various state contexts, scaling high-quality opportunities for learners in special populations, and establishing effective cross-agency/organization partnerships to advance equity and access, we left with clear strategies to prioritize the needs of all learners.

 

Navigating Equity-Focused Work in Equity-Restricted States 

The conversation opened up with advice for equity-minded leaders working in state contexts where equity-focused work is discouraged or, in some cases, prohibited. “While language differs from state to state, whether we are discussing it or not, it is the reality,” Joshua stated, and affirmed that we can build consensus on what equity gaps persist in disaggregated data; data can show that our systems are not equipping every student with skills, experiences, and opportunities that lead to family-sustaining wages. 

Similarly, Dr. Del Pilar highlighted the persisting access and performance gaps across states and programs, noting that the approach to this work needs to be reconsidered, regardless of state political contexts, to better address learner needs. Dr. Williams affirmed that as our learner populations evolve, our system and supports should be redefined alongside them

Scaling Opportunities for Special Populations

Despite single parents being an identified special population in Perkins V, few states are scaling strategies to support single parents in CTE. Dr. Williams expanded on how CTE can serve as a launchpad for parents’ learning through career development and advancement to ensure they have the employability skills required to achieve economic mobility. Further, she highlighted the importance of offering wraparound services, including flexible scheduling and virtual opportunities. “Inclusive and targeted support is important,” Dr. Williams stated.

Dr. Del Pilar emphasized the opportunity to leverage a two-generation approach that supports single-parent learners’ educational attainment alongside their young learners through local organizations or school settings. 

Similarly, Joshua expanded on what he and his organization have learned when scaling high-quality CTE opportunities for learners in Tribal communities. “Approach Tribal communities with respect, humility, and a learning mindset,” Joshua said as he recalled many instances where Tribal communities become pigeonholed into specific heritages, assumptions, and harmful stereotypes. He remarked on how all Tribal and Indigenous communities are different. States need to meaningfully engage Native communities by learning about their cultures, assets, and challenges and address those needs rather than making assumptions about what they are in the first place. 

Partnerships in Equity

We garnered some strategies to strengthen partnerships with community-based organizations to advance equity work in our states. Dr. Del Pilar suggested strengthening relationships with organizations that leaders already work with and co-constructing the partnership to ensure both parties can benefit and contribute. He stated that building new relationships upon already established ones may be as simple as asking, “Is there anyone else I can talk to who is doing this work?” at the end of community partner conversations. 

Dr. Williams mentioned that inviting community organizations to the table and having a presence within the communities that leaders serve can create trust and buy-in to create long-lasting relationships. “Success in community engagement is being culturally responsive, culturally competent, and trauma-informed.” 


Preparations are underway for Advance CTE’s 2024 Fall Meeting in Phoenix, AZ, October 21-23! Visit the event page to save the date and learn more.

Marie Falcone, policy associate

By Layla Alagic in Advancing Equity in CTE
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State CTE Policy Update: Expanding CTE Access in Washington

Tuesday, April 30th, 2024

In this blog, Policy Associate Velie Sando highlights policies enacted by Washington state in 2024 that facilitate access to Career Technical Education (CTE) for learners within special populations as identified by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V). 

As outlined in Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career and Technical Education (CTE Without Limits), CTE plays a central role in fostering an inclusive and equitable future for all learners, supporting them in their pursuit of high-demand, high-wage careers while meeting industry demands for talent. Variables such as program expenses, transportation issues, and eligibility criteria create access and equity hurdles encountered by special populations and other impacted learners when pursuing CTE programs.  

In recognizing the diverse challenges individuals may encounter in accessing CTE, states like Washington have taken proactive measures to break down barriers and promote inclusivity. In 2024, Washington enacted policies prioritizing equity and opportunity for special populations in their state. 

Washington’s commitment to inclusivity is evident through H.B. 1889, which removes the citizenship status barrier for individuals seeking professional licenses or certifications. This bill ensures that all individuals, regardless of their legal status, have equal access to opportunities in the workforce as allowed under federal guidelines. By mandating that an individual’s status does not impede their ability to obtain a license, Washington fosters an environment where talent and skill are most valued in the workforce.

Given their historical background and landscape, Washington enacted HB 2019 which establishes the Native American Apprentice Assistance program to address the specific challenges faced by Native American communities. This bill acknowledges Native learners’ aspirations to pursue higher education and supports this endeavor by addressing prevalent systemic barriers that they face, such as poverty and limited access to postsecondary institutions near reservations. Washington aims to uplift Native American learners and empower them to thrive in CTE fields by prioritizing funding to cover tuition costs and adopting population-specific guidelines that may facilitate learner success in the program through consultations with Indigenous nations and apprenticeship programs.

Washington’s commitment to inclusivity extends beyond removing immigration barriers and recognizing cultural assets to encompass educational prerequisites. By adopting HB 2216, the state revolutionizes its hiring efforts by removing barriers to employment qualifications for certain state positions to exclude a four-year college degree requirement. This bill opens doors for individuals who may have previously been excluded from state employment by recognizing that diverse avenues of skill acquisition exist, paving the way for a more inclusive workforce in Washington.

Fostering inclusivity in CTE is imperative to ensure all learners have access to and can succeed in high-quality CTE programs; inclusivity also positively impacts a state’s economy. By dismantling barriers and prioritizing equity, Washington is enriching its workforce and nurturing vibrant and resilient communities. 

For more strategies to expand access to CTE for special populations, check out the “Maximizing Access & Success for Special Populations” briefs prepared by Advance CTE and ACTE for supporting special populations and other learners groups in need of additional support.

Velie Sando, policy associate

By Jodi Langellotti in Public Policy
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Enhancing Connections through Perkins V: The Crucial Role of Stakeholder Engagement

Monday, April 1st, 2024

 

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, commonly known as Perkins V, marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Career Technical Education (CTE) in the United States. Enacted to empower learners with the skills needed for success in a rapidly changing workforce, Perkins V emphasizes the importance of “stakeholder engagement” in shaping and implementing effective CTE programs.

In this blog post, Director of Member Engagement and Professional Learning Dr. Stephanie Perkins explores the key aspects of this activity in Perkins V and its impact on fostering a dynamic and responsive educational ecosystem.

The Role of Stakeholders

Stakeholder engagement in Perkins V is not merely a checkbox but a fundamental driver of success for CTE programs. These partners play a vital role in the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of these programs. By bringing together diverse perspectives, stakeholders contribute valuable insights that help create a comprehensive and well-rounded educational experience for learners.

Educators are at the forefront of this initiative, working closely with industry partners to design curricula that blend academic knowledge with practical skills. Employers, in turn, provide crucial input on the skills and competencies needed in the workforce, ensuring that CTE programs produce graduates who are not only academically proficient but also well-prepared for real-world challenges.

Community members and parents are also essential partners, offering valuable insights into the local context and helping bridge the gap between education and community needs. Their involvement ensures that CTE programs are culturally relevant and aligned with the aspirations of the learners they serve.

Benefits of Stakeholder Engagement

Challenges and Strategies

While stakeholder engagement is pivotal, it comes with its own set of challenges. Balancing the interests of various partners, addressing conflicting priorities and ensuring sustained commitment can be daunting. To overcome these challenges, communication and collaboration are key. Regular forums, advisory boards, and partnerships can facilitate ongoing dialogue, allowing impacted parties to contribute meaningfully to the CTE ecosystem.

Perkins V heralds a new era in CTE, emphasizing the significance of stakeholder engagement in shaping successful programs. By fostering collaboration among educators, employers, community members, and parents, Perkins V ensures that CTE remains a dynamic and responsive force in preparing learners for the challenges of the modern workforce. Through ongoing dialogue and collective effort, partners contribute to the creation of a robust and relevant educational ecosystem that empowers students to thrive in their chosen careers.

Advance CTE supports states in developing and executing comprehensive, ongoing, and impactful state engagement that begins in Perkins V but can ultimately broaden input and partnership in all work. This year, we have released a suite of supports designed to ensure your Perkins state plan serves as a powerful lever to achieve your state vision for career technical education, and more broadly CTE Without Limits. These supports include: 

Additional resources can be found in the Perkins V section of the Learning that Works Resource Center

Dr. Stephanie Perkins, Director of Member Engagement and Professional Learning

By Stacy Whitehouse in Public Policy
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Realizing CTE Without Limits: An Interview with Colorado State CTE Director Dr. Sarah Heath

Wednesday, March 27th, 2024

This month, Advance CTE celebrates the 3 year anniversary of the release of Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits), supported by over 40 national organizations. As part of the celebration, Advance CTE is highlighting the initiatives, outcomes and lessons learned of current and former states who have participated in technical assistance opportunities to conduct the challenging but necessary work to fully realize the vision in their state. 

Senior Director of Policy Nithya Govindasamy interviewed Colorado State CTE Director Sarah Heath to revisit the impact of technical assistance on realizing a more cohesive, flexible, and responsive career preparation ecosystem. 

How has the CTE Without Limits influenced the mindset and priorities for CTE in your state? 

CTE Without Limits has influenced the mindset and priorities in Colorado in terms of alignment. Our team has examined our goals and determined how we can better serve learners and how we can get learners ready for things that are connected geographically. 

CTE Without Limits has also been central to goals and actions that can be taken to infuse the principles in the Perkins State Plan and strategic plan to ultimately support local leaders and educators. In Colorado, we are trying to connect the principles in the vision and the foundational commitments when evaluating our current goals and the gaps in our goals. We have used it to “check ourselves” and integrated it to support our stakeholder outreach and continue to use it as a bar and checkpoint.

What do you consider your state’s most impactful work in progress as a result of the CTE Without Limits vision? 

For Colorado, the most impactful work has occurred in our equity-centered work, specifically empowering locals through the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA) and tying it to CTE Without Limits through the Opportunity Gap Analysis (OGA). In particular, we’ve focused on sub-populations indicators and “checking ourselves” to ensure we were not being too generic in measuring success. Principle 2: Each learner feels welcome in, is supported by, and has the means to succeed in the career preparation ecosystem, pushed us to identify tangible tools to help locals; it also pushed our state team to view data differently and get comfortable with data. Tools like the heat map ease people into the work without the “equity stigma”. 

We are also using tools to analyze local performance and to inform local decision making. For example the OGA data was linked to school performance frameworks and school finance to show the intersections. We are training principals and need to train middle-management leaders in our schools to help them to make data-driven decisions to help all learners be successful. 

In Colorado, working directly with locals to be more impactful has been a priority. We held a session about this work at CACTA (Colorado Association for Career and Technical Administrators, the Admin Division of ACTE in Colorado), where the designated CTE Directors attend for each district and they are empowered to engage the principals. Rural school districts are supported by Boards of Cooperative Educational Services or BOCES (typically fiscal agents for Perkins) and each have a Superintendent Council, so our team has taken the opportunity to use their meeting structure and support to offer more CTE services. 

Additionally, Colorado has taken a “near-peer approach” and is leveraging the relationships with the BOCES and helping the state team connect with local leaders who are not always the designated CTE Director. The Colorado CTE Team is also reflecting on their experiences to ensure the best presenter or connector is available to support these cohorts. For example, the state Program Director for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy was a principal in a rural school district prior to being on the Colorado CTE Team so it makes perfect sense to connect her to projects where we are expanding the knowledge of our local principals in how to connect CTE data to their school performance data and goal setting.  

Colorado participated in the inaugural cohort to provide vision-related technical assistance to states. What is one part of that work (highlighted here) that you have been able to build upon over the past year, and how?

Of the work highlighted in last year’s blog, we focused on Goal 3: “Building Local Leader Data Literacy: Leverage Advance CTE’s Opportunity Gap Analysis (OGA) process to increase data literacy of local CTE administrators and educators and in doing so improve data-focused storytelling of learners’ outcome and identification of program participation and success gaps.” In order to increase the data literacy of locals and teachers, we are offering professional development with a panel of local CTE directors. We are using the CLNA and OGA for action planning, and conducted needs assessment in-person during a statewide CTE roadshow. 

In terms of what is next for us, we are intentionally incorporating learner voice into our work. We are focused on “how are we empowering local leaders and their data literacy” and helping them with storytelling. For example, our CTE concentrator graduation rate is 98% while our overall Colorado high school graduation rate is 83%. Elevating these data points and integrating into our storytelling on the local level will assist in destigmatizing CTE. CTE is being seen all over Colorado as a new strategic move in high school education. We are seeing Designed Career and Technical high schools being built in school districts who market their four-year college going culture.  We are seeing most districts “up” their CTE programs and want to better serve learners across the board by offering multiple off ramps from industry credentials, Apprenticeship, and college credit.

We’ve been able to engage with families by going to the PTA conference and enhancing their data literacy. We are working with the entire ecosystem to empower local leaders, administrators, principals, parents/guardians, family members and learners and “empower” local communities by equipping them with better information to make more informed decisions. We are also helping connect education to the overall ecosystem through regional level conversations about industry needs and alignment. 

What resources or support has been most helpful in moving this work and mindset forward? 

For the Colorado team, the technical assistance and the actual resources, such as the Pushing the Limits Roadmap, has been the most helpful. We have used this resource to develop goals, to conduct an assessment of our current system, and develop an action plan. The tools were helpful in identifying the areas that need to be improved and we were able to use the tool to help locals assess their own system. 

Another helpful resource was the With Learners, Not for Learners: A Toolkit for Elevating Learner Voice in CTE. We walked through the toolkit and tackled issues such as not “tokenizing” learners by just having them on advisory committees. 

Having the tools, resources and support was definitely helpful when determining how to use the various pieces to help locals. 

What principles and areas of work connected to the vision are you planning to focus on this year? 

Colorado is currently focused on Principle 4: Each learner’s skills are counted, valued, and portable. We are centering this mindset in our work by leaning into Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), portable credit and policy change and matrix, faculty qualifications, and counting all learning that happens. In 2020, Colorado passed HB 20-1002, which enables students and adults to earn postsecondary credit for prior work experience, including work-based learning. A landscape report on CPL was released in 2021 that guides our work:

Through our team that supports concurrent enrollment as well as our work on the Colorado “Student Bill of Rights”, we are working to ensure learners are receiving the correct credit for earned Industry Recognized Credentials when they matriculate to an institution of higher education as well as their  CTE high school experiences, even if it does not include concurrent enrollment, and assisting learners with understanding how to link these experiences to their college credits through articulation.

Colorado’s Governor has set a Skills-Based hiring expectation and as a team, we are using this expectation to help our employers who serve on our CTE advisory committees better understand how to post jobs to ensure they are attracting talent based on their skills. 

Additional Resources

To learn about how to begin implementing CTE Without Limits in your state or community, read Colorado, Nebraska, and South Carolina’s origin and impact journeys so far.. Resources to learn about and implement the vision can be found on our CTE Without Limits webpage

Nithya Govindasamy, Senior Director of Policy

By Stacy Whitehouse in CTE Without Limits
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