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Opportunity Gap Analysis State Catch-Ups: Kansas

Thursday, November 14th, 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). To date, Advance CTE has led in-depth gap analysis training with 39 state teams from across the country. 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. This is the third post in a blog series where 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. 

As we approach the end of 2024, the current cohort of OGA workshop state teams from Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania are coming to the end of their six months of collaborative peer learning opportunities. As Advance CTE closes out this latest cohort, we wanted to continue 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 Career, Standards and Assessment Services Team with the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Workforce Development Unit with the Kansas Board of Regents, and the work their combined team has done since the culmination of their cohort in Winter 2023. 

When did your state participate in the Opportunity Gap Analysis Workshop, and what in-state training(s) has your team facilitated using the workshop model and/or related resources?

Kansas participated in the initial Opportunity Gap Analysis Workshop in June of 2023 with a team that consisted of the Director of Workforce Development, the Secondary and Postsecondary Associate Directors of CTE, and other assistant directors and programs consultants from each level. This cross-sector team participated in the subsequent Communities of Practice learning space offered by Advance CTE through December 2023. 

Several training opportunities were held throughout the state following our participation in this opportunity. At the secondary level, the Kansas State Department of Education provided an overview of OGA during our annual Secondary Improvement Application training. We also incorporated Advance CTE resources within the Comprehensive Local Needs Application (CLNA) to help Local Education Agencies (LEAs) create action plans and strategies for any identified gaps in enrollment and performance.

At the postsecondary level, the Kansas Board of Regents held a gap analysis workshop with representatives from each Perkins V funding recipient on August 1, 2024. Especially well received were the root cause and strategies materials provided. We now also include OGA in many faculty and staff trainings at postsecondary institutions.

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

At the secondary CTE level, the Opportunity Gap Analysis training helped create renewed focus on resource allocations for gap areas. This included application changes for secondary program Improvement grants. Clearer expectations and Advance CTE resources resulted in improved action plans and budgets to support strategies for gaps. A reserve grant to increase equitable access to CTE was also offered. 

At the postsecondary level, focusing on analyzing gaps opens the opportunity for conversations that are not happening on campuses. With the help of OGA methodology and materials, CTE issues are put into context and issues can be seen instead of hidden. The grouping of root causes into themes was very helpful to the sub-recipient to see that programs may experience similar challenges regardless of content.

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

No state policy or procedure changes have been made to date, but the two state offices are asking for different kinds of reports now, and we also make sure that all institutions collect data from all students so that CTE student data is not evaluated in a vacuum. 

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

At the secondary level, a Perkins reserve grant was offered in the spring of 2024 to increase equitable access to CTE. Grant recipients were asked to form a team to include a middle school principal, middle school counselor, middle school special education staff, high school principal, high school CTE coordinator, high school counselor, and high school special education staff. 

Secondary local-level grant teams were asked to: 

1) Introduce all students, families and educators to career clusters and pathways. 

2) Collaborate with KSDE specialists in the special population areas that align with the special populations served in the district. 

3) Collaboration of CTE and special education staff to increase special population enrollment in CTE courses.

Grant teams are diligently working to expand equitable access in their LEAs, and will be building upon the OGA process to realize those goals going into 2025. 

2024-2025 monthly CTE & Perkins webinars will incorporate guest speakers to review and provide strategies for core indicators and special population groups. 

Postsecondary – OGA methodology is now included in the CLNA, with grant recipients updating the performance gap analysis section on their local applications each fiscal year. The state incorporated OGA as the model for the analysis section due to the system’s in-depth and cyclical nature. 

Next Steps 

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.

The next cohort of the Opportunity Gap Analysis workshops will launch in the Spring of 2025. In this six-month cohort Advance CTE is providing training, resources and support to help state leaders identify and address gaps in access to high-quality work-based learning programs. Keep an eye out for upcoming information sessions and the cohort application on the Opportunity Gap Analysis page of the Advance CTE website. 

Jessi Maddox, senior policy associate

By Layla Alagic in Achieving Equitable and Inclusive CTE
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Opportunity Gap Analysis State Catchups: Louisiana

Wednesday, November 6th, 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). Since 2021, Advance CTE has led in-depth gap analysis training with 39 state teams from across the country. 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. In this second blog of the series, Senior Policy Associate Jessi Maddox talks with the Louisiana CTE state team to share the impact and lessons learned from implementing OGA in their state.

Over 168,000 learners participate in CTE programs in the Bayou State. Louisiana Community & Technical College System (LCTCS)’s Division of CTE participated in Advance CTE’s Opportunity Gap Analysis workshop in 2021 to explore how to both expand equal access to CTE programs and fully support learners in these programs. After participating in workshops and a community of practice, Louisiana extended its learning across state and local CTE systems. 

Tell us about yourself and your CTE background:

LCTCS has an unwavering commitment to ensure that all students—regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability—have equal access to succeed in CTE programs. To this end, we are developing and managing a robust framework that fosters an ethical culture and ensures legal compliance. This includes establishing mechanisms to identify, prioritize, and effectively manage compliance risks associated with federal program subrecipients while also overseeing systems to prevent and detect violations.

We are dedicated to fostering collaboration among educational institutions, workforce entities, and community partners to align CTE programs with regional and local workforce needs. This commitment ensures that a seamless educational pathway from K-12 through university to sustainable employment in CTE fields is promoted, with clear transitions from education to career. To support this, we ensure that blended professional development is available for all educational instructors and leaders, offering access to relevant education, workplace training, and credentialing.

When did your state participate in the Opportunity Gap Analysis Workshop, and what in-state training(s) has your team facilitated using the workshop model and/or related resources?

LCTCS participated in the Opportunity Gap Analysis workshop in September 2021 with a team represented by the State Director for Career and Technical Education and Assistant Director for Career and Technical Education. 

Since participating in the workshops the LCTCS team has launched the in-state Opportunity Gap Analysis at our Annual Conference in November 2021 with four virtual sessions, open to all attendees, to spark interest of CTE educators and administrators in the project throughout the system. Four additional workshops followed in 2022 and 2023 targeting implementation of the gap analysis by Postsecondary (PS) CTE and Perkins Coordinators. LCTCS has also implemented communities of practice and participated in cross-state calls to support the work of local administrators. 

The graphic below illustrates the expectation that OGA is embedded in narratives of funding applications and integrated into data-driven activities, including the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA), programs of study, and Annual Performance Reports. While the CLNA, funding applications, programs of study, and Annual Performance Reports are part of Federal and State Requirements, OGA amplifies their connections and strengthens the impact of those requirements on learner outcomes.

 

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

Participating in the Opportunity Gap Analysis has significantly enhanced our team’s data awareness and utilization. This has allowed state agencies to review data using the same parameters when addressing access for all learners. This experience has transformed our approach to data, leading to improved effectiveness in addressing and identifying the needs of all CTE learners.

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

The Opportunity Gap Analysis training has prompted significant revisions to Louisiana’s Perkins V program practices and procedures, particularly regarding the CLNA and the postsecondary risk assessment. Subrecipients are now expected to use root cause analysis to align their improvement strategies directly with identified needs. For instance, if CTE students are facing difficulties with course enrollment, retention, or completion, subrecipients use OGA resources to identify barriers to access and success. This data provides the justification for additional resources, such as a wireless headset kit to support learners in an Electrical Construction class. 

Furthermore, changes to the basic and leadership application reviews mandate that subrecipients provide more precise SMART goals and specify evidence-based strategies or activities. OGA has amplified the inclusion of data. Below is a graphic with an embedded video that illustrates OGA in action, energizing outreach, impacting enrollment, changing the landscape, and empowering learners. 

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

Our team has implemented several measures to enhance equal access for all CTE learners. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, we incorporated the OGA methodology and the Logic Model into the State CLNA Quick Guide. We emphasized the use of evidence-based practices in the review of local application plans (LAP). Specifically, the LAP includes questions that focus on disparities in access and requires detailed information on identified gaps and the strategies to address them. Local grant recipients must identify access gaps found in their CTE programs and use evidence-based action planning to specify the methods used to mitigate said gaps. Furthermore, all subrecipients are expected to employ evidence-based strategies in their improvement plans and performance evaluations, specifying whether the strategy contributed or did not contribute to results. In the example mentioned previously, data was used to justify the purchase of wireless headsets for an Electrical Construction class, which in turn has supported increased enrollments, and more importantly, has contributed to participants continuing and completing the program.

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?

Throughout this process, our team has gained several valuable insights. If we were to share lessons learned with other states, the foremost recommendation would be to revisit the OGA workshop materials frequently and incorporate it as often as possible. Given the frequent staff changes, the need for refresher training for growing understanding and maintaining familiarity with the work is crucial. To address this, we have integrated various activities into grant operations, the grant application process, and most data-related activities.

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.

If you missed the first installation in this series, you can catch up with Iowa’s Bureau of Community Colleges and Postsecondary Readiness, and how they have integrated the Opportunity Gap Analysis training into their state policies and practices here. 

By Layla Alagic in Achieving Equitable and Inclusive CTE
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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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Leveraging the Perkins State Plan to Maximize Systems Alignment and Impactful Relationships in Career Technical Education

Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024

The process conducted by state Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders to update their Perkins state plan provides numerous opportunities to reflect on processes, procedures and relationships that keep CTE at the forefront of our educational systems. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) has been a driving force for connecting systems of education and work across the country. An intentional reflection on systems alignment ensures that CTE remains front and center across state career preparation ecosystems.

When we discuss systems alignment, we typically think about how a learner moves through secondary education, postsecondary pursuits and then the workforce. There are several strategy areas within Perkins V to consider how your state systems connect and align, including state and local planning processes, program alignment with workforce needs, integration with other federal programs, data-driven decision-making and stakeholder engagement. Each of these strategies offer opportunities to strengthen and streamline your work, and are discussed below with probing questions that may help you think more strategically about alignment in your state.

State and Local Planning

States are required to develop a comprehensive state plan for CTE. This plan outlines how the state will align and coordinate its CTE programs with other education and workforce development initiatives. During your state planning process, reflect on the following questions: 

Alignment with Workforce Needs

Perkins V emphasizes the importance of aligning CTE programs with the needs of the labor market. This requires reviewing local and state labor market data and collaboration with employers and industry stakeholders to identify current and future workforce demands. States and local agencies should use labor market information to design programs that lead to high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand occupations. During your state planning process, reflect on the following questions: 

Integration with Other Programs

Perkins V encourages the intentional coordination between CTE programs and other educational and workforce development initiatives. This includes coordination with programs such as apprenticeships, adult education, and workforce training. This coordination of efforts helps create seamless educational experiences for individuals, ensuring that they are prepared for both postsecondary education and the workforce. During your state planning process, reflect on the following questions: 

Data-Driven Decision-Making

Systems alignment efforts should be informed by data to guide decision-making. States and local agencies should collect and analyze data related to learner access, persistence, outcomes, program effectiveness, and labor market trends. Data-driven decision-making helps foster continuous improvement and ensures that resources are allocated effectively. During your state planning process, reflect on the following questions: 

Stakeholder Collaboration

Perkins V encourages collaboration among various stakeholders, including educators, employers, workforce development agencies, and community organizations. Engaging stakeholders ensures that the education and training provided through CTE programs is relevant and responsive to the needs of the community. During your state planning process, reflect on the following questions: 

Additional Support

By focusing on systems alignment, Perkins V aims to create a more cohesive and effective approach to CTE, ultimately preparing individuals for success in the workforce. States and local agencies play a crucial role in implementing and overseeing these alignment efforts. We are here to support you in this work and continue to drive forward that systems alignment is a critical need across the nation.

Advance CTE will continue 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. 

As we move into the new year, it is the time to reflect on how we work with one another and if those relationships advance learners within the CTE ecosystem. We look forward to continuing conversations with you about the various levers that can be tapped to optimize Perkins V in your state.

Stephanie Perkins, Member Engagement & Professional Learning

By Layla Alagic in Advance CTE Resources, Public Policy
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Achieving Inclusive CTE: Early Achievements and Upcoming Opportunities to Support Inclusive CTE

Wednesday, October 11th, 2023

In 2022, Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group, through the New Skills ready network initiative, released the Achieving Inclusive CTE Goal-Setting Tool (AICTE). This tool adds a new resource to the data toolbox for state and local CTE and career pathways leaders to assess learner group data. The goal-setting tool enables leaders to analyze CTE learner group data in comparison to the broader student population. The purpose of the tool is to support leaders with their efforts to recruit, engage and support underrepresented learner groups to increase access to high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE) programs and career pathways. 

Over the past six months, four states, Alabama, Indiana, Louisiana and Utah, have participated in a technical assistance cohort to leverage the AICTE Goal-Setting Tool to evaluate the inclusivity of their system and establish goals to improve equitable access and outcomes for learner populations in their states. The cohort of technical assistance included two workshop sessions to review the tool and its analyses; ongoing support and coaching calls with each state team to guide the use of the tool in their states; and two Communities of Practice sessions to share promising solutions and discuss shared challenges. The two states that completed the pilot of the Goal-Setting Tool, Colorado and South Carolina, were also invited to attend the Communities of Practice sessions.

Lessons Learned

Over the course of the technical assistance cohort, key themes and lessons learned emerged from the states using the Achieving Inclusive CTE Goal-Setting Tool:

Continue reading for detailed information on the lessons learned and examples from the states who participated.

The Achieving Inclusive CTE Goal-Setting Tool Supports Perkins Performance Indicators: The AICTE Goal-Setting Tool analyzes data for 11 indicators across all learner populations. This level of analysis includes gender, race and ethnicity and special populations (English learners, Migrant learners, Economically Disadvantaged and Learners with disabilities). The disaggregated design of the Goal-Setting Tool supports users in drilling down specific areas for improvement and support. Utah is utilizing the tool to support one of its Perkins performance indicators: nontraditional participation. With the help of the AICTE Goal-Setting Tool, the team will leverage the data analysis to identify areas where their state and local leaders can make a greater impact to increase nontraditional participation and understand if the adjusted performance targets the state has set are reasonable to achieve.

As the team works towards achieving its Perkins performance goals, the Utah team will also conduct a state-level analysis of nontraditional participation for multiple years to compare the data and identify any changes in the groups over time. Additionally, the state team plans to conduct training to support local leaders with the use of the Goal-Setting Tool and allow them to enter their own data to identify opportunities for a more inclusive CTE system. The team will provide this training to local CTE leaders during the winter months of 2023 and will align the Goal-Setting Tool with their Opportunity Gap Analysis workbook and data.

With the assistance of the Goal-Setting Tool, the team shared that the greatest benefit is having more insightful data analysis in conjunction with their Opportunity Gap Analysis. According to the team, using the tools together offers a greater understanding of the CTE system and areas where learners need to be recruited, supported or engaged. 

The Achieving Inclusive CTE Goal-Setting Tool is a Strong Companion in the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment Process: One of the many use cases for the Goal-Setting Tool is the examination of equity and disaggregated learner performance data as part of the Perkins V Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA). The Goal-Setting Tool takes a deeper dive into the CTE continuum to identify priority areas for Perkins plans. The team in Indiana is taking full advantage of the Goal-Setting Tool with their CLNA process by planning to include training on the use of the goal-setting tool in their next round of Equity Labs. Equity Labs are regional sessions held across the state to share the importance of equity and inclusivity in CTE programs and career pathways. 

The Goal-Setting Tool will support Indiana’s CLNA process by providing a tool to facilitate a deep dive into each district’s data. The state team plans to supply regional and district CTE leaders with the Achieving Inclusive CTE Goal-Setting Tool to analyze data, set a goal to increase equity and inclusivity and implement a practical strategy to achieve the goal. 

To use the Goal-Setting Tool to its full potential in Indiana’s CLNA process, the team plans to provide local CTE leaders with ongoing support and opportunities for follow-up to ensure locals are leveraging root-cause analysis to better understand data trends. The state plans to leverage the tool for continuous monitoring of the practical strategies and interventions deployed to create a more equitable and inclusive CTE system.

The Achieving Inclusive Goal-Setting Tool Supports Data Tools Alignment: Each state selected to participate in the pilot and technical assistance cohort previously completed the Opportunity Gap Analysis Train-the-Trainer workshop, a workshop that prepares CTE leaders to provide comprehensive training on the importance of equitable access to high-quality CTE, demonstrates how to conduct a percentage point gap analysis to identify gaps among learner groups including race and ethnicity, gender and special populations and conducting a root-cause analysis to understand the implications on the data.

The AICTE Goal-Setting Tool is the next phase of data analysis work to support inclusive and equitable CTE systems: analyzing the current representation of learners in CTE programs compared to the learners that could be engaged, recruited and/or supported in CTE and setting goals to achieve a more equitable system. 

While these tools complement each other in their analyses and findings, participants using the tools identified the importance and value of ensuring the two tools work together and clearly communicating the alignment of the tools to their local-level CTE leaders and practitioners. Colorado is making progress leveraging both tools with their local-level CTE leaders and practitioners. To support the local-level use of the tools, the Colorado state agency provided the Opportunity Gap Analysis dashboard to their local-level teams. Then it provided guidance on using the AICTE Goal-Setting Tool. By leveraging the two tools together, locals were able to identify opportunity gaps in CTE enrollment and then further drill down on equitable access and inclusivity in every stage of the CTE continuum across specific CTE programs using CIP code-level data. Conducting analysis with CIP code-level data allows districts within a state an opportunity to identify where they have gaps. As districts continue to leverage both tools, they can work collaboratively with industry partners to expand access to CTE career pathway programs and work-based learning opportunities. 

To ensure alignment between the tools, the Colorado team launched both tools to every district and consortia to review regional data to account for small n-sizes. The Colorado team has held several sessions on data quality and interpreting the data dashboards. These sessions include guidance and support to identify trends in the data. The state team continues to offer support sessions and office hours to discuss all data-related issues.

As the team looks ahead, they plan to leverage the two tools in their Perkins state plan revisions. The team will begin regional meetings for the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA) to gather input for the state plan to ensure it includes robust and diverse perspectives especially when setting state performance targets. The state team will set Perkins performance targets leveraging both the Opportunity Gap Analysis dashboard and the AICTE Goal-Setting Tool. 

Looking Ahead

The Achieving Inclusive CTE Goal-Setting Tool is a strong data analysis tool for CTE leaders and Advance CTE is committed to supporting states with the use of the tool to achieve more inclusive and equitable CTE systems. In the coming months, Advance CTE will launch a second round of technical assistance to guide participants through the use of the tool, provide individualized coaching and support for states using the tool and elevate the promising approaches and successes from the use of the tool. To learn more about this cohort of technical assistance and apply, please visit this form. 

If you have any questions about the Achieving Inclusive CTE Goal-Setting Tool or the upcoming technical assistance cohort, please contact Haley Wing, Senior Policy Associate, Advance CTE at [email protected]. 

By Layla Alagic in Achieving Equitable and Inclusive CTE, Resources
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Implementing Equity-Centered Program of Study Reviews

Thursday, August 3rd, 2023

This blog explores an evaluation conducted by the Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) into the strategies that the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) is leveraging as part of its internal program of study review process.

Overview 

The ICCB is the governing body for Illinois’ 48 community colleges and works in concert with the Illinois State Board of Education to administer the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (Perkins V*) program. They have applied a hyper-local lens to the program review process to support learner-centered, equity-minded, and evidence-driven change across the Illinois community college system.

ICCB’s Program Review Manual lists the requirements for institutions completing a program review and instructions for how data should be used to inform program design if gaps are identified. Colleges are asked to evaluate the quality and cost-effectiveness of all student and academic support services, including Career Techincal Education (CTE) programs.

Some of the criteria outlined by the ICCB to complete this program of study review are:

With significant and recent changes taking place to ICCB’s Program Review Manual, the OCCRL’s study, Advancing Program Review Evaluating and Envisioning the Future of Program Review at Illinois Community Colleges, sought to provide feedback that can improve the efficacy of the manual and supporting practices. The OCCRL framed the study around the concept of program review process as a tool for institutions to support learner-centered, equity-guided and evidence-driven improvements. The intent of the review process is to support colleges in making campus-level planning and decision-making related to the quality, cost-effectiveness, assessment and improvement of programs. While these goals are similar to the process that local entities go through to complete their Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA), this approach offers an opportunity to facilitate greater consistency and communication across institutions to improve outcomes for every learner.

 

Methods

Through the study, OCCRL attempted to answer three evaluation questions:

  1. What institutional and environmental factors within the context of program review affect institutions’ culture of evidence (using data to inform program design) and how do these factors vary across institutions in the state?
  2. What substantive challenges influence the design, implementation and impact of the program review in Illinois and how might these challenges be remedied?
  3. What are critical design considerations for advancing the future of program review processes at community colleges in Illinois?

 

In order to complete their evaluation, OCCRL noted that their approach had to reflect the high level of variation that exists among Illinois community colleges and the programs nested within them. To meet this need, they focused on working closely with individuals within the field who were currently engaged in the work and who had developed expertise working within the system, allowing them to suggest improvements and envision its future. Evaluation data was collected through a series of focus groups composed of representatives from the 49 community colleges, including community college practitioners, faculty, institutional researchers and chief information officers. The topics of the focus groups covered environmental and institutional factors influencing program review, colleges’ procedures for managing and using evidence produced from program reviews, and finally, challenges related to program reviews.

 

Evaluation 

In their report, OCCRL identified seven factors that affect an institution’s ability to successfully foster a culture of evidence and support equity-minded use of the resulting findings:

 

Resulting Supports 

As a result of requests from study participants, OCCRL developed an equity-centered rubric as a standardized tool that could be used to advance learning and support for institutions across Illinois in their CTE program review process. This self-assessment tool is intended to support practitioners in completing high-quality reviews and enables them to more closely examine the demographic groups within CTE programs. 

In addition to the rubric, participants shared high-level reflections on the solutions to common program review challenges that were discussed during the third focus group:

Additionally, the authors of the study suggest strategies that state leaders might consider incorporating into their own CLNA processes. 

Visit Advance CTE’s Learning that Works Resource Center to access additional resources for state leaders looking to integrate equity-guided and data-driven strategies into their state plans.

Amy Hodge, Membership & Policy Associate

*As amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act

By Layla Alagic in Achieving Equitable and Inclusive CTE
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Perkins Regional Meetings April and May 2023: Key Takeaways

Thursday, June 8th, 2023

Over April and May 2023, Advance CTE hosted three Perkins Regional Meetings across the country in Minneapolis, Baltimore and Phoenix, with over 200 leaders from across 40 states and territories which was made possible through support from the Gates Foundation. The agenda for the three meetings was designed for state leaders from secondary, postsecondary and workforce development to connect and collaborate on ways to enhance their current Career Technical Education (CTE) systems and programs. 

States participated in keynote presentations, workshops, roundtables focused on supporting special populations and cross-state sharing sessions with the intent of building and strengthening the career preparation ecosystem for all learners across the nation. State leaders and our Advance CTE team were both energized by the engagement and inspired by the dedication of all those that attended the meetings and are working to create a high-quality and equitable system that supports all CTE learners.

While each state has its own unique challenges, accomplishments and opportunities, certain recurring themes emerged across multiple states. The national CTE landscape is one of great opportunity but will need support to provide access to high-quality experiences for all CTE learners. 

Key Takeaways

Accomplishments

Challenges

Using the information gained at these meetings, CTE leaders will be able to build upon the accomplishments and help provide resources, tools and support to address the challenges within the current system, with an eye towards how states will leverage the potential to revise or update their Perkins V state plans as their original four-year plans come to a close next spring. Advance CTE continues to be available as a resource to provide best practices, information on innovative policies on the horizon and technical assistance to states to achieve our shared vision of Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits).

As states work to address the challenges they face, Advance CTE has numerous resources available below and through the Learning that Works Resource Center to assist with goal set and challenges identified during the meeting: 

Save the Date for our next in-person opportunity to connect and receive support from Advance CTE! Our 2023 Fall Meeting: Elevating CTE’s Impact, will be held October 16-18 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Paul Mattingly, Senior Policy Associate

By Layla Alagic in Uncategorized
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Pushing the Limits: South Carolina

Thursday, May 25th, 2023

Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits) was released in March 2020 with the support of over 40 national organizations. In October 2021, Advance CTE launched a technical assistance opportunity called Advancing CTE Without  Limits, which sought to support states in a project to coordinate systems, improve equity goals, strengthen policy or otherwise align with a CTE Without Limits principle. The year-long Advancing CTE Without Limits project ran from March 2022 to March 2023. This blog series shares the details, outcomes and lessons learned from projects across the three participating Pushing the Limits state teams – Colorado, Nebraska and South Carolina. 

Project Focus

South Carolina has made it a priority to build and create aligned state systems that can support all CTE learners to move seamlessly through their education and career journey. To accomplish this vision, South Carolina approached their Advancing CTE Without limits work through the lens of Principle 1: Each learner engages in a cohesive, flexible and responsive career preparation ecosystem.

South Carolina focused on three main objectives:

  1. Needs Assessment: Conduct a needs assessment to identify strengths and gaps within the state’s comprehensive local needs assessment (CLNA) process and outcomes (i.e., rural, middle school and students with disabilities). 
  2. Guidance and Support for Local Implementation of Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA): Provide strategic collaboration, peer learning, training and support to implement a more strategic process around CLNA.
  3. Building State Leader Data Literacy: Participate in professional development through Advance CTE’s Opportunity Gap Analysis to learn the root cause analysis process and get technical assistance to increase data literacy to address learner opportunity gaps. 

 

Project Outcomes

Through monthly coaching and technical assistance provided by Advance CTE and Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) staff, South Carolina focused on evaluating its comprehensive local needs assessment process and outcomes with an emphasis on continuous improvement. Surveys were developed for state and local stakeholders to gather their input on both the implementation of the CLNA and the practical application of results of the CLNA process. Results of the survey showed that the CLNA process itself had been valuable, and it had served to strengthen connections across the career preparation ecosystem. However, at the state and local levels, stakeholders were not fully utilizing the information gleaned from the CLNA process. At the state level in particular, leaders from across agencies were not as engaged with each other around the CLNA results as the state desired.  

This led the state CTE agency to start a quarterly interagency meeting to increase cross-sector team collaboration and support a high-quality career preparation ecosystem. To ensure sustainability of this strategic collaboration among their state agencies, South Carolina has put into practice a shared-ownership structure, where a different agency takes the lead in developing the shared agenda and leads the conversations. The first meeting included sharing results from the CLNA and the survey. 

South Carolina also used the CLNA to inform the development of regional “snapshots” of data. The snapshots were published accompanied by a workshop and guidance to support the regional perspective being used in the state for the CLNA. 

South Carolina has also designed differentiated support for the regions based on the needs assessment and survey of regions. These efforts have helped increase knowledge and staff capacity in the strategic use of data for the CLNA process. 

The South Carolina team also participated in the Opportunity Gap Analysis workshop to learn to conduct root cause analysis, identify ways to address opportunity gaps for all learners and provide guidance to their local educators on how to build a comprehensive career preparation ecosystem.  

Lessons Learned

One of the primary lessons learned through this project for South Carolina was to focus on making sure that the results of the CLNA are being used and not treated as a compliance exercise. 

Recommendations

States are highly encouraged to look at CLNA results across all their eligible entities or regions and to identify common themes with a lens towards developing new policies, programs, technical assistance and professional development to help address the needs commonly identified across the state. In addition, states should make it common practice to provide technical assistance to local districts on how they can change their behaviors to better address needs.

Stay tuned for future updates about South Carolina’s continued efforts and for more information about other states’ Advancing CTE Without Limits projects. For more information about CTE Without Limits, visit https://careertech.org/without-limits.  

To learn more about planning and implementing the principles of CTE Without Limits in your state, check out Pushing the Limits: A Roadmap for Advancing CTE Without Limits.

For more information on better using the CLNA to drive quality and equity within CTE systems and programs of study, read Lessons in Collaboration and Innovation: The Impact and Promise of the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment.

Nithya Govindasamy, Senior Advisor

Alisha Hyslop, Senior Director of Public Policy, ACTE

By Jodi Langellotti in CTE Without Limits
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Looking Back to Look Forward and the Implications for Career Technical Education

Thursday, May 11th, 2023

Earlier this year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation hosted a webinar to release their new report, The Future of Data, Assessments, and Accountability in K-12 Education, which offers a comprehensive analysis of the landmark education policies of the past two decades, from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

The event featured a discussion among Maya Martin Cadogan (Founder & Executive Director, Parents Amplifying Voices in Education), Dr. Ivan Duran (Superintendent, Highline Public Schools), Dr. Dan Goldhaber (Director, CALDER American Institutes for Research) and Dr. Chris Steward (Chief Executive Officer, brightbeam), on the report’s findings and future implications for the role of federal policy in the K-12 education system. The panelists also reflected on the perspectives and data they felt were absent from the report and the opportunities to leverage lessons learned.

Key Takeaways 

 

Next Steps for State CTE Leaders 

As states are considering their next round of Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) State Determined Levels of Performance, or perhaps broader changes to Perkins V plans, consider the following actions:

The full report, Looking Back to Look Forward: Quantitative and Qualitative Reviews of the Past 20 Years of K-12 Education Assessment and Accountability Policy can be found online and through Advance CTE’s Learning that Works Resource Center. You can also find the webinar recording on YouTube.

Dr. Laura Maldonado, Senior Research Associate and Amy Hodge, Policy Associate

By Jodi Langellotti in Achieving Equitable and Inclusive CTE
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Making Good on the Promise: Addressing Three Major Challenges for English Learners in CTE

Thursday, June 9th, 2022

Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits) calls on each level of leadership to create systems and structures that offer every learner access to high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE) opportunities that lead to career success. This requires dismantling systemic and institutional barriers that limit equitable access to and success in CTE for learners from special populations. 

In support of the CTE Without Limits vision, Advance CTE recently released the Improving Equity and Access to Quality CTE Programs for English Learners brief. This resource explores English Learner (EL) enrollment in CTE and three major barriers that English Learners face in accessing and succeeding in CTE programs, concluding with recommendations on how state leaders can take the lead in addressing these barriers and expanding access to high-quality CTE opportunities. 

1.Barrier: Irrelevant or Impersonal Curricula and Assessments

In both general education and CTE courses, English Learners are frequently exposed to one-size-fits-all curricula that are not personalized to their unique interests, career goals and learning needs. Additionally, ELs may need to take remedial classes that take time away from credit-bearing courses that lead to certificate or degree program completion or limit opportunities to enroll in CTE courses. Finally, many forms of assessments, including entrance and placement exams and state standardized tests, place ELs at a disadvantage by simultaneously testing both content knowledge and language skills. These assessments typically do not recognize the unique value that ELs offer as emergent bilinguals with a wealth of cultural and linguistic knowledge. 

Addressing the Barrier: Providing adaptive instruction and relevant skill-building opportunities are critical for ELs. The state of Washington’s Integrated Basic Education Skills and Training (I-BEST) team-teaching instructional model supports these learners by teaching both basic language skills and career readiness skills. Studies from the Department of Health and Human Services have confirmed the effectiveness of I-BEST at improving educational outcomes. Additionally, states should make an effort to make assessments more accessible. Virginia created a catalog of industry credentials with testing accommodations for ELs, with direction on how districts and schools should notify ELs about these accommodations prior to taking tests. 

Another avenue for addressing the educational needs of ELs is leveraging federal funding – a program provider in Ohio utilized funds from Title III of the Every Student Succeeds Act to expand culturally responsive career counseling and career exploration opportunities for ELs. Finally, professional development for CTE educators is necessary to ensure that instruction is culturally responsive and adaptive. Arizona’s Department of Education has initiated a collaborative interagency project to develop professional learning opportunities for instructors across the state, centered on identifying and deploying strategies to address barriers for special populations in the classroom.

2.Barrier: Competing Priorities and Time Demands

Many ELs have family and work demands that often result in class scheduling conflicts. ELs disproportionately experience low-income, and many work in jobs with demanding, unpredictable work schedules and low wages. Further, ELs may face additional barriers to accessing child care and transportation to get to class. 

Addressing the Barrier: Wraparound services are essential for this population to access and succeed in CTE programs. States and local leaders can work together to braid different funding streams and leverage federal grants to coordinate community services and address barriers to accessing CTE. Local education agencies must also provide timely interventions and long-term supports. Georgia provides targeted guidance for ELs and other special populations at risk of dropping out of high school through the Coordinated Career Academic Education and Project Success support services. Additionally, Georgia’s technical colleges employ Special Populations Coordinators to support these learners.

3.Barrier: Few Avenues for Elevating Learner Voices and Outcomes

While K-12 schools are required to collect and report data on learners’ language proficiency, guidance for collecting and reporting these data at the postsecondary level is extremely limited. States typically do not provide any direction on how postsecondary institutions can best serve ELs. Additionally, there are few mechanisms for elevating the voices and lived experiences of ELs within decision-making processes, exacerbating the lack of knowledge on learners’ participation rates and outcomes in CTE programs. In order to truly understand the scope of institutional barriers and create meaningful solutions, state CTE leaders must find ways to access crucial data on this learner population.

Addressing the Barrier: The Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA) process required under the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) can be a critical avenue for collecting and reporting data on ELs. Special populations are a required stakeholder to consult when developing CLNAs, and state plans must address learners’ access to CTE programs, as well as their performance levels. The Illinois Community College Board developed a CLNA template with specific fields for describing how the equity needs of each learner group are being met at every stage of the process.

This resource is part of the Making Good on the Promise series, which defines key challenges that different learners face and explores solutions that State CTE Directors can implement to help close equity and opportunity gaps in CTE. For more resources on supporting special populations in CTE, visit Advance CTE’s Learning that Works Resource Center.

Allie Pearce, Graduate Fellow

By Stacy Whitehouse in Publications
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