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Posts Tagged ‘English language learners’

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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ECMCF Fellow Feature: Yolanda Flores

Friday, September 29th, 2023

In September 2022, Advance CTE and ECMC Foundation announced the second cohort of The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE—Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. The Advance CTE — ECMCF Fellows include representation across multiple demographic categories reflecting the Fellowship’s goal of intentionally building a postsecondary leadership pipeline for underserved populations in Career Technical Education (CTE) that closes racial representation gaps and removes equity barriers to postsecondary leadership advancement. 

This month, we’re excited to highlight two members of Advance CTE’s second cohort of Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellows. In our interview with ECMCF Fellow Yolanda Flores (FL), she talked about how she’s already leveraging what she learned in the Fellowship to create more cohesive and industry-aligned programs.

Tell me more about your journey to the Fellowship.

I discovered the Fellowship by accident. The Florida Association for Career and Technical Education included the call for applicants in an email, and as someone who is constantly searching for opportunities to grow my skills to serve my students, I was immediately interested. I met Dr. Kevin Johnson during the informational webinar, and I felt like the Fellowship’s focus and curriculum topics were aligned with my professional goals.

What skills or areas have you experienced the most growth in the program? 

The number one thing that I’ve learned is the value of mentorship and working with my coach. Advance CTE staff provided some suggestions for our monthly meetings, such as sharing updates on the real-world project and the workshop topics, but then my coach and I would also talk about things that are going on outside of the Fellowship and the work that my coach is doing. In a lot of ways, we were able to bounce ideas off each other and this thought partnership has been critical in my professional development. 

This relationship also allowed me to travel to Seattle for Jobs for the Future’s convening. All of the attendees and participating organizations were exploring different models of career pathways. I discovered an apprenticeship model that operates as a third-party entity, coordinating the various providers involved with implementing the program. This model was developed to be very flexible and prioritized accessibility for all students. I walked away feeling inspired with knowledge about how I can recreate and replicate these best practices for my students back in Collier County.  

How has your experience in the Fellowship helped you explore new spaces or positions in postsecondary state CTE leadership? 

The national focus of this Fellowship has been incredibly valuable. I’m learning an immense amount during workshops from leaders from across the nation and the perspectives of my colleagues in the Fellowship. I am eager to take this momentum and find additional opportunities to leverage my experience in a way that continues to make a meaningful impact for learners. Coming from the district level, this experience and knowledge are crucial because, without it, I’m worried that I would not be considered for more advanced roles.

I’ve set up my LLC, Workforce Wise Solutions, to take on additional consulting work to continue to develop my skills and build my portfolio of work. I am working closely with the Florida Institute for Professional Development for Adult Educators. This work is closely aligned with my real-world project topic, of increasing access to CTE for adult learners particularly those for whom English is not their first language.

The topic of my real-world project is about increasing access to high-wage, high-skill, in-demand CTE career pathways in manufacturing for adult education participants. Through my project, I’ve been able to engage more with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Perkins and Florida Blueprint 2030 and understand how adult education programs interact in these spaces. I’ve been able to review our Perkins data, which includes data on our underserved populations and English for Speakers of Other Languages population, and the progress that we’re making in supporting these learners as they transition from adult education to CTE programs. I coordinated a professional development group where staff from the CTE programs, adult education, and business partners came together to learn about how they could better align their programs. As a result of this process, I was able to write a grant proposal that identified the ways in which our local providers are prepared to work and design their programs in alignment with industry needs. My proposal for this Equitable Pipeline Grant would allow us to propose a manufacturing IET, integrated education and training program. This program will then help prepare our adult education learners with a foundation for understanding manufacturing concepts with the goal of eventually transitioning into one of our full-time programs or going into a position where they can be upskilled. I did receive the Equitable Pipeline Grant for $122,000 and another $60,000 to provide scholarships to adult education students enrolled in Nursing Assistant and ParaPro.

Another benefit of this Fellowship has been learning more about the wealth of organizations that exist in this space and the work they’re engaged in around CTE. I would love to learn more about best practices for communicating the findings from this work to local practitioners. How can we, as directors or program leaders, ensure that our programs are being developed with the knowledge of what has worked elsewhere. Building this awareness is a huge opportunity to lean in, and I believe the impact could be significant.

How has the Fellowship expanded your network? 

I have a great group of Fellows that are helpful for bouncing ideas off each other. Also, I’ve found that the assigned accountability buddies have given us permission to reach out and have conversations about our work and the challenges we might be experiencing. My buddy has been a source of encouragement, and I’m not sure we would have independently taken steps to make those connections. 

I’ve also enjoyed the relationship and support I’ve received from the Advance CTE staff. Dr. Stephanie Perkins’ feedback has been so helpful and available to meet as needed for additional support to complete my real-world project. 

The opportunities to engage with state leaders and national organizations have been great. I’m eager to take advantage of these platforms, such as the ECMCF Convening in Denver, to elevate my work. 

By Layla Alagic in Achieving Equitable and Inclusive CTE
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ECMCF Fellow Feature: Caleb Perriton

Thursday, August 31st, 2023

In September 2022, Advance CTE and ECMC Foundation announced the second cohort of The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE—Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. The Advance CTE — ECMCF Fellows include representation across multiple demographic categories reflecting the Fellowship’s goal of intentionally building a postsecondary leadership pipeline for underserved populations in Career Technical Education (CTE) that closes racial representation gaps and removes equity barriers to postsecondary leadership advancement. 

This month, we’re excited to highlight two members of Advance-CTE’s second cohort of Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellows. ECMCF Fellow Caleb Perriton (WY) has experience working and teaching automotive technology internationally and understands the limitless potential of a high-quality skills-based education.

Tell me more about your journey to the Fellowship.

I was made aware of the Fellowship through the Wyoming State CTE Director Michelle Aldrich who is a friend of our college, and she alerted our dean who then passed the information down to me. I have a lot of experience working with under-resourced learners, non-English Hispanic learners in particular, and so the themes of the Fellowship really spoke to the passion I have for creating opportunities for these learners to gain skills that can drastically improve their lives. I don’t have the chance to work directly with this population in southern Wyoming but the Fellowship allows to have a national view of the policies that connect these learners with the knowledge and job skills they need to integrate into society. 

In the trades industry, we face a significant shortage of mechanics and trades workers, and we just don’t have technicians who are qualified to take these jobs. We need to consider how to bring more non-traditional students into these programs, and I believe that access to the necessary training is one of the primary barriers keeping willing workers out.

What skills or areas have you experienced the most growth in the program? 

I am certainly grateful to be learning alongside my colleagues in this Fellowship. My colleagues are brilliant, my coach is brilliant, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself an academic. I like to work with people, I like to fix things, and I like to teach people skills, but through this Fellowship I’ve realized the power of using data to tell your story. 

Have you been tapped for new or more advanced roles within your organization as a result of your experience in the Fellowship? 

Since the Fellowship started, I’ve been promoted from my role as a pathway coordinator to a program director with managerial duties. I was also asked to sit in as an interim dean while our dean was on sabbatical. As a pathway coordinator, I was responsible for recruiting students and engaging with industry to secure employment opportunities. As program director, I’ve transitioned to overseeing all of the academic aspects the seven or eight programs in my department as well as the performance management of about a dozen faculty. I am eager to bring experiences and knowledge gained through the Fellowship to my colleagues that have only ever lived in Wyoming. Previously, I was a campus president of a large technical trade school, and in the future, if I were looking to make another transition, I am confident that I could leverage the Fellowship network to find additional opportunities. 

How has your experience in the fellowship helped you explore new spaces or positions in postsecondary state CTE leadership? 

My experience in the Fellowship has allowed me to network in more impactful ways with the CTE leaders in my state. Dr. Aldrich, in particular, has had a bit of influence on my real-world project. She was actually a faculty member at one of the schools I’ve targeted for expanding opportunities for learners to explore trades education as a viable option after high school. I’ve been able to network with just about every level of state leadership here in Wyoming, which is great.

I’m always open to new experiences. I know that there is a lot of love and support for CTE and the trades in this state and I’m grateful for all of the doors that have been opened.

Have these new connections changed your expectations of CTE at the postsecondary level? 

My network has been expanded for sure. My expectations have certainly shifted. I think we need to have higher expectations for our learner’s educational experiences. There are opportunities to bring in more of those learners, the population that is under 21 and not targeted for a university, to recognize the benefits of these programs. This looks like improving our strategies for recruitment and enrolling learners in programs that are relevant to their needs and also those of our industry partners. 

If I could wave a magic wand to eliminate a barrier and make these programs more accessible, I’d want to target the administrative process of enrolling learners. I could have a curriculum for a new light-duty diesel class ready by this afternoon, but typically, you’re looking at a runway of at least two years for learners to go through the process of enrolling and securing financial aid before they can even take the class. Unfortunately, the result is that we get bogged down with administrative processes that end up omitting some really willing learners and eventual earners in our communities.

Ultimately, I think one of the most powerful tools that we have to recruit more learners is the way that we tell the story about the CTE programs. A lot of learners want a traditional college experience, and you can still have that in the trade school. An automotive or diesel electrical class is just as academically rigorous, if not more so than any physics class on a university campus. These courses deal with machinery that’s worth a quarter million dollars and has to tow 80,000 pounds down the road. With the proper training and a few years of experience, it isn’t unrealistic for a diesel mechanic to make between $100,000 and $150,000. We need to dispel the stigma around trade schools and find a better way to blend these programs through higher-level education institutions across America.

If you have any questions, contact Caleb Perriton by email at [email protected] 

By Layla Alagic 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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Colleges Play Important Role in Creating Alternative Credentialing Pathways

Tuesday, September 12th, 2017

A new report commissioned by The Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences examines the landscape of non-degree postsecondary training. The report focused on five categories: certificate programs, work-based training, skills-based short programs, massive open online courses and other online microcredentials, and competency-based education programs, and provides in-depth analyses of each. While these types of trainings vary widely across sectors and states, the authors found that they all tended to be shorter, more flexible, and more directly aligned with employer-defined skills than traditional postsecondary degree programs.

However, data on learner enrollment and outcomes for these programs is limited, so it is difficult to tell how effective an option they ultimately are for learners. With that in mind, the report also found that more traditional degree programs, which have clearer data on outcomes, are increasingly incorporating elements of alternative pathways into their programs to create programs that provide academic and non-academic instruction.

Survey Measures Student Interest and Readiness for Postsecondary

A recent online survey of over 55,000 high school students revealed some interesting findings related to the enthusiasm and readiness for postsecondary education. 84 percent of students indicated a desire to go to college, with only five percent definitely saying no to college. 68 percent of students had plans to attend a 2- or 4-year college immediately after high school.

Interestingly, only 50 percent of 12th grade students feel that their school has helped them develop the skills and knowledge they will need for college-level classes. Students are aware of the various support services offered, and they generally agree those services are helpful. However, not many students are actually choosing to take advantage of them. This could be for a number of reasons, but advertising these services and reducing the stigma of using them might help.

Odds and Ends

The Education Commission of the States launched a 50-state scan highlighting how states issue and analyze postsecondary feedback reports. An interesting finding is that 39 states publicly report high school feedback reports with data on postsecondary enrollment and/or performance.

A new report finds that English language learners are proportionally under-enrolled in New York City’s CTE programs, and that they are less likely to successfully complete the programs once enrolled. The report’s authors feel that this is a major opportunity to enroll more English language learners in CTE programs, as those who do complete their CTE programs graduate at a rate that is 30 percent higher than other English language learners in the city.

Ashleigh McFadden, State Policy Manager

By admin in Research
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