As part of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s Road Map for Kansas, he proposes a new method of funding for CTE, which involves paying for full tuition of high school students enrolled in a CTE course/program in a community college or technical school, according to KWHC, a local Kansas news station that highlighted the announcement.

The CTE funding proposal is part of a strategy to meet the Governor’s goal of increasing the percentage of students who are career and college ready upon high school graduation. Currently, CTE is funding through a .5 weighted system among districts. The new funding plan will have the Kansas Department of Education instead distribute money to school districts based on enrollment in technical programs, noted Jon Hummell, Director of Operations, Office of the Governor.
Further, funding will provide to the Kansas Board of Regents to pay the tuition for high school students enrolled in a CTE course/program at a community college or technical college, KWHC said.

Hummell outlined other details of the plan, which include:

• An incentive program to encourage districts to increase the number of students exiting high school with an industry-recognized credential in key occupations identified by the Kansas Department of Labor.
• The Kansas Board of Regents will be encouraged to develop a state-wide articulation agreement between high schools, and community and technical colleges for these CTE programs.
• The State Board of Education will be encouraged to require that all students in the 8th grade and above have an individual career plan of study.