“The New Career Tech—Using PCCS to Help ALL Students Achieve Success”

1. “The New Career Tech—Using PCCS to Help ALL Students Achieve Success” Presented by Dr. Belinda McCharen Gene Benson Education Consultants Benson Education Associates www.bensoneducation.com

2. So Why Are We Here?

3. Workshop Objectives • Develop an understanding of relevant terminology and background; • Identify resources to be used in making decisions related to pathway, program and course selection; • Identify how to develop the required components of programs of study. • Identify how to develop a program of study that meets local and state requirements and that is ready for implementation. • Develop a plan for implementation of programs of study at the local level.

5. Vocational Education vs. Career and Technical Education

6. 16 Career Clusters

7. The Problems Engagement– attending school and completing (graduating) high school

8. Too many 9th Graders do not complete High School – historical trend 68% Source: One-Third of a Nation (ETS, 2005)

9. Why do they leave? Source: The silent epidemic: Perspectives of high school dropouts – Civic Enterprises, 2006

10. Have you ever been bored in class? Source: 2008 HSSSE

11. If you have been bored in class, why? • Material not interesting • Material wasn’t relevant to me • No interaction with teacher • Work wasn’t challenging enough • Work was too difficult • Other Source: 2008 HSSSE

12. The Problems Engagement – attending school and completing (graduating) high school Achievement– academic (and technical) course taking; grades, test scores

13. 2006 HSTW CTE Students: Percentage Meeting Reading Performance Goal-279

14. 2006 HSTW CTE Students: Percentage Meeting Mathematics Performance Goal-297

15. 2006 HSTW CTE Students: Percentage Meeting Science Performance Goal-299

16. The Problems Engagement – attending school and completing (graduating) high school Achievement– academic (and technical) course taking; grades, test scores Transition– to postsecondary education without the need for remediation; and to the workplace

17. When graduates get there . . . Source: NCES (2003), Remedial Education at Degree Granting PS Institutions in fall 2000

18. Transitions – Why Critical Today For most Americans, education and training through and beyond high school is now a necessary condition (not just the most advantageous or desirable route) for developing skills required by most well-paying jobs. Source: Patrick M. Callan, President National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education

19. Are Students Prepared? • College instructors estimate that 42% of their students are not adequately prepared. • Employers estimate that 39% of high school graduates who have no further education are not prepared for their current job and that 45% are under prepared for advancement. Source: “Rising to the Challenge: Are High School graduates prepared for college and work?”; Achieve, Inc., 2005

20. Transition 84% of high school students anticipate earning a college degree Students who anticipate a degree are unlikely to prepare for a career following high school More than 50% of students who begin college do not earn a degree For students with the lowest high school performance, 86% do not earn a degree Rosenbaum, J. E. (2002). Beyond Empty Promises: Policies To Improve Transitions into College and Jobs. U.S.; Illinois: 42.

21. Transition through high school and to college 68 31% Leave with 0 Credits 100 Start 9th Grade 40 27 18 31% Source: Education Weekly March 2005

22. Percent of students who take remedial courses • 63% at two-year institutions • 40% at four-year institutions The Bridge Project Stanford University

23. Transition Barriers • Students, parents, and K-12 educators get conflicting and vague messages about what students need to know to enter and succeed in college. (Bridge found that high school assessments often stress different knowledge and skills than do college entrance and placement requirements.) The Bridge Project Stanford University

24. Transition Barriers • Coursework between high school and college is not connected. • Students graduate from high school under one set of standards and three months later are required to meet a whole new set of standards in college. The Bridge Project Stanford University

25. Transition Barriers • Current data systems are not equipped to address students’ needs across systems. • No one is held accountable for issues related to student transitions from high school to college. The Bridge Project Stanford University

26. Bridge Study Summary While educators and policymakers share the common goal of improving student performance, they often act in isolation; thus, efforts are sometimes conflicting or duplicated, and often certain needs are never addressed. The Bridge Project Stanford University

27. Research and Recognize the Need for Educational Change • Is there room in your current educational system for improvement in… • …academic achievement? • …college remediation & retention rates? • …high school and college dropout rates? • …individual wealth creation? • …addressing labor market needs? • …addressing local or state economic development?

28. Build a Collaborative Approach to Implementation • Implementing Career Clusters is a paradigm shift in educational thought and practice. • Successful implementation cannot occur through a single educator’s commitment, but must become a collaborative effort of a team of educators (from all levels), parents, as well as business and industry partners.

29. How Hiring Practices Will Change • 28% will reduce hiring those with only a high school diploma • 49.5% will increase two-year college graduates • Almost 60% will increase their hires of four-year college graduates • 42% will increase their hires of post-graduates within next five years The Conference Board

30. “Need to Know” Information about Perkins? • At least one Program of Study must be in place during this school year; • The Programs of Study must include courses at both the secondary and postsecondary levels;

31. “Need to Know” Information about Perkins? • The Programs of Study mustinclude both academic and CTE/degree major courses; and • The Programs of Study mustlead somewhere – a credential, certificate, license, degree, etc.

32. So where do Career Clusters fit in? What are they? • Career Clusters are groupings of occupations and industries • ACareer Pathwayrepresents a grouping of occupations within a cluster based on commonalities • A Program of Studyis the plan to get students from high school entry to success in careers and postsecondary education.

33. Connections • POS need to fit within a guidance and counseling program and engage counselors in implementation • All students need access to an individual plan that provides the academic and technical courses to meet career and educational goals

34. Why Programs of Study? Increase the percentage of students who graduate from high school and who graduate college- and career-ready

35. What are the Programs of Study? A sequenced listing of courses, both academic and CTE/degree major, that connects student’s high school and postsecondary educational experiences

36. What Are Programs of Study? • Programs of study join a sequence of college-preparatory academic courses with quality career/technical courses within a pathway or broad career theme. • Students choose a program of study based on interest to boost student motivation, academic achievement and high school completion.

37. Let’s say it again…… • A Program of Study is the plan to get students from high school entry to success in careers and postsecondary education. • It’s not hard, but someone has to take the lead and dedicate the time.

38. What’s Most Important? • NOT – What you call courses. • NOT – How many courses you take. • It’s being sure students get the content they need. • The Key is the Knowledge and Skills Statements (YOU MIGHT CALL THEM STANDARDS).

39. Ordering of K & S • Foundation Academic Expectations • Essential Knowledge and Skills • Cluster (Foundation) Knowledge and Skills • Pathway Knowledge and Skills

40. REMEMBER…… Courses that teach knowledge and skills to reach industry standards for specific careers NEED TO BE ADDED to the POS!!!

41. Beliefs Underlying Pathway Programs of Study • Academic learning is acquired in multiple ways and in multiple settings. • Intellectually demanding work is required in the 21st century workplace and all students should be prepared with the hand and mind skills necessary to succeed. • Given the right environment, most students can master complex academic and technical content.

42. Pathway Programs of Study:Guiding Principle 1 • By design, pathways prepare students for both postsecondary education AND careers, not just one or the other. Career success increasingly depends on completion of a formal credential – certificate, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree or higher.

43. Pathway Programs of Study:Guiding Principle 2 • Pathways integrate challenging academics with demanding career and technical curriculum to help students better understand how academic concepts apply in the real world. • Academic and CT teachers working together • Instructional approaches that emphasize intellectually demanding work • Alignment of CT courses with college- and career-readiness standards • Work-based and problem-based learning

44. Pathway Programs of Study:Guiding Principle 3 • Pathways prepare students for the full range of postsecondary opportunities – two- and four-year college, apprenticeship, the military, and formal employment training. They eliminate sorting and tracking in ways that limit options after high school.

45. Pathway Programs of Study:Guiding Principle 4 • Pathways support improved student achievement through a flexible time and support system that focuses on helping students “keep up” in meeting the most essential college- and career-readiness standards.

46. Pathway Programs of Study:Guiding Principle 5 • Each student must be connected to an adult who serves as their adviser/mentor. The role of adviser is to help students set tentative educational and career goals, choose a program of study/pathway to achieve their goal, and see that students get the assistance and support they need to succeed. • Students’ choices of career pathway must be viewed initially as exploratory and the school must be prepared to accommodate their revised decision.

47. Ways to Fit Pathway Programs of Study Into Schools Multi programs of study can be offered through a variety of school structures: • career academies • career majors • magnet schools • small learning communities • dual credit with postsecondary institutions • technical high schools • shared-time technology centers, etc.

48. CCTI Participation

49. OUTCOME #1 Decrease remediation at the postsecondary level

50. OUTCOME #2 Increase enrollment and persistence in postsecondary education