A Call to Action: Road map for the Future of Career and Technical Education

1. A Call to Action: Road map for the Future of Career and Technical Education Dr. Joanna Kister Jkister@pageville.com

2. Goal: To address the CTE Delivery Research Project recommendations by identifying appropriate actions and strategies for implementation

3. Challenge – To help set the direction for the future of CTE in Arizona - Think beyond one’s own experience- Plan beyond one’s own tenure

4. Mental Locks • The right answer • That’s not logical • Avoid ambiguity • I’m not creative

5. Before the beginning of brilliance, there must be chaos. Before a brilliant person begins something great, they must look foolish in the crowd.

6. Good is the enemy of great.Jim Collins, Good to Great

7. Four Questions • What to keep from the past? • What to release? • What to change? • What to create?

8. Buzz Phrase Synthesizer

9. Commissioned to • Provide research documents to improve the AZ CTE delivery system • Focus on a coherent sequence of instruction to result in exemplary CTE program delivery

10. Methodology • In-depth analysis of current system • Review of national CTE literature and state exemplary models • Input from 129 AZ stakeholders • Synthesis of data and recommendations

11. L E A D E R S H I P WHY? School Improvement WHY? Changes in the Workplace P O L I C Y Mission WHAT? Career-Technical Program Design Standards HOW? Quality Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

12. Master the Context or Surrender to It Jack Welch Chapter 2 • Legislation • Economic Forces • Globalization • Technology • Education

13. Source: U.S. Department of Labor: Futurework: Trends and Challenges for the 21st Century, 1999. The United States does not face a worker shortage, but a skills shortage.

14. Priorities – Education Sector • Standards • Accountability

15. Recommendation 1 • Develop a shared vision and a clear and compelling mission statement. • Disseminate widely. • Use consistently in all communications.

16. Vision Statement • Mental picture of what tomorrow will look like • Expresses highest values and standards • Gives direction and purpose for work

17. Sample vision statements • All students in Arizona will achieve academic and career success • Securing Arizona’s future by developing a world-class workforce

18. Mission Statement • What does CTE do or what problem does it address? • What makes CTE unique? • Who are the beneficiaries of CTE?

19. Considerations for Vision/Mission • Purpose of high school • Secondary CTE policy debate • Legislation/NAVE report

20. CTE Trends • Academic/CTE integration • Career clusters • Secondary/postsecondary articulation • High tech • Rigorous academic & technical skills

21. Decision Drivers • Meeting student demand for training • Meeting short term labor market demand for trained workers • Meeting long-term strategic goals for human resources and economic development

22. The country is diminished to the extent that any high school fails to provide all that it might for every student.Breaking Ranks Report - NASSP

23. The Secondary CTE Policy Debate • 2/3 do not obtain a 4-year degree • 25% work directly after high school

24. The Secondary CTE Policy Debate • The expectations for higher ed are converging with the expectations for success in a high performance workplace. • High school must be a gateway to multiple options

25. Options to Consider • Prepare for full-time employment • Strategy for teaching academics • Eliminate in favor of a common academic program for all students • Provide an occupational sequence integrated with rigorous academic coursework

26. What do I believe? Career-technical education is poised to transform high schools.

27. Recommendation 3 Replace the mandate for the current three levels for the AZ CTE delivery model with a set of competencies, industry-determined, that span grade levels into postsecondary studies

28. Study Results • 119 respondents • 15 counties, 65 schools/districts • Arizona model: Scale – 1-10 • Teachers – 7.33 • Directors – 5.61

29. Arizona Model • Level 1 – Exploratory – grades 7-8 • Level II – Transition – grades 9-10 • Level III – Occupation specific – grades 11-12

30. The Arizona Modelfor CTEIn theory a great model, but….

31. Strengths of CTE Model • Coherent sequence • Progression of skills • Provides for career exploration • Consistency

32. Limitations of CTE Model • Rigid and restrictive • Limits student access to CTE • Program and curriculum too general • Lack of time and scheduling problems • Specific concerns – Level I, II, III

33. Predicted Probability of Dropping Out, as CTE/Academic Course-Taking Ratio Varies, for a White Male of Average Family SES Probability of dropping out CTE/Academic course-taking ratio

34. Career and Technical Education in the BalanceS. Plank (2001) John Hopkins University National Research Center for CTE • Middle range integration of CTE & academics reduces drop-outs • Ratio of 3 CTE credits to every 4 academic credits associated with lowest likelihood of dropping out

35. HSTW Data - Students who complete upgraded academic core and a concentration • Equal or exceed scores of college prep students on HSTW assessments • Continue studies after high school at a higher rate • Have a higher grade point average and more likely to remain in college

36. Washington has approved proposed standards for exploratory and preparatory programs. Exploratory classes are for secondary students who want to investigate a broad range of career options within a pathway. Preparatory programs are designed to be a sequence of classes for “post-exploratory” students who have decided to focus on an occupation or cluster of related occupations within a specific career pathway. While the Certificate of Mastery is desirable to enter a Preparatory Program, it is not a prerequisite. Exploratory and Preparatory students may also be enrolled in the same course simultaneously (course content may be exploratory for one student and preparatory for another).

37. To help all students reach common, high standards, the one-size-fits-all approach of today’s high school must yield to a system that presumes students will learn through different pedagogies, institutional arrangements, and amounts of time. . . We must provide students with multiple learning options and pathways and varied lengths of time

38. Suggested Actions 3.1 Require sequence of 3 courses 3.2 Explore concurrent/dual enrollment options 3.3 Continue curriculum planning process with greater input from business and industry 3.4 Increase district flexibility

39. Suggested Actions 3.5 Strengthen career development process 3.6 Explore models for middle school transition 3.7 Design 3-course sequence – support 10th grade programming 3.8 Use States Career Cluster model 3.9 Develop alternative pathways

40. What Are Career Clusters?www.careerclusters.org • The 16 Career Clusters are an organizing tool for schools to offer a broader, more durable preparation for the world of work. • Career Clusters represent a grouping of occupations and broad industries based on commonalities.

41. National Career Clusters • Hospitality & Tourism • Human Services • Information Technology • Law, Public Safety & Security • Manufacturing • Marketing, Sales & Services • Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics • Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics • Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources • Architecture & Construction • Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications • Business Management & Administration • Education & Training • Finance • Government & Public Administration • Health Science

42. North Carolina Maryland Ohio Kentucky New York Oregon South Carolina Michigan States to Review for Coherent CTE systems

43. Recommendation 4 Institute a system of technical assessments for CTE.

44. Purpose POLICY PRACTICE Federal Legislation- USDE Improve Instruction State – Program Accountability Teacher Accountability Technical Assessments Employer Post Secondary Placement Local Board CREDENTIALING

45. Multiple Assessment Choices for Career-Technical Education 1. Locally developed External standardized 2. Industry credentials End-of-program 3. Occupation-specific Career cluster 4. Academic Occupational 5. Written Performance

46. Rationale for Standardized Assessments • External objective data • Comparative data for schools, districts, states, and across states • Perkins core measures • May be used by employers and postsecondary institutions

47. Selecting Industry Certifications • Fit with state standards • Alignment with curriculum • Quality of standards & assessments • Purpose: accountability or program improvement • Enhance marketability of students Source: R. Mahlman & J. Austin: Industry-Based Certification, CETE. Ohio State University

48. Why should career-technical programs assess academic skills? • State/national academic standards demand attention. • Career-tech is accountable for academic gains. • High school students must pass academic tests for graduation. • Academics in context tend to be student-friendly • Workplace demands for technical literacy are increasing.

49. Why should career-technical programs assess academic skills? • Academic standards demand attention • Career-tech is accountable for academic gains • High school students must pass academic tests for graduation • Academics in context tend to be student-friendly • Workplace demands for technical literacy are increasing

50. Technical Literacy • Read, understand, and communicate in the language of a career field • Understand technical concepts and principles • Use academic knowledge and skills to solve problems • Use basic technology