1. Special Education Supervisors Annual Institute
Danielle Mezera, Assistant Commissioner for Career and Technical Education
Nov 7, 2013

2. Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE
Interlinked Initiatives
Overview of CTE Multi-Phased Course Revision Process
Linking Secondary-Postsecondary-Industry: Pathways Tennessee
Reforming Work-Based Learning
Early Postsecondary Opportunities for High School Students

3. Career & Technical Education: Terms
Career Cluster: nationally recognized occupational areas (USDOE, USDOL)
CTE: Career & Technical Education
CTE Concentrators: Students who take three (3) or more courses in a Program of Study (POS) or Career Cluster
CTE Courses: Elective - graduation requirements: 3 credits in an Elective Focus – CTE, Math and Science, Fine Arts, Humanities, Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB)
EPSO: Early PostSecondary Opportunities, which allow students to obtain postsecondary credit hours while in high school
Pathway: Robust, aligned learning experience, which blends a seamless academic/career pathway from grades 7th-16th
Postsecondary: TN College of Applied Technology, 2-yr Community College,
4-yr University/College
Programs of Study: Progressive sequence of subject/topic specific courses within a promoted Career Cluster
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

4. In the past, careers were stable, linear and singular
In the past, careers were stable, linear and singular. People chose one path and pursued it over the course of their lives from high school to postsecondary to retirement.
Now, careers are complex, fragmented, specialized, collaborative and ever evolving. More often than not, our work life will be made up of a portfolio of micro-careers.
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

5. Today’s Career & Technical Education is not your old Vocational Education
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

6. Redefining Student Learning
Tennessee’s CTE must be a Robust, Aligned Academic/Career 7th-16th Learning Pathway
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

7. Multi-Phased Course Revision Process
Introduce Dr. Airhart

8. Multi-Phased Approach: Overview
Goal
Implementation
Phase I
Streamline our existing courses and programs of study SY
Phase II
Add relevant new courses and new programs of study, revise courses to align to higher student expectations SY
Phase III
Measure success of students with rigorous assessment options for all courses. SY
Immediate Wins:
Eliminate redundancies
Streamline for greater flexibility
Organize curriculum in POS using existing courses
Deeper Dive:
Revise existing courses
Develop new courses
Increase relevance of POS to reflect stronger alignment
Provide opportunities to measure student achievement using assessment options.
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

9. Course Standards Revision Phase I Results
Eliminated redundancy and misalignment of Programs of Study
Reduced POS by 68% from 207 to 68 for SY
Aligned remaining POS, and accompanying courses
Inserted General Education courses where appropriate
Retired more than 50 non-aligned or redundant courses
Provided more flexibility in the selection and sequencing of courses, particularly helpful for smaller, more rural School Districts
Provided options for capstone courses
Moved from 7 broad Program Areas to 16 Career Clusters
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

10. Moved from 7 broad areas of focus to 16 career clusters
Phase I:
Moved from 7 broad areas of focus to 16 career clusters
Highlight transition to career clusters as part of results of Phase I and also give overview of how many areas in which we currently have courses and programs.
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

11. Multi-Phased Approach: Overview
Goal
Implementation
Phase I
Streamline our existing courses and programs of study SY
Phase II
Add relevant new courses and new programs of study, revise courses to align to higher student expectations SY
Phase III
Measure success of students with rigorous assessment options for all courses. SY
Immediate Wins:
Eliminate redundancies
Streamline for greater flexibility
Organize curriculum in POS using existing courses
Deeper Dive:
Revise existing courses
Develop new courses
Increase relevance of POS to reflect stronger alignment
Provide opportunities to measure student achievement using assessment options.
Not sure if you are ready to preview phase III yet – easy to remove if not.
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

12. Career &Technical Education
General Education
Career &Technical Education
21st Century Skills
Work-
Based
Learning
Complex Texts
DC/DE
Project Based Learning
CTSO
Activities
Critical Thinking
Team Work / Collaboration
STEM
Work Ethic
Technology Fluency
Technical Skill Attainment
Math Courses
ELA Courses
Social Studies Courses
Science Courses
Common Core
State Standards
Standards / Instruction
Assessments
PD / Training
Learning Environment
Sequential Courses
Communication Skills
Writing Prompts
Academic Learning
Career Cluster
Programs of Study
Industry Certifications
Communication
Problem
Solving
Critical Thinking
Creativity
Citizenship
Robust, Aligned Academic/Career 7th-16th Learning Pathway
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

13. Course Standards Revision Phase II Overview
Data Gathering and Research: Determine needs and opportunities of state and the strengths of existing CTE course offerings.
Skills Identification and Alignment: Determine specific knowledge/skills needed for students to be successful in identified courses and pathways.
Writing and Reviewing: Craft revised course standards and vet recommendations with key stakeholders.
Data Gathering & Research
Use labor and economic data to determine relevant pathways for Tennessee; examine and crosswalk current postsecondary offerings; gather stakeholder feedback on current course offerings
Skills Identification & Alignment
Determine knowledge and skills (hard/soft) necessary for all identified courses and pathways. Reduce duplication in existing courses, identify gap areas
Writing & Reviewing
Draft course standards to ensure logical building of knowledge and skills (hard/soft) throughout each pathway. Review revisions with critical stakeholders (teachers, industry, postsecondary)
Frame 3 step process – note we’ll go deeper into each step, but wanted to give you an overview with specific objectives of each of the three steps.
Note stars are where we wanted to supplement existing staff capacity and build staff expertise with recognized external experts.
Collaborative process with external experts
Project Management
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

14. Course Standards Revision Phase II Results
CTE Consultants revised course standards by:
Infusing revised standards from other existing CTE courses
Embedding stronger technical skills
Aligning developed and revised course standards with Common Core State Standards for Literacy in Technical Subjects (and Math where applicable)
Aligning and referencing general education standards (e.g. Biology), where applicable
Stakeholders reviewed draft standards and provided critical feedback:
78 Tennessee CTE teachers across multiple subjects
Average of 14 years of experience
Representing: East (34%), Middle (41%), and West (25%)
Professional CTE Teacher Associations
Other TDOE divisions
Industry Advisory Councils and Individual Companies
22 Tennessee Postsecondary Faculty and Teacher Prep Faculty
Outline of third step – once we had pathways with knowledge/skills, we crafted the course standards based on a logical progression of those skills year over year.
We reviewed these drafts with external stakeholders.
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

15. Career Cluster: Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
Course Standards Revision Standards Comparison
Career Cluster: Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
New:
Plant and Soil Science
Current:
Plant and Soil Science
5.0 Analyze the chemical elements essential to plant nutrition and the importance and benefits of proper soil fertility. 5.1 Specify and explain terms related to soil chemistry and plant nutrition. 5.7 Measure soil pH and its effects on nutrient availability. 5.8 Assess the nutrient deficiency symptoms in plants.
9. Assess the importance of the sixteen nutrients essential to plant growth and development. Identify nutritional deficiencies and disorders, distinguish among signs of nutrient deficiency in plants, make recommendations for appropriate treatments, and prescribe preventative control measures for major agricultural crops, including corn, soybean, cotton, tobacco, hay, pasture, and forest. (TN CCSS Reading 2, 5; TN CCSS Writing 2, 4, 9; TN Biology II 7)
1st Reading
Approval
Talking Points:
- While some old standards used higher order verbs like “analyze” and “assess,” the lack of expectations and details left teachers unaware of exact expectations. What does a student look at when they are “analyzing chemical elements”?
- New standards give specific technical details, while setting student demonstration standards that align to common core. Verbs are more aligned to student production, such as “distinguish among signs of nutrient deficiency, make recommendations for treatments and prescribe preventative control measures”
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

16. What Does A Pathway Look Like?
SUSTAINABLE
Secondary & Postsecondary Academic Alignment
Industry Engagement
Community Engagement
High School Program of Study (Agriculture Career Cluster)
Technology College (Industry Certification)
Veterinarian
$125,300
Community College (A.A./A.S)
Veterinary Tech $37,000
University/College Advanced Degrees
Vet Assistant / Lab Caretaker
$30,200
RELEVANT
Work-Based Learning (grades 7-14)
Career Awareness (Grades 7-14)
Stackable Credentials (Grades 9+)
Early Postsecondary Opportunities (Grades 9-12)
High School Program of Study (Advanced Manufacturing Career Cluster)
Technology College (Industry Certification)
Mechatronics Engineer
$82,440
Community College (A.A./A.S)
Mechanical Engineering Technician
$50,660
University or College (B.A./B.S)
CNC Operator
$35,580
What you will see in front of you
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

17. LINKING SECONDARY-POSTSECONDARY-INDUSTRY: PATHWAYS TENNESSEE Overview
Introduce Dr. Airhart

18. Pathways to Prosperity Report
Published in February 2011
William Symonds, Robert Schwartz & Ronald Ferguson
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Widely acclaimed nationally and globally
March 2012: Bob Schwartz - featured speaker, Education & Industry Summit, VW
April 2012: Invited to submit Letter of Interest
June 2012: Selected to join Pathways to Prosperity Network (9 states currently); HGSE, JFF conveners
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

19. Pathways Tennessee Overall Goal
To provide Tennessee students in grades 7th-14th/16th access to rigorous academic/career pathways, which are interlinked with local, regional, and state economic/labor market needs and trends in order to develop and promote a workforce that is educated and skilled in their chosen fields.
Statewide Plan
Goal will be achieved through a statewide policy-oriented, initiative-driven, data-supported plan based on identified regional strengths/opportunities and willing local and regional network partners.
Statewide Planning & Implementation Team
Department of Economic & Community Development
State Collaborative on Reforming Education
Department of Education
Tennessee Business Roundtable
Department of Labor & Workforce Development
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
Governor’s Office
Tennessee State Board of Education
Tennessee Independent Colleges and
Universities Association
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

20. Pathways Tennessee IS NOT: IS:
Is not state mandated - no forced participation
Is not sustained on the state level
Is not trying to “reinvent the wheel”
Is not just an education initiative
Is not intended to be additional work
Is a way to think regionally
Is an alignment initiative
Is a shift in culture - education, industry and communities must work together
Is thoughtful planning and data-driven decision making
Is done with the best interests of our students and our communities in mind
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

21. Pathways Must: Have multiple entry and exit points
Transition seamlessly from secondary to postsecondary, allowing for college credit and industry certifications in high school
Encourage/support active industry involvement in student learning
Have regional workforce relevance
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

22. Pathways Must: Have regional workforce relevance
Have multiple entry and exit points
Transition seamlessly from secondary to postsecondary
Allow for college credit and industry certifications in high school
Encourage/ support active industry involvement in student learning
Have regional workforce relevance
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

23. LINKING SECONDARY-POSTSECONDARY-INDUSTRY: PATHWAYS TENNESSEE IN ACTION
Upper Cumberland
Southeast
Southwest

24. Pathways Tennessee Regions
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

25. Pathways Tennessee Regions
Upper Cumberland (Jackson, Overton, Putnam, Warren, White)
Intermediary: Highlands of Tennessee
Advanced Manufacturing
Health Sciences
Grade 7 Module for 2014 cohort
Implementation of Academic/Career Coaches
Southeast (Bradley, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn)
Intermediary: Chattanooga Public Education Foundation
Information Technology
Will have courses in place for 2014 school year
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

26. What Does A Pathway Look Like?
SUSTAINABLE
Secondary & Postsecondary Academic Alignment
Industry Engagement
Community Engagement
High School Program of Study (Agriculture Career Cluster)
Technology College (Industry Certification)
Veterinarian
$125,300
Community College (A.A./A.S)
Veterinary Tech $37,000
University/College Advanced Degrees
Vet Assistant / Lab Caretaker
$30,200
RELEVANT
Work-Based Learning (grades 7-14)
Career Awareness (Grades 7-14)
Stackable Credentials (Grades 9+)
Early Postsecondary Opportunities (Grades 9-12)
High School Program of Study (Advanced Manufacturing Career Cluster)
Technology College (Industry Certification)
Mechatronics Engineer
$82,440
Community College (A.A./A.S)
Mechanical Engineering Technician
$50,660
University or College (B.A./B.S)
CNC Operator
$35,580
What you will see in front of you
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

27. Example of Aligned Partnerships:
Upper Cumberland Regional Partnerships
High School Program of Study (Advanced Manufacturing)
Cookeville HS
Monterey HS
Upperman HS
Jackson County HS
Technology College (Industry Certification)
TTU – College of Engineering
Community College (A.A./A.S)
Nashville State Community College - Cookeville
University or College (B.A./B.S)
TCAT - Livingston
Regional Notes:
13 feeder middle schools participating in Pathways TN
dedicated industry for pathways e.g.
Automated Tool Company
Cummins Filtration
Cookeville Regional Hospital
Highlands Medical Center
High School Program of Study (Health Sciences)
Cookeville HS
Livingston Academy
Monterey HS
Upperman HS
Jackson County HS
White County HS
Technology College (Industry Certification)
TTU – School of Nursing
Community College (A.A./A.S)
Volunteer State Community College- Livingston
University or College (B.A./B.S)
TCAT - Livingston
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE 27

28. Southwest Tennessee Region
Region Identified April 2013
Fact Finding Trip Completed August 2013
Asset Mapping Completed September 2013
Regional Convenings Held October 2013
Regional Intermediary – TBD
Regional Steering Committee – TBD
Pathways - TBD
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

29. REFORMING WORK-BASED LEARNING

30. Work-Based Learning Industry Awareness Career Awareness
Career Exploration
Career Preparation
Career Training
Schooling
Work-based learning builds on past experiences and prepares for a student for postsecondary and career
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

31. Work-Based Learning Examples: Apprenticeship Clinical Experience
Internship
Co-Op
Field trips
Job Shadow
Service-Learning
Project-Based Learning
(In- or out-of-school)
Teacher Externships
Career Fairs
Classroom Speakers
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

32. Work-Based Learning Win-Win Approach:
Start in early grades, plan with your community partners, allow for experiences to build to ensure positive outcomes
Industry Partners gain: strong relationships with their education systems (secondary/postsecondary), inspire future workforce to stay local, improves skilled talent pool
Students gain: Exposure to and experience in diverse settings, development of hard/soft skills to complement classroom learning
Schools gain: classroom learning becomes more relevant and meaningful to the students, curriculum adapts more quickly to industry trends
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

33. Early Postsecondary Opportunities for High School Students

34. Expanding Early Postsecondary Opportunities
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

35. Office of Postsecondary Coordination and Alignment
OPCA established in 2012 by the Department of Education
Designed to expand and promote early postsecondary credit opportunities for all high school students.
Responsible for collecting and disseminating information related to
postsecondary opportunities to students, parents, and educators.
Early Postsecondary Opportunities are those courses and exams that allow high school students to earn college-level credits, which can then be used toward a postsecondary credential and/or degree. In TN, those course and exam opportunities include:
Dual Enrollment (DE)
Dual Credit (DC)
Advanced Placement (AP)
International Baccalaureate (IB)
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
This time a Consortium was appointed to ensure success of dual credit:
UT President, TBR Chancellor, ED THEC, ED SBE, and Commissioner TDOE
OPCA not only responsible for development of dual credit but for facilitating expansion of dual enrollment, AP, IB … all EPSOs
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

36. Expanding Early Postsecondary Opportunities
Statewide Dual Credit Articulated Pilot Courses
Current EPSO-Related Legislation
Public Chapter 967 (2012)
Consortium of Cooperative Innovative Education
Charged with increasing and expanding opportunities for high school students
OPCA
Charged with implementing the vision and recommendations of Consortium SY
College Algebra (Advanced Algebra/Trig)
Intro to Agribusiness
Intro to Ornamental Horticulture
SY (proposed)
Pre-Calculus
Art History
Health Informatics
Intro to Sociology
Intro to Criminal Justice
World History
Public Chapter 351 (2013)
Advanced Placement/Industry Certification
Exam fee waivers
Two-year pilot
Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE

37. Realizing Postsecondary & Career Readiness through CTE
Interlinked Initiatives - Review
Overview of CTE Multi-Phased Course Revision Process
Linking Secondary-Postsecondary-Industry: Pathways Tennessee
Reforming Work-Based Learning
Early Postsecondary Opportunities for High School Students

38. Danielle Mezera
Assist Commissioner, CTE
www. tn.gov/education/cte