Making Career Readiness Count Tuesday, May 27 th 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET

Reviewed state report cards and accountability formulas Identified career-focused indicators and how they were being publicly reported or used within states’ accountability systems Identified major trends across states Updated existing framework for college and career readiness indicators to be address full range of college AND career readiness (academic, technical, employability skills) Background/Context

Framework 3Source: Toward College and Career Readiness Meeting College and Career Readiness Exceeding College and Career Readiness Course completion/ success  Timely credit accumulation along a college- and career-ready course of study  Students in a graduating cohort who complete a college- and career-ready course of study  Graduates who have completed AP, IB and/or dual enrollment courses and earned college credit Achieve- ment  Students with “on track to college and career readiness” performance on aligned assessments in middle and early high school  Students in a graduating cohort with a college- and career- ready level of performance on a high- quality assessment aligned to college- and career-ready standards  Graduates with a college-level performance on an AP and/or IB exam Attainment  9 th grade students with “on track” to graduation status based on attendance and grades in core courses  High school graduation  Students in a graduating cohort who earn a college- and career-ready diploma  Graduates who enroll in postsecondary education with no need for remediation  Graduates who successfully complete at least one year of postsecondary education or a workforce/military training program

Framework 4Source: Toward College and Career ReadinessMeeting College and Career Readiness Exceeding College and Career Readiness Course completion/ success  Timely credit accumulation along a college- and career-ready course of study AND  Participation in career technical education (CTE) course(s) aligned to college- and career-ready or rigorous standards in other subjects  Students in a graduating cohort who complete a college- and career-ready course of study AND  Successful completion of secondary CTE pathway (“concentrating”)  Graduates who have completed AP, IB and/or dual enrollment courses and earned college credit AND  Completion of program of study aligned to workforce needs Achieve- ment  Students with “on track to college and career readiness” performance on aligned assessments in middle and early high school  Students in a graduating cohort with a college- and career-ready level of performance on a high-quality assessment aligned to college- and career-ready standards AND  Meeting standards on technical skills assessment for students who complete a CTE pathway  Graduates with a college-level performance on an AP and/or IB exam Attainment  9 th grade students with “on track” to graduation status based on attendance and grades in core courses  High school graduation  Students in a graduating cohort who earn a college- and career-ready diploma AND  Earn industry-recognized credential/certificate  Complete a pre-apprenticeship program  Earn an employability or work readiness certificate  Graduates who enroll in postsecondary education with no need for remediation  Graduates who successfully complete at least one year of postsecondary education or a workforce/military training program AND  Earn academic or technical endorsement on college- and career-ready diploma  Earn stacked industry credential Experiential learning  Participation in a career technical student organization (CTSO) that is aligned to and reinforces the academic and technical content in a CTE pathway  Participation in work-based learning (WBL)  Participation in college/career planning activities  Participation in CTSO competition  Successful completion of WBL  Completion of portfolio/capstone project  Earn a medal in CTSO competition  Earn postsecondary credit through internships, WBL

Major Trends 5Source: Breadth Over Depth: More than Half of States Use Career-Focused Readiness Indicators Meta-Indicators: Many States Are Emphasizing College or Career Accountability Indicators Early Models: Some States Begin To Pave the Way for Systems Valuing College and Career Readiness

Trend 1: Breadth Over Depth More than Half of States Use Career-Focused Readiness Indicators 6

7Source:  CTE participation  CTE completion (pathway completion/concentrators)  CTE diploma/endorsement  Graduation rate/attainment of advanced diploma by CTE concentrators  Industry credentials  Skills assessment  Academic career ready assessment  Employability assessment  Dual enrollment participation  Dual enrollment credits earned  Work-based learning  CTSO participation  Postsecondary enrollment rates  Placement rate for CTE completers  CTE course grades Reported by five or more states

Trend 2: Meta-Indicators Many States Are Emphasizing College or Career Accountability Indicators 8 Majority of states do NOT have stand-alone career-ready indicator in their accountability formulas More common is to have “meta-indicator” EXAMPLE: Alabama defines a student as college or career ready if the student earns at least one of the following: Benchmark scores on the reading and math sections of ACT; Qualifying scores on an AP or IB exam; Approved transcripted college or postsecondary credit while in high school; Benchmark level on the ACT WorkKeys; or An approved industry credential.

Use multiple measures of college and career readiness. Engage state CTE/college and career readiness leaders as well as workforce and economic development leaders. Find the appropriate balance of uses across public reporting and accountability. Use publicly reported information to inform decisions. Recommendations 9

Trend 3: Early Models Some States Begin To Pave the Way for Systems Valuing College and Career Readiness 10 Dennis Cooper, Assistant Commissioner & Dennis Harden, Career Education Coordinator, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Deborah Jonas, Special Advisor for Research and Planning, Virginia Department of Education.

BUILDING A COLLEGE AND CAREER- READY ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM: MSIP 5 Dennis Cooper, Assistant Commissioner Dennis Harden, Career Education Coordinator Missouri Department Of Elementary And Secondary Education Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education May 2014

MSIP Performance Standard 3: Indicators 1-3 College and Career Readiness (K-12 Districts) — The district provides adequate post-secondary preparation for all students. 1. The percent of graduates who scored at or above the state standard on any department-approved measure(s) of college and career readiness, for example, the ACT®, SAT®, COMPASS® or Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), meets or exceeds the state standard or demonstrates required improvement. 2. The district’s average composite score(s) on any department-approved measure(s) of college and career readiness, for example, the ACT®, SAT®, COMPASS®, or ASVAB, meet(s) or exceed(s) the state standard or demonstrate(s) required improvement. 3. The percent of graduates who participated in any department-approved measure(s) of college and career readiness, for example, the ACT®, SAT®, COMPASS®, or ASVAB, meets or exceeds the state standard or demonstrates required improvement.

MSIP Performance Standard 3: Indicator 4 College and Career Readiness (K-12 Districts) — The district provides adequate post-secondary preparation for all students. 4. The percent of graduates who earned a qualifying score on an Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Project Lead the Way assessments, earned an Industry Recognized Credential (IRC), and/or received college credit through early college, dual enrollment, or approved dual credit courses meets or exceeds the state standard or demonstrates required improvement

MSIP Performance Standard 3: Indicators 5-6 College and Career Readiness (K-12 Districts) — The district provides adequate post-secondary preparation for all students. 5. The percent of graduates who attend post-secondary education/training or are in the military within six (6) months of graduating meets the state standard or demonstrates required improvement. 6. The percent of graduates who complete career education programs approved by the department and are placed in occupations directly related to their training, continue their education, or are in the military within six (6) months of graduating meets the state standard or demonstrates required improvement.

Updates Addition of WorkKeys © in Change from TSAs to IRCs in Indicator 4 For additional information related to the MSIP IRC approved list and process for seeking approval, see education/technical-skills-attainment education/technical-skills-attainment

Challenges Variation in rigor of IRCs Assumption in districts that all CTE students can/should obtain an IRC Recent legislation Remove “related” from placement requirement Change in graduation policy allowing a CTE course to substitute for an academic course in English language arts, mathematics, social studies, or science

Career and technical education credentials in Virginia DEBORAH JONAS, PH.D. MAY 27,

Brief history of Virginia’s career credential initiative In 2003/04 the Virginia Board of Education issued guidance for using Board- approved industry credentialing exams to substitute for certain tests that are required for students to earn Virginia’s Standard diploma * only ◦Board-approved credentialing tests may substitute for the student-selected test, and, either a science or history test when the credential confers more than one credit. In 2006/07, Virginia funded a pilot to encourage the use of industry credentialing tests as a substitute for state-required graduation tests In 2011, the Virginia General Assembly required that students who earn the Standard diploma pass a Board-approved credentialing test, beginning with first-time freshman in 2013/ *Virginia also has an Advanced Studies diploma that includes coursework consistent with minimum college-entry requirements.

Board criteria for using credentialing exams to substitute for other state-required exams for graduation The test must be standardized and graded independently of the school or school division in which the test is given. The test must be knowledge-based. The test must be administered on a multi-state or international basis, or administered as part of another state’s accountability assessment program. To be counted in a specific academic area, the test must measure content that incorporates or exceeds the Virginia Standards of Learning content in the course for which verified credit is awarded. 19

Multiple approaches to accountability School report cards Federal Annual Performance Reports (Perkins), including annual reports to the Virginia Board of Education Legislation 20

Public reporting—school report cards Virginia’s report cards include information about credentials students earn each year. Number of credentials students earn each year. ◦State licensures ◦Industry certification ◦Workplace Readiness ◦NOCTI (skills) assessments Number of students who earned credentials each year. 21

CTE Annual Performance Reports (Perkins)-- Beyond the core indicators Virginia encourages local leaders to strengthen all programs and prepare CTE students for careers and college or other types of postsecondary training. Research shows that Virginia’s Advanced Studies diploma is a good predictor of college readiness. Established an informational indicator of career and college readiness that is included in state and local Annual Performance Reports. ◦Students who earn a career credential and complete a college preparatory course of study (Virginia’s Advanced Studies diploma) Annual reports to the Board enhance visibility and ensure alignment with broader state goals. 22

Recent Legislation 2012 legislation strengthened Virginia’s Standard diploma and established it as a career-ready diploma. ◦Required all Standard-diploma earners who begin ninth grade in 2013/14 or later to earn a board-approved career and technical education industry certification. Significant enablers included: ◦Availability and accessibility of the Virginia Workforce Readiness Skills Assessment. ◦Partnership with private sector partners offering low-cost assessments for some credentials. ◦State-provided funding for industry credentialing programs and assessments. High schools are encouraged to transition to the new requirement earlier than required. 23

24 *Prior to 2010/11, workplace readiness skills assessments were included in the Industry Certification category, but now are reported separately

Resources Virginia Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education, Virginia’s CTE Annual Performance Reports, scroll to the bottom of page, legislation requiring students to earn board-approved career and technical education credentials as part of Virginia’s Standard diploma, Code of Virginia language permitting students who complete career and technical education programs, and who pass industry certification or state licensure exams, to use satisfactory exam scores as substitute for certain state assessments required for graduation, C C4 Research and data from the Virginia College and Career Readiness Initiative ◦ ◦ Virginia’s public school report cards, Virginia's list of approved substitute tests for industry credentialing, Virginia Governor's Stem Academies, and Governor's Health Science Academies, 25

Contact Information Lolita Hall, Director Office of Career and Technical Education Virginia Department of Education

Kate Blosveren Kreamer, Associate Executive Director, NASDCTEc or Cory Curl Senior Fellow, Assessment and Accountability, Achieve or Marie O’Hara Associate Director, Achieve or Questions? 27