Jim Schoelkopf Reflect, Transform, Lead: A New Vision for Career Technical Education

1. Setting the Stage, Lynn Wilson-Dean & Kendra Cawley, PCC 2. Current Context for CTE, Jim Schoelkopf, MPR Associates 3. Process Discussion—local condition of the forces at work impacting CTE within the region 4. Process Discussion & Action Decisions—role and function of your “renewed” regional partnership Retreat Agenda

A New Vision for Career Technical Education The five principles that follow collectively form a new vision for CTE. The principles are interdependent and should not be considered in isolation.

4 CTE is critical to ensuring that the United States leads in global competitiveness. To accomplish this, we will: Develop a national common core of technical standards Benchmarked internationally Supported by leaders from business, labor, education and government Initiate federal policy Secures CTE’s leadership role in leading alignment among education, economic development, workforce development Increases U.S. investment in CTE Launch a marketing and communications campaign Showcase CTE’s critical role in transforming education delivery Underscore the positive economic impact

5 CTE actively partners with employers to design and provide high-quality, dynamic programs. To accomplish this, we will: Partner with business and industry organizations to Develop and implement rigorous, internationally benchmarked CTE programs of study Ensure credentials are valued by the labor market and are, at a minimum, nationally portable Close skill gaps by providing learners of all ages with access to education and training necessary to be highly competitive in the labor market Including ongoing skill development of the existing workforce

6 CTE prepares students to succeed in further education and careers. To accomplish this, we will: Support policies that require all students to have a personalized learning plan Promote the acquisition of college- and career-ready standards aligned to The National Career Clusters Essential Knowledge and Skills Statements Aspire to have CTE be performance-based, student-centered programs that are delivered without regard to time or place Support the development of valid, reliable and rigorous national technical assessments Aligned to national common core of tech standards

7 CTE is delivered through comprehensive programs of study aligned to The National Career Clusters framework. To accomplish this, we will: Convene and lead education, employers, labor and government to help states with the design and implementation of programs of study Support incentives for employers to provide work-based experiences and professional development opportunities for teachers and faculty Encourage dual academic and technical certification of all teachers and faculty Support federal legislation that encourages POS as the delivery model for education

8 CTE is a results-driven system that demonstrates a positive return on investment. To accomplish this, we will: Use data to identify high quality, scalable CTE practices, target efforts and funds to those found effective, and eliminate those that art ineffective. Encourage longitudinal data systems to incorporate the data components necessary to support CTE accountability measures. Promote alignment of data requirements and accountability measures among education and workforce programs. Develop a return on investment model to demonstrate CTE’s positive fiscal, societal, and economic impact.

College and Career Readiness: A Role for Career and Technical Education Often, the terms “career ready” and “college ready” are used interchangeably. Discussions around career readiness seems to be limited to traditional academic skills needed for successful enrollment in postsecondary education, often meaning university.

10 What is “Career Ready”? Career readiness involves three major skill areas: Core academic skills and the ability to apply those skills to concrete situations in order to function in the workplace; Employability skills such as critical thinking and responsibility that are essential in any career area; and Technical skills related to a specific career area or program of study.

Group Discussion—local condition of the forces at work impacting CTE within the region Outcome: Determine the level of support for a shared alliance approach vs. an independent local approach to address the forces at work and mitigate any negative impact to CTE.

12 Forces at Work Budgetary constraints; pressure to use Perkins to sustain base-level operations “New” program design Standards-based vs. course-based curriculum; Program of study/career pathway structure; Emphasizing rigorous, linked learning with challenging academic and CTE content. College and career readiness; personalized student planning Accountability and return on investment; measuring what matters beyond Perkins

Group Discussion—role and function of your “renewed” regional partnership Outcome: Identify tangible actions that may refine, or redefine, the program of work for the regional alliance.

14 Can a regional alliance make a difference? What should be the priorities for a regional, secondary-postsecondary, CTE alliance? Are there regional actions that can have a positive impact on local CTE programs? How can the alliance leverage the region’s $2.86M Perkins allocation for CTE improvement? How would members of the alliance know their collective efforts have been successful?