1. Rural Schools and Career and Technical Education: How to Use Resources Efficiently to Engage Students, Raise Academic Achievement and Improve Graduation Rates Edward A. Shafer, Director Career and Technical Education Technical Assistance Center of NY www.nyctecenter.org ed@spnet.us 1

2. “Strong academic skills and the ability to apply those skills to solve real-world predictable and unpredictable problems and situations has become a minimum requirement for the vast majority of American jobs.” Dr. Willard Daggett, Ed.D. International Center for Leadership in Education 2

3.  Leading economy in the world  Propelled by:  High Quality K-12 and Post Secondary Education  Innovation  Competitive Character of Capitalism  Thrived by Setting Standards and Pace for the World Economy 3

4.  National and European Fiscal Crisis  Developing embrace of Capitalism and Democratic Institutions across the world  Emerging BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India & China) Economies  Hyper-connected World  Highly Competitive Education Systems  Outsourcing of Blue and White Collar Jobs  Developed economies must depend on High Imagination Manufacturing and Services 4

5. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION  Learning to do  Job specific skills in the skilled trades  Prep for lifetime employment  A non college track  Apart from academics  Credentialed by Diploma  Text and manual based information  Trade and Technical High Schools CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION  Doing to learn  Specific and “soft” job skills  Prep for employment based on skills and projects  College and Career ready  Convergence with academics  Credentialed by Diploma and Certification  Digitally based information  All schools and all students 5

6.  Business  Family and Consumers Sciences  Health Sciences  Technology  Agriculture  Trade and Technical Education The vast majority of CTE is offered in the home school in Business Education, Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences and Technology 6

7.  Career and Technical Education is:  Adapted to meet the dynamic demands of the Global Economy  Career Clusters, Common Career Technical Core and Career Ready Practices  Reflects the modern workplace  Rigorous academic and technical standards  Critical workplace intelligence or “soft” skills-Career Ready Practices 7

8. The blending of academic and CTE content and instructional design and delivery to create a new contextual way of learning  Integrated academics aligned to the NCCSS in CTE  Application of student engagement strategies used in CTE in academic disciplines  Balance across all instruction of informational and literature text at 70% to 30 % in Grades 10-12  Engagement of students in all disciplines in text complexity consistent with that which they will encounter in entry level work, college, the military and life 8

9. 9 Reading Framework for NAEP 2009 Grade Literary Informational 4 50% 8 45% 55% 12 30% 70%

10. 600 800 1000 1400 1600 1200 Text Lexile Measure (L) High School Literature College Literature High School Textbooks College Textbooks Military Personal Use Entry-Level Occupations SAT 1, ACT, AP* * Source of National Test Data: MetaMetrics Interquartile Ranges Shown (25% - 75%)

11. 11 Text Complexity Grade Bands and Associated Lexile Ranges Text Complexity Grade Band in the Standards Old Lexile RangesLexile Ranges Aligned to CCR expectations K-1N/A 2-3450-725450-790 4-5645-845770-980 6-8860-1010955-1155 9-10960-11151080-1305 11-CCR1070-12201215-1355

12.  Engagement Crisis -when students speak of boredom they refer to the lack of engagement in class and lack of connection between what is presented and how it applies to their life or future  The Silent Epidemic -high school dropouts reported that the most frequent reason for leaving school was that classes were not interesting.  46 percent of high-school students were bored in school because the curriculum was not relevant to the real world.  Just 26 percent thought that high school provided skills necessary for work after graduation. 12

13. Source: “The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts” Civic Enterprises, 2006 13

14.  Lack of meaningful exposure to career experiences to begin developing personal career aspirations;  A highly technological environment with lots of immediate distractions and alternative access to information;  Family and neighborhood stresses which make it difficult to learn and envision a positive future; and  Core academic classes that are highly abstracted and devoid of engaging teaching and learning strategies. "we have to build a positive, engaging culture inside of education that trumps the negative culture kids experience in other parts of their lives." 14 Hans Meeder, National Center for College and Career Transitions

15.  The underlying assumption has been that an academic, classroom-based approach is capable of preparing nearly all adolescents and young adults for success in the 21st century  But after 20 years of effort, and billions of dollars the time has come for an honest assessment.  Marginal gains in the bottom line measure of success- college completion. We have still been unable to get more than 30 percent of young adults to earn a bachelor’s degree by their mid-20s. 15 The College Completion Agenda-Pathways to Prosperity

16.  Only 30% of young adults earn a bachelors degree by their mid-20’s  27% of those with post secondary licenses or certificates - credentials short of an associate’s degree – earn more than an average bachelors degree recipient  By 2018 there will be 8 million openings in blue collar fields and 2.7 million will require a post secondary credential. This type of education-as opposed to a BA-is a ticket to a well-paying job and more education 16

17. COLLEGE  Community College  Bachelors Programs  Technical School OTHER POST SECONDARY OPTIONS  Apprenticeships  Corporate Training  Military  Certificate programs 17

18.  23% who enter complete community college in 3 years (2004 Cohort)  Only 61% entered the second semester  34% who enter community college complete in 10 years (1997 Cohort)  58 % who enter a four year college complete bachelors degree programs in 6 years NYSED and the College Board 18

19. MIDDLE SKILL WITH CERTIFICATES  Plumber  Electrician  Construction Manager  Dental Hygienist  Paralegal  Police Officer  Licensed Practical Nurse  others COMPENSATION  Premium over High School diploma  Pay more than many jobs held by BA graduates 19

20. “Career readiness is not synonymous with college readiness. They can be complementary as there is a clear interface between career and college readiness. “The ideal high school curriculum would incorporate the best aspects of both tracks: academic rigor and cutting-edge career preparation…pathways that ‘include both academically rigorous, college-preparatory requirements and challenging professional and technical knowledge grounded in industry standards.” 20

21.  Improved learning: students learned faster and retain concepts better when taught rigorous and relevant academic material in a context of real world application.  Higher academic achievement: CTE students have increased graduation rates, improved exit exam passing rates and higher levels of persistence in post secondary education than students from the general population.  Higher wage earning potential: postsecondary students who participated in high school CTE combined with integrated curriculum and work-based learning achieved higher wages  Lower dropout rates: risk of dropping out was four times higher when students took no CTE courses than when students completed three such courses www.connectedcalifornia.org/linked_learning/evidence National Longitudinal Study 21

22.  Students reported:  they liked working in teams  indicated improvements in both attitude and work habits  Students demonstrated:  better self-direction  higher attendance  improved levels of homework completion  Students at schools with highly integrated rigorous academic and CTE programs have significantly higher student achievement in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies than students at schools with less integrated programs. Gene Bottoms, High Schools that Work, SREB (2008) See also Developing College and Career Ready Students at TAC web site 22

23. Student Outcomes improve when CTE programs use a robust integrated curriculum aligning core academics and Career and Technical Education National Education Longitudinal Study and ConnectEd: California Center for College and Career 23

24.  Transitions  A Career Plan  Pathways to Graduation  Project-Based Learning  Work-Based Learning  Support Services 24

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26. 26 Knowledge Taxonomy 1. Recall Knowledge 2. Comprehension 3. Application 4. Analysis 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation

27. Acquisition of knowledge Application Action Continuum Relevance of learning to life and work

28. 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 Action/Application Thinking /Knowledge 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 Rigor/Relevance Framework Relevance Rigor

29. 29 1 RIGORRIGOR RELEVANCE AB D C Rigor/Relevance Framework Rigor/Relevance Framework Routine Memorization Four Quadrants of Learning Complex Analytical Challenging Real World Practical Hands On High Low Acquisition A Application B Adaptation D Assimilation C

30. RIGORRIGORRIGORRIGOR RELEVANCE A B D C Rigor/Relevance Framework High HighLow Low TeacherWork StudentThink Student Think & Work StudentWork

31.  21 st Century Graduation Outcomes  Academic ability to succeed and persist in post secondary education (corporate training, apprenticeships, certificate programs, associate degree, bachelor degree, etc.) opportunities without remediation  Earning power in the form of an industry approved entry level certificate  Demonstration of Career Ready Practices as assessed by an employability profile  Career Path Plan  Earned college advanced standing and /or dual credit 31

32.  Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee  Apply appropriate academic and technical skills  Attend to personal health and financial well-being  Communicate clearly and effectively and with reason  Consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of decisions  Demonstrate creativity and innovation.  Employ valid and reliable research strategies  Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them  Model integrity, ethical leadership and effective management  Plan education and career paths aligned to personal goals  Use technology to enhance productivity  Work productively in teams while using cultural global competence 32

33.  A coherent sequential program of study  Curriculum aligned to CCSS and technical learning standards  Post secondary articulations with a direct benefit to the student  State‐certified faculty with academic and/or technical certification  Technical assessment that meets industry standards  Work‐based learning opportunities for all students  A data infrastructure 33

34.  Self Study and External Review  Approvals are for five years, currently 1000 programs, with some programs entering their third approval  Certified by local officials approved by the State Education Department  Result in students receiving distributed academic credit and a technical endorsement on their diploma 34

35. Preliminary documents and agenda Two day onsite interviews with leadership, faculty, students, self study and external reviewers and other business and post secondary partners Data collection: documents, classroom observations and student performance Debrief for leadership and staff and clarification Development and submission of a written report to program leadership To date: 20 program reviews at local schools, BOCES and Big 5 35

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37.  Broad support from board of education, superintendent, secondary principal, employers and non profits.  Faculty is aligned CTE/academics/special education  Work based learning at Seed and Feed, Peace Plantation, and National Resources Conservation Services  All students have Supervised Agricultural Experience  Student ownership of program, grant writing and analysis of options for equipment purchases  Student Profile: 67% IEP, 63% FR Lunch  Results 100% graduation of concentrators, 93% attendance 37

38. With thanks to Jessica Williams FACS teacher 38

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40.  Designed with academic/technology teachers Career Academies that clustered students with similar interests into groups:  Engineering & Technology  Human Performance & Nutritional Science  Applied Design  Social Science  Medicine 40

41.  What do people with an interest in this area (for example, film making) do?  What kind of products do they create and/or what services do they provide?  What knowledge, materials, and other resources do they provide?  What methods do they use to carry out their work?  How, and with whom, do they communicate the results of their work?  In what ways can we use the product or service to affect the intended audience? 41

42.  Student or Groups of Students following two smaller projects develop a big project that:  provide opportunities for applying interests, knowledge, creative ideas and task commitment to a self-selected problem or area of study,  acquire advanced level understanding of the knowledge (content) and methodology (process) that are used within particular disciplines, artistic areas of expression and interdisciplinary studies,  develop authentic products that are primarily directed toward bringing about a desired impact upon a specified audience,  develop self-directed learning skills in the areas of planning, organization, resource utilization, time management, decision making, and self-evaluation,  develop task commitment, self-confidence, and feelings of creative accomplishment. 42

43. LUNCH AND LEARNS  7 th grade 5 th and 6 th periods:  Cornell’s Biofuels Department  Binghamton University’s Art Gallery  A professional Architect  A cardiac nurse  The Binghamton Zoo  SUNY at Cortland – Sports Management  Cornell University’s Fabrics & Textile Program  Binghamton University – Engineering Research  BAE – Engine Controls AFTER SCHOOL  Lectures in students area of interest.  High School teachers visit and share special interests and areas of expertise  Community Members – PTS President “hires” culinary arts students to manage sale of baked goods.  Students organizing “documentary night” in their area of expertise.  Students have planned after school clubs for students with particular interest in their 43

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45.  Teacher is Certified Aviation and Flight Instructor  Distributed Credit for ELA, Math and Science  Consulting/Direct Instruction Model with Academic Integration Specialist  Challenging text, reading material & opportunity to fly  FAA Examination (pass written to enter second year)  20 % of students with IEPs  Regents English 11 option with 85% pass rate  TABE score increases in grade levels, 2.7 reading, 2.2 math 45

46.  Strong and highly engaged facilitator or teacher who demonstrates a rigorous and relevant approach in instruction  High level program support from administration, faculty, guidance and others across the school who value the integrated approach.  Clear student expectations, data driven decision making and measurement to support student achievement and improve outcomes  Active understanding of program goals and outcomes by school faculty, guidance, parents and business and post secondary partners  Curriculum is aligned to CCSS and CDOS standards. 46

47.  Integrated curriculum and instruction with a focus on literacy throughout the program  Passing rate is higher when all students are expected to challenge the technical assessment  Teachers with trade and technical credentials out perform their non credentialed peers in students passing the technical assessments  High levels of learner engagement is apparent and measurable in the classroom  Highly structured and well supported work based learning experience 47

48.  Inconsistent data on post graduation outcomes  % of students who benefit from articulation agreements  % of work-based learning internships/apprenticeships  Student engagement and impact on learning/achievement  Commitment from both CTE and academic teachers toward rigorous and relevant integrated curriculum development  Measuring advisory council engagement and impact on CTE program  Value and use of an employability profile 48

49.  Higher attendance rates  Reduced remediation, summer school and course repeats  The two for one credit opportunity in integrated and specialized courses  Time savings by overlapping academic and career content  Student based school resources re: technology infrastructure  Partnerships with local business and non profits 49

50.  What are the challenges the district confronts to transform existing CTE courses to an approved program model?  What are the leadership and staff doing to foster student engagement and passion in their learning?  Where should the district focus its attention to strengthen the rigor, relevance, and measurement of student success?  How are the board, leadership and faculty building relationships between CTE staff their academic peers and business and post- secondary partners to drive Career and College readiness for our students? 50

53. KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE A P P L I C A T I O N A B D C Rigor/Relevance Framework Activities Projects Problems

54.  Students will be studying the election through the eyes of their own specialty. (Mental health care policies for future psychologists, Education reform for future educators, green energy for engineers and so on…)  Groups of students will be expected to endorse one candidate over another based on proposed policies related to his/her career interest. 54

55.  Students will be studying statistics through the lens of their own specialty.  For example, XX% of students from poverty graduate from high school (for future teachers) or XX% of the United States energy is gathered from solar energy (for future engineers) or XX% of the children living in the United States do not have access to adequate nutrition (for future culinary artists or nutritionists). 55

56.  Students will be writing their first major research paper on a topic related to their career discipline:  For example, a future psychologist might write a paper on trauma in childhood and a future architect might write a paper on the design of the Empire State Building. 56