Education Reform and Implications for CTE

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Education Reform and Implications for CTE

• Janet B. Bray
• Executive Director
• Association for Career and Technical Education

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• Why
• Education Reform?

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National Challenges

• America has evolved from an industrial economy to
  a knowledge economy, and workers must be prepared
  to apply increasing knowledge and skills that can
  be quickly upgraded and adapted to meet the
  rapidly changing conditions of the 21st century.
• At the same time as the demand for highly skilled
  workers is increasing, disturbing trends are
  emerging in educational outcomes
• high dropout rates
• insufficient communications, math and science
  skills
• high postsecondary remediation rates and
• large achievement gaps. 

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Global Competition

• The 25 of the population in China with the
  highest IQs is greater than the total population
  of North America
• In India, its the top 28
• In 2002, 59 of all degrees awarded in China were
  in engineering and physical science
• In the United States it was 32
• China has more honors kids than we have kids

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Emerging Labor Market

• The top 10 in-demand jobs predicted for 2010
  didnt exist in 2004
• 80 of the fastest-growing jobs will require an
  education beyond high school
• 49 of 50 highest paying occupations require a
  college degree or higher
• Over the past 10 years, jobs requiring science
  and engineering skills increased 51

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U.S. Demographics

• Over 24 million people are expected to leave the
  labor force by 2010 95 million by 2025.
• By 2008, it is expected that 10 million more jobs
  will be available than workers to fill them
• Only 40 million Gen Xers and Yers will be
  available to replace them
• The replacement workers lack the skills and
  competencies of the retirees.

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U.S. Education Challenge

• The U.S. high school graduation rate is 17th
  internationally with a 73 graduation rate
• One third of all high school students dont
  graduate on time
• The U.S. college graduation rate is 14th
  internationally with a 66 graduation rate
• Among people 18-24, the U.S. ranks 5th
  internationally in college enrollment with 35 of
  people attending college

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U.S. Education Challenge

• In urban school districts 50-60 of students drop
  out of high school
• Up to 55 of college freshmen must enroll in
  remedial courses in reading, writing and
  mathematics
• One in four freshman at 4 year colleges fail to
  return to school for a sophomore year
• One in two freshman in community colleges fail to
  return

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U.S. Education Challenge

• 93 US teens 12-17 used Internet in 2006
• 64 created content on Internet up from 57 in
  2004
• Social networking Sites
• Students Disengaged

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Student Engagement

• Nearly half (47) of students surveyed said a
  major reason for dropping out was that their
  classes were not interesting.
• Two-thirds of students surveyed would have worked
  harder if more was demanded of them (e.g. higher
  academic standards and more studying and
  homework).
• Only 56 said they could go to a staff person for
  school problems and just two-fifths (41) had
  someone in school to talk to about personal
  problems. (from the Silent Epidemic)

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The Role of CTE

• Career and technical education must play a key
  role in high school reinvention.
• Students need to be taught in a way that
• is rigorous,
• is relevant to their areas of personal interest
  and career aspirations, and
• that creates a supportive environment of
  relationships.
• All coursework, with clearly articulated
  standards and expectations, can help build within
  students the mix of skills, aptitudes and
  attitudes they will need for success after high
  school.

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CTE Addressing Needs

• CTE concentrators participated in more rigorous
  academic coursework and are taking more and
  higher level math and science.
• A year of technically oriented coursework at a
  community college increased the earnings of men
  by 14 and women by 29.

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CTE Addressing Needs

• A ratio of 1 CTE class for every 2 academic
  classes was shown to minimize the risk of
  students dropping out.
• CTE concentrators were more likely than their
  general peers to obtain a degree or certificate
  within 2 years.

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CTE Caucus

• Formed in House in April 2007 by
• Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA)
• Rep. Phil English (R-PA)
• Its mission is to enhance awareness in Congress
  of the importance of CTE in preparing a
  well-educated and skilled workforce in America.

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Recommendations for Change

• ACTE is advocating for clearly focusing American
  high schools on the goal of preparing EVERY
  student for full participation in a spectrum of
  college opportunities, meaningful work, career
  advancement, and active citizenship.

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110th CongressNCLB Action

• Intent to approve House and Senate bills voiced
  by Chairmen Miller and Kennedy early last year
• House hearing last year - ACTE testified
• Draft bipartisan language released by House
  Education Labor Committee in summer
• Some bipartisan draft language released by Senate
  HELP Committee in summer
• Progress has stalled

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Issues addressed in DRAFTNCLB legislation

• Additional linkages to CTE
• ELL special education
• Changes to AYP (growth models, multiple
  assessments)
• Differentiated responses
• Focus on middle/high schools
• Teacher quality professional development
• Data systems
• Full funding

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NCLB reauthorization

• High School Reform
• CTE must be part of conversation
• Use Perkins IV data to show progress
• Dropout prevention transition key issues
• STEM initiatives
• Some NCLB focus, some outside focus
• Engineering and technology often get left out in
  favor of math and science

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ACTE NCLB Recommendations

• Integrate academic and technical education to
  better engage and prepare students for their
  futures
• Support comprehensive guidance and career
  development strategies to assist students in
  determining clear pathways to postsecondary and
  workforce goals

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ACTE NCLB Recommendations

• Increase the focus on secondary school completion
  through comprehensive dropout prevention and
  reentry strategies
• Ensure that highly effective educators are
  supported, and available across the curriculum in
  all schools

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ACTE NCLB Recommendations

• Improve Adequate Yearly Progress and
  accountability provisions to more accurately
  reflect student learning progress
• Provide support and incentives for innovation,
  replication and improvement

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FY 09 Perkins Funding Status
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Perkins Reauthorization Themes

• Accountability and program improvement
• Secondary-postsecondary connections
• Links to rigorous academics
• Stronger focus on business and industry

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Key Perkins Issues

• Measurement of technical skill attainment
• Development of programs of study
• New Tech Prep provisions
• Ensuring data quality
• NCLB performance indicators

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CTE Improvements

• Improved integration of academic and CTE
  instruction
• Focus on high skill, high wage, high demand
  occupations
• Increased emphasis on achievement of a degree,
  certificate or credential
• Change does not mean the past was wrong..
• The world is different today and will be
  different tomorrow!

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CTE Image

• How is CTE perceived in your state and
  community?
• Are the perceptions accurate?

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CTE Image Challenges

• Limited understanding of CTE
• Not for my child or Ivy League syndrome
• STEM Disconnect
• Unaware of new breadth
• Teacher quality issue
• Unaware of postsecondary links

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Addressing the Image Challenge

• Build an awareness of CTE linked to the current
  policy debate
• Provide research and data to support the claim
• Stress CTE as added value
• 21st Century/Soft Skills
• Student Engagement
• Career Path

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Take Away Messages

• We must broaden our message and outreach
• We must look beyond Perkins
• Advocacy and activism are more important than
  ever

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CTE Addressing Needs

• Every individual will be part of the workforce at
  some time in their life. CTE prepares them for
  this time!
• Without CTE, the infrastructure of the US economy
  will fall apart!

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ISSUES and CHALLENGES

• STEM Agenda
• Career Clusters Initiative
• Accountability Requirements
• -Evaluating effectiveness of CTE
• -Dropout prevention/recovery
• -21st Century Skills Assessment
• -Aligning with NCLB accountability
• -Differentiating CTE students in the workplace
• -Following students beyond high school

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In Conclusion

• It will be a tragic miscalculation to pit
  academic course taking against access to rigorous
  career-oriented and interest-based programs.
  Students need to be taught in a way that is
  rigorous, relevant to their areas of personal
  interest and career aspirations, and that creates
  a supportive environment of relationships.
• None of the proposed redesign functions will work
  unless there is a sense of shared accountability
  at the school level for raising the performance
  of every student.
• Creating a positive high school environment that
  emphasizes rigor, relevance, and relationships
  requires a talented and committed leadership team!

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ACTE Resources

• Issue Briefs
• Position Papers
• Legislative Action Center
• Research Clearinghouse
• Promising Programs and Practices
• State Profiles

• CTE Effectiveness Fact Sheet
• Advocacy Toolkit
• Career Tech Update

Please give to the CTE Support Fund!
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Contact Us

• Association for Career and Technical Education
• 1410 King Street
• Alexandria, VA 22314
• [phone] or
• [phone]
• Web www.acteonline.org
• jbray_at_acteonline.org