Embedded Credit
David W. Dillard
David Ruhman
Arcadia Valley CTC
The Arcadia Valley Career Technology
Center is proposing to offer “embedded”
academic credit for those students who
complete:
a six-hour vocational program and
additional academic specific criteria.
complete a six-hour vocational
program would receive the credit.
One hour of elective mathematics
credit, Technical Mathematics, if
students can pass a competency
test sometime within their two years
in the vocational school. The
mathematics credit could meet the
required math credits if the students
failed in their earlier classes –
depending on the sending school.
One hour of elective English credit
for Technical Writing if they meet
the minimum requirements for all
established components of a
portfolio. Each exhibit will be
assessed by a scoring guide/rubric
with minimum levels established.
In Missouri a School Board can
award credit based on a curriculum
We can: DESE is not involved if it
does not go through Core Data
We did receive some funding from
Missouri DESE (Perkins, local PD
and state HSTW funds were also
used)
We needed it for the following
reasons:
Perkins III: This program has
accountability requirements that are
based on student achievement in
mathematics and language arts along
with placement requirements. The
Congressional debate over future
Perkins funding is centering on the idea
that CTE classes do not assist in raising
overall academic achievement scores.
Part of our Perkins Accountability Plan
The majority of the sending school
students attending the AVCTC lose
two credits due to travel. This
program would allow them to earn
as many credits as other students in
their schools. We have had several
students graduate because they
could earn the extra credit.
The granting of embedded credit will
help all districts meet the MSIP
requirement for dropouts by allowing
some students to earn additional credits
and remain on track to graduate with
their class. This may be even more
important as accountability moves from
dropouts to graduation rates.
CTE graduates must have the skills needed by
industry.
Advisory Committees have continuously
pointed out the lack of math and reading skills
of our graduates.
CTE graduates must learn how to learn to
keep pace with future change.
Embedded credit is tied to employability skills.
All Aspects of the Industry.
CTE students see the connection between
academic skills and their career field.
HSTW: There are several areas of the HSTW
reform model that the granting of “embedded”
credit will allow the district to meet. Academic and
vocational integration is critical for both the high
school and the vocational school. The extra work
to earn the “embedded” credit will add rigor to
our vocational programs and there will be
homework for most of the vocational students.
The National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics states, “All students should
study mathematics in each of the four years
they are enrolled in high school.” “Because
student’s interests and aspirations may
change during and after high school, their
mathematics education should guarantee
access to a broad spectrum of career and
educational options. They should experience
the interplay of algebra, geometry, statistics,
probability, and discrete mathematics.”
Students who can earn additional
credits can stay in the CTE programs
Students who can earn additional
credits can attend CTE classes and
still graduate
Our enrollment has already reached
capacity
Higher graduation requirements for
core areas
Highs That Work requirements
NCLB and ALL students achieving
Perkins accountability
All CTE programs are currently
articulated with two community
colleges for 18 to 36 college credits
68% of AVCTC graduates who attend
post-secondary school have to take
remedial math, reading and/or writing
classes
Embedded credit will lead to better
preparation to the Compas Test
The number of graduates who need
remedial classes is declining at AVCTC
President Bush has called for raising
graduation requirements
Missouri has raised graduation
requirements
HSTW recommends raising graduation
requirements
4 language arts
3 math
3 science
3 social studies
The Process At Arcadia Valley CTC
Began in 1999-2000
 Integration by CTE class and local math teachers
 Developed integrated lesson plans
Summer of 2003

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

Attended HSTW Summer Conference in Nashville
Developed idea and began research
Collaborated with sending schools
Wrote first draft of the manual
January 2004
 Field tested math tests
August 2004
 Full implementation of math
 Field testing of language arts
Keys to the Process: Collaboration
Developed by-in by CTE staff
Invited area math and language arts teachers to the
AVCTC to see what we did and look at curriculum
Meetings to discuss curriculums
Principals and counselors support
School Board(s) support
Outside agencies:




DESE: credit, funding
Mineral Area College
RTEC
Mineral Area Tech Prep
Mathematics Teachers
Visited CTE programs: looked at how
their subject was related
Developed list of math topics for credit &
handouts to define topics
Assisted with cross-reference of topics
to Show-Me Standards, MO Grade-Level
Expectations, & NCTM Standards
Wrote test questions (16 questions for
each sub-section)
Talked with CTE to find common ground
(this was a key)
Provided in-service on math topics
Mathematics Teachers
Language Arts Teachers
Visited CTE programs
Developed list of topics for student
portfolios
Created scoring rubrics
Conducting in-services for CTE staff
on reading & writing in the
classroom
Senior Project
CTE Instructors
Attended in-services on math, lreading
and writing in the classroom and
curriculum development
Cross-referenced vocational
competencies with math topics
Incorporated math and language arts in
their classes
Developed vocabulary lists
Aligned CTE Competencies & Math Topics
Vocabulary Lists
Vocabulary
In-services and Lessons
Weekly lessons for teachers and then
students
Complete tests and begin testing
Purchased supplemental math & technical
writing textbooks
Started development of math lesson plans and
videos (CD-ROM) for each math topic
CTE staff determine formulas they use and
develop study guides
Testing of students
Student feedback
Math instruction
Career activities
Writing assignments
Project management
Topics chosen by sending school math
teachers based on observation and CTE
written curriculums
Written Test with questions developed by
the sending school math teachers
29 topics chosen for testing
Students had to pass 25 of the 29 topics to
earn credit
Each topic had three question on the test:
students had to answer two of the three
question correctly to pass the topic
Students could retest as often as they had
time: only the sections they failed
Additional help
Textbooks were purchased and aligned to
the various topics; students could check
them out
Study guides were developed for each topic
Test help sessions were provided
Classroom instruction provided on weekly
topics
CTE instructors “emphasized” the
embedded topics as they appeared in their
curriculums
We conducted a web-based survey in late
January and the response was over whelming
Seniors
Juniors
Number
79
81
Want math 66
75
%
81.5%
92.6%
Want LA
NA
71
%
NA
87.7%

Year One Results
 100
students took the math test at least
once
 41 passed the test
 45 Students took the test more than
once
 49 of the students taking the test were
juniors (27 passed)
 One student passed who need the credit
for graduation (elective credit)
Year One Results
State model being shared with other CTEs and
comprehensive high schools
Presented to:
MOACTE/NASSP meeting
Regional Tech Prep meetings
Vocational Director’s Leadership Meeting
Posted Embedded Credit curriculum on
district webpage
Shared with various districts through visits
and email
Year Two Results
Class
Total
Stud.
Taking
Test
Students
Passing
Test
NonPassers of
Test
1st Time
Passers
1st Time
Passers
Sections
1st Time
Passers
Grades
Students
Taking
Test
Once and
Not
Passing
Avg.
Increase
in % of
Sections
Passed
Students
Making
Improvemen
t in % of
Sections
Passed
146
85/58.2%
61/41.8%
31
26.74
87.5%
45
27%
70
First-Time Takers Who Passed Test: 21.2%
Year Two Results
State model being shared with other CTEs and
comprehensive high schools
Presented to:
MOACTE/NASSP meeting
Regional Tech Prep meetings
Vocational Director’s Leadership Meeting
SREB’s HSTW Summer Conference
Various CTEs and local school districts
Shared with various districts through visits
and email
Lots of work
Need buy-in by everyone:
School board(s)
Administration
Sending school teachers
CTE instructors
Students
Basic skills instructor or someone
responsible to manage the project
Awarding credit through a certified
math & language arts teacher
Determine how credit will be
awarded
Require ALL students to test and
work toward mastery
Summer Internship for academic
teachers
27 Academic teachers – four CTE
Programs for a week
Teachers spent two days in two different
CTE programs and wrote three
integrated lessons based on their
curriculum
What’s New For 2005-2006
On-line testing and record keeping
All students tested during the first two
weeks to determine base-line
Working with Mineral Area College to
articulate for college credit
Updating the language arts curriculum
Math lesson have been re-written
Videos for math lessons are in production
http://www.onlinecoursetools.com/
OIS Pricing
Online Instructor Suite
Embedded Math
Tests
Grade Book
www.k12.mo.us
http://www.av.k12.mo.us/ctc/ecredit.htm