www.nyctecenter.org
Engage Students, Integrate Instruction &
Increase Graduation Rates
through
Career and Technical Education
Dr. Constance Spohn, Lead Technical Assistance Specialist
CTE Technical Assistance Center of NY
Successful Practices Network
www.nyctecenter.org
THEMES & IDEAS
 What is the CTE TAC?
 It is not Vocational Education any more
 Value of Integrated Academics
 Program Approval
 Several school examples
 Great questions for school superintendents
Successful Practices Network
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Background & Purpose
State Contract
• Increases the capacity of SED to Serve, Support, and Expand
CTE across the state
– BOCES
– LEAs
– Highest Needs are Highest Priority
• Federally Funded (Carl Perkins)
• Targeted funds for state support
• Duration of 3 years which began in January 2011
• 2 year contract extension possible with successful performance
Successful Practices Network
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Work Plan
1.
Improve CTE data collection to create an accurate picture of
career and technical education program performance
2.
Assist schools in the integration of the Common Core State
Standards with CTE
3.
Expand CTE program approvals
4.
Use best practices in CTE for high school improvement
5.
Expand CTE programs and student leadership participation
6.
Build relationships, particularly with business and industry,
and networks to strengthen CTE
Successful Practices Network
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Vocational Education vs CTE
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
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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
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Not a New Label for an Old System
• Career and Technical Education is:
Adapting to meet the dynamic demands of the
Global Economy
Career Clusters and Common Career Technical Core
Reflects the modern workplace
Rigorous academic and technical standards
Critical workplace intelligence or “soft” skills
Successful Practices Network
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2012: New York State Commissioner of
Education, Dr. John B. King, Jr.
“To implement these critical goals, the Regents are
looking to leverage every area of strength we
have. That’s why the Board and I continue to
examine how we can best utilize Career and
Technical Education (CTE) programs to further our
reform goals and ensure college and career
readiness … CTE is critical to making certain we
meet that responsibility.“
(King, 2012, NYS School Boards Association)
Successful Practices Network
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Career and College Readiness 2012:
Defined CTE TAC of NY
To be college and career ready, students in NY should have preparation in three
major skill areas: core academic skills, employability skills, and technical,
job specific skills, which allow them to transition seamlessly to an entry level
position and/or a postsecondary credentialing program, (e.g. apprenticeship,
licensure, community or four-year college). In order to make this happen
students should:
•
Possess the specific academic skills appropriate for, and which are
foundational to, the career they wish to pursue
•
Be able to apply academic skills to situations in an increasingly sophisticated
workplace and society
•
Develop individual college and career plans with academic core requirements
and course choices appropriate to their plans
•
Explore and understand the academic and skill requirements for their selected
career cluster
Successful Practices Network
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Why the Renewed Focus on CTE?
CTE programs with high-quality, integrated curricula result
in:
• 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 and improved exit exam passing rates than students from the
general population.
• Higher wage earning potential: Post-secondary 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 for every four academic courses.
Successful Practices Network
www.nyctecenter.org
Expand CTE program approvals
•
Identify schools and districts undersubscribed in
approved CTE programs
•
Site visits to districts and explore potential for
program approvals.
•
Develop model applications that can be used
with program approvals.
•
Develop enhanced website component to
support schools seeking CTE program approval
and selection of certification tests
Successful Practices Network
www.nyctecenter.org
NYS Approved Program Development
• 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
Successful Practices Network
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Convergence
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 of informational and literature text arriving
at 70% in 4th to 30 % in Grade 12
– Engagement of students in text complexity
consistent with that which they will encounter in
entry level work, college , the military and life
Successful Practices Network
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Reading Framework for NAEP
2009
Grade
Literary
Informational
4
50%
50%
8
45%
55%
12
30%
70%
Successful Practices Network
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Lexile Framework® for Reading
Study
Summary of Text Lexile Measures
Interquartile Ranges Shown (25% - 75%)
Text Lexile Measure (L)
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
High
School
Literature
College
Literature
Successful
Practices
Network
* Source
of National
Test Data:
MetaMetrics
College
High
School Textbooks
Textbooks
Military
Personal Entry-Level
Use
Occupations
SAT 1,
ACT,
AP*
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Rigor/Relevance
Successful Practices Network
®
Framework
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Action
Continuum
Acquisition
of knowledge
Application
of knowledge
Relevance of learning
to life and work
Successful Practices Network
www.nyctecenter.org
Rigor/Relevance Framework
D
C
R
I
G
O
R
High
Student
Think
B
A
Low
Teacher
Work
Low
Successful Practices Network
Student
Think & Work
RELEVANCE
Student
Work
High
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CTE Program Quality Criteria Worksheet
Review it on your own
Discuss with a person sitting behind or in front
of you
Successful Practices Network
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NYS Approved Programs
• 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
Successful Practices Network
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Student Data
Outcomes
Approved CTE Program
Factors
School Conditions Success
Factors
Regents/Aspiration
Active Team-Industry
Participation
Policy and Budget Alignment
Technical Assessments
Curriculum Development
and Integration
Strong School-wide
Leadership & Coordinated
Support
Completers/Technical
Endorsements
Instructional Design
Ongoing Curriculum
Development
Graduates
Learner Engagement
Continuous Improvement
Special Education
Completers
Technical Assessment
Diversity in Marketing and
Student Participation
11th Graders on Track
Articulation Agreement
Instructional and Program
Evaluation
Attendance
Work-based Learning
Student Centered Career
Development
Postsecondary
Tracking
Employability Profile
Data Governance
Successful Practices Network
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Visitation Protocol
• 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: 3 BOCES, 3 Big 5 CTE, 2 Suburban, 2 Small Rural, 1
Small City
Successful Practices Network
www.nyctecenter.org
Thanks To
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Walton Central School-Agriculture
Stockbridge Valley Central School-Agriculture
Oswego BOCES-Nurse Assisting and Health Careers
Nassau BOCES-Home Network Installation
Levittown Central School-Cosmetology
Ulster BOCES-Aviation/Private Pilot
Saunders T & T HS-HVAC (Yonkers CSD)
Edison High School-Commercial Arts (New York City)
Emerson School of Hospitality-Culinary Arts (Buffalo CSD)
Binghamton HS - Accounting
Central Square Central School-Marketing and Entrepreneurship Program
Successful Practices Network
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Successful Practices Network
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Integrated Literacy is the Key
Ulster BOCES-Private Pilot
• 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
Successful Practices Network
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Successful Practices Network
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It Takes a Village
Walton CS-Agricultural Science
• 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
Successful Practices Network
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What We Have Learned
• 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.
Successful Practices Network
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What We Have Learned
• 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 noncredentialed 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
Successful Practices Network
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More Study Required
• Inconsistent 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 employability profile
Successful Practices Network
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Instructional Leadership
• Use research to establish urgency for higher
expectations
• Align curriculum to standards
• Integrate literacy and math across all content areas
• Provide opportunities for focused professional
collaboration and calibration of assessment criteria
• Facilitate data-driven decision making to inform
instruction
Successful Practices Network
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Organizational Leadership
Build leadership capacity
Establish a shared vision
Create a culture
Align organizational structures and systems to
vision
Align teacher/administrator selection, support, and
evaluation
Support decision making with a comprehensive data
system
Successful Practices Network
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TEACHERS
Embrace rigorous and relevant expectations for all students
Build strong relationship with students
Possess depth of content knowledge and make it relevant to
students
Facilitate rigorous and relevant instruction based on how
students learn
Use assessments to guide and differentiate instruction
Demonstrate expertise in use of instructional strategies,
technology, and best practices
Successful Practices Network
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Questions Superintendents Should Ask
• 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?
• What are the challenges the district confronts to transform existing CTE
courses to an approved program model?
• How are the board, leadership and faculty building relationships between
CTE staff, their academic peers, business, and post-secondary partners to
drive Career and College readiness for our students?
Successful Practices Network
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Contact the CTE Technical
Assistance Center of NY
for more information and support
Successful Practices Network