Preparing Alaska for
What’s Next
Cathy LeCompte, Associate Dean,
University of Alaska Anchorage ~ Community and Technical College
The CTE brand logo, brand positioning theme and brand extensions are property of NASDCTEc.
Outcomes for today…
• Brief overview of history and how we got
here…evolution
• Greater understanding of why Career
Pathways/Programs of Study (CP/PoS) in
Alaska.
• Application of CP/PoS in Alaska…what we
are up to between now and June 2013.
Alaska Tech Prep Consortium…
A Brief Historical Perspective
• Over 10 years working together
• Secondary to post secondary
aligned curriculum in CTE
• 13,000 college credits earned in
high school
• Tuition saved: $3.5M
Tech Prep
Consortium
Alaska Tech Prep
Consortium…what’s next?
Build off the success…learn
from others… Career
Pathways / Program of Study
Tech Prep
Consortium
Career Pathway
/ PoS Task Force
Career Pathways /
Program of Study Task Force
Employers / Industry – State industry
coalitions and local employers
Administrators: District,
School, University
Teachers and Faculty –
Secondary and Post
Secondary
Policy Makers & Funders –
State legislators, School
Board, Assembly, City & Tribal
Councils
Students
Students –
inform the
effectiveness
Cross-Agency Partners – Local/ Regional,
Department of Education, Labor &
Workforce Development, Health & Social
Services, Economic Development
Grouping of occupations
based on common
knowledge and skills
Education, training and
support services to help
people get high demand jobs.
Career
Cluster
Career
Pathway
Relates learning to
career goals,
includes areas
learner needs to
increase
knowledge and
skills.
Program of
Study
Personal
Learning
& Career
Plan
Courses or other
work that must be
successfully
completed before
qualifying for a
credential.
Why Career Pathways?
Better prepare
students for
postsecondary
Fewer pathway students required to
take remedial courses;
Castellano (2007), cited in
Stipanovic, et al. (2012)
Dual credit =
increased
graduation rates
& persistence
Dual credit for CTE students: increased
likelihood of completing high school;
increased likelihood in enrolling in a 2or 4-year college; greater degree of
persistence in postsecondary
Karp, Calcagno, Hughes,
Jeong, & Bailey (2007) as
cited in Stipanovic, et al.
(2012)
Work based
learning =
smoother
transitions
Work based learning tends to result in
higher levels of student engagement in
school and greater success in the labor
market.
McCharen & High (2010);
Ryken (2004) both as cited
in Cairen, Withington, et al.
(2012)
Comprehensive
Guidance and
Career
Counseling
Leads to better career outcomes;
students who received career
development services reported greater
career awareness and higher levels of
career exploration and planning than
those who did not receive such services.
Lapan, Gysbers, & Sun
(1997); Utah State Office of
Education (2000); both as
cited in Cairen, Withington,
et al. (2012)
Why In Alaska?
• Drop out rate doubles national average
• Lowest college going rate in nation
• 50% first time college students at UAA
between 1998 and 2007 needed at least one
developmental course (UAA CAEPR, 2012)
• Alaska’s job growth and needs for an Alaskan
workforce.
Other states do it…is Alaska Ready?
• Alaska Tech Prep
Consortium
• Strategic Assessment
& Reports
–HECR report, CTE
Plan, UA Strategic
Direction, SLDS
• YOU….
Tech Prep…
Standards/Assessment
Credit Transfer
•An articulation agreement between secondary and
postsecondary consortium partners
•A two plus two or four plus two design with a
common
of proficiency Aligned
in math,secondary
science &
Teachingcore
& Learning
communication
and technology.
post secondary
Strategies
curriculum
•A specifically developed Tech Prep curriculum
•Preparatory skills
Tech Prep…
Employer Engagement
•Joint in-service training of secondary and postsecondary
Accountability
teachers
to implement the Tech Prep curriculum
•Training of counselors to recruit students and to ensure
program completion and appropriate employment.
•Equal
access for special populations
to the
full range of
Guidance
Counseling
Professional
Tech Prep programs.
& Advising
Development
Core
Standards
Alignment
Alaska
Performance
Scholarships
Experiential
Learning
Academic
& CTE
Integrated
Work –based
Learning
This tool continues to be the tool for implementing career pathways
Statewide Coordination goes on…
• Continue to provide a statewide
coordination and communication role to
link and leverage CP/PoS activities.
• Serve as a single point of contact for
technical support for CP/PoS
implementation.
• Advocate and build partnerships for
sustainability
Our work…a legacy?
• Continue to provide a statewide coordination
and communication role to link and leverage
CP/PoS activities.
– Core Team (~25 statewide leaders & partners)
– UA Tech Prep staff (~ 12 staff)
– eNewsletters and other social media
– Link and leverage for eLearning – Health focus
Our work…a legacy?
• Serve as a single point of contact for technical
support for CP/PoS implementation.
– REPOSITORY OF RESOURCES: Templates & tools
for implementation include checklists for
readiness and evaluation (HANDOUT) and a “How
To Guide”
– TRAINING (Prof Dev): Live and recorded webinars
on how to use the resources
• March – April – May…stay tuned
Our work…a legacy?
• Advocate and build partnerships for sustainability
– Common Language (HANDOUT), Policy Framework aka
Case Statement for policy and resources
– CAREER CONNECTIONS for EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT
module in AKCIS, advisory group, library of best
practices, how to guide, standards for Health,
EMPLOYER/EDUCATOR workshops HOW TO USE
– Inventory / Case Study ~ survey (SUE) and report CAEPR
OUTCOME:
• All youth are confidently and
competently prepared for and enter
jobs/careers that support
themselves and their families,
fueling a healthy economy for
Alaska.
Questions?
Cathy LeCompte
calecompte@uaa.alaska.edu