Career and technical education programs have grown into robust training opportunities for students
Career and technical education (CTE) or vocational education: either term used to stir up negative images of students without ambition. But those misplaced reputations are disappearing. CTE has established itself as a path that many high-achieving students choose in pursuit of industry certifications and hands-on skills they can use right out of high school, in training programs, or in college.
Instead of being dismissed as the class for low-achieving or behaviorally-challenged students, CTE has emerged as a way for students to develop practical skills while participating in rigorous and high-quality courses.
In fact, 94 percent of high school students are part of CTE—and this doesn’t include the millions of postsecondary students who also are enrolled in CTE programs, according to the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE).
Students who focus on CTE programs have an average high school graduation rate of 90 percent, compared to an average national freshmen graduation rate of 75 percent, according to ACTE data.
Of high school students in CTE programs, more than 70 percent enrolled in postsecondary education soon after completing high school.
(Next page: What are educators saying about CTE, and how are states supporting CTE efforts?)
By 2020, it is estimated that more than 16 million jobs will require a two-year associate degree or some post-secondary education. And many of those jobs will be in CTE fields, including IT and health care, according to 2014 ACTE survey data [1].
CTE looks “vastly different than what it looked like in the mid-80s,” said Sarah Martin, head of the Career and Technical Education department in the Katy Independent School District. Instead of focusing on pre-determined job skills, “a greater focus is placed on academic rigor, career-focused programs of study, collaboration between secondary and post-secondary education, and greater accountability.”
CTE offerings include courses in engineering, information technology, agricultural sciences, and more.
“One of the great things about career and technical education is that the courses taught are a direct reflection of the needs of the workforce,” Martin said.
CTE’s value and reach are much stronger today, Martin said, noting that students have many options when it comes to applying those skills, be it in postsecondary education or a move directly to the workforce.
“[The] bottom line to CTE is to provide students with the knowledge and skills to transfer into higher education and the workforce,” she said.
Students have access to CTE programs as early as middle school, and many opt for CTE courses because they are hands-on and engaging.
“Students make connections to the content because it makes sense to them; often not realizing they are applying concepts learned in their core classes,” Martin said. “CTE is where theory meets application.”
CTE’s evolution
As CTE continues to expand and offer students robust education options, many are hoping that districts make CTE a viable option for students.
The Youth CareerConnect grant [2], established by the U.S. Department of Labor in collaboration with the Department of Education, encourages collaboration among K-12 school districts, institutions of higher education, and businesses to combine rigorous academic standards with work experiences and skills development to enhance instruction and offer real-world learning opportunities.
“There is growing consensus in states across the nation that the goal of the K–12 education system is to prepare all students to graduate from high school ready for college and careers. Yet, in all but a handful of states, the priority goals set to drive student performance toward and beyond college and career readiness sputter out after the word “college,” notes Making Career Readiness Count 2014 [3], an annual report from the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc).
The report notes that the term “college and career readiness” often is interpreted as “college or career readiness,” and that when student performance indicators aren’t tied to career pathways and career experiences, states send the message that career readiness is second-best to college readiness.
If states hope to set students up to excel in a four-year postsecondary institution or in a technical program, they should encourage school districts “to provide all students experiences that put them on a path to access and succeed in the careers of their choosing, as well as experiences they need to build the knowledge and skills necessary for entry into and success in postsecondary education. Whether high school graduates enroll in a traditional two- or four-year institution, enter a postsecondary technical program or apprenticeship, or go directly into the military or workforce following high school graduation, they need the same core of academic skills, particularly in English/language arts and mathematics.”
The report issues a handful of recommendations to help states strengthen those efforts:
1. Use multiple measures of college and career readiness
2. Engage state CTE/college and career readiness leaders as well as workforce and economic development leaders
3. Find the appropriate balance of uses across public reporting and accountability
4. Use publicly-reported information to inform decisions
States are taking notice. Many K-12 districts now require students to earn CTE credits or participate in CTE courses before high school graduation.
A round-up report [4] focusing on CTE actions in 2013, compiled by NASDCTEc and ACTE, tracks states’ CTE developments and policies.
In May of 2013, Alabama passed a $50 million bond that supports CTE programs and other technology programs. Of that $50 million, $20 million will be distributed based on the number of CTE students at each school.
Iowa directed $1.5 million to support the Statewide Work-Based Learning Intermediary Network Program that connects businesses with education to provide students and teachers with work-based learning opportunities.
Montana approved a bill that creates a state-level program to support career and technical student organizations.
In Texas, House Bill 5 [5] puts more emphasis on CTE, helping students identify postsecondary paths that may not include four-year college enrollment.
In Florida, a growing need to equip students with real-world skills and knowledge led to the Career and Professional Education Act (CAPE) of 2007. Part of that act includes student access to state-approved industry certifications used by state employers.
A study found that high school students who took at least one technology course and at least one industry certification exam displayed better attendance and higher grade point averages than similar students who did not take any technology courses or exams.
Those students also earned admission to four-year institutions at the same rate as similar students who did not take technology courses or certification exams, according to a 2012 report from Grunwald Associates and Adobe Systems [6].
Industry response
The industry is beginning to respond to state policy changes and to calls for more robust CTE offerings.
“For a while, a lot of people were steering all students toward a college path,” said Jeff Lansdell, president of CEV Multimedia, which produces CTE curriculum resources. “Some students may not be college-bound but they need to be career-ready.”
“CTE touches so many lives, that having that extra emphasis now, so students can be more college- and career-ready, whether they enter the workforce with a skill or whether it’s going to help them be better prepared for college, is great,” said Clayton Franklin, CEV Multimedia’s vice president of brand management.
“We’re really noticing, in regards to how education policy is put together, the emphasis on CTE—it’s been really refreshing to see that,” said Dusty Moore, president of iCEV, the platform through which CEV produces and delivers its content.
“CTE offers a fine-tuning that students need to succeed and thrive in the workplace,” Moore added.
High school CTE credits or certifications can be used for higher-ed credit or career advancement. And CTE growth extends well past high school.
Many students opt to follow a technical program that will give them practical skills and knowledge and put them on a path to an internship or career once they complete their training, or once they finish post-secondary education after their career training is completed.
Udacity and AT&T recently announced a partnership around “nanodegrees [7],” described as “compact, flexible, and job-focused credentials that are stackable throughout your career.”
So far, forthcoming nanodegrees include front-end web developer, back-end web developer, iOS developer, and data analyst, with more planned in the future.
Marc Fanaroff, a special education administrator for more than 30 years, shares his advice on successfully deploying tablets in schools
As schools start to mature in their use of technology, moving from the innovator phase into the early adopter stage, we’re getting increasingly wise about the necessary steps to achieve successful classroom implementation.
After my experience implementing tablets into our school, I thought I’d share my advice for a successful investment.
1. Outline your objectives.
The first step is to know from an instructional standpoint what your objectives for the investment are, and how you envision using the resource. This could have implications for the required functionality of the hardware device. While many tablets are designed for consumer use rather than classroom use, in general, a tablet is a tablet.
2. Identify effective learning technology.
Step two is to ensure the technology is effective in the learning environment. It should include appropriate, high-quality learning content. The learning content offered on some tablet devices often can be described as “edutainment” rather than high-quality, curriculum-aligned resources. The supplier of your chosen mobile device should be working with publishers to provide high-quality, curriculum-aligned content, pre-installed on the tablet device.
Research has indicated that the need to purchase, install, and manage new apps is cited by many schools as a significant barrier to adoption. However, tablets also should be easily networkable to allow you to use your pre-existing or purchased content. In summary, your classroom tablet solution must enhance, support, and simplify teaching and learning.
(Next page: Tablet tips 3-7)
3. Ensure that classroom management is included.
The next step is also based on software, rather than hardware. I can’t recommend enough that you consider the classroom management tools available for the tablet device. Such tools give teachers an intuitive way to supervise and control student devices, lessons, and activities, easily enabling differentiation of instruction and access to digital content. The truly mobile learning environment that tablet technology facilitates results in the students being spread over a wide area, hopefully engaged in the learning objective.
However, the nature of mobile devices means that we as teachers sometimes feel we have no control over each child, are unaware of what they are doing, and are unable to support their learning pathway. Classroom management tools that ensure we can “see” from our PC a thumbnail image of each student’s display put us back in control.
4. The ability to differentiate instruction is a must.
Appropriate classroom tablet solutions should support a shift in instruction from whole class to personalized learning, enabling the delivery of new and existing materials at the right pace and level for each child’s needs. Ensure your tablet solution offers the functionality to push out learning content to each individual child, based on his or her specific learning needs.
5. Tread carefully with BYOD.
Another factor affecting the adoption of tablets in schools is the new buzz phrase “Bring Your Own Device [8]” (BYOD). The majority of schools currently show a willingness to consider this route of tablet adoption, with parents covering the cost of the technology.
Anyone considering this option must tread carefully. Important legal considerations—such as potential claims of indirect discrimination from students from low-income backgrounds, data protection laws, and the terms of your school’s software licensing—as well as hidden costs such as repair and data roaming charges all have to be carefully considered. However, a good inclusive management portal should mean that your learning content can be agnostic of brand; it can work seamlessly on iOS or Android devices.
6. Include protective accessories.
An additional cost to factor in is protective covers. We invested in protective covers for the hardware, and as a result, despite the children carrying the devices around the school, we haven’t experienced any damage to date.
7. Don’t forget professional development and support.
It’s important to take advantage of the professional develop opportunities offered by the supplier of your tablet solution. The team at LearnPad provides hands-on observation, coaching, and needs-based professional development services. Such support ensures adoption challenges are overcome to support fidelity-of-use for any classroom environment.
In terms of advice that I can offer, I would recommend not rolling out all the tablets at once. We spent the first few days using the devices, looking at all the free content on the LearnPad [9]website, and downloading what was right for each child’s specific needs. We then started to roll them out to just one trial class group, one activity, and one day at a time.
This meant that we learned what worked with the students, and in turn managed any problems that arose on a much smaller scale. Once we knew which problems would occur with one class, we could ensure a smoother roll out for the next.
Marc Fanaroff has been a special education administrator for more than 30 years and currently leads the High Point School of Bergen County, N.J. The school recently implemented 40 LearnPad tablet devices.
Understanding data can improve student performance and lead to greater productivity for administrators and teachers; here’s how to protect this information
Today, more than 90 percent of school districts electronically store data on everything from student demographics and course enrollment, to attendance and test scores on statewide assessments.
As uses of student data continue to expand, districts must be prepared to protect this information and ensure it’s only used for its intended purpose: to help students succeed. Here are five things school districts can do to safeguard their student data.
1. Understand the difference between data privacy and security.
Protecting student data should involve two elements: privacy and security. While there have been more nationwide discussions about student data privacy, securing student information is equally important.
Data privacy can be described as the appropriate use of student information. In essence, how are the data being used? On the other hand, data security refers to the confidentiality and availability of student information. In other words: Who is using the data? To protect student data, school districts should have an understanding of both of these terms and their implications.
(Next page: Steps 2-5)
2. Collaborate closely with vendors.
Protecting data presents a unique and complex challenge for school districts, especially as more users are given access to student information. Strong collaboration between districts and their vendors can help maintain a high level of protection. Districts should ensure their integration with third-party vendors is well defined and limited to the vendors authorized to access student information through written contracts and agreements.
Additionally, district leaders should regularly discuss the importance of data privacy with faculty and staff, and conduct routine security audits to ensure only necessary staff are assigned to specific roles or groups. Alternately, vendors should implement procedures to ensure only authorized employees can access student information. Routine security audits should be conducted by vendors to make sure the latest industry standards are being met.
3. Establish proper security measures.
Without proper security measures in place, student data are never fully protected. Most news stories about the loss of personal information can be attributed to improper security management. Today, schools are able to store their data on-site or through a cloud-based service. While most schools rely on cloud services for their data storage, both options can offer a high level of protection if districts follow the proper steps.
4. Manage on-premise data storage.
Districts that choose to store their data on-premise can ensure the protection of their information by maintaining physical measures to secure building locations where network equipment is located, such as creating multi-step access to server rooms and Storage Area Networks [10] (SAN). Districts also should limit database administrator rights to primary and secondary individuals on staff. Conducting a routine security audit and establishing a disaster recovery program also can be useful tools when utilizing on-site data storage.
5. Establish requirements for cloud computing.
While cloud computing is one of the fastest growing technology sectors, minimum requirements for cloud services have not been standardized in the education industry and can vary by district. In fact, 20 percent of school districts do not have policies for the use of their online cloud services.
When considering cloud-based data storage, districts should look for a student information system (SIS) provider that meets recommended standards. Providers should offer database management and monitoring services with regular application updates. Additionally, cloud providers should maintain multiple data centers with redundant methods of protecting computer systems from failure.
Understanding data can improve student performance and lead to greater productivity for administrators and teachers. As discussions over student data privacy and security continue to take shape, school districts should strengthen their own data protection measures, leading to a more efficient learning environment. For more information on how to protect student data, download the student data privacy and security guidelines from Skyward at http://www.skyward.com/protectyourdata [11].
Ray Ackerlund (@RayAckerlund [12]) is the Vice President of Marketing & Product Management for Skyward Inc. With the company for more than 20 years, Ray guides the strategic execution of marketing and product vision for Skyward’s administrative software exclusively designed for K-12 school districts. Skyward serves more than 5 million students and 1,700 school districts worldwide.
