Next Generation CTE: The Future is Now Marie Barry, Assistant Division Director NJ Department of Education New Jersey School Boards Association WorkshopOctober 26, 2016

Objectives for Today Overview of the new Shared Vision for the Future of CTE JP Morgan Grant Opportunity NJ’s Phase One Accomplishments Submitted Career Action Plan Implications for CTE and Education in NJ Discussion

How We Got Here

The Shared Vision Focuses on supporting ALL learners over the course of their career journeys Aims to transform all education – with CTE as a driver of this transformation Demands full commitment from all stakeholders

Principles and Actions All CTE Programs are held to the highest standards of excellence. All learners are empowered to choose meaningful education and career. All learning is personalized and flexible. All learning is facilitated by knowledgeable experts. All systems work together to put learner success first.

JP Morgan New Skills For Youth Grant Goals To dramatically increase the number of students who successfully complete career pathways that begin in secondary school and culminate in postsecondary degrees and/or industry credentials with labor market value; and (focus on underserved individuals and communities). To catalyze transformational approaches to the design and implementation of programs and policies to increase students’ career-readiness.

Objectives Demand-Driven and Employer-Led Processes Rigor and Quality in Career Pathways for ALL Students Career Focused Accountability Systems Scaled Pathways that Culminate in Credentials Align State and Federal Funding Streams Ensure Cross-Institutional Alignment

NJ Awarded New Skills for Youth Grant Phase I A six-month plan design, development, and early implementation. An intensive assessment of current career preparation system, including CTE, to identify strengths and gaps that will inform their comprehensive career readiness action plan. Engagement of key stakeholder groups such as, workforce development, parents, teachers, district leaders, and community groups.

Needs Assessment Contracted with the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University Development of Methodology to Align CTE Programs to High-Demand, High-Skill Industry Sector Occupations Qualitative & Quantitative analysis of: CTE Programs CTE Student Enrollment & Performance CTE Teacher Data Analysis Focus Groups

CTE in New Jersey Number of Schools with CTE Programs Number of Students Participating in CTE Vocational School Districts2131,091 Comprehensive High Schools9045,673 Community Colleges19118, –15

Needs Assessment Key Findings: Strengths State Employment and Training Commission (SETC) provides a formalized structure with a mission to coordinate stakeholders in education, workforce development, and industry to improve the skills of New Jersey’s workforce in alignment with labor market demands. It exists as a statutory body and serves as the state workforce development board. Rigorous DOE CTE program approval and reapproval process is in place that ensures high-quality programs are offered. More than 500 programs were removed over the past five years. Approved programs of study (requiring a postsecondary articulation agreement) grew from 64 in 2011 to 363 in CTE individual student record data has been collected since 2011 in NJ SMART (a comprehensive statewide longitudinal data system that includes staff/student identification, data warehousing, data reporting, and analytics) allowing a deep level of analysis of CTE student performance by sub-group in all programs.

Needs Assessment Key Findings: Strengths Strong cross-sector partnership is dynamic and productive: Dept. of Education (DOE); Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development (LWD); Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE); SETC; NJ Business and Industry Association (NJBIA); local superintendents; college presidents; parents; and counselors. Career Equity Resource Center (CERC) within the DOE addresses underrepresentation of special populations, nontraditional careers, equity and access issues in CTE. Provides focused technical assistance to local schools and colleges based on analysis of disaggregated data. The newly developed State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) can match K–12 education, higher education and labor market outcomes.

Needs Assessment Key Findings: Strengths Talent Networks have been established by LWD in each of the state's key industries: Advanced Manufacturing, Financial Services, Health Care, Life Sciences, Retail, Hospitality & Tourism, Technology, and Transportation, Logistics & Distribution. These networks of industry experts, led by colleges, universities, and business organizations, partner with employers, and workforce organizations to develop industry intelligence and high-quality employer-driven partnerships that contribute to the career preparation system. DOE, local districts and community colleges are formally engaging with the Talent Networks to support secondary and postsecondary CTE programs. Targeted Industry Partnerships (TIPs) are working regionally to identify common skill gaps; workforce needs and skills; and credentials in demand. Formalized training and support for work-based learning/structured learning experiences (SLE) is provided to teachers by DOE and other partners.

Needs Assessment Key Findings: Gaps Lack of career-focused metrics in the state’s accountability system. Challenges with CTE teacher recruitment; Gaps in current available pool of CTE teachers to meet high-skill/high- demand career preparation needs. Lack of ongoing systemic professional development for CTE teachers to stay current in industry field. Barriers in current DOE policy related to awarding academic credit for rigorous CTE courses. Ongoing silos between academics and CTE – Parents, students and educators perceived stigma of CTE programs.

Needs Assessment Key Findings: Gaps Career awareness, counseling and advisement is weak throughout the continuum (middle grades through adult). Lack of consistent systemic statewide dual enrollment/articulation agreements between secondary and postsecondary. Limited capacity to increase enrollment at county vocational schools – receive over 2.5 applicants for every seat. Many obstacles for comprehensive high schools in developing new CTE programs and for successful student completion of programs. Enrollment in CTE programs has been on a downward trend from 119,690 students in 2007–08 to 76,764 in 2014–15.

Data Analysis Key Findings

While overall participation rates of males and females in CTE are similar, females are underrepresented in high-skill, high-demand programs. Participants in county vocational schools are much more likely to be completers (46%) than students in a comprehensive high school (27%). Black and Hispanic students are less likely to be CTE completers compared to their White peers. Less than 6% of all currently certified CTE teachers are certified in STEM, Manufacturing and Information Technology.

Career Readiness Data Elements Percentage of students who completed at least one course in a state approved CTE program. Participation in a Work-Based Learning Structured Learning Experience. Industry-valued credential will be added to data collection for 2016–17.

Career Readiness State Action Plan: Major Objectives By 2019, at least one course will be developed in each of the seven key industries that will award students both academic and CTE credit. In collaboration with Talent Networks (employers), and secondary and postsecondary educators dramatically re- design curricula. Interdisciplinary Authentic Project-based Opportunities for academic and CTE credit to be awarded for specific courses.

Career Readiness State Action Plan: Major Objectives Amend current CTE teacher certification regulations: Increase the numbers of CTE teachers in high-skill, high-demand industries. Transition academic teachers to CTE teachers in specific program areas “Teachers in Industry” Externship Program Consider other amendments

Career Readiness State Action Plan: Major Objectives Create Key Industry Communities of Practice Provide systemic focused professional development for CTE teachers within each key industry in partnership with Talent Networks, Talent Development Centers and higher education. Begin with Webinars in Winter and Spring Summer Career Pathways Academies

Career Readiness State Action Plan: Major Objectives By 2019, at least 25% of all high school students will participate in CTE. Enhance career awareness through a multi-faceted campaign, Many Paths, One Future, to inform educators, parents, students, counselors, college advisors and the community on career opportunities and the many paths to future success. This includes a systemic statewide and regional coordinated plan with DOE, LWD, OSHE, Talent Networks, and workforce boards using labor market data and active engagement of business and industry. Create three regional parent networks to fully engage parents.

Career Readiness State Action Plan: Major Objectives By 2019, 60% of all approved CTE programs will be in high-skill, high-demand programs in the key industries. Use methodology developed during Phase One to identify high-skill, high-demand CTE programs regularly and provide technical assistance locally and regionally to create and grow these programs in Phase Two.

Career Readiness Action Plan: Leveraging Resources and Engaging Stakeholders Three-Year State Action Plan: Cross-Sector Commitment Use the eight high schools awarded the Building Capacity for Career Pathways: A Pilot Program for Comprehensive High Schools grant by DOE in April 2016, as learning labs ($4 million in state funds over a 5-year period). Highlight the County Vocational School Partnership grantees that have developed innovative partnerships to expand CTE programs to serve more students ($7 million in state funds from 2015–2017) LWD's Center for Occupational and Employment Information (COEI) will continually update New Jersey economic and labor market information on its online Career Connections web site.

Career Readiness Action Plan: Leveraging Resources and Engaging Stakeholders LWD's online Industry-Valued Credential List will be updated quarterly as New Jersey employers and training providers share important changes with the state's multi-agency Credential Review Board as industry needs evolve. entials/industry_valued_credentials.shtml

Career Readiness Action Plan: Major Outcomes Expand the number of high-skill, high-demand quality CTE programs. Increase the total number of students participating and completing CTE programs. Increase the diversity of students in high-skill, high-demand CTE programs. Grow the number of students earning industry-valued credentials. Increase the number of certified CTE teachers in high-skill, high-demand areas. Develop industry externships for academic teachers transitioning to CTE. Establish courses that award both academic and CTE credit.

Planning for Long-Term Sustainability Strategies for Sustainability: Articulate the goals of NSFY as the vision for CTE in the state, by integrating the core principles and objectives into the Perkins State Plan, local plans and other career-focused initiatives. Use data to make decisions and to demonstrate return on investment for all stakeholders: educators; workforce; business and industry; students and the economy. Communicate progress and “wins” with real examples. Build capacity and ownership at the local and regional level by supporting development of high-quality partnerships. Identify and share model programs and curriculum for replication. Inspire local and regional champions to share successes. Incorporate a process for active input and a cycle of continuous improvement.

Questions