Technical Skill Attainment under the Carl D Technical Skill Attainment under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 Daniel Smith, Center for Postsecondary Success Minnesota Department of Education

Purpose: The purpose of this Act is to develop more fully the academic and career and technical skills of secondary education students and postsecondary education students who elect to enroll in career and technical education programs Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, Section 2

Two important changes in the Perkins Act of 2006: A requirement for the establishment of Programs of Study A new approach to assessing CTE skills Academic skills Technical skills Workplace skills

Elements in a Minnesota Program of Study: Career Fields Career Clusters Career Pathways Foundation Knowledge and Skills

Foundation Knowledge and Skills Minnesota’s New Direction – Programs of Study Career Field Career Cluster Foundation Knowledge and Skills Career Pathways Insert this slide after Dan’s slide 17. We do need to get the word out about programs of study to everyone and increase the awareness level. http://www.cte.mnscu.edu 5

Minnesota hopes to address the secondary-postsecondary alignment issues through the development and implementation of career and technical education Programs of Study.

Foundation Knowledge and Skills Minnesota’s New Direction – Programs of Study Career Field Career Cluster Foundation Knowledge and Skills Career Pathways Programs of Study http://www.cte.mnscu.edu 7

For Minnesota, a Program of Study is defined as: A nonduplicative sequence of academic and technical courses, Beginning no later than grade 11 and extending for at least two years beyond high school, Culminating in a degree, diploma or certificate.

Postsecondary CTE Program Program of Study Postsecondary CTE Program Approved by the state at the consortium level Broad-based Approved at the District level Approx. 50 unique CTE programs Occupational focus Approved for the college Approx. 1400 unique CTE programs Technical skill assessment for the purpose of accountability Guidance function Work readiness component Articulation agreements

Upper level high school courses Yahoo! Yippee! Parteeee! C H A S M O F I G L T O C L E G R A N S I OMG! Now what? Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Fresh-man Sopho-more Prepara-tory Courses Upper level high school courses College Course-work But are they ready? Remediation! Wasted Time?

Technical Skill Assessment O F I G L T O C L E G R A N S I Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Fresh-man Sopho-more Prepara-tory Courses Upper level high school courses What is the value added and how is it recog-nized? College Course-work Program of Study Technical Skill Assessment

The Act requires states to use assessments that are valid and reliable and aligned to industry-recognized standards where available and appropriate. Validity generally refers to the degree to which a test or other measuring device is truly measuring what it intends to measure. Reliability refers to the consistency of results for a test or measuring device.

Alignment to industry-recognized standards is often addressed by using examinations tied to industry or trade certifications, but may also be addressed through alignment with state or national industry or trade standards (such as those of the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards & Training).

In thirty areas plus foundation knowledge and skills, core skills have been identified and assessment blueprints prepared. An inventory of potential technical skill assessments has been assembled.

And while it is the expectation that performance on CTE concentrators will be reported to the US Department of Education for the purpose of accountability, Minnesota’s approach neither expects that all concentrators are assessed nor that only concentrators are assessed.

In each approved program of study of the consortium where the state has identified technical skill assessments, the consortium must select at least one secondary site and at least one postsecondary program and assess all CTE students at an appropriate place and time.

Resources: www.cte.mnscu.edu Career fields, clusters, pathways wheel Map of Perkins consortia Background Report MN Technical Skill Assessment Project Career Pathway Core Competencies Technical Skill Assessment Matrix

Ginny Karbowski ginny.karbowski@so.mnscu.edu Contact Information: Ginny Karbowski ginny.karbowski@so.mnscu.edu JoAnn Simser joann.simser@so.mnscu.edu Dan Smith dan.smith@state.mn.us Michael Mitchell michael.mitchell@state.mn.us

Questions? Questions?