CITIZENS OPINIONS ALABAMA CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION A Survey Project Conducted for the Alabama Department of Education

Project FACTS and PURPOSE Purpose – Explore opinions and perceptions of Career and Technical Education in Alabama Current survey is being conducted through our great partnership with CTECS This is an online survey to measure Alabamians opinions about CTE

Survey FACTS and PURPOSE This survey is open for responses until February 28, 2014 Links to the survey All State Residents – General Student, Parents, and Educators To have success with this type of project you must rely on partnerships – No Silos Allowed

Our Partners The State Republican Party The State Democratic Party State PTA/PTO State Chamber Association State Retailers Association s to all Alabama Teachers, Superintendents, and School Principals Statewide Media (print, television, and radio) Alabama Postsecondary Education Statewide Business and Industry Councils CTECS

The Original Surveys: 2003, 2005, 2008

Who Participated in the Original Surveys? A random sample of 500 registered Alabama voters *Administered using traditional telephone-based surveys

Gender Age Residence Education Income Race Child/Grandchild in Public School Measured DEMOGRAPHICS

Comparing Data: 2003, 2005 & 2008 Equivalent Citizens Opinions survey were conducted for the ALSDE in 2003 and 2005 The 2003 and 2005 surveys used exactly the same questionnaires For comparison purposes, 2003 and 2005 survey results were also reported in the 2008 survey.

What was EXAMINED? Opinions of Public Education Beliefs about College Knowledge of Career Tech programs Opinions of CTE Awareness of 21 st Century Learning

About 1-in-3 rated the quality of public education in Alabama as excellent. Overall, Alabamians opinions about the quality of public education was slightly more positive in 2008 than in Survey FINDINGS

57% necessary Respondents that said a traditional four-year college degree is necessary for a successful career. Survey FINDINGS 60% %

71% Respondents that said it is very important for their children to attend college. Survey FINDINGS 70% %

Respondents that said it was very important for Alabamas public schools to offer Career and Technical Education programs. Survey FINDINGS

Relationship with Local Businesses How very important is it for CTE educators to work with local businesses? Survey FINDINGS

Respondent Opinions How important is it for the public schools to offer CTE? Survey FINDINGS

Incorporating 21 st Century Skills into the curriculum is something that voters believed schools can and should do. Survey FINDINGS

Times have changed since And so have surveying methods too - The average person spent approximately 423 minutes on Facebook in 2011 (Olmstead, The State of the News Media 2012 – An Annual Report on American Journalism) According to a 2008 survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the share of adult Internet users who have a profile on social networks quadrupled from 8 percent in 2005 to 35 percent in 2008

According to Diffusion of Technology: Frequency of use for Younger and Older Adults, an article written by Katherine Olson, Marita OBrien, Wendy Rogers, and Neil Charness more than 40 percent of younger adults reported using the Internet more than 15 hours per week.

AL - 4,822,023 population (2012 Est.) - Size Area: 52,423 square miles State Capital City: Montgomery - population 205,293 (2012) 3,092,273 internet users as of June 2010, 65.0% of the population 1,599,260 Facebook users on August ,164,740 Facebook users on March 2011 Alabama Technology Statistics Source:

Citizens Opinions of CTE in Alabama 2014 Preliminary Results from an Online Survey

Why the survey was conducted Follow-up to 2008 telephone survey Designed and developed by CTECS Survey closes February 28, 2014; current results are unofficial and preliminary Intended to measure opinions of CTE from perspective of parents, students, teachers, and residents Intended to provide better service to students, parents, and local communities statewide How is CTE perceived in Alabama?

How the survey was set up Sample group Based on previous survey using registered Republicans and Democrats in Alabama Minimum response rate of 500 (so far, 686 responses) Survey groups Students Teachers/administrators Parents Industry/advisory groups So far, 587 responses

Media Coverage – Evening News

Media Coverage – News Websites

QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION! BRAINSTORMING!