Association for Career and Technical Education 1 High School Reform and Implications for CTE Janet B. Bray Executive Director Association for Career and Technical Education

2 Who is ACTE?  30,000 members –CTE professionals including administrators, state education officials, teachers and guidance counselors  Purpose: –To provide leadership in developing an educated, prepared, and competitive workforce.

Association for Career and Technical Education 3 Why Education Reform?

Association for Career and Technical Education 4 Current Political Considerations Concern about U.S. student performance, and particularly performance of minorities and disenfranchised populations United States global competition Improved transitions between secondary and postsecondary education 21 st Century Skills

Association for Career and Technical Education 5 Academic Performance  Only 23% of 12 grade students performed at the proficient level on NAEP Math  Twelfth-graders in 2005 scored lower on NAEP reading than in 1992, and fewer students met the proficiency level. (NAEP 2005)  On the Programme for International Student Assessments (PISA), U.S. 15-year olds ranked 22 nd in science, 27 th in math, and 29 th in problem- solving out of 40 countries.

Association for Career and Technical Education 6 Postsecondary Access and Success  Postsecondary transcripts of th -graders who enrolled in postsecondary education between 1992 and 200 show that 61% of students who first attended a public 2-year and 25% who first attended a 4-year institution completed at least one remedial course. (NCES)  Of the more than 1 million first-time, full-time, students who enter a 4-year college or university, fewer than 40% will actually earn the degree within four years and barely 60% will earn the degree in six years. (NCES)

Association for Career and Technical Education 7 The Dropout Problem  Every nine seconds in America a student becomes a dropout.  An estimated 3.8 million youth ages are neither employed nor in school.  High school students from the lowest income families (bottom quintile) dropped out of school at six times the rate of their peers from higher income families.  Dropouts “cost our national more than $260 billion in lost wages, lost taxes, and lost productivity over their lifetimes.” (Secretary of Education Spellings)

Association for Career and Technical Education 8 Average Annual Income: 2004

Association for Career and Technical Education 9 Student Engagement  Nearly half (47%) of students surveyed said a major reason for dropping out was that their classes were not interesting.  Two-thirds of students surveyed would have worked harder if more was demanded of them (e.g. higher academic standards and more studying and homework).  Only 56% said they could go to a staff person for school problems and just two-fifths (41%) had someone in school to talk to about personal problems. (from the Silent Epidemic)

Association for Career and Technical Education 10 Occupational Outlook  Employment growth in occupations requiring a vocational associate’s degree (30%) is projected to be more than double overall employment growth (14%) through  Nearly 1/3 of the fastest growing occupations will require an associate’s degree or a postsecondary vocational certificate.  More than 80 percent of respondents in the 2005 Skills Gap Report indicated that they are experiencing a shortage of qualified workers overall.

Association for Career and Technical Education 11 School Reform Through the Ages A Nation At Risk Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) The Forgotten Half Goals 2000 School-to-Work No Child Left Behind Tough Choices or Tough Times

Association for Career and Technical Education 12 Where We’ve Been…  109 th Congress very contentious  Completed work on Perkins reauthorization  Left many other items unfinished: –FY 07 Appropriations –Workforce Investment Act reauthorization –Higher Education Act reauthorization

Association for Career and Technical Education 13 Congress Today  Democrat Congressional leadership  New Committee Chairs  Partisanship still rampant  Budget deficits of huge concern  Lot’s of unfinished business – short timeline  2008 Presidential elections impacting events

Association for Career and Technical Education 14 What Does it Mean for CTE?  Perkins implementation  Future funding levels  NCLB reauthorization –High school reform –STEM initiatives  HEA reauthorization  WIA reauthorization

Association for Career and Technical Education 15 CTE Addressing Needs CTE concentrators participated in more rigorous academic coursework and are taking more and higher level math and science. A year of technically oriented coursework at a community college increased the earnings of men by 14% and women by 29%.

Association for Career and Technical Education 16 CTE Addressing Needs A ratio of 1 CTE class for every 2 academic classes was shown to minimize the risk of students dropping out. Vocational concentrators were more likely than their general peers to obtain a degree or certificate within 2 years.

Association for Career and Technical Education 17 CTE Improvements Improved integration of academic and CTE instruction Focus on high skill, high wage, high demand occupations Increased emphasis on achievement of a degree, certificate or credential

Association for Career and Technical Education 18 Perkins Reauthorization Themes  Accountability and program improvement  Secondary-postsecondary connections  Links to rigorous academics  Stronger focus on business and industry

Association for Career and Technical Education 19 Timeline  Fall 2006 – Draft State Plan Guides released  January 16, 2007 – Last comment period ended  March 2007 – Final State Plan Guide & non- regulatory guidance released  May 7, 2007 – Deadline for state transition plans  July 2007 – States working with OVAE on remaining transition plan issues; FY 07 grants made  Spring 2008 – Deadline for full five-year state plans

Association for Career and Technical Education 20 Transition – Key Issues  NCLB performance indicators  Measurement of technical skill attainment  Definitions of students…investor, concentrator, completer, etc  New Tech Prep provisions  Timeliness of guidance/regulations

Association for Career and Technical Education 21 FY 08 Budget and Appropriations  House Appropriations Committee approved bill on July 11  Perkins Basic State Grant increased by $25 million, Tech Prep level funded, small cut to National Programs  $62 billion for education programs, an increase of $4.5 billion over FY 2007  Large increases for Pell Grants, NCLB, and IDEA; most WIA programs level funded

Association for Career and Technical Education 22 FY 08 Budget and Appropriations  Senate Appropriations Committee bill approved on June 21  Perkins Basic State Grant and Tech Prep level funded, small cut to National Programs  $60.1 billion for education programs, an increase of $2.6 billion over FY 2007  Large increases for NCLB and IDEA; most WIA programs level funded

Association for Career and Technical Education 23 Perkins Funding (in millions) FY 07FY 08 House FY 08 Senate Basic State Grant $1, $1, $1, Tech Prep $ National Programs $10.000$8.000

Association for Career and Technical Education 24 FY 08 Budget and Appropriations  Both bills awaiting floor votes  House total is “high-water mark”  Advocacy is critical for any hope of maintaining the House funding increase in a conference committee  President has threatened to veto bill over total funding levels (not related to Perkins) – may have to start completely over

Association for Career and Technical Education 25 NCLB reauthorization  Timeline is moving quickly…sort of  Congressional leaders hope to finish bill this year  Numerous hearings already held  Key issues: –Special population challenges –Changes to AYP (growth models, multiple assessments) –Differentiated responses –Focus on middle/high schools –Teacher quality & professional development issues –Full funding

Association for Career and Technical Education 26 NCLB reauthorization  High School Reform: –CTE must be part of conversation –Use Perkins IV data to show progress –Dropout prevention & transition key issues  STEM initiatives –Some NCLB focus, some outside focus –Engineering and technology often get left out in favor of math and science

Association for Career and Technical Education 27 Common Issues  Addressed LEP and special education challenges  Altered AYP to base measure on same subject/same cohort  Improved HQT and recruitment/retention  Growth models  Provided professional development, technical assistance, and data systems  Full funding

Association for Career and Technical Education 28 Number of States Reporting the Extent to Which Certain Issues Presented a Challenge to NCLB Implementation During School Year and Source: Center on Education Policy, December 2004, State Survey, item 43; December 2005, State Survey, item 48 Serious or Moderate Challenge Minimal or Not a Challenge Providing assistance to all schools that have been identified for improvement Developing assessments as required under NCLB Determining which teachers meet the NLCB definition of “highly qualified” Adequacy of federal funds allocated to the state to implement state-level requirements of NCLB

Association for Career and Technical Education 29 ACTE NCLB Recommendations  Integrate academic and technical education to better engage and prepare students for their futures  Support comprehensive guidance and career development strategies to assist students in determining clear pathways to postsecondary and workforce goals

Association for Career and Technical Education 30 ACTE NCLB Recommendations  Increase the focus on secondary school completion through comprehensive dropout prevention and reentry strategies  Ensure that highly effective educators are supported, and available across the curriculum in all schools

Association for Career and Technical Education 31 ACTE NCLB Recommendations  Improve Adequate Yearly Progress and accountability provisions to more accurately reflect student learning progress  Provide support and incentives for innovation, replication and improvement

Association for Career and Technical Education 32 ACTE Resources  Issue Briefs  Position Papers  Promising Programs and Practices Web page  Research Clearinghouse Web page  Research Guide  Action Alerts

Association for Career and Technical Education 33 Resources

Association for Career and Technical Education 34 Contact Us Association for Career and Technical Education 1410 King Street Alexandria, VA (800) or (703) Web: