1. Texas Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM) 1995 – 2012

2. Before the WECM
Approximately 33,000 CTE courses were individually approved and on college “inventories” across the state.
Difficulties with portability of credits to and from Texas community and technical colleges.
Difficult for employers to determine levels and content of training received by students from various colleges.
Other state agencies had to individually approve courses

3. What is the WECM? Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM)
The WECM is a web accessible database of preapproved courses for use by the State’s community and technical colleges.
Housed and funded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)
Managed by the WECM Project Staff
Overseen by the WECM Leadership Committee
Maintained by community and technical college faculty at Annual Course Review WECM Workshops

4. Why Do We Need the WECM?
Consolidation and standardization of workforce courses across the state (33,000 then, 17,000 now)
Ensure that curriculum remains current and aligned with industry needs
Allow for portability of credit between Texas community and technical colleges
Provide for a mechanism to allocate state contact hour reimbursement dollars
Provide assurances and accountability to the legislature for workforce training dollars

5. What is the WECM Project?
An ongoing evolving process
A “field driven” process
A website and database maintained by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
A catalog of courses, not programs
A network of workforce higher education professionals from across the state of Texas

8. What is the WECM Protocol?
A document published on the WECM website that reflects decisions made in the creation of the WECM and those made by both the THECB and the WECM Leadership Committee since that time. It addresses
course structure and course types,
course review workshop models,
the roles of professionals in the WECM maintenance, and
the composition and operation of the WECM Leadership Committee.

9. Who Keeps it Going?
WECM Project Staff–daily operation & WECM Workshops
WECM Leadership Committee – oversee maintenance and maintain WECM Protocol
TACE WECM Committee–review CE ST & LN
WECM Workshops – review courses within a CIP code approx. every 3 years, typically in the summer
Facilitators – college administrators (CE or credit)
Instructional Specialist – college faculty (CE or credit)
Data Specialist
THECB – assist in maintenance, maintain database

10. Why Review a WECM Course?
The review, revision, creation and archiving of WECM courses is done consistently and according to the WECM Protocol.
Triggers for a WECM Course Review include
the number of local need and special topics courses submitted since last review,
changes in technology,
changes in external agency requirements,
State curriculum initiatives, etc.

11. WECM Course Review Workshops
Past course selection method
Three-year rotation for courses within a CIP.
Special Topics/Local Needs courses within the CIP.
CIPs that were affected by the various triggers were added as appropriate.
A “mish-mash” of courses being reviewed any given year.

12. WECM’s Purpose
Ongoing maintenance of a catalog of courses for career and technical programs in community and technical colleges in Texas.

13. WECM Task Force Develop a better process to group courses for review
Career Clusters
Career Pathways
Programs of Study

14. WECM Task Force Within a Career Cluster: (Ruffling, 2010).
the foundation level knowledge and skills extend to all pathways within the cluster
then at the pathway level there is another common group of knowledge and skills
the specialty level the skills are unique to a pathway.
(Ruffling, 2010).

15. 16 Career Clusters- The sixteen career clusters provide an organizing tool

16. WECM Task Force Career Clusters and Programs of Study
Develop a better process to group courses for review
Career Clusters and Programs of Study
Allow review of Common Courses with Instructional Specialists from Programs of Study
Data evaluation required

17. Common Course Example

18. WECM Task Force Develop a better process to group courses for review
Career Clusters and Programs of Study
Allow review of Common Courses with Instructional Specialists from Programs of Study
Continue to use triggers
ST/LN submissions
Certification/Licensure changes
WECM Comments
Emerging Technologies
Etc.

19. WECM Task Force Develop a better process to group courses for review
Career Clusters and Programs of Study
Allow review of Common Courses with Instructional Specialists from Programs of Study
Continue to use triggers
2. Evaluate the workshop format
New Format – begin 2012

20. WECM Task Force New Format – begins 2012 Workshop format - Day 1
Half–day facilitator training

21. WECM Task Force
Workshop format - Day 2 – Instructional specialists arrive
1. Orientation to workshop review procedures
Protocol
CIP Codes
Rubrics
Course Titles
Course Descriptions
End – of – Course Outcomes
Career Clusters
Programs of Study
Common Course Review
2. Course review begins

22. WECM Task Force Workshop format - Day 3 Course Review
TEKS Review – assist Texas Education Agency with mandated task of making changes to TEKS standards

23. WECM Task Force
1. Develop a better process to group courses for review
Career Clusters and Programs of Study
Allow review of Common Courses with Instructional Specialists from Programs of Study
Continue to use triggers
2. Evaluate the workshop format
New Format – begin full implementation with 2012 workshops
Assist Texas Education Agency with mandated task of making changes to TEKS standards – began with 2011 workshops

24. WECM Task Group Questions? Jeffrey Parks
Dean of Industrial and Applied Technology
San Jacinto College
Garry Tomerlin
Director of Academic Analysis
Tarrant County College
Dawn Finley
WECM Project Director
Midland College