69ý

College & Workforce Readiness

States Studying Career Programs

By Scott J. Cech — November 10, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

To try to hasten the integration of higher-level academics into traditionally hands-on career and technical education courses, the National Governors Association’s Center for Best Practices is sending five states back to school.

The association announced last month that Arizona, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, and Oklahoma will take part in what it’s calling a Career and Technical Education Policy Academy—a yearlong series of working field trips and self-evaluation sessions meant to help policymakers establish and work toward research-based standards for rigorous, modern CTE courses.

Alex Harris, a program director of the NGA center, said the academy, which also involves the Washington-based American Youth Policy Forum, is meant “to accelerate the shift from the old vo-tech to the new CTE.”

Mr. Harris said the academy is intended to show state leaders successful examples of CTE classes that have integrated disciplines such as geometry into classes such as construction. Those leaders can then answer criticism they have recently faced from CTE educators concerned that the hands-on aspects of their curriculum will be squeezed out, he added.

The first stop this month on the academy’s itinerary, which is financed by the Ford Motor Company Fund and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (the latter also underwrites some Education Week projects), is Sacramento, Calif., where small teams representing each state’s education, government, workforce, and business institutions will visit high schools that have successfully melded CTE and academics.

“I think there are more and more high schools that are seeking to connect both academic and career and technical education in a comprehensive program,” said Gary Hoachlander, the president of ConnectEd: California Center for College and Careers, a Berkeley, Calif.-based nonprofit organization. But, he noted, CTE courses shouldn’t be the only ones changing. “It’s also equally important to infuse application into the academic courses.”

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the November 12, 2008 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

College & Workforce Readiness Can the AP Model Work for CTE? How the College Board Is Embracing Career Prep
The organization known for AP courses and the SAT is getting more involved in helping students explore potential careers.
5 min read
David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, speaks at the organization's annual conference in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2024.
David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, speaks at the organization's annual conference in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2024. Long an institution invested in preparing students for college, the College Board increasingly has an eye on illuminating career options.
Ileana Najarro/Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness The Way 69ý Offer CTE Classes Is About to Change. Here's How
The revision could lead to significant shifts in the types of jobs schools highlight, and the courses students are able to take.
4 min read
Photo of student working with surveying equipment.
E+
College & Workforce Readiness Even in Academic Classes, 69ý Focus on Building 69ý' Workforce Skills
69ý work on meeting academic standards. What happens when they focus on different sets of skills?
11 min read
69ý participate in reflections after a day of learning in Julia Kromenacker’s 3rd grade classroom at Old Mill Elementary School in Mt. Washington, Ky. on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
69ý participate in reflections after a day of learning in Julia Kromenacker’s 3rd grade classroom at Old Mill Elementary School in Mt. Washington, Ky., on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. The Bullitt County district that includes Old Mill Elementary has incorporated a focus on building more general life skills, like collaboration, problem-solving, and communication, that community members and employers consistently say they want from students coming out of high school.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Preparing for the Workforce Can Start as Early as 1st Grade. What It Looks Like
Preparing students for college and career success starts well before high school—and it doesn’t only involve occupation-specific training.
5 min read
Jenna Bray, a 1st grade teacher at Old Mill Elementary School in Mt. Washington, Ky., helps her student Lucas Joiner on an online learning assignment on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
Jenna Bray, a 1st grade teacher at Old Mill Elementary School in Mt. Washington, Ky., helps student Lucas Joiner on an online learning assignment on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. The Bullitt County district, which includes Old Mill Elementary, has incorporated a focus on equipping students with more general life skills—like communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving—that employers and community members consistently say they want from students coming out of high school.
Sam Mallon/Education Week