RD145 - Career and Technical Education in the Commonwealth - July 2011


Executive Summary:
At the December 3, 2008 meeting, the Commission on Youth approved the following recommendation from the first year of the Study of Truancy and School Dropout Prevention:

The Commission on Youth shall conduct a study/gap analysis of career and technical education in the Commonwealth. This study will investigate when it is most effective to identify career and technical options. Potential linkages with the Tobacco Commission, the Virginia Manufacturers Association, the Virginia Community College system and the Virginia Workforce Council for workforce training will also be explored, along with the "Jobs for Virginia Graduates" program. Commission staff will apply for relevant funding opportunities.

Specifically, the Commission was to conduct a gap analysis of career and technical educational programs in the Commonwealth and identify resources and system improvements necessary to ensure that career and technical education is meeting the current and evolving needs of students and communities.

At the Commission on Youth’s May 29, 2009 meeting, the Commission adopted the work plan for this study. As part of the study, the Commission established an Advisory Group consisting of stakeholder representatives, including members of the Commission, the Virginia Department of Education, Virginia Council for Career and Technical Education, local business representatives, industry and manufacturing associations, professional associations, local school officials, regional career and technical education officials, community college representatives and parent/teacher organizations. The Advisory Group helped identify issues and develop recommendations for the Commission on Youth.

At the December 7, 2009 meeting, the Commission on Youth approved the following study recommendations:

Recommendation 1:
Support the Department of Education and the Board of Education’s Career Advisory Committee’s plans to work with local Career and Technical Education advisory committees to continue to educate the business community about the benefits of industry certifications, including National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI).

Recommendation 2:
Request the Secretary of Education and the Virginia Career Pathways System Working Group identify those credentials and certificates valued by Virginia employers and are appropriate for inclusion in Virginia’s Career and Technical Education Pathways. Regional variation in demand and program offerings will be acknowledged in this review. A report on the status of this review will be submitted to the Virginia Commission on Youth, the Board of Education and the Council on Career and Technical Education prior to the 2011 General Assembly Session.

Recommendation 3:
Introduce a resolution to support the update of Virginia’s Workplace Readiness Skills (WRS) and test revision. Request that the status of the update to the WRS, and its accompanying assessment instrument, be shared by the Department of Education with Virginia’s network of career and technical education administrators and school counselors during all upcoming conferences and trainings. Also, encourage local school divisions to communicate regularly with and invite the participation of the local employer community about workplace readiness initiatives and results from student testing on this and other credentialing tests.

Recommendation 4:
Request the Virginia Community College System, the Virginia Workforce Council and the Department of Education include the Career Readiness Certification (CRC) with the Academic and Career Plans for Career and Technical Education Pathways, as appropriate.

Recommendation 5:
Support the Board of Education’s Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee’s efforts to advocate and market career and technical education.

Recommendation 6:
Support the Department of Education revisions to the "R U Ready Parent’s Guide" and request that it be shared with parents of 7th grade, rather than 8th grade, students and request that the Department consider making the "R U Ready Guide for Students," which provides information about students’ educational opportunities, available to high school students in their sophomore, rather than junior, year.

Recommendation 7:
Request that the Virginia Association of School Counselors Association and Virginia PTA/PTSO include information on Virginia’s rising labor force needs, as well as the benefits of Virginia’s Career and Technical Education programs, in all trainings, newsletters and appropriate media. Also request that this message be shared with parents of kindergarteners.

Recommendation 8:
Support the Virginia Workforce Investment Council and the local workforce boards’ work with local school divisions to communicate the value of Virginia’s Career and Technical Education programs.

Recommendation 9:
Request the Department of Education include in the training materials for Academic and Career Plans, as well as in the sample plan:
a. the value of work-based learning for students, such as cooperative education, internships, job shadowing, mentorships, projects, service learning or a combination;
b. the value of skilled occupations for students; and
c. information for students and parents regarding the importance of having an industry credential or certification.

Recommendation 10:
Support the Department of Education’s efforts to promote private-public partnerships which offer real-world experiences to students. These partnerships include, but are not limited to, 4-H, Ag in the Classroom and Junior Achievement.

Recommendation 11:
Support the Governor’s Career and Technical Academies in Virginia as programs designed to expand options for the general student population to acquire Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Recommendation 12:
Request the Virginia Broadcasters Association to develop a public service campaign to inform the public of the benefits and value of career and technical education.

Recommendation 13:
Request the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) provide guidelines on the requirements for credentials career and technical education instructors need to satisfy the requirements to teach courses qualified for dual enrollment credit. Request that, once these guidelines are completed by VCCS, they be shared with the Department of Education and the Board of Education’s Advisory Council for Career and Technical Education, Virginia CTE Resource Center and Virginia Association for Career and Technical Education (VACTE).

Recommendation 14:
Request the Secretary of Education provide an update to the Commission on Youth on the progress of developing a template for statewide articulation agreements for Career and Technical Education as recommended in House Document 33 (2005, HJR 125) and to provide a report addressing the feasibility of establishing a unified agreement of dual enrollment in the Commonwealth, the barriers of pursuing uniform implementation of dual enrollment, and the costs of standardizing dual enrollment offerings.

Recommendation 15:
Support the Department of Education’s efforts to address the shortage of Career and Technical Education teachers in the Commonwealth.

Recommendation 16:
Support the efforts of the Board of Education’s Advisory Committee for Career and Technical Education (efforts to address teacher shortages, including teacher recruitment and the involvement of local career and technical education advisory committees.

Recommendation 17:
Support the continuation and expansion of Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Career Coaches program and request the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals and the Virginia School Board Association include information on the effectiveness of the Virginia Career Coach Program in upcoming conferences and trainings, as appropriate.

Recommendation 18:
Support the Department of Education and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) plan to integrate and implement the Academic and Career Plan (ACP) with the Virginia Education Wizard.

Recommendation 19:
Support the Department of Education’s efforts to provide information in upcoming training and training materials on Virginia’s Career Coaches, including ways Career Coaches can assist in the implementation of the Academic and Career Plan (ACP) and school divisions may establish partnerships with the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) and parents to support the Career Coaches.

Recommendation 20:
Request the Board of Education’s State Special Education Advisory Committee address barriers to appropriate placements of students with special needs into Career and Technical Education programs by developing (or sharing) written guidelines for use by school personnel.